Temptation

Chapter 8 - Hailey

“Hailey, I – “ Seb begins

“I don’t want to hear it Seb. In fact, I don’t particularly want to hear anything from you right now,” I interrupted, crossing my arms across my chest, even though every part of my body ached. I am suddenly conscious that my naked body is covered by thin, almost-transparent white cloth. “The only reason that you’re sitting in this hospital room with me right now is because you’re the only one with a phone. Because mine smashed. When I got hit by a car. When I tried to chase after you. At 1:00 am. This was your fucking fault. Okay? Got it? Shush.” I spread my hands down the hospital nightgown smoothing the creases.

He nodded.

I closed my eyes and let my head sag back against the pillow. My mind is such a mess at the moment and I’m so sore everywhere and I don’t understand how I could have been stupid enough to trust Seb as much as I did, and I just want to get out of this hospital. I hate hospitals so much, have done ever since I got sick and stayed in an awful one overseas. All I really want right now is the comfort of seeing my friends and my mum and dad, but unfortunately only one of those things is going to happen anytime soon, considering mum and dad are in Sri Lanka for three months.

“Ms Steele?” said the doctor.

“Mmhm?” I said as I opened my eyes.

“Uh yes, we have your x-ray results back…unfortunately that pain you were feeling in your right arm…”

“What about it?” I said with trepidation in my voice, anxiety increasing.

“Yes um, it’s unfortunately broken.” The doctor stated.

“Right,” I closed my eyes again. Of course my arm’s broken. I’m clearly just that lucky.

“Don’t worry Ms Steele, it was a very clean break and should only need a cast for around 6 weeks”.

Six weeks. Even better. God today sucks. I nodded and then the doctor muttered something about letting me adjust to the news and wondered out. Well, no use moping about, I’m going to have to live with my broken arm for a few months. It’ll be fine, I’m sure…I can manage at least. And it won’t change too much, except for tennis. Tennis! Shit, Dave, my coach is going to be royally pissed about this.

“Hey Seb?” I said cautiously, glancing over at where he was sitting, facing the window and looking deep in thought.

“Yeah Hailey?” he responded looking over at me in surprise.

“You realise that you’re gonna be so fucked when my tennis coach hears about this right?” I said, with a hopefully merciless smile. Never have I been more thankful to have an amazingly aggressive tennis coach.

“Oh. Shit.” He looked away, eyes downcast and resumed looking at the window.

The doctors came in to put my arm in a cast and soon I was sitting in bed again, bored out of my brain.

I really desperately hope that someone arrives soon to come rescue me from Seb and this excruciating silence. As I thought this, I heard hushed voices outside the door and then a gentle, timid knock. I swallowed, nervous suddenly for people to see me looking pathetic and pitiful, in a hospital nightgown.

“Come in!” I called out to the door trying to sound energetic and well. 

As the door opened I saw Savannah’s familiar warm brown eyes and honey blonde hair poke out from around the corner before anyone else’s and as she let out a small strangled cry, a group of people burst through the door. Pip, Savannah, Bri, Nat, Charlotte and Lachy were all trying to hug me at once and I burst into tears, along with most of the others. After a few minutes they all crowded around me asking for the story, asking about my arm, and asking how I felt. I answered questions about my arm and my head, but then as Bri repeated her question “Omg what the hell happened?” I went quiet and looked over to where Seb lurked, not quite part of the group anymore.

“Seb, why don’t you fill them in on the story,” I said coldly, “considering you saw all of it and caused most of it”.

It was a bit awkward after that, really, and I was sorry I’d said it, however not at all sorry for the glares that Seb was getting. After a while Savannah told everyone to wait outside for a little bit before Lachy could drive them all home. Charlotte gave me the one last parting hug, whose small frame didn’t seem to want to let go. Once they’d filed out of the room, Savannah sat at the edge of my bed and Lachy stood with his arms crossed.

Seb couldn’t meet anyone’s eyes and just before the silence almost got too much, Savannah spoke. “What the fuck Seb! What is wrong with you! She could have died all because you and your stupid moods! Do you even understand what you’ve done!  I can’t believe it and I’m so so mad at you right now you don’t even understand”.

At this point, she began pacing around the room until Lachy put a placating arm on her shoulder, calming her. I just love their relationship dynamic so much, that even in this god-awful hospital, I couldn’t help but admire how comforting they were to each other.

“Well Seb,” she continued, “Do you have anything to say for yourself, or are you just going to pretend that you didn’t do anything wrong, again?”

Seb got up and looked furious, and for half a second I was worried he was going to strike her. At this point Lachy got involved, stepping in front of Savannah.

“Seb, I think you need to leave,” he said firmly.

“Yeah agreed, leave our fucking lives more like,” I heard Savannah mutter and I know that Seb heard too. Without saying anything to them, he grabbed his bag and looked at me, then left.

Savannah looked at his departing back, which was quite reminiscent of the last thing I remembered of the night previous. “What a dick... grab your stuff and get changed let’s get out of here.”

I was dropped home gladly on my own after refusing several offers to sleep over. I just wanted to be on my own. I jumped into the shower and washed away all of my thoughts about Seb and about everything that happened.

Once I had hopped out, I started trying to cook dinner and contemplated calling my parents. I didn’t. Considering my cast would be off by the time they got back, and I would only get a lecture about irresponsibility (because apparently leaving a 15 year old alone for 3 months is completely responsible) it would be easier for everyone. I grabbed the pan to cook my dinner in. I dropped it immediately, of course, because my arm couldn’t take that much weight. The loud ‘clang’ that resounded around the room after it fell just reminded me how lonely this house was. “Oh fuck it!” I said and crawled into bed on an empty stomach, in an empty house, with an empty heart. I’d just have to deal with things tomorrow.