HAYLEY’S P.O.VDad was barking orders into his phone from the moment we got into the car.He was the only person more pissed about her presence than I was. I knew grandpa would have been pissed if he had the energy to spare but he was exhausted. He just sat there staring out the window.He didn’t say much for the rest of the day, he just dragged himself up the steps and locked himself in the room. I sat in my room too because I did not want to hear dad yelling at people over the phone as he tried to find a way to keep Andrea away from us.I had barely been alone for half an hour when I heard a knock on my door. I couldn’t respond because I was in the bathroom wiping my face clean of makeup but I heard footsteps and I knew immediately that it was Jake.One glance in the mirror told me all I needed to know. He leaned against the doorframe watching me. I had ditched my dress as soon as we got back and was only in black lace underwear but Jake’s eyes didn’t linger or roam down my body. He
HAYLEY’S P.O.VAt first, I was hoping for someone to jump out with a camera and say that it was a prank. I always knew my grandmother to be an impractical joker but this was truly pushing the limit.“That can’t be right,” grandpa cut in. “Are you sure she put that in?’He nodded. “I tried to advise her against it but she was determined. There is also a stipulated timeline by which you must have done it before the trust fund is distributed amongst charities.”“What’s the timeline?” I asked hoping to hear something like five years.“I can’t say,” he gave me a small smile. “It is her rules, not mine. I am so sorry.”“You’re joking,” I bit back a laugh as I turned to grandpa. “I’m sorry but your wife was insane.”“I’m starting to think the same thing,” he mumbled as he ran his hands down his face. “”What the hell was she thinking?”Dad and Jake were the only quiet ones. Dad seemed lost in thought but Jake- he was staring right at me. I could only imagine the kind of pressure it put him un
HAYLEY’S P.O.VGrandpa returned to his house earlier in the day and I already sent him five messages trying to find out how he was.I didn’t consider myself overbearing but on this case, I allowed myself to be. He claimed he was fine but there was no denying the fact that he was hiding how he felt about the whole thing. I had no idea why he was in a rush to return to the home, I couldn’t imagine going back to the home I shared with a partner for so many years without them.I wanted to visit him after work but I had a feeling he was more likely to slam the door in my face. He was like me in the sense that he hated feeling reliant on other people. He liked to fix things on his own even when he knew he needed help.“You’re back,” I looked up to find Sienna standing at my doorway. “I didn’t think you would be here today. How are you?”I shrugged. My grandmother’s funeral wasn’t a secret and my absence at the office had surely raised a few questions. I made sure to arrive very early before
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI was shaking by the time I got to Jake’s office.Everyone seemed to recognize me. I wasn’t shocked, my face was plastered all over their TVs a while ago with Jake. They knew who I was to him and on another day, I would’ve been concerned about it but today, I couldn’t bring myself to care.I took the elevator up to his office and met his secretary at her desk. She looked up at me with a professional smile but as soon as she realized it was me, the smile disappeared. If there was any doubts in my mind that she wanted Jake, it was gone in that moment. She stared at me like a jealous girlfriend.“Mr. Ryker isn’t in his office,” she told me, a smug smile on her face. “As his girlfriend, I thought he would have told you that.”I just stared at her blankly and made to step past her but she was quick to get into my way.“Move,” I didn’t even bother to try and keep the disdain out of my voice. She was pissing me off.“No one is allowed to go into his office. If you’re truly dat
JAKE’S P.O.VThe last thing I wanted to do was talk to Marie again after everything.As soon as I got the news that the child wasn’t mine, I blocked her number and didn’t bother to seek her out again. I had no intentions of ever talking to her again, she was a part of my past and I intended to leave her there but I should have known that she wouldn’t be willing to step down so easily. Marie had never been the kind of person to accept defeat.With a sigh, I dialed her number. It didn’t take long before she picked up, her nasally voice filling the room.“I was wondering when you would call,” she drawled. I could hear her nails tapping against something and could almost see the smirk on her face. “Have you gotten tired of her yet? Is that why you are coming back to me? I knew that sooner or later, you would tire of her problems.”“Why don’t we cut the bullshit for a second,” I hissed and she clicked her tongue.“That’s no way to treat the woman that you spent most of your life with, Jake
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI registered the slap before I even knew what was happening. I was on my feet in an instant and rushed over to the door.I couldn’t think of anyone that would dare hit Jake and yet, Andrea stood there. She looked furious, her chest rising and falling rapidly as if she had thrown everything she had into that hit. I glanced over at Jake and a gasp left my lips. His cheek was red and angry but he didn’t seem upset, he looked more shocked than anything.“Did you get all your anger out?” he asked and she lifted her hand again but he stopped her with his words. “I would choose my next actions wisely. If you hit me again, you will go to jail for assault and I will make sure you stay there for as long as possible.”She was smart enough to drop her hand but the anger didn’t leave her face. If anything, it got even worse.“You little bastard,” she spat. “You’re the one poisoning my daughter’s mind. Aren’t you ashamed of yourself? You are closer to my age than to hers. You’re a fu
HAYLEY’S P.O.VI stared at her for a moment.If anything, I was actually proud of the fact that she came all this way to ask that her mother’s charges be dropped. It was a ballsy thing to do, especially for a fourteen year old and that was the only thing that kept me listening to her.“You don’t understand how these things work,” dad began but she shot him a bored look.“I’m fourteen, I know how things work. I heard what she did, I know she assaulted someone but I don’t know who.”“Don’t you want to know?” I asked and she groaned.“Look, I’m not going to defend her because I know what she did was wrong. It’s clear you didn’t want to see her, I saw how you reacted at the funeral. I know my mother and she can be a bit much sometimes but she has issues, okay? I found out she went off her meds-”“What meds?” she fell silent immediately. “Look, Kayla, if you want me to help you then I need to know why.”“I can’t tell you her business. All I will say is that she is a good mother. She has ne
HAYLEY’S P.O.VThe smell of breakfast was what woke me but it was the light streaming through the windows that had me sitting up in a flash- I was late.“Relax,” I felt a hand on my shoulders as Jake gently guided me back into the bed. “You don’t have to rush anywhere.”“But I’m late-”“Your dad gave you the day off, rest, Hayley, you’re not a machine, you are not a robot, you need a break once in a while.”I wanted to protest but he just shot me a look that clearly told me he wasn’t taking no for an answer no matter what so I reluctantly found myself resting against the pillows. It was only once I was back in bed that I took the opportunity to look at Jake.He was shirtless showing off his toned chest, he had a tray of food in his hands that he placed in my lap. It smelled delicious and my stomach rumbled, reminding me that I didn’t have a chance to eat last night.I mumbled a thank you under my breath before shoving a forkful into my mouth while Jake excused himself from the room. I
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