The One that got away

3. The One with the catching up

"Hailey you need to get home right this instant! You grandmother will be here soon. Don't you want to be here when your only living grandparent arrives?" my mother shouted.

"Yes mother. I do. I'll be home soon."

"Soon is not good enough. Get up and start walking now you ungrateful brat."

"Okay-"

My own mother actually hung up on me! I shook my head before putting my phone in my bag and lifting my head up, only to be met by someone's chest.

Basically someone knocked me over.

"Ow!" I exclaimed as my butt landed on the sand.

"Oh god...I'm so sorry," the person said before helping me up.

As I was being pulled up I waited to see the person's face but I don't get to see it because this guy was quite a bit taller than me. I was about to scold him but that's when I actually saw his face with his beautiful eyes and gorgeous hair. So much for that plan.

"Again...I'm really sorry about that," he told me.

"You should watch where you're going," I said.

"I'll keep that in mind. What's a girl like you doing in the middle of the bush though?" he asked.

"What are YOU doing the middle of the bush?" I retorted.

"Going for a run," he answered.

"In jeans?"

"Uh...my running shorts were all in the wash," he answered with a grin.

"Okay...I'll take it."

"I'm Joshua by the way."

"I'm Hailey and I'm late so I really gotta go," I told him before picking up my bag and running across the beach.

"I still don't know why you were in the bush!" he called out.

"I guess it's for me to know and for you to find out!" I shouted back and in the distance I heard him chuckle.

******************

"Hailey?" the person calls again breaking me out of my daze.

"Josh!" I exclaim and before I even have a chance to think about what I'm doing I throw my arms around his neck and like old times he swings me around.

When he puts me down he doesn't let go though and I find myself thinking about how much I missed hugging him. "What are you doing here?" I ask once the hug ends.

"I live nearby. I thought Jess would've told you."

I am going to kill Jess. "No. She didn't mention you at all," I say with a half smile.

"Hailey? Is everything okay? Are you not happy to see me?" he asks seeing right through my smile. 8 years and he can still tell the difference.

"No I really am happy to see you. It's just that for the past year Jess has been sending me these ridiculously long emails yet she never mentioned dating anyone, the fact that she got engaged or the fact that you are here in New York."

"I will never understand Jess. Congratulations on your book by the way. It's great to see that you finally finished it after spending hours and hours writing on the beach. I always knew you could do it," he tells me.