I lift my head slowly and turn.
Across the room, standing near the entrance.
Hayden.
He’s here.
And I can’t move.
Can’t breathe.
Can’t even blink.
He doesn’t speak. Doesn’t move either, just stares at me.
He watches me like the weight of the world is resting between us, like every unspoken thing we’ve ever shared is wrapped up in the space of a single glance.
He’s the last person I expected to see, and yet somehow, he’s the only one I need next to me at this moment.
I watch him walking over to me, and without a word he sits on the chair close to me and I can’t move.
He says nothing, doesn’t even look at me, just rests his elbows on his knees and exhales long through his nose, like the weight he carries has settled deep in his chest. Are we both fighting the demons running through us?
His hand gently touches mine not to hold it, just the briefest brush, and my body tingles all over, with the small touch. He nudges me to sit down, and without realizing I do.
“Any news?” His voice is low, rough, but he’s not even looking at me as he asks.
“Nothing.” I whisper. My throat is dry, scratchy. “Not yet.”
He doesn’t nod or sigh or say a single word in return, I didn’t think he would. He just shifts slightly, then pulls something from the inside of his jacket. A small bottle of water then hands it over to me, and I take it.
We sit in silence. No words. No side glances. No anger. No forgiveness. Nothing. It’s crazy, but it’s enough.
Even if it’s just this, him beside me when the rest of my world is upside down, it’s something.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him tapping on his phone. Probably messaging Mason or Cain. Still trying to get my head around the fact they're related. He had a cousin I never knew about.
I can’t help but glance back over at him on the phone, his jaw is tight, but still as handsome as always.
A doctor steps into the waiting room. I shoot to my feet, heart leaping out of my chest, but then I watch as he crosses the room and stops in front of another family.
Not me, and my heart drops.
I sit again, slower this time, sinking into the hard plastic chair like it’s the only thing holding me upright, because I can feel myself breaking any second now.
I bounce my leg up and down, unable to stop. The anxiety is driving me crazy.
Then I feel Hayden's hand. Warm. Steady. Heavy. He presses it lightly to my thigh. It’s not a grab, not a force, just a quiet weight that tells me to stop. To breathe, to remind me I’m not alone.
My leg stills. My heart, too, just a little.
I don’t know how to look at him, fuck I don’t know if I’m allowed to. But I glance his way, anyway, catching the moment he pulls an envelope from his jacket. Not the kind of envelope that holds birthday cards or bills. This one is matte black, sleek.
I watch as Hayden opens it, and his shoulders stiffen, his back straightens. Every line of his face sharpens into something dark.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
His eyes stay locked on whatever’s inside. “Yeah.” A lie.
