Chapter 61 Passenger princess
Tegan
A sharp wince caught in my throat the moment I tried to shift. The deep, heavy ache between my thighs was a brutal, intoxicating reminder of yesterday. A faint, involuntary smile tugged at my lips, but it vanished the second I rolled over.
The other side of the bed was cold. Empty. I scrunched my nose in confusion and looked around before realizing that I was in my room.
Last I checked, I fell asleep in Hayes arms while he whispered sweet nothings in my ear and showered me with open mouth kisses. Now I'm here all the way from the island?
I grab my phone from the nightstand and saw a text from him, the audacity of him to save his number in my phone with hearts and bear emoji. Is he for real?
Scoffing, I stand up softly and tap on the notification.
Hayes🧸🤎🤎: You're welcome.
Smug bastard, when did I tell him thank you? Why should I thank him? For bringing me back to reality from the fairytale I've been hiding in?
I wanted to stay on his island forever and hide from this…..all of this. The semester is almost over and I'll be back to dad for the holidays. With my bump, which would grow bigger.
My chest tightened, air turning to shards of glass in my lungs.
In for four, hold for four, out for four.
I forced myself to mimic Dr. Helena’s breathing exercises. ‘Don't let the panic take the wheel, Tegan. Never let it get that far.’
She said I show symptoms of having a panic attack but I shouldn't ever let it get to that level.
Everything's going to be just fine. The worst thing he can do is to send me off to Poland, to meet my Babcia so she can knock sense into me.(Grandma)
Papa thinks that because my Babcia was hard on him while growing up, she'll show the same treatment to me. But he doesn't know it's actually the opposite.
She's a strict woman but with me, she's this sweet grandma. I wouldn't blame her for being strict because she's the founder of our family business. And for a woman to handle that much power she has to be as tough as my grandma.
Not that I mind going to Poland, it's just so very far away and lonely and papa used to send me there a lot when I was little and I was traumatized from being alone and all. I think I'll call it PTSD.
Anyways, Papa can't send me there. It's as good as sending me off to a deserted place. Grandma is always out of it nowadays, old age taking her away. Sip by sip. She's almost bedridden I think, or not, but she barely gets up.
Now the immediate matter at hand, school. I really have to walk in those hallways receiving intense looks from the narcissistic assholes of Whitlock university.
Great, Thank you Hayes. Fucking thank you. Ughhh.
I can do this, I've handled worse while being the student body president. I just have to appear unaffected, which I'm so good at. Masking emotions.
Second on the list, avoid that hockey captain, like the plague. I know we had a heart to heart conversation yesterday. But that doesn't mean we're dating right. Hayes doesn't do dating.
So we're something? He said he'll try for me, he'll be anything I want him to be. They sounded true yesterday but today it sounds so odd in my ears. Anyways, I just have to test the waters.
I hit the shower and do my normal routine, then get dressed in my short white lace sundress. I styled my hair into a messy bun and put a bow matching my dress at the knot of the hair. It looks cute and simple. Just how I like it. I send Charlie a quick text to come pick me and she replies immediately.
Apparently, after Hayes ambushed me and stole my Audi I haven't gotten it back. I mean, he called someone to drive it to his place when we were about to board the chopper and when I asked him to return it, he literally ignored me.
I love that car, it's my second baby, or third baby? Whatever, I'll get it back from Hayes one way or another.
I stuff ginger sweets in my bag after taking a few, to combat the nausea. Then I slip into my Christian Louboutin heels, one last look at the mirror and I look perfect. Like a diva, ready to go face those bunch of gossip mongers.
I greet the receptionist when I reach the entrance of the building and he smiles so brightly telling me to have a good day. We exchange greetings daily but today it feels giddier. Anyways speaking of gossip mongers.
Tessa Bloom posted the photo Hayes posted, but with a fire emoji. Whatever the fuck that means. But I'm not scared of her, I'm not scared of anyone actually.
I halt my steps as I step outside the building and see Hayes Ashford leaning nonchalantly on my Audi, my Audi?
He smiles as he sees me and it sends a cold shiver down my spine as I suck in breath.
I lied, I am scared of Hayes, and Papa, I'm scared of rollercoasters, I'm scared of raccoons, I'm scared of losing my life, I'm scared of what will happen after I have my baby, I'm scared of what will happen when everyone hears I'm pregnant. I'm so fucking scared. But I have one thing that's a powerful weapon for me.
My mask, so putting one on. I waltz slowly towards Hayes, I want to swing my hips and move like a diva but the ache between my legs stops me.
So I settle for a matching chaotic smile. I should calm the fuck down. We aren't enemies anymore, we're on the same side. But I'm already used to it and it's my survival instincts acting on its own.
“You're finally here” he says and walks to the driver's side of the car and gets in without another word.
Great, the gentleman couldn't even open the door for me. I get in the car and stare at him in confusion. But he doesn't reply or even acknowledge me as he starts driving.
“What are you doing?” I finally ask.
“Driving”
“No, what are you doing?” I repeat in annoyance.
“I need to go to school Hayes, You can't just come and hijack me anytime you feel like it, thinking I don't have something ongoing with my–”
“I'm taking you to school, koala, ” he says, pinching the bridge of his nose and looking up.
Oh.
“To school” I repeat.
“Yes, now get your head out of the gutter, aren't you still sore? Or you want more already”
“That's…tha… that's not what I meant!” I screeched.
“Sure” he said as he breathed out a small laugh. My fingers twitch at the thought of strangling him.
I glare at him hard then adjust in the seat. That's when I realise that something feels different. All my pink girly car stuff which he threw to the back the day he drove my car was transferred to the other side where I sat. He even added some new stuff.
I ran my fingertips over the soft fabric, a strange, breathless warmth blooming in my chest despite myself.
“You like them?” His voice cuts through my inspection.
As much as I'd very much like to say no or something snarky. I bite it down and nod my head.
“Why did you move them here?” I asked in confusion.
“Because you're my passenger princess.”