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Umm... so uh, yeah... uhh… so about Jackson... umm.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all associated with The Originals. I just like to play around with the characters at times. I only own the plot... mostly.
Chapter 19 - Falling
Waking up next to Elijah really was one of Hayley's favorite things to do. They'd only known each other for less than two weeks but Hayley honestly had come to care for Elijah a lot. More than anyone she'd ever cared for, romantically at least. Keelin would forever be the one person Hayley cared the most about in the world. Elijah could be a very close second.
"Morning," Elijah said, breaking Hayley from her thoughts.
Hayley smiled, moving over closer to him. "Morning to you, too," she replied, leaning in to kiss him.
Elijah pulled away, reaching out and running his hand along her jaw. "Did you sleep well?"
"I sure did. I always do when I sleep next to you."
"And I you."
"We're not in any rush today, right?"
"Not that I am aware of, why?"
Hayley smirked, wiggling her eyebrows. "I'm sure you know why."
Elijah chuckled, pulling her over on top of him. "You are insatiable."
"And you're not?"
"I never said that."
"That's what I thought," Hayley said teasingly, kissing him before he could say anything else.
~AllAtSea~
When Freya and Keelin called Elijah to their room for something, Hayley took that as the opportune time to go get a quick bite to eat. She loved having someone go with her, but even she liked some alone time sometimes. Not too much alone time, but some. But fate didn't like the idea of that apparently.
"Oh no," Hayley muttered to herself as she got up to leave the restaurant.
Of course it was her luck that Jackson was there. The ship was pretty big, but unfortunately not big enough.
"Don't come over here. Don't come over here," Hayley whispered as she took the chance to rush by him without having to deal with him. "Shit! He's coming over here."
"Hello, Hayley."
Hayley said nothing, nor did she look at him.
"I have nothing better to do. I can wait here until you acknowledge me."
Hayley huffed and turned to glare at him. "Do you mind?" she asked rhetorically, looking around to see if she had a way out. "I have better things to do and places to be."
He said nothing.
Hayley moved to step around him and he went with her, blocking her way.
"Damn it, Jackson! I am not in the mood for this shit today," Hayley snapped, trying again to get around him.
"I don't care," Jackson replied, grabbing her arm and pulling her back.
Hayley yanked her arm from him, lifting her hand to slap him.
He grabbed her hand with his free one and blocked her from hitting him.
"What the hell do you want?" Hayley asked, huffing after realizing it wasn't going to be easy to get away from him; the damn door was behind him and he wasn't gonna let her by. She'd have to hear him out and that's the last thing she wanted to have to do. "Hurry up and talk so I can leave and never see your face ever again."
"I've spent the past few days searching the web."
"And."
"And I know that you and that "boyfriend" of yours only met last week... here... on the cruise."
"Your point is?" Hayley asked, her tone of voice conveying her annoyance. "My relationship status is not any of your concern."
"So you aren't boyfriend and girlfriend then?"
"We are not labelling things between us right now. He understands boundaries and right from wrong. Unlike you." Hayley crossed her arms and glared at him. "Not that you even deserve to know anything."
"Just remember that we met and fell for each other in two weeks, too."
"What?"
"Two weeks for us and you know how that ended," he said with a smirk before turning and leaving.
Even when he didn't say much, he was such an asshole. How dare he? Who did he think he was saying shit like that to her? Acting like they ended mutually and not because he was a jackass who cheated on her. Ugh. Hayley hated him so damn much.
If she ever saw him again on the cruise, she was seriously contemplating accidentally on purpose pushing him off the side. She'd give him a life jacket. She wasn't that mean. Even if he did do so many things that made it seem like he would deserve nothing less than being stranded where he actually has to work to survive with absolutely nothing to help him. Maybe it would finally teach him some humility.
Damn he made her so freaking mad.
~AllAtSea~
As much as she tried to fight them off, Jackson's words weighed heavily on Hayley's mind throughout the entire day. Damn him for messing with her head like this. Would she ever be away from him completely? Mind and matter wise. She deserved a Jackson free life, and freedom from the bullshit that followed him. She deserved it, did she not?
"Hayley. Earth to Hayley!"
"Huh? What? Oh, yeah? What'd you say?"
"Why are you up in the clouds? What's up?" Keelin asked, eyeing her curiously.
Hayley shrugged. "It's nothing. No importance what-so-ever."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, trust me. It's so not worth my breath to talk about."
"Okay, well you know you can always talk to me about anything, anytime."
"I know. Thank you."
"Of course."
"So, are we ready to go? I'm sure Elijah and Freya are waiting for us upstairs."
Hayley turned to look in the mirror. Giving herself the up down, she nodded. "I'm ready. You?"
"Definitely." Keelin grinned. "Let's go make this last night on board the best night ever!"
~AllAtSea~
Nothing was going to stop her from having fun. Not jackasses words. Not the looming knowledge that tonight was the last night of the cruise. Not that she didn't know if she'd ever see Elijah again after the cruise. Nothing at all. Hayley was going to have fun. She was going to enjoy her last night with Elijah and with Freya and Keelin.
Dinner had been nice. It was so much fun talking and enjoying herself along with the three of them. Only once... or maybe twice did Jackson's words get through her mind and almost ruin her time. Luckily she had managed to push them all to the now they were at the club upstairs. And Jackson was there, too.
Could Hayley ever catch a break? Honestly, what had she done to deserve all this bullshit happening to her? She'd never had it easy. What with being adopted, having adopted parents who turned out to not be the best, to have been kicked out at 14... she was lucky she was like another daughter to Keelin's parents. And then the countless asshole boyfriends she'd had. Why was all this awful stuff happening to her? She must've been the worst person ever in one of her past lives.
Catching her looking at him, Jackson smirked.
Hayley frowned and flipped him off before turning her attention back to her friends. Just not fast enough to miss seeing Jackson mouth "two weeks" to her and wink.
Instinctively, Hayley's fists clenched at her side as anger boiled within her. The nerve of that man. She couldn't wait for they day she saw him for the last time. Hopefully that was tonight. He needed to leave her the hell alone. At least on land she'd be able to put a restraining order on him if it came down to it. On the ship... no such luck.
Just ignore him, Hayley. He's just messing with you. He wants to ruin everything for you. Maybe if she repeatedly told herself that, it would work. She couldn't let him get to her and control her like this.
"Why do you look uneasy?"
"Huh?" Hayley asked, looking at Elijah. "What did you say?"
"I asked why do you look so uneasy?"
Without a word, Hayley tilted her head back to where Jackson was.
Elijah followed her motion with his eyes and frowned. "Is he still messing with you?"
"He cornered me earlier, but I handled it."
"If you want me to talk to him, let me know."
Hayley smiled. "Thank you, but no. He's really not worth the trouble."
"As long as you are sure."
"I'm sure."
"If you change your mind..."
"I'll let you know." Hayley grinned. "And thanks for asking. Most guys would have just went over and caused a scene without asking the girl about it."
Elijah grinned back. "I'm not most guys."
"That I am very much aware of."
"Just ignore him and lets enjoy our last night together."
Hayley nodded her head in agreement. "That sounds amazing."
"Shall I have this dance?" Elijah asked, offering her his hand.
"You?" Hayley teased, batting her eyelashes and then taking his hand. "For you, anytime."
~AllAtSea~
Later that night, tired out from dancing Hayley and Elijah returned to their room for some alone time. It being their last night together, for the foreseeable future at least was weighing heavily on their minds. At least Hayley assumed Elijah was feeling the way she was about being apart by the next afternoon.
"Can you hold me tonight?" Hayley asked as Elijah laid down next to her.
He smiled. "Roll over."
Hayley smiled back and rolled quickly onto her side. She moved back and snuggled into him taking up the little spoon position, bringing one of his arms over herself and holding his hand closely to her chest.
"I hate that this is our last night together," she admitted, speaking in a tone not above a whisper but just loud enough that Elijah did hear her.
"You talk as if this is our last night together forever."
"It sure feels that way."
"We will figure something out Hayley," Elijah assured her. "I'd give up everything to be with you if I had to."
"And I you," Hayley replied, pressing a kiss against his palm. "But we both know neither of us would let the other do such a thing."
Elijah stroked her hair and kissed her head. "I promise you we will figure out a way to see each other again without having to compromise our separate lives as well."
"I sure hope so," Hayley said, closing her eyes. "Because I'm falling for you."
Those were the last words she spoke before falling asleep in Elijah's arms.