Jenalyn: Disconnected (#5) [Complete]

Chapter 23: Hayden

Tues. 12/30/08 • 8:43 A.M. EST

My eyelids feel like they weigh a thousand pounds when I try to pull them open, and my head throbs painfully. I drank way more than I should have last night, especially considering the fact Jena's plan to take Gage back from Jordy turned out to be a lost cause.

A lost cause for last night, at least.

At least she made use of her monster's cravings, and somehow fixed the situation with Ty before the night was over. I suppose this trip would have been pretty unbearable had I caused so much turbulence on the first night, huh? We are supposed to be working things out. Maybe Jena isn't so terrible after all, I silently scoff as I stretch out my aching limbs and sit myself up.

Ty sits on the edge of the bed, his body curled over something as if his intent were to hide it. I question what it is for a moment before his hushed voice breaks the silence in our room. "I mean, are you sure that's what she said?" he whispers into the hotel phone, his voice loud against the silence of our room. A few moments pass before he goes on. "No, I don't think either one of them would make a surprise visit... What does she look like? How did she know we're here?"

The second my brain processes that someone knows where I am, and may be in the lobby of this hotel, I panic. My first thought is that it's Dane; It wouldn't be the first time he's hunted me down while I was on the East Coast, and I guess I've learned to expect it anymore. That's when the realization that Ty said she sets in... Could it be Evelyn? No... Dane wouldn't let her out here to find me! Not unless something was wrong with him...

"What's going on?" I ask, startling Ty. I can't help a bit of panic from coming through in my voice, and he reacts by trying to downplay it.

"Oh- nothing!" he stammers, rolling his eyes as if the front desk had dialed the wrong number. He pauses for a moment to tell the person on the phone to hold on a second before turning back to me. "They're saying someone is down there claiming to be your sister... they've dealt with Harlee and Harper though; It's not either of them."

Ty turns back away from me to respond to the call with the front desk, leaving me with an odd feeling sitting in the pit of my stomach. I know for a fact that it's not Angel or Nicole, my biological sisters. I haven't spoken to anyone in my biological family for years! It's got to be Ev... but why?

Did something happen to Dane? Or Rob?

"It's probably just a fan. Some of them get really serious about tracking their favorite celebrities, and Hayden was out and about with us for a while last night-" Ty says into the phone, pausing to assumingly listen when the receptionist interrupts him. It takes a few moments for him to continue, and when he does it's with exasperation lining his voice. "You'll have to call security then! It's a risk to send Hayden down when-"

I ask Ty to hand me the phone before he can finish, and though reluctant at first, he does it. The receptionist, a younger sounding woman with a nasaly voice, is already going on about something when I put the phone to my ear.

"-She is insisting on it, sir! She brought Polaroids... I know it sounds weird, but I think you should at least let the girl talk to Hayden!" she exclaims through the phone, pausing to catch her breath. I hear a familiar though muffled voice behind her words, but can't figure out what to do or say. The woman goes on. "You can't fake a Polaroid! It's really Hayden! They might be-"

I tune her out, a million different scenarios for why Evelyn would be showing up like this running through my brain. If something didn't happen to Dane... what if it's Rob? I have no idea what happened the day I gave birth to those babies; What if Dane found out about me and Rob, and killed him? Or what if Ev is in trouble? Like... big trouble?

"I- Is her name Evelyn?" I stutter into the phone before anxiety starts to consume ever fiber of my being. I can't handle any of those scenarios right now. "Ask her what her name is... If Evelyn is her name... I'll talk to her."

A few moments pass, more muffled words spoken before I hear the phone being shuffled between hands. Evelyn's voice, more clearly now, snaps at the woman for having took so long to make this happen. I hear her sigh before she addresses me. "Hey Haydie," she says with a fake tone in her voice I can tell is more so directed at the receptionist. "Can you tell this woman to let me come up and see you, please? I've really got to talk to you."

She doesn't ease any of my anxiety. I can't tell whether or not it's a good kind of talk, or a bad kind of talk, but it's in my DNA to assume the latter. "Are you okay?" I ask, immediately following up. "Is everything okay? Who's hurt?"

Ty looks confused, and signals for me to let him know what's going on; I can't pay him any mind though. Every inch of me hangs on edge awaiting Ev's response. I can't breathe until I know that Jena isn't going to have a coronary.

Evelyn laughs. "Nobody is hurt... Nobody that you care about, at least," she says, letting out another small laugh after. "Can I please come up to see you? I promise I won't embarass your little Hayden life..."

I can tell the last part is intended to guilt me. Evelyn has always been a little bitter about my Hayden life because we always dreamed of doing this together before it became a reality.

How am I supposed to say no? I promised her I would take her away from all of Dane's craziness the moment I got out of it... the least I could do is let her come up to my suite and spend a little time with me...

"Are you alone?" I ask, my head automatically taking precautions. Evelyn confirms that she is, and though she has backstabbed me before- I believe her.

"That's actually what I want to talk to you about-" she says, a bit of excitement seeping into her voice before she cuts herself off. "But tell this lady to let me up; We've got to talk in person!"

Ty doesn't like that I've been ignoring him. He wears a frustrated yet concerned look on his face as he watches me. I should probably take him into consideration before I give Evelyn the okay, but I can't bring myself to do it. Hayden is nervous; She doesn't like to have bits and pieces of Jena's life seep into hers. The two lives don't mix well. Jena finds herself excited though, and she's much stronger than Hayden right now.

Especially when such a solid piece of Jena's life is around.