Holding Back [COMPLETED]

Epilogue

Haley held out the edges of her sundress, staring at her reflection. With an annoyed breath, she dropped it and shook her head. Spinning around, she crossed her room, snatching up the hacky sack she had stolen back from Matt on her way to her balcony. Warm air wrapped around her as she stepped out.

The buzz of weekend noises bloomed from the neighborhood, the rattle of a lawnmower, the laughter and splash of children in a swimming pool, the faint purr of a passing car. Evening was drawing in, the sky beginning to show a darker shade of blue. Across the way, Jace sat on the edge of his bed, bent over a control, eyes pinned to the tv screen.

"Jace," Haley said.

He didn't answer, his face screwed up in concentration as he pounded at the buttons, avoiding certain death on the screen. Haley twisted her lips to the side and threw the hacky sack at him. It bounced off his shoulder and tumbled onto the bed quickly followed by the floor.

"What?" Jace said, still not looking at her.

"I need your help."

"Kay, what do you need?" He swore and punched at the controller, leaning in, body tense.

"I need you to look at me."

"I am looking at you," he said, doing nothing of the kind.

Scowling, Haley folded her arms and turned her attention to the adventure playing out on the tv. A cruel glint brightened her eyes.

"Go left, go left, go left!" she shouted.

Startled, Jace directed his character how she advised and was instantly murdered by a pack of mummies. When the game announced Jace was now dead, he frowned at Haley.

"You did that on purpose."

She shrugged. "You weren't paying attention and you said you would help."

With a half annoyed, half resigned sigh, Jace tossed aside his controlled. Stretching over, he grabbed a baseball from his nightstand and flipped it into the air.

"What did you need my help on?" he asked.

Haley held out her hands, giving him a full view of her dress.

"What do we think about this?" she asked.

Jace scratched the top of his head, rumpling his hair.

"I thought you and Lettie were talking again, can't she do this?"

Haley waved a dismissive hand. "I get a hold of her one out of every ten times I call and I need help now." She gestured to him with a pleading grin. "So you are my only hope."

"Fine. What did Isaac say again?"

"That it would be a casual date and to dress in something comfortable."

"I wouldn't go with a dress then," Jace said, throwing the ball back and forth.

"Why?"

"Cause casual could mean lazar tag. You don't want to be running around in a dress."

Bowing to his knowledge, Haley darted back into her closet, exchanging the dress for a pair of jean shorts and a t-shirt. When she reappeared, she was relieved to see Jace hadn't returned to his game.

"What about this then?" she asked.

Jace cocked his head, his face pinched in dismay.

"Don't you have anything more...I don't know...girly?"

Rolling her eyes, Haley walked back into her closet. After flipping through a myriad of choices, she pulled on a pair of colorful cotton shorts and paired it with a loose top. As she stepped back out into the summer breeze, Jace's expression lightened.