Recovery | On Hiatus

Chapter 21

Chapter 21

      THE WAITRESS WHO took our orders couldn't have been more patient with Laura's excited rambling, and I was suddenly aware that the woman deserved a huge tip. By the end of the visit, Laura had managed to make me try large quantities of four different meals, all of which I couldn't deny were amazing. If that was her idea of 'taking it easy' on my first visit here, I was terrified to see what would happen when she went all out.

After paying our check—which David mostly covered, as going out to eat was apparently his idea—and feeling severely worn out, we stepped out into the cold night and started back towards Laura's scratched up pickup, Lola. David had to help me climb into the truck bed, as expected, and climbed in soon after, Aiden right on his heels. It didn't take very long to get back to Aiden's to drop him and David off and leave me lonely in the back. I didn't mind it so much, though. The wind felt nice despite its frigid temperature. My jacket didn't do much to keep out the cold, but Hayden's house had to have only been a block or two away from Aiden's.

I could barely hold myself from shivering by the time we arrived at the house. Sasha sent me an apologetic look as we got out of the car, this time with me landing steady on my feet. Despite her elated demeanor, I'd noticed a significant drop in her mood the moment we dropped David and Aiden off at his car. There was something going on with the two of them, and I made a mental note for later to find out what.

"Here we are," Laura said as we approached the house, the wooden patio creaking under my feet as I climbed the three steps to the door. I knew they were confused about why we were at Hayden's house instead of my own, but I was thankful they didn't ask any questions.

Camille came to the door relatively quickly after hearing my knock and let us in with a smile. "Hey ladies, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you all."

Laura reached out a hand and shook Camille's eagerly. "I'm Laura, and this is Sasha." She gestured to Sasha behind her who smiled awkwardly and lifted a hand in a quick, short wave.

"It's wonderful to meet you both."

"We stopped by so I could grab some clothes from my room," I told Camille when she turned to face me. "Is Hayden back yet?"

She started towards the kitchen with furrowed eyebrows. "Back? He's been here since your detention ended." She looked towards Laura and Sasha. "Would either of you like a drink?"

"Yes, please," Sasha said as Laura shook her head politely. "Water, if you don't mind."

Camille left for Sasha's while my thoughts turned about Hayden. If he hadn't been out busy like he'd said, then he had to have been fishing for an excuse not to come with us to LuLu's. He was so angry with me he couldn't stand being around his own friends if it meant I was in the immediate vicinity.

An unfamiliar feeling twisted my stomach into a painful knot. He must hate me by this point.

Completely unaware of the subject, I rudely interrupted the girls' conversation to let them know I was headed upstairs. They nodded in acknowledgment and sympathy as I climbed the stairs to the room I'd been staying in. Before I'd even reached the top, though, Hayden's door slammed shut to avoid confrontation with me when I passed. I swallowed the lump in my throat and gathered enough clothes to last me a few nights, just in case I ended up staying longer than planned. I strategically left out shorts or any other revealing article of clothing that could give way to my secret abuse and nodded to myself when I finally gathered everything together.

Wanting to go ahead and get it out of the way, I slid into the bathroom and brushed my teeth before deciding to go back downstairs. The dark circles under my eyes reflected back at me in the mirror and it suddenly became very clear how poorly I'd been taking care of my body lately. Little food and lack of a regular sleep schedule can do that to a person. My memories flickered back to Hayden finding me in my room, partially dressed and coated with fresh bruises. The dark spot on the back of my thigh was the most bothersome still, the pain from the others long gone and forgotten.

I shook the thought away and tossed my toothbrush into the black bag hanging over my shoulder. Hayden hating me was bound to happen eventually with all the secrets I blatantly kept from him. Stressing about it would only make things worse.

When I made it back downstairs, Laura and Sasha were perched in the seats in front of the counter with chocolate-chip cookies in their hands. I instantly remembered watching movies with Hayden on the couch while we ate cookie dough until we fell asleep. Forcing a smile, I said, "All packed up and ready to go."

Camille—protective mother figure as ever—stepped around the counter and asked, "Go where, exactly?"

I hitched my bag higher up my shoulder and nodded my head towards Laura's truck outside. "We're staying at Sasha's tonight. I grabbed some clothes for a few days just in case I stay longer than planned." I paused. "If that's okay with Sasha, of course. I don't mean to just invite myself long-term."

Sasha shook her head with a smile and hooked an arm around mine. "You're fine. You can stay as long as you like." She shrugged. "It gets pretty lonely when Laura's not there, anyway."

Relief flooded me at her answer. I didn't need to stay at home, and I wasn't going to be intruding on Hayden's life while he didn't want me here. Not to mention, Darrin would have no idea where I was to come and find me.

"You three have fun, then." Camille smiled as we started for the door, but I didn't miss the lingering, worried stare she left me with as I left.