Hayes Grier fanfic: After All

Chapter 61

Hayes's POV:

My eyes went wide and my face flushed pale when I saw Nash standing there. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat, no...I can't leave now. It's not the right time.

"Hey, Nash, what are you doing here?" Althea asked from a distance from the top of the stairs with Andrea. Her face looking confused and unaware.
"Well, Hayes and I are-"
"Nash! Can I talk to you for a second?!" I pleaded as I dragged Nash into the kitchen with the guys leaving Nash stammering and dropping the luggage from his grip. Althea and Andrea exchanged odd looks to one another.
"Hayes, what the fuck? Are you okay or something?" Nash whispered
"I didn't tell her that uh, I'm leaving" I mumbled beneath my breath. Nash's eyes went wide like they were jotting out from his skull and he stumbled with his words in thin air. "Hayes! Are you fucking insane?! It's been over 8 months and you still haven't told her?!" Nash waved his arms around in the air with his face still locked on the same face expression. "I know...I'm sorry. I just...I can't." I mumbled as I stared down at my feet. Nash and the guys got quiet. Even though my head was down I still felt their stares stinging the back of my neck. My neck turned warm like it was blushing.

"Hayes, you have to tell her...now." Nash Said as he laid his hand on my shoulder. I sighed and nodded. "Fine. But...we can't leave tonight. Can we leave tomorrow or just..next month?"
"Hayes-"
"Please," I pouted. And that's the first time I ever pouted purposely towards Nash. "The baby is being born soon around this time and I-"
"I'll see what I can do." Nash said. And a little quick breath of relief exited my mouth. The kitchen went silent.
"Hayes, what are you going to do?" Nash asked again breaking the silence.
"Just follow my lead" I said. Trying to keep my voice calm and serious. Even though on the inside I was practically screaming and ready to fall to the floor.
"Althea!" I said as I called from the kitchen and made my way towards the front doors of the house.
"Yeah?" She said sprinting down the stairs.
"Woah. Careful, you almost fell"
"Hayes. I'm fine. I think I'm old enough to not trip from the stairs"
I laughed quietly. "Listen, uncle Philip forgot something here when he came to visit. He's wondering if we could drop it off for him" I lied.
"Hayes! It's late! And it's raining! The drive there is going to take forever!" She said In annoyance
"so? Are you the one driving?"
"Well no, but-"
"Please," I said as I pulled her closer to me and kissed her cheek. "Please just come with me." I said with a smirk.

My smirks always got to her. And I was proud to say that The smirk was a god given gift.

She sighed, "fine. Let me just go grab a jacket" she said as she ran up the stairs. I watched her cautiously until her presence was no where in sight.
"So?" Nash Hissed as he peeked his head out from the kitchen doorway, along with Jeff and chandler.
"Shh!" I hissed back. "I'll tell her on the ride there" I said. And Nash, chandler and Jeff retreated from the doorway.

*

Jeff had let me borrow his car. When we got into the car, Althea was right. It was pouring rain from every view possible. The cloudy night sky had taken over quickly and had kept the blue sunny sky as it's slave. Althea rested her head on the passenger seat's window and complained of how cold it was. She also complained of how long the drive was to uncle Philip's. Now, I wasn't really driving to uncle Philip's. I just needed to get away from everybody. I just wanted to be with her...

I just wanted more time with her

But

I also needed a way of telling her goodbye.

Althea's POV:

Hayes's hands were gripped tightly on the steering wheel and his head was faced forward. His face locked into full concentration. I didn't know how he kept so concentrated on the road when you could barely see a thing in the heavy rain drops pounding at the wind shield.
His body looked so tensed up and his blue eyes had a little twitch. Hayes saw me at the corner of his eye and he giggled. "Like what you see?"
I hit him the leg lightly with the palm of my hand. His little laugh slowly fading into a slight frown. I was so surprised of how off he was acting.
"Everything alright hayes?" I said.
He gave me a quick glance before flashing his eyes back to the road. I saw his jaw clench up a bit. "Everything's fine" he said as he gritted his teeth.
I scoffed. "Liar."
"I am not."
"Yes you are."
"What do you mean?"
"Hayes. You're acting so off and Nash came to visit without a warning."
"So?"
"Surely something is up. And it's not just about your dog being sick"
Hayes got quiet. I watched his eyes slowly flutter as he stared at the empty road ahead of us.
I laid my hand on his leg and saw his body get less tensed and almost a breath of relief escape the tips of his lips.
"Hayes..."
"Everything is fine."
"Hayes, stop."
"Stop with what?! Everything is fine!!" He yelled at me. I was startled at his loud voice and how his eyes widened and his cheeks were burning with anger. I felt like I jumped out of my seat. I moved my hand away from his leg and placed my hands onto my lap as I stared outside the window. Seeing nothing but raindrops and a dark view. I could see hayes's reflection from the window and darkness and saw he was giving me small glances.

Back at the road, then to me, back at the road and then to me.

"Althea...look, I'm sorry for yelling but-"
"Hayes, just tell me what's wrong." My voice hissed. I could feel my teeth clenching.
"I-...I I wish I could. But it isn't the right time to-"
"Fuck that shit Hayes Grier! Fuck it," I said with anger leaving the tip of my tongue. Hayes stopped the car with one step of the breaks. The car screeched. He stared at me with a sorry look. My teeth gritted as I finished my sentence.
"Just screw it hayes! What do you mean it isn't the time?!"
"I just mean-"
"Hayes, you just can't do that...what if the baby was born any minute now?...what are you going to say? It just isn't the time" my voice cracked at the last word and suddenly I felt rivers escape my eyes. I rested my head in my hands. I didn't even know why I was crying. It was just a feeling that had hit me right at the exact time and I had no control of stopping it. Hayes lifted my head gently with his hands. He wiped away some of the tears dripping down my face with his thumb.
"I'm sorry...I love you."
"If you love me...why can't you tell me what you're hiding?"
Hayes hesitated and the car got quiet, the only thing killing the silence was the sound of the raindrops pouring on the roof of the car. Hayes stared at me with his sorry eyes that were watering slowly. His face expression also with a soft and sorry expression. He planted his plump lips onto mine and gave me a slow kiss.
"Do you really want to know?"
"Yes. Please."
"Okay, but first. I want you to know, I really, really. Love you. Okay?"
"Okay." His words made anxiety travel my entire body. My heart preparing to hear the words exit from his lips.
"I mean, I really, reallllly love you."
"OKAY" I said more loudly with a small smile
"I love you more than anything." He said as he grabbed my hand and rested it into his.
"So tell me what you're hiding"
He sighed again, "alright. Well. I'm lea-"

And a bright light was coming towards us. Within a blink of an eye I could feel the car shifting to the side of the road. I knew Hayes wasn't driving...

A car had crashed and it just happened to crash with us. I felt like I was floating to be honest. No serious pain. No nothing. A little shock sent through my body but I think that was because of the surprise. I didn't know what to feel because like I said...I felt like I was floating. All I could see was darkness. I didn't know if my eyes were closed or if something else was the cause of this.

My body felt tired and uncontrollable of the extreme fatigue that just happened to me right now, then the last thing I heard was the shouting of my name that faded into whispers.

"Althea!!"

"Althea!"

"Althea."

"Althea..."

"I love..."

And then I could hear nothing more except the ringing of darkness that was taken over me.