Chapter 11: Space
Hailey POV:
I looked at him as we stared out of the window. I was so shocked as he said it.
“What work?” I asked him. He looked at me and took my hands in his.
“You just have to take over my business.”
“What? Why?”
“Because I want you too.”
“First, that makes no sense because I am not a businesswoman, and second, you brought me here and did all this just to tell me that? Unbelievable.”
He sighed. “Look, Hailey. I knew you would not agree. And you may not understand how important this is to me, so I thought to keep a backup plan.”
“Backup plan? To blackmail me?”
“I…” he sighed. “You can just use better words.”
“Like what?”
“Like to just explain to you.”
“That makes no sense. You have no better words for this. there aren’t any better words. I don’t know why you are doing this, Robert! I mean, what was so important that you decided to blackmail me?”
He sighed. My hands were still in his.
“Hailey. take over my business”
“I can’t! I don’t even know how to do business”
“I will teach you”
“But what’s the point? Even you know, I need rest. I don’t wanna take mental stress!”
“Why are you bringing your health in this? You are using it as an excuse—”
“Robert!” I almost yelled. I took a deep breath. “I am using my health as an excuse?”
“Yes, you are”
“Fine. I will take over the business”
he smiled. “Thank—”
“And I will learn it myself” I started going but he got a hold of my hand by my wrist. I looked at him and he pulled me close. I got away.
He got a hold of my face by his hands. I looked at him shocked.
“Why are you acting like this?” he asked me.
“Really? You are unbelievable”
“Well, I don’t care. You are taking over the business, and that too happily”
“I am not! You can’t make me!”
“Did you forget everything!!” he yelled, and my breath shattered. I shivered. This had to be the first time he yelled for one year. This loudly. This angrily.
“I-I…” My breath was completely shattered. I couldn’t believe he did this all just to make me take over his business and this made no sense whatsoever.
“Are you scared?” he asked me and smirked. I couldn’t believe it.
I took the courage and got out of his hold and ran out of the house.
I was out of the house and in the yard. I was breathing heavily. I needed space. I needed some place to breathe. Why is he becoming like that again? Where did we go wrong?
I touched my head as I was feeling a headache. Why was he doing this? he knows I should not take stress, why will he do this?
“What are you doing?” I heard him. I turned around and saw him. I took a few steps back just looking at him.
“Stop where you are”
I stopped. He came to me and looked at me. I was scared and my breathing hastened. He traced my face with his hand. “Okay, don’t be scared”
“What? I don’t understand you”
“What’s difficult to understand?”
“You literally did it to make me scared. So that I do what you say”
“Look, just to make you do this. because this is important”
“I don’t know what happened to you” I got back and out of his touch. “But I really don’t like you like this”
“Hailey…”
I wiped my tears falling down and went to the side of the yard. I saw him coming to me.
“Stay away,” I told him.
“I am not touching you. Let’s go home.”
“I need some space. I think I will go to my house.”
“No, please” he looked frustrated, rather than sad or guilty. “Come with me.”
“But please. I want some space.”
He took my face between his hands. “Come with me.”
“But I am saying I need some space.”
“I said, come with me Hailey.” He smiled.
“But my space—”
“YOU WILL NEVER GET YOUR FUCKING SPACE!!” he yelled and moved away. I stared at him and hyperventilated almost immediately. This was insane. Why was he yelling at me like that? It was as if he didn’t care about me at all anymore. It was like he completely changed, and I didn’t have even one explanation.