Page 123 of Nodus Tollens
And with a sad smile, I let go.
“You better get in there then. I’m sure she’s waiting for you.”
His grin gradually settled, and he turned his head to look at me.
“Yeah, mom’s probably in there talkin’ her damn ear off about me.” He laughed.
My mouth tilted.
“Yeah, I wouldn’t trust her. She’s probably bringin’ up the time you wrecked that dirt bike into a porta-potty.”
His palm found his head and rubbed.
“Fuck, you already know she is…” He groaned while standing.
I couldn’t help but laugh. Hayes knocked that fucker over going at least thirty, and blue shit went everywhere. And I do mean everywhere.
“You gonna stay out here then?”
“Yeah, just for a bit longer.” I answered, and he nodded in return. An awkward silence passed between us as he stood in front of me. I could see he wanted to hurry inside and hopefully stop the dreaded story of the porta-potty incident from being told, but there was also a conflict in his eyes from wanting to say something more.
“We good? You and I?”
Always. I wanted to say but didn’t.
“Yeah. We’re good.”
He dropped his head with a nod and a relieved smile. One that finally had me easing into a better mood than I was in before I stormed out here. No other words were exchanged, but there was no need for it.
Forgiveness went both ways. We didn’t just feel it. We made the conscious decision to forgive because we knew nothing was ever worth losing a friendship over. Even if I did need a little nudge in the right direction from Wren, of all people. We made it through. And as I sat out here alone, I let my eyes close, and my head fall back with a comforting sigh. Knowing everything would work out.
Everything would be okay.
27
WREN
After the porta-potty story Shelia had told me, I couldn’t contain my laughter. I was snorting and producing sounds that sounded like a pig, so I quickly excused myself to go to bed before I embarrassed myself any further. Before I could walk away, she had given me a long hug. One that reminded me of my mother. Warm, inviting, and filled with endless love. She had then told me how glad she was to have met me and how thankful she was that I was in Hayes’ life. That she had never seen Hayes so happy before. Her words caused my stomach to flutter but also sink at the inevitable reality of Hayes and I’s situation. Of course, I didn’t tell her that, though, but I almost broke out into tears in front of her. Luckily, I was able to get away before they could fall and escaped into Hayes’ bedroom. I fell on his bed and cuddled into his pillow and blanket. Unbelievable softness enveloped me, and I snuggled deeper into it, savoring the smell and gentleness of the fabric. It was nearly impossible to stay awake. Especially when everything surrounding me was Hayes.
I was in the safest place in the world. The most calming place, too, as I slowly began to drift off. But it wasn’t long until I heard the sound of a door closing, causing my eyes to immediately shoot open.
“Hayes?” I questioned with a yawn as my eyes began to adjust.
“Yeah, baby, it’s me.” He responded by crawling into bed beside me and pulling me into his chest. Burying my nose in his shirt, he smelled of outside.
“How’d it go?”
He drew me in closer, with one hand on my hip and the other cradling the back of my head.
“Surprisingly well.” He sighed into my hair. “He apologized, too.”
My heart leaped. I hoped that he was at least going to accept Hayes’s decision, but I hadn’t expected my plan to work. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get the importance of forgiveness across, with Mal being the way he is. I was scared shitless but more so nervous about how he would interact with me. I still saw the vending machine guy every time I looked into his eyes, but tonight, I saw much more than that. There was a vulnerability there that I didn’t expect to see. Deep down, he wasn’t just the grouchy, emotionless hockey player who only gave a crap about himself. There was much more lingering beneath his surface that had yet to be discovered. A complexity to him that made me wonder what else he was keeping to himself.
“He did?” I finally asked as I pulled my face out of his chest and glanced up into his eyes.
“Yeah, he did.” He grinned. “Thank you for talking to him. He… needed someone tonight.”
“Hayes…” I drew out his name. “You don’t need to thank me.”
