Jenalyn: A Splitting Personality (#2) [Complete]

Chapter 47: Hayden

Thursday, 4:57 A.M.

Tyler is heaven sent right now.

He meets me at the airport, on the side of the gate where barely anyone ever goes. He shows up with a baseball cap, jacket, and sunglasses already in hand. 

His eyes widen at the sight of me- assumingly as he notices the bruises lining my body, and the split skin on my jaw. He doesn't say anything though, he just kisses me on my forehead.

Thank goodness there's no paparazzi. 

We make it to the car. As soon as I get settled in on the passenger seat, he jumps into the driver's seat and turns to me.

"What the hell happened, Hayden?!" he asks reaching out to gently to remove the sunglasses. "Are you okay? Is the baby?!" 

It doesn't take long before tears steadily stream down both of my cheeks. I had a whole plane ride to think up something to tell him- but couldn't bring myself to do it out of the exhaustion my constant string of lies keeps me weaved in. Now I have no idea what to say, and I know that I need to say something!

"Babygirl, please!" Tyler exclaims, pulling me across his center console into a hug. "Please, tell me what happened! I need to know you're okay! Do I take you to the hospi-" 

I cut him off with a long wail. "No!" I cry, "please don't take me anywhere except to your house! I- I'm trying to figure out a way to tell you, just give me a second! Please!" 

Ty nods his head and reluctantly starts up his car. He doesn't move anywhere though, he just lets out a worried sigh and turns to me again.

"I love you, Jenalyn Victoria... Hayden," he says with his voice calmer than the look on his face. "I love you, and I promised you I would keep this between us, okay? So I need you to let me know, right now, if this has to do with the East Coast boyfriend..."

My head snaps over to where he sits beside me, a look of both shock and disbelief spread across my face. "I don't have an east coast boyfriend!" I almost yell at him, offended that he'd think I'd cheat!

I guess I have no right to feel that way, considering... 

Tyler doesn't even flinch- his face remains serious as he lets out another small sigh.

"Ex-boyfriend... whatever." he says, shrugging his shoulders. "I know you were seeing someone before all of this Hayden shit, and I know he's beaten and bruised you up before... I just want to know if that's what this is! I-"

My face turns red, though I doubt Ty can see it through the dark of his car still parked in the parking garage.

"How would you even know that, Tyler?" I can't help but snap defensively. 

This time, he lets out a longer sigh. He pauses for a moment before turning to me again. "You told me a long time ago, I guess..." he says, trailing off for a moment as if to catch up with his memories. "-at the Philadelphia show. You were smoking a cigarette in this pavilion, and told me your boyfriend was going to beat the fuck out of you for what we did. Though honest to God, we didn't do anything. I know it for a fact because I'd remember a girl like you."

I don't know what to respond to him, but only a few moments are left between us before he repositions himself on the seat and returns his gaze to me again. 

"-and then that time you won the contest dinner with Harlee, and showed up at the hotel?" he continues, his voice soft but matter of factly. "You were pretty bruised up then, too... we all saw that. I just... had more to go off of."

I know it's completely logical that someone would be able to put those puzzle pieces together and conclude exactly what he did- I can't help the look of surprise from spreading across my face though.

I can't get any words to come out. I want to try and soften this blow for him- I want to tell him that it's not a boyfriend, but maybe an abusive parent. Or tell him that he was right about the boyfriend before, but that this particular incident tonight was of no relation. Or maybe even that he's wrong altogether!

Anything that'd keep Jena's life from tainting the life I've been working to build for Hayden, and now this baby.

"Are you mad at me?" It's the only thing I can make escape my lips- the worst thing that could, considering that it's basically a big fat confirmation to his suspicions.

Tyler reaches over the center console again, embracing me in a strong hug while shaking his head.

"No, I'm not mad!" he says into the top of my head as he squeezes me. "I'm worried... and I've got... questions? Concerns? I think maybe we should talk, but I'm not mad. Honestly, I just want to get you back to my place, and cleaned up a little. Can we talk later?"

I nod my head, sobbing too much at this point to even try to get any words out. 

How did I get so lucky?

"I love you," Ty says after a few moments. "You know that, right?"

I nod my head again. Words aren't even hard to find this time. "I do know it..." I say, a little more under my breath than I intend to. "Now more than ever, honestly."