Ethan curls his lips and rolls his eyes before pointing at me. “The Ferris Wheel. Really?”
Hayleigh’s laugh peels through the night as she calls back. “Don’t be jealous, Ethan, you don’t always need a stick up your backside.”
I point to where she walks off. “That’s my girl.”
What a fucking night to remember.
**********
Banging and shouting outside of my door jolts me awake, and for a moment, I wonder where the hell I am. Then Hayleigh bursts through the door as I sit up in bed, bunching the sheets up beneath my chin.
She dives onto the bed, smiling, before stopping short. “Nate, what are you doing?”
I look down and release the sheets, smoothing them out. “I was…covering myself.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’ve seen your pecs before, Nate. Anyway, guess what?”
“Bag of snot?” She smacks my arm. “Ouch!”
“Idiot. The estate agent phoned, my offer has been accepted! The house is mine!”
I throw my arms around her and muffle in her hair. “I’m so fucking proud of you.” I squeeze her tighter as pride runs through me.I knew she could do it.
“Ooh! Bed hugs!” We have a second to brace before Archie tears into the room and dives on the bed with us.
I squirm my feet. “Archie, this is very uncomfortable. What are you doing in here?”
He ruffles my hair, smiling. “I heard all the commotion and wanted to know what had happened. So, when is the housewarming?”
Hayleigh laughs. “Jesus, Archie, it needs fixing up first.” Her phone rings, and as she looks at it, her face drops. “I-I’ll be a minute. Sorry, need to get this.”
Archie nudges me. “What was all that about?”
I shake my head. “Nothing.” But then I’m already out of bed and following her with Archie hot on my heels.
“Nate, this is a bad idea. It’s usually me who has those; leave her be.”
I wave my hands. “Shut up, gobshite.” I stand outside her bedroom door, but everything is quiet, so I knock gently. “Hayleigh?”
Sniffles from inside the room have me pushing the door open to find Hayleigh sitting on her bed, her phone in her hands.
I kneel in front of her. “Hey, talk to me, what’s wrong?”
She shakes her head. “I need to go. My mother called me, my dad’s sick, and they need help planning my sister's wedding.”
“Do you want to go?”
Her eyes meet mine, and she shakes her head. “No, but I don’t have a choice, Nate.”
“Of course yo-”
“Please, stop. Idon’t.”
I nod, then stand. “Okay, well, we’ll be here when you get back.” I reach the door, but her voice makes me stop.
“I won’t be back, Nate. The wedding isn’t for another three months, and they live over two hours away-it doesn’t make sense for me to drive that far every day…” She trails off, and the sadness in her voice cuts through me.
“I’ll still be here.”
