I Blame Wattpad for My High Expectations of Men

Chapter 30 - Careful what you wish for, Slayer.

*Author's Note: I promise the image will make more sense by the end of this chapter, just bare with me here 😂. Also, some of you might get mad at a certain character after reading this chapter (and if you're already pissed at him, you're about to be pissed off even more). However, I plan to give you guys some of his viewpoints of certain chapters towards the end of the book, so eventually, you all will know exactly what he was going through and why he was acting the way he was during certain important parts of the flashbacks. In the meantime, just suck it up and don't give up on him just yet (well...I don't know about the whole 'give up' part given how this story en- you know what? Nevermind, just continue reading, that's the only point that I'm trying to make here 😂). We all have our days and well he...let's just say he had a lot of them back then lol. Stay blessed! :)*

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       I was never an expert when it came to dealing with time, but even I knew that waiting for someone for two hours when they said they'd meet you as soon as they were done was a stretch. True, Ace had never told me how long it'd take to get the shit sorted out with Ryan, but I was still willing to wait for him. I was waiting for him until I got a certain text from Hayden, that is.

~Flashback Continued~

Hayden Williams: Change of plans, call me when you can.

        I dial Hayden's number to see what this change of plans is.

"Lola," Hayden answers in a whisper. Why the fuck is he whispering? "We managed to get out of the lake house without breaking out a fight, but Ace," he pauses, "he's gone ballistic. He told me to call you and tell you to just take his car back to your dorm because he needs to be alone right now, but I can't leave him like this, Lola. I've known him for seven years, and have yet to see him like this before. Angry doesn't even begin to describe what he looks like at the moment."

"So, you most likely locked yourself in a room in -wherever the hell you two are right now- to call me and get me to come over without him knowing," I state, knowingly.

"I see you're still the little smartass I remember from middle school," he responds, still whispering.

"And I see you're still the big dumbass I remember from middle school," I retort and imagine him furrowing his eyebrows.

"What?" I sigh.

"If there's a reason that Ace didn't go through with his initial plan, it's probably a good one, Hayden. One that obviously means he doesn't want me anywhere near him right now," I answer truthfully.

        Lately, I've been aware that I could be dense sometimes, but this time isn't going to be one of those times. I haven't known Ace for as long as his best friend has known him, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out when a person wants to be left alone. I want to be there for Ace more than Ace himself could possibly know, but I also know how to respect personal space. One tends to learn that pretty quickly in life when they've spent a good portion of their childhood asking for it themselves.

"Lola," Hayden sighs, a sign that he's not giving up just yet. "I respect that you respect that, but have you ever said or done something in spur of the moment without thinking about whether it was the right thing to say or do?" I scoff.

"More times than either one of us can count," I admit.

"Exactly," Hayden points out. "So, forgive me for not respecting my best friend's request for personal space at the moment, but I believe this is one of those times where he asked for it without thinking about it. If anyone can fix this situation, get him to calm down even a little, it's you."