I Blame Wattpad for My High Expectations of Men

Chapter 18 - He would be the one to crack jokes during such a situation.

*Author's Note: This is a shorter chapter that's going to act more like a filler chapter, nevertheless there is a cute Lola and Ace moment involved. The next chapter will for sure be longer, though! Stay blessed! :)*

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~Flashback Continued~

"Oh, thank God," Kelsey releases a breath when she sees me walking in at four o'clock in the morning. I'm closing the door behind me when she swings her hands around me in a tight embrace. "I texted you a few times and tried calling you to see how long you'd be gone for, only to realize that your battery probably died."

"Sorry," I chuckle lightly, hugging her back. "I didn't realize my phone died until I was only five minutes away, so I didn't even bother to charge it in the car."

"It's whatever now. You're back, you're alive, and you seem a lot better now than when you left," she tells me as she examines me closely. "That's all that matters." I wink at her, silently letting her know that her entire sentence is spot on.

That's when I notice that Hayden is actually here with Kelsey, too. Shit, did they both really wait up for me?

"You're still here?" I ask him as I take off my shoes and then go to plug in my phone to charge.

"Well, then. You're not as smart as you seem if you thought I was going to leave this one alone," he says, pointing over to Kelsey who's now sitting next to him on her bed, "all by herself until you came back. Besides, you can say I was worried about you, too...just a little bit, though." He hovers his index finger over his thumb to show just how little he was worried about me.

I can't help but chuckle. Whether he knows it or not, I appreciate that, almost as much as I appreciate him being there for my best friend when she was probably low-key freaking out the entire time I was gone.

"I better let Ace know you're okay. He nearly lost his shit when he found out you were driving under the influence. He hasn't stopped blowing up any of our phones, yours included," he informs me as he goes to take out his phone.

Damn fam, you better learn how to appreciate this guy. Otherwise, I'm sorry, but you won't deserve to even have him as a friend in your life then.

I actually agree with you, Buffy. You're a hundred percent right on that one.

"Actually," I suddenly tell Hayden, "it's cool. If he's still up, I'll let him know myself."

"Really?" Kelsey asks, suddenly beaming at me with hope.

"Really," I tell her with a genuine smile and a reassuring head nod.

"Cool," Hayden says, getting up from the bed. "Well, in that case, I better get home. I have an 8:00 a.m. tomorrow that I can't miss."

"Shit. Sorry, G. I didn't think yo-"

"Lola," Hayden lets out with a sigh. "I said I can't miss it, not that I regret staying up this entire time, because I don't. It's all good, fam. Seriously." He raises his hand for a fist bump, and I gladly return it.

"Thanks again, Hayden."

"Anytime," he responds, giving me a wink, before he bends down to give Kelsey a goodnight kiss.