Chapped {h.g}

{20}

February 17th 2025

Nash and I were setting the plates out on the table for Ash's first birthday when Hayes walked out the back door, Ash squirming in his arms.
"Can't wait to teach this little guy football," Hayes sat on the grass with Ash and rolled the football towards him. "Oh, hey Jordyn . . .," he stood up and pulled something out of his pocket.
I gave him a questioning look.
Hayes smiled and said, "remember this?".
I looked down at his hands to see my chapstick. My chapstick from freshman year that he never gave back. I smiled up at him. And then the memories came back. Everything came back. From McKenna and Jerome to Hayes' car wreck.
I heard Nash say something to me.
"Jordyn. Are you with me?,". I turned and looked at him. "Yeah, sorry".
He let out a chuckle and asked for help with the table decorations.
I turned back to Hayes and handed him the chapstick. "I want you to keep it".
He furrowed his eyebrows.
"For memories", I smiled again and turned back to Nash to help with the decorations, but Hayes looked like he wanted to say something.
"Everything okay?", I asked him sincerely.
"What? Yeah, yeah. I'm just . . . I'm going to set out the food".
"Don't worry about it. Nash and I can-".
"No. I got it," he said, his eyes averting from me to Nash. He quickly walked in the house. I
picked up Ash and kept my eyes on the door where he had previously entered. I was confused at Hayes' behavior, very confused.

(A/n); i didn't even realize the baby's name; Ash, rhymed with Nash until the end of writing this ha :')
Anyway, I'm back, but am I here to stay? ;)