HAYLEY’S P.O.VOur clothes were off before I even realized what was happening. This had little to do with savoring the moment and more to do with simply feeling him against me.He loved me.I tried to reconcile myself to the fact that it was true but it still felt like a fiction of my imagination. There was like and there was love; Jake wasn’t a child who minced words, if he said he loved me then he meant it.“I can almost hear the screws in your head because of how hard you’re thinking,” he teased, backing me up until my knees hit the back of the bed.“You just said that you loved me.”“And I’ll say it every fucking day if you need me to, stop thinking so hard,” he lay me gently on the bed, wasting no time in covering my body with his and kissing me again. “I meant it, Hayley, I love you.”My chest expanded to the point where it was almost painful. His words almost seemed to swell on my inside. I could listen to them every day and not be tired, it was my new favorite phrase and it wa
HAYLEY’S P.O.V“Tell me something,” Jake’s voice rang out through the room.I was draped over his chest, trailing my finger over his skin. I stilled long enough to acknowledge him before going back to the tracing. I woke up around half an hour ago but couldn’t bring myself to get out of bed. In true Jake fashion, he was up long before me and for once, he agreed with me that it was best for us to spend the morning in bed.“How pissed were you yesterday about Marie?” I looked up at him with a look that had grown men pissing their pants.“Are you really talking about your ex-wife while we are both naked in your bed? Is that your definition of pillow talk.”“Believe me, I want to talk about her as much as you want to hear about her but I realize that I wasn’t listening to you yesterday and I never got to know how you felt. A lot happened yesterday and I just-”“If this is you giving me the chance to take back what I said then I’m not going to,” I leaned on my elbows so I could look at him
JAKE’S P.O.VThe first sign that something was amiss should have been the silence.My house was almost always silent except for when Kate and Hayley were together. The house would reverberate with their laughter and gossip but it was silent and I didn’t realize it at first because I was more focused on what I was going to do about Marie. She was a thorn in my side and I needed her to leave before she made Hayley more uncomfortable.After freshening up, I made my way down the steps only to hear a familiar voice. “You can sit down, you don’t have to stand.”I didn’t mind having Carmine around but honestly, I should have known she would come after I told her about Marie but I would have preferred to have more time to talk to Hayley about her. With everything happening, the last thing she would want is another woman she doesn’t know walking into my house.I walked into the kitchen to find Carmine seated on the counter. Hayley was still in my clothes and judging from the state of the kitch
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI always thought I was very good at keeping my emotions in check but clearly that super power disappeared once my father was involved.I walked into the house, shocked to see my grandparents in the living room but also slightly relieved because it meant that they would keep dad’s attention off me, or so I thought. Instead, he took one look at me and crossed the length of the room until he was standing directly in front of me.“What happened?” he asked and I attempted to shrug it off but he wouldn’t let me. “Did he do something to you? Did he say something?”“He didn’t do anything, I’m just tired,” I lied but he wasn’t buying it. He took out his phone but I was quick to snatch it out of his grip. “Do not call him, please.”“Hayley-”“He didn’t hurt me, I promise you. You know that if he did, I wouldn’t protect him, right?”That seemed to calm him down a little because some of the tension in his shoulders disappeared. He still wasn’t completely convinced and I knew that n
HAYLEY’S P.O.VHe told me everything that he could possibly think of about her and from his words, she sounded exactly like the kind of person I would love to be around.I knew I was rude to her earlier and I could only hope that it wasn’t too late to fix it. I had nothing against her per say, I was just caught off guard and it scared me for a moment.We stayed in the park far later than we should have and as the sky dissolved into millions of colors, I found myself curled up in Jake’s lap, a blanket thrown over our bodies as we watched the sun set. It was quite possibly one of the most intimate things we had ever done and I couldn’t help but wish we could do it again.“We should get you home,” he whispered and I hummed.I knew he was right but suddenly, the idea of moving in with him didn’t sound so appalling anymore. I didn’t want this night to end, I wasn’t ready to all it quits just yet. I liked the solace, the quiet and the peace, I loved the gentle breezed that brushed over us a
HAYLEY’S P.O.VMy hands were shaking despite the fact that I tried to hide it.Jake had arranged for an afternoon dinner at his house. I suggested a restaurant but he reminded me that we hadn’t gone public yet and it was a Sunday. The chances of being photographed were high so we couldn’t risk it.I stood in front of his door, a bottle of wine in my hands as I tried to work up the courage to open the front door. I was nervous as hell because although Jake didn’t have any family, Carmine was as close to it as he could get and I needed her to like me- I wanted her to like me.The door opened before I could even knock and Kate stood there dressed in jeans and a lazy top. She looked me over and shook her head as a small smile played on her lips. I hadn’t gone over the top, just a little black dress and thigh high boots but then again, it was dinner.“She’s going to love you, you don’t have to worry,” Kate assured me as she took the wine from my hands. “She already loves you.”“She doesn’t
HAYLEY’S P.O.V“Hayley,” I heard Jake call my name but his voice sounded like a buzzing in my ears.I could hear my father speaking but I couldn’t make out his words. My eyes were completely fixed on the words on my screen. I knew it was Marie, it had to be her. No one else could have leaked the news to the press in record time.I wasn’t sure whether to be pissed or impressed. I had grossly underestimated her and that was my mistake. She was a cunning individual and I wish I had thought about that before I pissed her off and became her number one enemy.A warm hand settled on my shoulder and I nearly jumped. Jake looked pissed but also sad at the same time. He watched me with a fear in his eyes as if he thought I was going to run away and leave him. I could tell he wanted to do more than just touch my shoulder but he was holding back for my benefit.“She’s smart, I’ll give her that,” I said finally and I could see everyone’s faces twist with confusion. I lifted my phone to my ear and
HAYLEY’S P.O.VMy father was in my boyfriend’s living room.It took me longer than it should have it process what I was seeing because for a full minute, I just stood there staring and wondering if what I was seeing was an apparition or a figment of my imagination.Dad was in a tailored suit and he sat at the counter with Jake. They were looking over the files together and I just stood there watching until I felt a warm hand on my shoulder. Kate handed me a mug of steaming hot coffee with a smile.“You look like you’ll need that,” she whispered and I couldn’t help but laugh. I did need it.The sound caught my father’s attention and he turned to me with a smile. He walked over to me and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. I was suddenly so grateful that I decided to put on something before coming down. It would have been incredibly distasteful for my father to see me in nothing but Jake’s shirt.“Did you bring clothes for me?” I asked and his brows furrowed in confusion. “Work clothes,
HAYLEY’S P.O.VIt took me weeks to finally feel comfortable enough to leave the house without an army behind me.It was so easy to pretend to the public, to put on a smile and act like things were fine when in reality, they weren’t. The only people who saw the real me were my family. They saw every breakdown, every nervous wreck, every tear. A few years ago, I would have hated the idea of anyone seeing me weak but now, I was glad to have people I could lean on.It took months, but I was fine now. Marie was convicted of Charles’ murder as well as the other two and my kidnapping. She was never getting out of jail for the rest of her life and the thought made me giddy.“Stop watching the sentencing,” Kate chided, turning off the TV. “It’s over now.”I rolled my eyes at her. “It relaxes me.”She raised a brow. “A court case relaxes you?”“If I was allowed to go to work, I wouldn’t need to watch the sentencing,”She stared at me incredulously. “You’re ready to pop. There’s no way in hell th
HAYLEY’S P.O.VThere was a loud beeping sound somewhere at the back of my mind and it just wouldn’t go away.My head felt foggy and my body felt like it was weighed down by a fucking tractor, but against all odds, I managed to pull my eyes open.Voices overlapped as I tried to figure out where I was.The walls were white and there were machines next to me, I could see Jake and my father speaking to a woman in a white coat- a doctor. A small groan left my lips and all eyes turned to me.“Baby,” Jake’s voice cracked as he made his way over to me. His eyes were dull and hollow as he rushed to my side, his hand softly stroking my cheek. “How do you feel?”“Like I was run over,” I mumbled. “What happened?”“Marie took you.”I nodded slowly. “I remember that. I remember running in the forest.”“We were calling out to you. You slipped and rolled down a hill.”The memories came flooding back. My head was pounding as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to it but all I could feel was fear and w
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI watched Marie making her way over to me, a smoking gun in one hand and the other on her hip.She was dressed in black leggings and a loose shirt. She surprisingly looked good for someone who had just shot two men in cold blood.“Don’t look so terrified. You’ve witnessed a murder too, haven’t you?”I swallowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”She snorted. “Please, I’ve been alive far longer than you have. I know all about the boy that was thirsting after you and his body that was found.”“Again, I don’t know what-”She aimed the gun right at my face. “Lie to me again, I dare you.”I didn’t dare speak, I just stared straight at her and forced my expression to neutral. She was crazy, far crazier than Jake had led me to imagine. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was a recent development or if she had always been this insane.“I thought so,” she mumbled before lowering the gun. “Do you know what this is?”When I said nothing, she made her way over to me and grab
HAYLEY’S P.O.VWe spent three magnificent days in Paris without any disturbance from anyone.It was just us, going out, fucking until the sun rose and eating good food. It was the best time I had in a long time but as always, every good thing must come to an end.I lay across Jake’s chest asleep when my phone rang loud. I mumbled a small curse under my breath, reaching out to silence the call. I hoped that whoever it was would take the hint and stop calling but my phone rang again.“Do you want me to answer it?” Jake asked but I shook my head, grabbing the phone blindly and picking up.“Hello?”“Where’s Jake?” my father’s panicked voice filled my ears.“He’s right here. Why didn’t you call him?”“I did, the bastard probably has his phone on do not disturb. I need to talk to him.”I handed the phone to Jake, trying to figure out what it could be that would make dad worry this much. “It’s dad.”Jake was up in a second, the sleep gone from his eyes as he took the phone from me. I couldn’
HAYLEY’S P.O.VA hand brushed my hair over my shoulder and warm lips placed open mouthed kisses on my throat and collar bone.I mumbled something incoherent and nestled closer to the warmth. I was too comfortable to move or open my eyes. I just wanted to enjoy the extra soft sheets underneath me and the warm hands on my skin.“As much as I want to get in bed with you, baby girl, you need to eat,” Jake whispered, his hand trailing down my side. “You’ve been asleep for too long.”“How long?”“Hours.”I forced my eyes open and found him seated behind me. He smiled softly at me and pulled back. I missed his warmth instantly, missed the feel of him next to me. He was dressed already, in a plain t-shirt and sweats.A quick glance at the window told me just how late it was.I couldn’t remember much from before I fell asleep. I remembered getting out of the shower and Jake settling between my thighs. I remembered him eating my cunt until I sobbed for reprieve and I remembered him fucking me f
HAYLEY’S P.O.VMy skin buzzed with excitement as we walked into our hotel room.I still couldn’t believe that he had done this. It was one thing to plan a vacation and it was another to plan it without me knowing and get me to the airport all while I had no idea what was going on.The hotel room was beautiful. It had its own living room and the room was so large that I took a double take. Jake stood behind me, one hand on my hip as I took in the room. I could almost feel his smile against my hair.“You’re quiet, I’m going to assume that you’re impressed,” he drawled, his voice dripping with amusement.“This is amazing,” I breathed turning to him. “How long are we here?”“The plan is one week, but we can stay longer if you want.”I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t help but lean on my toes and kiss him. “Thank you.”I kissed him again and this time, he pulled me close, one hand tangling in my hair to kiss me deeper. I felt the kiss all the way to my toes as my head emptied of all thou
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI was bursting with excitement the next morning.I had no idea where we were going, but I was excited.I woke up to Jake whispering sweet nothings as he placed a soft kiss on my shoulder. When I didn’t stir, he carried me into the bathroom where he ran a soft bath for us. It took far longer than it should have for us to get out of the bathroom but I wasn’t complaining.Once that was done, he all but pulled me into the car. He was yet to tell me where we were going and with each passing second, my curiosity seemed to grow.We stopped at a café and my brows rose. “Is this where we’re going?”He snorted. “Not a chance, but we have to get you coffee first.”He didn’t say anything after that, choosing instead to help me out of the car.The inside of the cafe was beautiful, and I was shocked that I had never noticed it before. The interior was a beautiful cream color, with artwork and plants hanging on every wall. It looked expensive- felt expensive even.He placed our order
HAYLEY’S P.O.VAfter our quickie, we managed to get our clothes off and go at it again.I lay sprawled on his chest, one hand mindlessly stroking my hair while the other drew circles on my lower back. We were yet to talk about what happened with the officer. I wasn’t stupid, I knew there was more to it than what he told me.“Jake,” I began slowly. “Are you going to tell me the truth about why the officer was here?”There was silence for a full minute.“No.”I turned to him. “No?”“The less you know, the better. All you need to know is that they will never know what happened. Everything is going to be fine, I promise.”“You shouldn’t make promises like that. Anything could happen. You don’t get to go to jail, not now that-”I exhaled deeply.Maybe it was selfish of me to think this way. Charles was someone’s child after all and I could only imagine the worry and pain his mother was going through but I wasn’t selfless enough to give her closure at my own detriment.“I want this Charles
HAYLEY’S P.O.VKate was panicking and it was pissing me off.It wasn’t that I didn’t empathize with her- I did. I couldn’t begin to imagine how she felt in the moment. I was just strung up as it was and she was making it worse.“Are you alright?” she asked for what felt like the tenth time in one minute and I nodded.I sat on the cold bathroom floor, my hands on the toilet seat simply because I didn’t have the energy to move. My stomach was still churning and my head was pounding like crazy. The last thing I wanted was to get up and throw up again.“Do you need me to call Jake?” she began before stopping herself. “He’s with the police, of course I can’t call him. Perhaps I could pull your dad out?”“Dad is his lawyer,” I cut her off. “They have to be together.”“Should I call an ambulance?”“I threw up, I’m not dying,” I dragged myself to my feet slowly and made my way over to the sink to clean up.I hated the after taste that vomit left in my mouth more than anything.Behind me, Kate