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chapter 98
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2025-04-19 15:40:27
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The Deal With Him chapter 99
HaileyAfter my third shower, I was indeed feeling better, less lightheaded; but in consequence a pounding ache tugged at my brain like gravity. But I finally was feeling my body as mine again.I'd barely got memories of anything after the call tho, my mind when on and off, completely immobile and limp, and next I know I woke up in a hospital after a stomach pumping and feeling like shit. My mom was there, but not Nate.I wasn't sure if he went on his own, if the hospital didn't let him in or if my mother was the responsible for his absence. What she told me is that he'd stayed until I was purged and safe but didn't explained further. An inspector took notes of what happened and filled a report, promising to look over this Ryan whoever it was.Kimberly was in the waiting room, which only made it even more strange that Nate wasn't and I couldn't but feel hurt by it. I got a couple texts from early morning telling me he was sorry and I woke up to a couple missed calls, but I couldn't re
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him chapter 100
"They wanted to make a stupid photo to irk me. But don't worry about it." he kissed the top of my head. "It wasn't even that bad, they caught you..." he hesitate as I hang in anticipation, my heart stopping. "Whatever, those motherfuckers got a stupid pic, but it's gone now."The room felt like it was spinning around us, the only thing stable enough to prevent me from losing my mind enough to hold on the reality was his embrace. "How... how was it? The picture?""Nothing baby, don't worry about it. You looked passed out, with him..." I shuddered and he tightened his protective embrace. "But it's gone. I got it deleted.""For good?""Completely."I nodded, breathing easier knowing there was nothing on that line out there of me. A wave of relief washed over me knowing it was gone. I brushed his knuckles, my chest a nasty turmoil. "You got hurt.""I don't care.""But you could have something more serious, some damage that forbids you from playing and then what? You'd lose your scholarship
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him 101
"What are you doing now?" he wondered as we pulled away."Nothing... The group is coming later today tho. We'll have a game night." they didn't know the recent events and in all honesty, I didn't think I wanted them to know yet. I wanted to have a normal game night before reliving it all again when I indeed had to tell them.Nate's brow perked. "Again?""Told you it was a weekly thing. Lately we've been quite busy, but now the schedule is settling on again." he hummed as I nuzzled his nose, kissing him again and feeling once more that addictive rush I never seemed to get used to. Him following my lead only increased more the earth-shattering sensation. Once more I wondered if I hadn't fallen too deep, but again couldn't find it in me to care. "Are you staying? I mean, if you don't already have plans or anything...""Stay the night?" he wondered and I hummed, tracing his chin and jaw and pulling him for another kiss shifting closer and more warmth menaced to choke me from inside. "I do
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him 102
"Harmless joke.""Very funny." spat Nate with aggressive sarcasm and I could feel the air in the room getting heavier, the tension grewing in that pin-dropping silence as everyone gawked at the scene unfolding.Bear too sounded way less amused and more enraged next time he opened his big mouth. "This is between Gracie and me, Herond. Stay out of this.""Nate just seems to mind everyone else's business lately." chipped in Seth almost maliciously and my guts tightened.I hadn't seen him arrive, but I thought we were on good terms... yet he was Bear's friend only an acquaintance of mine. There was an obvious double meaning in his words, but I didn't fully get it. It must have something to do with the inner-group-drama both Kimberly and Nate'd been feeding me lately.I couldn't really expect Seth to take my side, but to take Bear's when he'd clearly wronged me? I thought better of him. Worse, what would Nate do?Yet to my relief his answer was almost instant: "That's my girl you're messin
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him 103
My heart picked up. Honestly, why did they all act so surprised about it?"We're a team, remember?"She grinned, softly but truly now. "They hurt you, they hurt me.""Exactly."I hesitated from kissing her, unsure if it would be insensitive of me with the whole situation, but as usual Hailey read through me and stood on her tiptoes solving the dilemma herself.A part of me was worried about how much one girl could affect my whole demeanor. One touch, one word, and my entire mood shifted. She could erase my problems in second and that was freaky, because that meant I was relying way too much on her. Depending on her.And now that Seth and Bear were off the hook and Kimmy was clearly hiding something from me; it felt as if she was the only safe rock in a world completely adrift.How did I end up like this? Should I be scared?"You think we should try to get to class?" Hailey wondered after pulling away and I rolled my eyes at the stupidity of her question."Of course, because writing do
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him 104
She scoffed reaching my side. "As if." and just like that any trace of frustration for those brats erased into a cute grin. "Hi." she stood on her tiptoes for a greeting peck and just like that I knew this was about to be the best weekend ever. "Are you ready?""Are you?" I asked back, taking the pale green suitcase for her, surprise to find out it was quite heavy. I found myself startled, wondering what can she'd probably fit in there for a weekend. I literally packed some clothes and a toothbrush, all of it fitting perfectly in my sports bag with plenty of room for a lot more. "You are ready." I taunted, but she shrugged."A girl has to be prepared.""I bet. But for what? I'm pretty sure we won't be leaving the hotel's enclosure." From the pamphlet she'd shown me the place got a pool, a spa and an arcade on the top floors. Also, we would be alone; and for how long we'd been waiting for it, if we didn't leave the room for the whole weekend I wouldn't even complain.I got chills just
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him 105
The plan was very nicely thought. They first dragged me to complete some kind of gymkhana across the town, where there would be games and stuff that would end with shots and laughs. Like a scavenger hunt and each clue would be something for me to do or confess. If I succeeded someone else had to drink, if I didn't I would. And they'd hidden clues, creating a route to all the places where we usually hang out. The mall, the field, the park...They made me wear the stupid tiara and sash all the time, of course, so the people we came across congratulated me too. Thank God it was already pretty late when we started this, so not a lot of witnesses saw us getting on with it. Even Seth ended up relaxing his I-got-a-stick-shoved-up-my-ass attitude. It was damn fun. We really had a great time and I was fucking glad and touched they planned this all on my behalf. It made me happy to know they care enough. That my birthday was important enough to organize all this.The final clue brought all of
Last Updated : 2025-04-21The Deal With Him 106
Hailey"Hailey..." someone spoke lowly against my ear, like a purr that caressed my muscles and melted along with my limbs. "Babe..."I insitinctively turned towards the voice, feeling his smirk against my cheek as he pecked it and tightened his hold around my waist -I just noticed now.Flashbacks from last night shot through my mind, tracing the memories I didn't immediately remember as sleepiness shifted it's blanked that held me hostage, allowing some realizations to sink in.The smooth covers, the soft mattress... the clean, perfumed scent that hit my nostrils wasn't familiar and I vaguely remember getting to the hotel late last night. Or this morning. Nate was still a bit hammered so I drove here. It wasn't really that far from our hometown, it was nearest city, but the fact that we were away made it look daring to actually have a getaway on our own.The guy that received us wasn't that happy about our late arrival, but what could we had done? We didn't know his birthday celebrat
Last Updated : 2025-04-21
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The Deal With Him chapter 118
"Hailey," he whined leaning forward almost instinctively, as if he couldn't help it and in awe I realized I was doing exactly the same. "I love you." he breathed against my lips and my lids fell, making me inched even closer. "But I can't rely my well-being only on you. It won't be fair for neither of us. There's a lot of things I need to figure out on my own, that I need to fix. And I need to do this by myself.""B-but t-this doesn't have to be a goodbye." I muttered resting my forehead against his. "Even with the distance, with the fight... I'm sorry. I am. And if you say nothing's happened with Trish, I believe you. We can still make this work...""Hailey." he sighed through his nose, his head tilting so our breaths mixed and it all felt all the more painful. It was as if he was slipping away when he was right there. Close enough to touch but impossible to keep. He was leaving me behind. Way behind. Where I couldn't reach him. "I don't want to hurt you. Trust me, that's the last th
The Deal With Him chapter 117
He let out a disbelief chuckle, dry and humorless. "Is that the only thing important for you? Maybe there's a major reason for me to need to use her place."My guts did a complicated turn. "Yeah, but you won't tell me. I won't keep prying in stuff that clearly upsets you and bring us to fight more, so I focus on the part where I still have a say on... or at least have the right to comment." I finally slid off my ankle boots and met his eyes again, fueled with this bubbling anger as I keep hearing Trish's voice and reliving what I'd felt this morning. "You were with her. Every time we have some problem you run back to her.""That's not true.""It is. She still wants something with you, she's made it pretty clear and you keep going back to her." his eyes darkened at each word passing my lips, but they were true and speaking them out loud only seemed to make them more real. Along with my unease and anger. "And it's completely unfair because you're extremely possessive over me with any gu
The Deal With Him chapter 116
HaileyI left Vickie's house after mid-afternoon, not finding more excuses to occupy my mind in things other than the huge mess with Nate. And also, I got a day full of other headaches either way so I didn't have time to overthink it. For starters, I had to go recognize Ryan, and that alone was nerve-cracking and stressful, but also in school people were all talking about the same two things: Kimmy fainting and Vickie's photoshopped pics.What an awful mess. The redhead didn't want to show up at school and convinced her parents to stay in the day. Olly and Bear had been suspended for yesterday's fight and Bear with a plus for distributing the horrible photoshopped picture. They were considering expelling him if there were any prove he was indeed the one spreading it. Shame the account that did was a fake one.But it was a matter of time, I was sure. Then Vickie would be able to forget about this and his vicious ways of getting her attention. Then the only problem would be them being n
The Deal With Him chapter 115
"This... Look, she's been calling since we fight, but I was mad and had my phone turned off, but this morning she called and..." I couldn't continue, it was as if the words refused to voice it. Fuck, why so guilty. Why? I hadn't actually done anything."Nate." Kimberly huffed unimpressed when I failed to proceed, even with her weak tone I sense the disapproval. "What on earth did you tell her?""Nothing.""Well, knowing how sensible Gracie is that 'nothing' might as well scar her.""Nothing, okay! Just..." I was feeling too altered to remain sitting so I stood, anxiously pacing in the white, clean room. "Trish took her call this morning and now she's the one avoiding me.""What?" even in her feeble state her disbelief was like a slap. "Are you stupid? What were you doing with the stuck-up bitch?"Where else? "I got nowhere to go." but it disappointed her and my already poking guilt shifted to a whole new level as Kimmy frowned."I'm sure that's not true. And now Gracie has to face the
The Deal With Him chapter 114
It was about time to accept that yesterday happened. As shitty as it was, it was. Everything on it. And now that the first shock and betrayal feeling I was able to go through everything again and nothing made sense.Maybe it was about time to stop this stupid childish lock out and talk to Hailey? Let her explain? I was still mad but I haven't talked to her since yesterday and now that my initial emotions were settling a little I couldn't stand the memory of her crying.And it was Hailey. I knew her. She must have had a reason not to tell me, as much as it hurt the lie.I slid on the jacket and picked up the phone, from the table. Had I left it there? Whatever. Yet the second red flag fluttered when I unlocked the screen, halting me in my tracks. "Trish.""Yeah?" she hummed cutting her apple in pieces, oblivious at all the emotions suddenly roaming aggressively in my chest, unsure yet of which one stood out from the others."Have you taken one of my calls?""Mhm? Oh yeah. Gracie called
The Deal With Him chapter 113
"Okay." she chuckled as I sat back in my spot, more cheerful now at the perspective of seeing Kimberly.I asked for them to keep me updated, but it shouldn't have surprised me when I got no notification. It hurt, but a part of me understood both Seth and Nate got more immediate things to worry about than to keep me up about it too.The mere reminder of his reaction and how he shut me out made my heart twitched painfully under my ribs.Almost as if sensing where my thoughts were going, my mother tilted her head, taking her cup of coffee. "What about Nate? Have you managed to talk to him?""He's ignoring me.""I'm sure he's not." she retorted instead brushing my hair off my shoulder. "He must be occupied and concerned about your friend too. It must have slipped his mind. He'll get over it.""No, mom, he's ignoring me. Kimmy's mother's just told me they were there until the visiting hours ended and still he didn't answer me at all. In all night. And I've been texting and calling..." my a
The Deal With Him chapter 112
Now it all make sense. Her exhaustion, how thin she was getting, the hair falling, her being kicked out the cheer squad, the whole stop hanging out with us... because if she did, we would notice something was off with her eating habits and we would have done something about it.But Hailey knew. And she did nothing. I knew Kimmy was hiding something, but why did Hailey have to lie?What the hell? How could had she allowed that?! I tugged at my hair for the umpteenth time today, but the buzzing in my ears didn't stop. My mind was going overdrive over every detail from the day, over every time my friend acted weird, every chance Hailey had of telling the trust...I didn't get it. Everything was spiraling down to a dark tornado and I saw myself falling and sinking more in the darkness as I lost more and more pillars that kept me sane.How did everything spin out of control from a good birthday to this?I couldn't even cope with everything. Somehow I just wanted to slid into my bed and dre
The Deal With Him chapter 111
HaileyMy hands were shaking with apprehension and fright as I talked to the ambulance's assistant as they all attended Kimmy. I hadn't stopped crying since she fainted some moments ago and despites our best chances she still hadn't wake up.I knew this would happen, I knew she wasn't holding up as good as she claimed to be, I knew she was getting worst and lying about it, but I didn't know what I was supposed to do. I didn't want to break her trust, but now seeing as they lifted the stretched to the back of the ambulance I wished I had instead of having to face how she'd fallen to this. And it was my fault. I should have seen this coming. I should have done more, tell someone... I was too focused on hanging in this little confidence Kimmy allowed me, so scared to lose it that I watched and let her fully fell on the abysm. And for the way Nate's been avoiding my gaze ever since he heard me telling the paramedics what was going on. The way he sat by the path with his head in his hands
The Deal With Him chapter 110
"Great, look at this." I pulled up my hand to show her the letters and she took them from me."What is that?" wondered Kimmy resting her head on her folded arms over the table, her lids closed. "Please do enlighten the rest of us.""It's- Nate!" cheered Hailey as I took my usual spot in the table and pulled her down with me to sit on the bench as well between my legs. "It's the scholarship."That successfully caught Kimmy's attention, making her straightened in her seat across from us. "They've accepted you?""Three of them have." grinned Hailey, genuinely proud of me and making me feel even lighter as she rewarded me with a proper kiss, for the first time not caring about PDA. "I knew you'll make it.""Yeah, yeah, which ones?" Kimberly took the papers from her quickly scrolling through them. Her brows rose. "Wow, Herond. Three of them. Now this is something to be proud of.""Thanks.""It is." Hailey's smile beamed, but cut my next kiss too short, turning to the table instead. "Here."
