Page 87 of Rich Girl
I laugh along with him, but I’m not feeling it. This has been quite the ordeal. I just want to go home, take a shower and crash. I need to rest my head, and everything else can wait.
As soon as I step out into the lobby, I see Hayden Benedict. My headache intensifies in an instant. I hate how much I’ve missed her while I was in the slammer, but there is so much we need to talk about. This is not a good time for me.
I watch her as she approaches me with small steps. She knows I’m not happy with her, and she at least has the decency to look concerned about it. I guess that’s a good thing considering she normally lives a guilt free life.
“Hi,” she whispers.
My eyes focus on her lips. They look red and shiny, and there’s a little tremble to them, making them look even moreperfect. I glance at the rest of her next. The outfit she has on is nothing like the clothes she’s been wearing for the last four weeks. No, this outfit screams money. Her hair is styled to perfection, reminding me of the first night I met her in person.
“Your friends wanted to be here,” she tells me with a shaky voice. “I asked them to allow me to take you home. I hope you don’t mind.”
I shrug like I don’t care. “That’s fine.”
She steps next to me, looking like she might want to hold my hand. I don’t have the energy to do it though, so I just keep my arms by my side, ready to finally leave. With a small sigh, she walks next to me until we reach the parking lot.
“You brought the Jeep?”
I am surprised when I see that. Given her overall look for the day, I was expecting some luxury car.
“I hope it’s okay…”
“It’s fine.”
My words are short and to the point. I walk to the passenger side of the Jeep and pull the door open. Without waiting to see what she’s doing, I get in, put my seatbelt on and lean my head back against the seat.
I don’t look at her when she gets into the driver’s seat. My ears perk up to any sign of distress she might show, but all she does is put the seatbelt on and start the Jeep.
The drive home is a little over half an hour. It feels like the longest thirty minutes of my life. She drives slow, a little under the speed limit, waiting forever at each stop sign we encounter. I want to snap at her and tell her to get to it, but my head is not in the right space to even lash out at her. I just want to get home.
I must’ve dozed off because next thing I know, she is shaking my shoulder gently.
“We’re here.”
I look around and see my courtyard at the shop. Everything looks just like when I left here less than two days ago. But I’ve changed. It just happened overnight, but I can tell I’m not the carefree guy everyone knows me as.
Popping the door open, I get out of the Jeep and walk toward the side of the shop that leads to my apartment. I open the first door before reaching the stairs, not caring if Hayden follows me or not. Her rapid footsteps on the concrete signal that she is following me.
When we make it upstairs, I head straight for the kitchen. I grab a bottle of beer from the refrigerator before walking to the bathroom. The walls shake when I slam the door behind me.
I turn the shower on and let it run for a minute. While it’s doing that, I pop the beer cap off and take a long sip of the cold beer. It feels incredible as it slides down my throat.
By the time I bring the bottle down, I have more than half downed. I take my dirty clothes off, sliding my boots off with no difficulty since I have no laces on.
I almost weep in relief when I step into the shower and feel the boiling hot water hitting my skin. It hurts, but in a good way. It makes me appreciate having access to it.
The last two days have been eye opening. One thing I learned for sure is that I don’t ever what to commit a crime. Being in jail is no joke, and I can’t even imagine what prison looks like.
The water turns cold way too soon. It reminds me of Hayden and how upset she got the very first time she took a shower here and realized there is such a thing as running out of hot water.
My mouth lifts into a faint smile as I dry myself off. She really has been adorable as she figured out life on her own. I don’t want to be angry with her, while at the same time, I can’t believe she would associate with the kind of people who would have no problem doing what they did.
I try really hard to give them all the benefit of the doubt. Maybe I would’ve done the same if I thought my friend had been kidnapped and held against their will. But that all goes back to what Hayden herself must’ve told them for them to come to that conclusion.
What a cluster fuck, all of it. I need to sleep on this so I don’t do or say anything I might regret.
Since I didn’t bring any clean clothes in here with me, I wrap a towel around my waist and finish my beer. After that, I brush my teeth and rinse my mouth, feeling like a whole new person by the time I’m done.
When I open the door to walk out of the bathroom, I am surprised to find Alex sitting in a chair, staring at Hayden, who is sitting on the couch. Her posture is perfect, making her look regal in the way she holds her head high, chin pointed, eyes never wavering from Alex’s face. He just looks amused.
