The first thing Rodrigo felt was pain. Not unbearable pain, but still, pain. He knew the man had told him this was going to hurt but he didn't think the pain would be emotional. He was hoping it would be physical. Something that could just be cured by ibuprofen. But he was hit with a rude awakening when the pain in his heart returned. He just hoped the Hai-Lai in the old timeline wasn't feeling the same. Or didn't, as that timeline no longer existed. He was in the past now. Not in his present, no that would be called the future here.
"Rodrigo? Did you hear me?"
That voice. That voice is Hai-Lai. Before I managed to break her.
He probably would have jumped at her and hugged her. That was what he wanted to do. But she would have questioned his actions. She would think something was wrong. Nothing was wrong. Things were actually great for once.
"Y-yes, Hai-Lai. I heard you. I was honest with you. You're conducting is perfect."
Hailey answered him with a confused look.
"No, you said something was wrong, or at least you started to. Before you started to backtrack. Please Rodrigo be honest."
All Rodrigo could do was cup her face with his hands. He stared at her, not wanting to ever forget her beautiful face. Finally her face softened, no longer having the confused look, she kissed him. He would have kissed back in the first second, but this felt wrong. Hai-Lai did deserve to know the truth. That she did have flaws, but they were what made her conducting amazing. But she would take it the wrong way. Just like she did in the other reality. And he wasn't wanting another week or so to travel back in time.
So he kissed back, even if what he said was the definition of bullshit.
Hailey didn't notice the split second before he kissed back. How could she? It was a split second. All she knew was that her boyfriend was confident in her conducting. In those small moments that was all that mattered to Hailey. That Rodrigo thought she was already perfect.