70
HAYLEY’S P.O.V
“Hayley,” I heard Jake call my name but his voice sounded like a buzzing in my ears.
I could hear my father speaking but I couldn’t make out his words. My eyes were completely fixed on the words on my screen. I knew it was Marie, it had to be her. No one else could have leaked the news to the press in record time.
I wasn’t sure whether to be pissed or impressed. I had grossly underestimated her and that was my mistake. She was a cunning individual and I wish I had thought about that before I pissed her off and became her number one enemy.
A warm hand settled on my shoulder and I nearly jumped. Jake looked pissed but also sad at the same time. He watched me with a fear in his eyes as if he thought I was going to run away and leave him. I could tell he wanted to do more than just touch my shoulder but he was holding back for my benefit.
“She’s smart, I’ll give her that,” I said finally and I could see everyone’s faces twist with confusion. I lifted my phone to my ear and addressed my dad. “I’m safe and I’m fine.”
“I need you to stay at Jake’s. Stay away from any windows and doors. We can make this all go away if you pretend that-”
“There is no pretending,” I cut him off. “There are pictures of us together, granted they aren’t explicit but they are there. Anyone with working eyes knows that it is us.”
“Influence is a very powerful thing.”
“I am not going to pretend and lie to the public,” I cut him off. “They don’t get to judge me or my decisions because they don’t know me. I am an adult and I am my own person. I will do whatever the fuck I want to do.”
He sighed. I could almost picture him running his hands through his hair in frustration. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Carmine watching me with a proud smile on her face but in this moment, I didn’t care what she thought. My main focus was Marie and how she had managed to fuck up my life in mere minutes.
“I’ll send a car to pick you up tomorrow.”
“No need, I’ll come back on my own.”
“That isn’t up for negotiation, Hayley. You need bodyguards right now and a driver,” I started to protest but he cut me off. “The media is cruel and people even more so, this is not up for negotiation. I will see you tomorrow.”
He hung up before I could say anything else and I muttered a small curse under my breath as I flopped onto the couch. My social media accounts were already blowing up with tags and comments. The vast majority of them were amusing with people making jokes about the situation and jokes about having daddy issues then we had the rude ones who thought they were better than everyone and in the position to judge me.
I had learnt long ago that not responding was the best thing one could do but in this moment, I felt an overwhelming urge to defend my relationship, to tell them that it was more than a fling because I had daddy issues or was acting out but I couldn’t. I knew it would only make matters worse and make the issue last longer.
“Hayley, please look at me,” Jake’s voice cut me off and I turned to him.
I hadn’t realized when Carmine and Kate had left the room. They had pulled the curtains already so I couldn’t see outside but I wouldn’t be surprised if I peeked out and saw a few camera men hiding in the bushes.
“I am so sorry,” he whispered and my brows furrowed in confusion. “I should have protected you from this. I am the reason Marie is in your life. I didn’t know she would go this far.”
“Didn’t you?” I asked and he fell silent. I wasn’t trying to antagonize him, I just wanted to know. “You’ve known her all this while and you didn’t think that she was this vile? Are you telling me that she changed in the last eight years that you saw her?”
He exhaled deeply. “You’re right, I knew that she was a terrible person and I should have accounted for this. I didn’t know about the baby, I don’t even know what baby she’s talking about. Your father will-”
“My father is your lawyer on this?” I asked and he nodded. I couldn’t help the laugh that burst out of my lips. “You’re officially insane, are you fucking kidding me?”
“Your father has been my lawyer for years and that isn’t going to change now. He knows about Marie and he is best equipped to handle her.”
“You’re going to turn me into fish food for the media,” I snorted. “My father and my boyfriend in a court case about my boyfriend’s secret child. That is going to be the headline of the century.”
He took a step closer to me. “Hayley-”
“Don’t, I just need space right now. You have done more than enough as it is,” the hurt that flashed across his face had my chest caving in on itself. “I am not upset with you, Jake, I just need some time, please.”
When I walked away, he let me. He didn’t try to pull me back or hold me, he just allowed me make my way up the stairs. I headed towards his room then changed my mind at the last minute and walked into one of the guest rooms. Thankfully, it was empty and without hesitation, I headed for the window.
The lights were off so no one could see inside. I peered out and from my standpoint, I could make out two men in the bushes. They both had cameras around their necks and I couldn’t help but snort. Everyone was looking for an exclusive.
I drew the curtain closed and stripped out of my clothes before climbing into bed. There wasn’t much I could do save for scroll through social media and look at what the people were saying. I saw people who claimed to know me in high school and college saying stuff about me always being a whore who went after older men.
That couldn’t be further from the truth. Jake was the first older man I had ever been with. Before him, the oldest had been four years older than me and I was twenty at the time. It was the most ridiculous bullshit I had ever heard but then again, I wasn’t surprised, people would do anything for five minutes of fame.
I was still scrolling through my feed when the door opened and Jake walked in. He said nothing as he stripped off his own clothes and crawled into bed behind me.
“Why are you here, Jake?” I asked without looking at him. “You have a room.”
“My room is wherever you are,” he whispered as he plucked my phone out of my hands. I didn’t even have the energy to complain, I just sighed as he wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me into him.
My back pressed against his front as he placed a soft kiss to my collarbone. He was in boxers and I knew he did it for my benefit because he usually slept naked.
“We will work through this,” he assured me and I snorted. “I need you to believe that.”
“You have a child, Jake,” I hissed. “Do you not see how messed up this is? It is enough that I have to defend my relationship with you but now there is a child in the picture. That child will be almost eight years old. I don’t want to be someone’s step-mother, much less a child that I’m closer in age to than their father.”
“I never knew she had a child. If I did, I would have told you. She never told me.”
“I believe you,” I turned to him. “It isn’t about belief, I don’t want to do this, I cannot do this.”
He stilled. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I need time, okay? You can’t just spring something like this on me.”
“I’m not going to lose you, Hayley, we are in this together.”
“That’s the thing, I agreed to that when it was just the two of us, I never said anything about an eight year old child. I can’t leave now, not when the media is all over this-”
“Just think about it, please,” he pushed a strand of hair out of my face. “Don’t make any rash decisions please.”
I nodded because what else could I say. He pulled me in impossibly closer, his fingers drawing circles on my back until sleep started to take me. I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming or awake when I heard him speak.
“I can’t lose you, Hayley.”