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Still, I was convinced there was more to her late-night runs than whatever had gone down with this guy she was about to marry. It sounds like she dodged a bullet. The last time I spoke with Tess, she'd asked how Haley was doing and, not knowing what else to say, I was honest with her. I told her she kept to herself, not talking to anybody, and went on these late-night runs. I hated sharing details I knew she would worry about, but it was her best friend, and she deserved to know the truth.
There was a part of me that loathed to hold anything back from my sister after the enormous secret Haley and I kept from her years ago.
In a conversation we had a couple of nights before, she let her worry get the best of her and spewed out a hateful rant against Haley’s ex-fiancé, Marcus. According to Tess, she'd never liked him. He was fake, controlling, and the worst part was that Haley had spent the entirety of their relationship trying to fit into his world.
I would have never asked her to do that.
"It got to where I hardly recognized her anymore, Cooper. It was awful. She was just a shell of herself. As hard as it was for her, I can't tell you how elated I was when she looked at me at the end of that aisle and said the codeword."
I laughed. "She actually used the codeword?" I asked. They’d told me about their codeword when they were twelve, and I wasforbidden to know what it was, but it always made them fall into a fit of giggles, so I'm guessing it was utterly ridiculous.
"When are you going to tell me what the word is?" I'd prodded out of curiosity.
I could practically hear her stubbornness wafting through the phone line. "You'll never hear it from me. We pinky sweared."
I rolled my eyes. "And everybody knows you cannot break the most sacred of oaths—the pinkie swear," I teased.
"Exactly," she confirmed in all seriousness.
"I appreciate you looking out for her, Cooper. I'm hoping to arrange some time off soon so I can come out to be with Haley. I wouldn't mind seeing my big brother either," she added in a much lighter tone.
And though I would love to see my little sister again, there was a part of me that was immediately annoyed by the thought of her being here with me and Haley.
Except there is no you and Haley.
I felt guilty wishing Tess would stay away for a little while longer. She was the one person who Haley had left... and that's when it hit me.
These midnight runs weren't about leaving her fiancé at the altar... they were about loss.
The two people who had loved Haley more than anything in the world were gone, and if my math was correct, she started seeing Marcus shortly after they’d passed. It appears she was trying to create a family for herself, but was she desperate enough to give herself up in the process?
That was the thing about Haley. She and her folks never had that contentious relationship that most kids had with their parents growing up. The three of them genuinely seemed to be friends, and now her two biggest fans were gone.
She needed more people around her—more community and support. She needed me, and that both terrified and delighted me.
The trouble was, she had no idea how much she needed me... but she was about to find out.
Later that night, I had come to a decision, and it made me nervous as hell. A few minutes before I normally saw Haley slipping from her house for her midnight run, I knocked on the door. No answer.
"Haley?" I called out in an authoritative voice. "I know you're in there, so you might as well open up... Haley?"
I could practically feel her willing me to give up and go away, but she forgot how stubborn I could be. "Haley, if you don't open this door, you'll give me no choice but to huff and puff and blow your..."
The door flew open with an irritated Haley glaring at me.
"Cooper? What do you want?"
I didn't answer her question, just gave her a once over then said, "Change into your swimsuit. We have somewhere to be."
She looked at me like I had grown another head. "What? It's almost midnight," she argued, as if that meant anything.
"Indeed it is, and I know this is usually when you go running, but we're going to do something a little different on the beach tonight," I informed her.
Her cheeks reddened. At the thought of it, I could feel my own face heat. Haley and I spent many wild late nights on the beach. A swell of satisfaction warmed me, knowing that's where her mind went.
Not so far from the memory after all, hey Hales?
I cleared my throat, remembering the mission at hand. "I'm not taking no for an answer Haley, and will not leave you alone until you come out here in your swimsuit, so you might as well get it over with."
