Neighborly Love

Chapter 7

Hailey's POV:

It had been such a busy day to all of us today since it was the day when mom and Richard would be having a little party with their friends and some neighbors. Mom had cooked in the kitchen a whole day and I had helped as much as I have could.

Now we had just finished the apple pie and I was making a whipped cream to it when I decided finally ask that one question for my mom which had bothered me last days.

"Mom, could we invite Justin too?" I asked carefully because I didn't know how she would react it. "Of course we can, sweetheart" mom said and grabbed her phone right away. "I just thought that you wouldn't want see him..." she mumbled. It made me look her confused.

Did she knew about it that we... had a thing with him? Had Justin told about it to her? I will for sure curse him if he had, I thought and felt how blood started ran faster in my veins.

"Do you think that I didn't hear you crying when you came back on that night?" mom asked. "Something happened between you two. I'm sure about it but it's-" "You're right, mom. And that's why I want that you invite him too. We need to talk with him" I said quickly to my mom.

"That's good" mom smiled and sent finally the invite message to Justin. "You have always been such a kind-hearted girl with everyone" she continued and kissed my hear which disgusted me a bit. I escaped her grip and shook my head. "Mom, stop!" I groaned and made her laugh.

Soon also Richard appeared in the kitchen and asked what's going on here. "My little girl doesn't want her mom to caress her hair no more" mom pouted and looked me. I rolled my eyes to her and sighed.

"I'm almost 21, mom" I mumbled. "I know, I know but you will always be my little Hailey still" mom said and touched my chin, before she went out to get some ingredients to her salad.

10 minutes later she came back with a few tomatoes, cucumbers and a little bowl full of salad leaves. "You should go change something better on before the guests come" mom commented and looked my usual home outfir which consist of grey t-shirt and black sweatpants.

"What's wrong with these?" I joked but didn't wait her answer but moved to my room change. Since it has been a warm summer day today, I put my light summer dress on and white sandals. I made a light makeup and curled my hair.

I heard how mon's phone started ring in the kitchen and how she yelled for me: "Hailey, could you finish the salad for me?" before she ran to answer her phone. I walked to the kitchen and finished last tomato in the bowl and sliced some cucumber and pepper there too before I started mix everything up.

I did it as carefully as possible that I wouldn't ruin my dress with food stains which would, in the worst moment, leave a lifelike stain.

"Where I put this?" I mouthed to my mom after the salad was ready. Mom looked over me and pointed over the table in the corner of our terrace. I set it there and put salad servers on the bowl before I heard how door bell rang.

I ran to open the door and there was a unfamiliar couple standing. "Good evening, you must be Joslyn's daughter" the woman said and I nodded. "Was it Hannah?" she asked while she took off her jacket. "Hailey" I corrected her and pointed over the backyard when they were ready.

We all sat on the chairs and the guests looked over the yard. I didn't have idea what to say to them. I hadn't even got their names which made that situation even more awkward. All I knew, or guess was that they must be my mom's friends.

"Such a beautiful backyard you have here" the woman complimented and I nodded. "Yeah, my mom likes make it a lot. She's crazy over new garden trends and-" I started tell but then my mom appeared in the backyard too.

"Heyyyy! Sorry I was on the phone, work things. They can't seemly leave me alone even when I'm on holidays" my mom chuckled when she went hug her friends. When they had fully focused on each others, I made my own choice to stand back and go to my room.

I heard how the guests mentioned something about me before I closed the door of my room. I didn't still feel interest to go talk with them even mom told me to be more social and show myself at least to our neighbors later. Maybe I could, maybe I couldn't; I thought myself before I laid down on my bed and removed my phone from the charger.

About 5 minutes later, Richard came to knock on my door and tell that I should come to say hi to rest of the guests but I refused his offer and lied that I wasn't feeling so well. He didn't believe me and my excuses any second, I could tell it from his gaze, how he looked me but he didn't start fight with me but just closed the door behind himself.

I opened Instagram, scrolled through it and liked some pictures but even it didn't make me feel better. I was still bored. I logged out from my account and decided go check if someone would be free to chat with me.
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Hailey|Charlotte

"Hey, are you at home?"
"Yeah.. why?
"Just wondering, lol. I'm bored af since the house is full of some random people"
"Go talk with them?"
"Not interested"
"You're not interested anything
"Or wait let me correct myself..."
"Don't you dare to mention that one thing!!"
"Beside sending nudes to you bf"
"Hahahahaha..."
"Fuck you..."
"I love you too but seriously, I didn't know that you would let yourself go on that level like EVER"
"People change, dear💁"
"Yeah... tables turn"
"Wdym?"
"Nothing...🤗"
"Oh c'mon!!"
"Now you tell!🙄"
"Lol, no..."
"🖕"
"😘"
"🙄"
"You can be really annoying sometimes, you know"
"I know😊"
"Good that you agree"
"Soooo... what now?"
"Tell me what did you mean with that 'tables turn' thing🙇"
"No😊"
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I groaned. Why this girl kept playing with me? On same time I heard again one more knock on the front door which heard to my ears really familiar.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Three knocks, it could be just one person.

"I gotta go" I texted quickly to Charlotte before I jumped up the bed and started fix my hair and dress. "But that doesn't mean that we would be finished with this. I'll dig that thing out of you on some point anyways☝" I wrote fast while I kept walking slowly toward the door. "Whatever... see you around!" Charlotte wrote back.

I closed my phone and put it on my table before I finally got myself out of my room, and I walked to the hallway to meet our guest.

Mom was talking with him but right away when I stepped there, Justin's gaze moved on me. "Hey" I mumbled quietly and he nodded back. Mom turned to look at me and nodded to me encouraging before she joined back with others.

Now there was just me and Justin. We both stood speechless there looking on our toes. Suddenly none of us had no words to say. "Do you wanna start?" Justin asked, offering me to chance release the tension between us.

"No, you can" I mumbled quietly back. "But let's go somewhere else because I don't want listen those conversations or that they hear ours" Justin nodded accepting and mumbled that it was maybe better do so.

So we walked pass to my mom and Richard and their guests, to the backyard. I closed the glass door behind me, so we could have all peace to talk things out.

It happened now if ever, we wanted it or not.
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What do you think? I know you may hate me because of I always leave these endings open, and you hanging with big questions of future but try take still a little moment.

Soon will happen something bigger