Page 63 of Everything In Between
Hayes walks me to the door, and I turn to him with a tearful smile. “I’m going to miss you.”
He cups my jaw, running his thumb over my cheek. “I’ll miss you too, but it won’t be long before we’re together again.”
“You’re right. So why is saying goodbye still so hard?”
“Don’t say it then,” he says, leaning down to peck my lips. “We’ll still talk plenty. You can FaceTime me when you get back to LA and it will be like you’ve never left.”
I shake my head and laugh, despite feeling like my heart is crumbling to dust. An alarming worry comes out of nowhere and tumbles out of my mouth. “What if this is as good as it gets?”
He studies me for a moment, gaze flickering over my face. “Baby, we’ve barely begun. The good, the bad and everything in between, right? I want that with you, andonlyyou.”
The sentiment calms some of the anxiety bubbling through my veins. My eyes burn as I hug him. “I want that too, Hayes. More than I ever thought was possible.”
“Then I promise you, I will do everything in my power to make sure we get that. Even if it’s through video calls and text conversations for now.” He says it with that deep assuredness that captures my heart.
TWENTY-THREE
jersey
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29
I humto myself as I towel dry my hair from the shower when my phone rings and the sight of Hayes’s name on the screen makes me light up. I answer it without hesitation, anticipation pooling in my belly when his face appears on FaceTime. “Hey, I’m so glad you called.”
“Hey there, I’ve missed you too,” he says, grinning at me.
“How was shopping with your mom and Riley?”
“Long and exhausting. How was your day? Do any Black Friday shopping yourself?”
“I wish,” I say, walking over to the bed and laying on my belly. I prop my cheek on my hand. “Had a long day in the studio and typical Cal wanted to micromanage every little thing. He wants me in the studio Christmas EveandNew Year’s Eve. Why does he hate me so much?”
“Probably because he’s afraid of how successful you could be,” Hayes says absentmindedly, stretching his arm behind his head. “That’s why he’s gotta keep you on your tight leash.”
I pause and blink a few times. “Could that be it, though?”
“Be what?”
“You think he’s trying to keep me from realizing the full potential of my career?”
Hayes hesitates. “Do you think he’s not?”
It’s an interesting premise, one that has never actually occurred to me until now. “Cal always seems to care more about my career than he cares about me.”
“Whathewants for your career, though,” Hayes points out. “When’s the last time you were asked whatyouwant for your career?”
“I don’t know,” I say, my voice small.
Hayes sighs and presses his lips together. Then a thought hits him. “Wait, Christmas Eve? Does that mean you won’t be able to spend Christmas Day with me?”
I shake my head forlornly. “No, I don’t think so.”
“What about the week before Christmas? Are you still planning on coming out to see that game?”
“I am, but I’ll have to leave probably Christmas Eve eve.”
Disappointment ricochets across his expression, but then he lets it fade. “Casualties of the job, I guess. We’ll have many more Christmases to spend together, though.”
“I sure hope so,” I whisper.
