Is that what Hailey remembers? Babyface shooting Alex?
It’s plausible.
A wall and a window could be the car’s interior, but if she was conscious, Babyface would’ve shot her too. He’d have shot her first if Alex was out already.
My veins fill with ice at the thought and my eyes immediately find her pretty face to reassure myself she’s here.
Alive.
Well.
Mine.
I’m in so fucking deep with her already.
It’s beyond irrational. I came here filled with a burning, poisonous hatred for her. But now the mere thought of Hailey getting hurt drives a seven-inch blade right through my chest. Seeing her bruises last night was agonizing.
I’ve tortured many men. I’ve seen things...donethings that would give the average Joe nightmares for the rest of eternity. Still, I brushed it all off as if it were nothing. I’ve brushed off my own wounds but one bruise, one tiny scratch, on Hailey sends my mind into overdrive.
It’s not normal. Nothing I feel for her is fucking normal, welcome, or desired.
“So the gun went off. What happened next? You were out of it for three minutes. What else did you see?”
Her face scrunches up, deep in concentration. “I remember running... fast. Like I was being chased. The ground was uneven, my shoes were wet, and I tripped over something, landing in the mud.”
“You’re sure it was the same night?”
“Yes.”
The cogs in my brain start grinding against each other again.
The police report said Hailey was speared into the seat. She wouldn’t have been able to move. Even if she somehow managed to get out of the car, there’s no way she’d have had the strength to crawl five feet let alone run.
“There were streetlamps,” she says quietly. “In the distance. Blurred and far away.”
Before I respond, a familiar voice interrupts, startling Hailey.
“Hey, mind if I join you?” Chloe’s beside our table, tray in hand, her red, puffy eyes jumping between us.
Rumor has it the cops have stopped looking for Jensen; Chloe’s not taking it well.
“No one else is up yet,” she adds.
“Well, we’re just—” Hailey starts but I cut her off, sensing an easy way out.
“Sit, Chloe.” I point to the chair on my left.
“We’re done?” Hailey asks, one eyebrow raised.
“You need a break, pretty girl. We’ll finish later.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Um, if you need a break from...whatever, I could use your help for about an hour, maybe two,” Chloe says. “It’s Levi’s final film project. He’s late getting his shit together so Rachel and I have agreed to play the leads. We’re shooting a few scenes tonight and I can’t find Rachel, so... could you run lines with me?”
Hailey steals a glance at me as she answers. “Sure, I mean we don’t have any plans, do we?”
“No, we don’t.”
