Chapter 27 I wanted to tell you
Tegan
I turned my head just enough to see her standing in the doorway, her hand still on the knob, her face a perfect mask of shock.
Oh no,this is not happening. I racked my brain to find something, anything.
Her eyes, wide and disbelieving, took in the scene: the tangled sheets, my bare shoulders, Hayes’s arm locked around my waist, his face buried in my hair, our legs entwined.
My hair was messy and I looked thoroughly fucked. The good and bad way.
Her gaze moved from my horrified eyes to Hayes’s over my shoulder.
His expression, when I strained to see it, had shuttered instantly from soft, private amusement to impenetrable, icy blankness. But he didn’t let go of me.
“Sophie,” I croaked, trying to find my voice.
Sophie blinked. The shock melted, replaced by a dawning, hurt confusion. And betrayal
“You… you said you were working on fundraiser logistics,” she said, her voice small. “All night.”
Hayes finally moved. Slowly, deliberately, he loosened his arm from around me and propped himself up on one elbow. He made no attempt to cover himself; the sheet pooled around his waist, revealing the tattooed expanse of his chest and shoulders.
“Logistics got complicated,” he said, his voice cool and flat, adding fuel to the fire. I felt like strangling him on the spot.
Sophie’s eyes welled up. She looked at me, a silent question screaming in the air: How could you? With him? After everything?
The look of hurt in her eyes, caused my chest to tighten, I felt like the ground should open up and swallow me whole. The reality of the whole situation dawning on me. My best friend just caught me in bed with my enemy. Looking all lovey dovey and cuddly. Shit. The enemy she has this fat crush on. I run my hand through my hair frustratedly.
“Sophie, I can explain,” I started, pushing myself up, clutching the sheet to my chest.
“Don’t bother,” she whispered, her voice trembling. She took a step back, then another. “I… I’ll tell Charlie you’re… busy.”
“How the fuck did you get in here?” Hayes asked beside me . Like it was just dawning to him.
What the—, did he bring her here? I thought this was ‘our’ place. I felt a knot tightening in my stomach.
“Did you bring her here?” I found myself asking Hayes.
But his attention was elsewhere,he was on a call with his head of security I guess. I want him to tell me he didn't bring her here. And this place I've fallen in love with isn't his hideout for his puck bunnies. And Sophie just managed to get here through the air or maybe she tracked me? But how did she get past the security. And—
“Really Tegan!” She shouts.
“You're more worried about the fact that he brought me here?” She asks, the pain evident in her voice.
“No Sophie…. it's just–”
“Just what Tegan,that you're a manipulative hypocritic bitch” she spat.
“Don't you dare call me that” I hissed, tears pricked my eyes.
“So you're Julianna?” Hayes asks beside me.
I blink my tears away in confusion as Sophie gives him a small nod. I don't even get to ask what they're talking about before she drops a bomb on me.
“Does he know?” She snarls.
My face went pale,my body rigid from shock and realization that hit me at the same time.
The baby.
“Know what?” Hayes demands.
He's now wearing pants and standing at the other side of the room.
“Oh, so he doesn't” she barks out a laugh.
“Don't” I warn.
“Tegan you better tell me what the fuck is going on” Hayes says in an irritated tone.
This is not good, I stare at Sophie with stern eyes daring her to talk.
“Nothing is going on!”
“Except that you're in bed with Hayes Ashford” Sophie snaps.
“Sophie please stop” I plead.
“You couldn't even tell me?” She says in a low voice.
“I….I couldn't tell you because—”
“.... because” I try to find the words to say but nothing comes out.
Tears roll down my eyes uncontrollably,it hurts so much.
One minute I'm free from all the expectations and trouble from Whitlock, I'm free from Papa, I'm free from Tessa Bloom torments, I'm free from Ethan. And the next I'm having a mental breakdown,my friend is staring at me with so much hurt, anger and betrayal in her eyes.
“You don't know what to say right”
“I bet Charlie knows” she hissed.
My silence confirmed it. Shit
“Wow…. Tegan” she says in disbelief.
I grab the duvet, wrapping it around me as I stand up from the bed. Ignoring the ache between my legs.
“I couldn't tell you, everything was just so complicated. We're just fucking” I breathe.
“And that's normal? How did you feel lying to me this whole time” she snapped.
“I felt horrible, I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you everything”
If only she knew how much I hated lying. And how much I feel relieved now that she knows. Even though I hated the way she found out.
“But you didn't, you had so many chances to say it but you didn't”
“I'm sorry” I whispered, moving closer.
“Get the fuck away from me!” She shouted.
“I already said I'm sorry!!!” I screamed back.
Two scary men in suits came in, causing Sophie to scream and rain curses as one carried her away.
“Fuck my ears hurt” Hayes mumbled.
I'd been so caught up in the quarrel, I'd forgotten there was even another person in the room.
“Fuck you Hayes!!!” Sophie screamed from the hallway.
The other man reached for me but Hayes stopped him, I was already backing away in fear.
“Don't touch her” he mumbled.
“Now get your ass to the living room if you don't want me to drag you there myself” he deadpanned.