can’t ignore.
And then, a flood of words hit me all at once. Except, I wasn’t sure if they were just random words or if they were actually feelings. Feelings that I had for the complicated girl sitting beside me.
I was writing so fast that my hand was aching when I finally stopped to take a break.
Hailey looked up at me and gave me a small smile. “Did you make some progress?”
“Yeah, I did.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. I had made progress—just not on our assignment.
When I read back over the lyrics I’d scribbled down, I realized two things. First, they needed some more work, but it was a start and we could definitely do something with it. I even had a tune in my head that might just work.
Second, as I studied Hailey—not for the first time—it wasn’t a mystery where my inspiration had come from. There was undeniably something about Hailey that drew me to her. She reminded me of my parents in some aspects, yet at the same time she was unfamiliar to me in a way I couldn’t explain.
Too bad I wasn’t her type at all.
Chapter Thirteen
Hailey
I felt so bad that Braxton always had to come and pick me up whenever I visited. I had started at the Child Development Center and it was going well. The teachers I worked with were nice and the kids were actually pretty cute when they weren’t snotty and needing their diapers changed. But I only got paid once a month which meant my first paycheck was still weeks away and even when I did get it, it wouldn’t be much. Maybe I should look into getting a second job waiting tables at Duke's.
“Waitresses make good tips, right?” I asked Tessa. The actual thought of waiting tables and touching dirty dishes freaked me out a little bit to tell the truth, but I was desperate.
“Yeah, I think so. Why?”
“I was thinking of applying at Duke’s .”
“I’m pretty sure you have to be at least twenty-one to serve alcohol.”
“Damn. That sucks.” I needed to check the classifieds again.
“Do you need some money?” she asked. “I can loan you some, you know?”
“No, of course not.” Even if I did need money, there was no way I would ever borrow some from Tessa. “I’m just trying to save up for a car.”
“Oh. Well, you can borrow mine whenever you need it,” she offered.
“Thanks, that’s really generous of you, but I couldn’t do that.” I was really embarrassed that she even felt like she had to offer. I guess I was obsessing about this a little too much. I didn’t want her to feel sorry for me.
“Hailey, seriously. I don’t mind at all. It’s not like I don’t know where you live.” She winked.
“Thanks, Tessa,” I said quietly, still embarrassed.
“Anytime, see you tonight, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back probably after dinner.”
“Have fun.” She waved goodbye.
The weather was pleasant today so I decided to wait for him outside the dorms. When he pulled up I hopped off the bench I’d been perched on and practically skipped to his truck.
I jumped into the passenger seat and threw my arms around his neck giving him a kiss on the cheek. He just sat there, open mouthed and stunned by my enthusiasm.
“What did you do to your hair?”
“What? Oh, I, um, cut it,” I mumbled, suddenly self-conscious. I had forgotten he hadn’t had a chance to see it yet. “Don't you like it?”
“Why did you change it?”
“I don't know. I guess I thought a change would be nice.”
As low as I felt right now, it was hard to believe that literally 5 minutes ago I was floating on air. Now I just felt like Braxton had popped my balloon.
He didn't say anything else, but he seemed annoyed as we drove the hour to Southlake.
Nobody met us outside when we got to the house. I felt like it was a bad omen and I ended up being right. Braxton's mom was not doing well.
Mr. Douglas was kneeling down beside her, his large tan hands clasping her smaller boney ones. His head was down as though in prayer. Brad stood behind him, his
And then, a flood of words hit me all at once. Except, I wasn’t sure if they were just random words or if they were actually feelings. Feelings that I had for the complicated girl sitting beside me.
I was writing so fast that my hand was aching when I finally stopped to take a break.
Hailey looked up at me and gave me a small smile. “Did you make some progress?”
“Yeah, I did.” That wasn’t exactly a lie. I had made progress—just not on our assignment.
When I read back over the lyrics I’d scribbled down, I realized two things. First, they needed some more work, but it was a start and we could definitely do something with it. I even had a tune in my head that might just work.
Second, as I studied Hailey—not for the first time—it wasn’t a mystery where my inspiration had come from. There was undeniably something about Hailey that drew me to her. She reminded me of my parents in some aspects, yet at the same time she was unfamiliar to me in a way I couldn’t explain.
Too bad I wasn’t her type at all.
Chapter Thirteen
Hailey
I felt so bad that Braxton always had to come and pick me up whenever I visited. I had started at the Child Development Center and it was going well. The teachers I worked with were nice and the kids were actually pretty cute when they weren’t snotty and needing their diapers changed. But I only got paid once a month which meant my first paycheck was still weeks away and even when I did get it, it wouldn’t be much. Maybe I should look into getting a second job waiting tables at Duke's.
“Waitresses make good tips, right?” I asked Tessa. The actual thought of waiting tables and touching dirty dishes freaked me out a little bit to tell the truth, but I was desperate.
“Yeah, I think so. Why?”
“I was thinking of applying at Duke’s .”
“I’m pretty sure you have to be at least twenty-one to serve alcohol.”
“Damn. That sucks.” I needed to check the classifieds again.
“Do you need some money?” she asked. “I can loan you some, you know?”
“No, of course not.” Even if I did need money, there was no way I would ever borrow some from Tessa. “I’m just trying to save up for a car.”
“Oh. Well, you can borrow mine whenever you need it,” she offered.
“Thanks, that’s really generous of you, but I couldn’t do that.” I was really embarrassed that she even felt like she had to offer. I guess I was obsessing about this a little too much. I didn’t want her to feel sorry for me.
“Hailey, seriously. I don’t mind at all. It’s not like I don’t know where you live.” She winked.
“Thanks, Tessa,” I said quietly, still embarrassed.
“Anytime, see you tonight, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be back probably after dinner.”
“Have fun.” She waved goodbye.
The weather was pleasant today so I decided to wait for him outside the dorms. When he pulled up I hopped off the bench I’d been perched on and practically skipped to his truck.
I jumped into the passenger seat and threw my arms around his neck giving him a kiss on the cheek. He just sat there, open mouthed and stunned by my enthusiasm.
“What did you do to your hair?”
“What? Oh, I, um, cut it,” I mumbled, suddenly self-conscious. I had forgotten he hadn’t had a chance to see it yet. “Don't you like it?”
“Why did you change it?”
“I don't know. I guess I thought a change would be nice.”
As low as I felt right now, it was hard to believe that literally 5 minutes ago I was floating on air. Now I just felt like Braxton had popped my balloon.
He didn't say anything else, but he seemed annoyed as we drove the hour to Southlake.
Nobody met us outside when we got to the house. I felt like it was a bad omen and I ended up being right. Braxton's mom was not doing well.
Mr. Douglas was kneeling down beside her, his large tan hands clasping her smaller boney ones. His head was down as though in prayer. Brad stood behind him, his
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