No Promises - New Hope Club Book 2 (George Smith)

Seventeen

"But tell me now is that just one big
Stupid mistake" - The Vamps

Blake's POV

I felt really shitty for talking to Haley that way. I mean, yeah they did cheat but it was obvious that Haley was sorry and devastated. I didn't know what the deal with George was though. He usually did not run away from his problems.

After I had told Emma and Reece what had happened - they were really shocked - I headed after Haley down the beach. I felt so sorry for being so mean to her that I wanted to fix it immediately.

Since it was dark already finding her wasn't that easy and that puny flashlight of my phone didn't really do a great job. After approximately ten minutes of walking down the beach and looking for Haley, I saw the small of her back in the dark.

She was sitting in the sand, her head resting on her knees. As I approached I noticed that she was shaking. And crying. And gasping for air.

I silently sat down next to her but she didn't even give me a look. She just kept on gasping for air and that's when I first noticed that she couldn't breathe.

I put my hand on her back to check if she was okay. She looked up, startled. She obviously hadn't expected me to be here but I was and I was going to stay with her because that's what friends are supposed to do. And her previous friends didn't, but I was going to do so.

"Are you okay?" I asked concerned. I even considered calling an ambulance and pulled out my phone but Haley put her hand on mine that was holding the phone and shook her head. Her face was tear stained and I felt so sorry for being one of the reasons that had caused it.

"It's just a panic attack. It'll pass." She said or at least she tried because she could barely breathe. I didn't know that Haley was having panic attacks but I didn't say anything about it. I didn't want her to feel even more uncomfortable.

"What can I do for you?" I asked and she just clenched me, holding on to me.

"I'm falling." She sobbed.

"I'm here to catch you." I replied and slung my arms around her to hold her. Apparently it helped though it took Haley some time to calm down, she did and I had no clue how I had managed that.

"Listen," I said after the panic attack was over. "I'm sorry for what I said. I was shocked and pissed and I shouldn't have said all these nasty things to you. I should have let you guys explain."

"It's okay," She answered and shook her head. "I deserved it. You don't make out with another girl's boyfriend."

"Right but you said it was more than that?"

"It was to me!" She said and turned around a bit so she could look at me properly. "I never meant to hurt anybody. I swear and as you said, out of all people, I am the one who knows best how it feels to be cheated on."

I looked down at my hands. I felt so crappy for treating her that way earlier

"I told George that I wasn't going to do anything with him as long as he is with Ashley and he promised me to break up with her but I knew from the start that he wasn't going to keep that promise. He shouldn't have made that promise in the first place. But I guess my head was lead by the lies he told." She explained to me. "Evan had called me earlier, saying that he was sorry and I guess I was just so hurt and angry that I buckled and kissed George. I know it was wrong but it felt so right, if that makes any sense?"

"It does actually and I'm glad you explained it to me." I told her. "I can't do anything else but apologise to you a second time. I didn't know all that background stuff, I just thought you two were messing around but now that I see that you were trying to do what's best, I can comprehend."

"I never meant to hurt anyone." She assured a second time and I truly believed her. The way Haley looked at me, tears running down her face... how could you not believe her? "But it doesn't matter anymore. George is gone anyway and I don't think we'll figure this out eventually. I think I ruined it. This was never meant to go well and obviously it wasn't that important to him as it was to me or else he would have fought for it."

"You said you never wanted to hurt anyone right?" I asked and though I didn't want an answer because it was a rhetorical question she nodded, her eyes big, staring up at me. She was so messed up. "Maybe George doesn't want to hurt anyone too?"

Haley remained silent while staring down at her hands.

"Maybe he didn't break up with Ashley because he didn't want to hurt her? Not because he was playing you." I asked and I knew that it made sense to her. I saw it by the look on her face.

"But he hurt me."

"I doubt he intended to do so. I bet he just wanted to do what's best for everybody because that's how he is."

"And if he wanted to do the best thing, how did it all end up in that fucking mess?"

"Things do not always go how you want them to. Things do not always turn out how you planned them to." I said and we both fell silent. We just stared at the ocean, listening to the sound of the waves breaking at the shore. It was sad but also kind of peaceful somehow. It was like the silence setting in after a storm. Or the smell after rain.

After a while of just sitting there in silence, she broke it.

"Blake?" She asked and I smiled at her.

"Yeah?"

"I think I really love him." She said and I smiled. I was just so happy that George had finally found a girl who would love him well. And to be honest I thought that Ashley and George were a really bad match in comparison to Haley and him. And I had no doubt that they were going to work things out and if not, Reece and I would help them along.

"And I think he really loves you." I answered and I meant it. "It'll be okay in the end and if it's not then it is not the end."

"Okay Blake, seriously? Stop quoting Pinterest motivation quotes." She said and I laughed because she had caught me.

"I hoped you wouldn't notice."

"But Blake?" She asked another time.

"Yeah?"

"You are wiser than I thought." She said and I jumped up, chanting and dancing around.

"Does that mean you take back that you think I'm immature??"

"Stop that," She pointed at me dancing. "Or else I won't."

I immediately stood still and grinned at Haley.

Author's Note

Sorry that I didn't update in so long it's just that I have problems with my eyes and staring at my phone screen just makes it worse so I wrote that chapter on the computer which was kind of better.

Anyway, isn't Blake cute? I want NHC be my friends somehow.

Hope you're all doing well, lots of love
Xx
A