Page 59 of The Expiration Date

“Do you really think that low of me, that I would cheat on you with an ex-girlfriend?”

Haley averts her eyes again, confirming that she does in fact think that.

I scoff, “Wow.”

“Oh don’t ‘wow’ me, Aidan. It’s not completely out there for me to think you hooked back up with her. You were in love with Natasha. I witnessed it. All of it. The only reason you started ‘dating’ me in the first place was so that you could get out of your own way after your break-up. What am I supposed to think? And you know, it doesn’t surprise me. You both make sense together. I think it’s easier if we go back to the way things used to be. The deal is over anyway.”

I put my hands on my hips and I clenched my jaw. I can only imagine how it looked to her. Natasha was barely dressed, and Haley is right. I was in love with her. Was being the most important word. “It’s not what you think… I had no idea that Natasha was going to come over. I swear. I didn’t invite her over. Nothing happened. Haley, you have to believe me.”

“But something did happen…you were kissing her, Aidan.”

“She kissed me. Not the other way around. And I pushed her off immediately. The kiss meant nothing, Hales. ”

“A kiss always means something.” Then Haley holds her hands to her face, attempting to block the inevitable tears coming out. I don’t know what to say to her. It is clear she doesn’t believe me. I am losing her. She is closing in again. Building that impenetrable wall of hers that I worked so hard to break down.

“It’s fine, Aidan. We agreed this whole relationship, or fake relationship rather, was going to end. We had an expiration date, remember?” Haley’s phone starts ringing. “I need to take this, excuse me,” and she starts stepping out of the trailer.

“Haley.”

She looks back at me.

“Can we please talk later?”

Her phone keeps buzzing. “I gotta take this…Hello, this is Haley.” She steps out of the trailer and the door slams shut.

This explains so much. Natasha ruined everything good happening in my life. Again. But I was an idiot in the first place for ever letting her step into my house at all. The moment I saw it was her, I should’ve closed the door in her face.

I can’t let Haley go like this. I push open my trailer door and run after her. I catch up quickly and take the phone from her hand.

“Aidan, what the hell?” she fumes.

I put the phone to my ear. “Hey, she’s gonna have to call you back.” I press the red “end call” button.

Haley crosses her arms. Damn, why does she have to look so cute when she’s mad?

The little crease between her eyebrows is very prominent now. She places her hand out. “Give me back my phone, Aidan. I have a lot of work to do. Especially since…” She looks down at her feet and bites her bottom lip. “…I’m giving my two weeks.”

What? No. “Are you serious? You’re quitting?”

She snatches her phone out of my defenseless hand. She looks down again and says, “I don’t see any other way. I’ll make sure that all of your appointments for the next few months are finalized and confirmed. I’ll make sure everything is taken care of before I go. I just…can’t be around you anymore. Everything has changed. It’s too hard.” She grazes her hand across her cheek, trying to mask the obvious tears that are slowly slipping out of her eyes.

“What are you going to do for a job? I know you can’t afford where you live now, even if you are splitting rent with Rachel. And what about your screenplay? I thought you wanted to get into this business so that you can work your way up. I can help you do that, Hales.”

“I will figure it out,” she responds curtly.

“Please, Hales, I don’t want to lose you,” I plead.

“I wasn’t yours to lose in the first place and you weren’t mine to lose either,” Haley says.

I grab her face between my hands. “That’s not even remotely true. Don’t do this. Don’t run away. You promised.”

She pushes away and just like that, she is out of my reach again. “I made that promise when I thought that you were everything to me. When I thought I’d finally found the guy who was it for me.”

“Haley, I am still that guy. I’m the same guy.”

She shakes her head. “I am not running away, Aidan.”

“Yes you are, because you are scared.”

---