For the few who are actually reading this, thank you. One person reviewed saying for Damon or Jeremy to fall in love with Hayley. WHAT? So random. Like the most random thing ever. lol.
Hayley sat on her deck with a mug of coffee in between her palms. She wore an oversized sweater to keep the autumn breeze from freezing her. It was early in the morning, the sun just starting to rise over the horizon. Usually this would be too early for her, but she had never gone to sleep. Her thoughts were completely engulfed with everything Elijah. She wished it weren't, but she couldn't help it.
It had been 5 days since she saw him. With all that time lost in her thoughts, Hayley got over her anger and it was replaced with concern. How long did it take to handle 'business'? From what she figured, he would be back in a couple of days. Elijah said he wanted to her to stay at his place. If his time away were so much longer, wouldn't he have said something else?
Hayley took a sip of her coffee. She sighed, thinking about her and Elijah's short stay together. When she was with him, she refused to act as if she cared for him or show any interest at all. But when she was left alone with her thoughts, she always ended up admitting to herself that she cared for him. Obviously she did, otherwise she would be worrying about his safety. He may be vampire but so were the two that had attacked her and Elijah had killed them with a mere flick of his wrist. She knew it was possible for him to be killed somehow, but she also knew that she would feel pity for whoever tried.
Hayley glanced at her cell phone to see that it was almost 6:30 in the morning. It wasn't healthy to keep torturing herself with thoughts of him. She needed to do something that would occupy her on this Saturday morning. She quickly got up from her lawn chair and rushed into the house to change. If one thing could clear her head, it was a solid run. She'd start from there and hopefully figure out how to get the annoying vampire out of her head.
Later in the afternoon, Hayley decided that she needed to get out of her giant but empty house. Sometimes all the space was relaxing. Other times, it suffocated you with your own thoughts. She had thrown her new drawing supplies in her bag. But then she paused, realizing Elijah was the one that had given her all of it. Then she became annoyed with herself for relating yet another thing to him.
"Hey, Hayley. How's it going?" Luke said as soon as he heard the door chime inside the coffee shop he worked at. He glanced at the canvas backpack on her shoulder, already knowing what was inside.
"Hi, Luke." She returned with a genuine smile.
"There's someone sitting at your usual spot." He said with a dramatic frown for her entertainment. A smile beamed across his face when she answered with a short laugh. Luke was tall, dirty blonde, and blue eyed. As far as Hayley could tell, there was nothing wrong with him. The only thing she could think of was the few rumors of his temper. Mostly her friends that were on the hockey team with him mentioned it a few times. But other than that, Luke was almost perfect. All of Hayley's friends tried to convince her that he had more than just a small crush on her. But she refused to believe it. Why would he?
"What can I get you?" Luke asked as he crossed his arms, unaware of how much the gesture showed off his athletic physique.
"I think just a cappuccino will be good." She asked politely, already shuffling through her bag for money.
"Don't bother." Luke interrupted her chaotic search. "It's on the house."
But Hayley instantly shook her head. "Luke, you never let me pay for my drink when you're working." She almost whined. But even though she was stubborn, Luke wasn't going to budge. He had already moved away from the register to start making her drink.
"And don't try sneaking your money into the tip jar either." He advised without looking up at her. She rolled her eyes although smiled at his warning. But then she watched him carefully making her drink. He was wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt. The way the light hit him with the warm tones of the coffee shop caught her attention. Hayley quickly grabbed her camera out of her bag. She almost always had it with her. Her finger lightly pressed on the shutter. Luke instantly looked up at the quiet click of the camera. She was surprised he'd heard it.
"Why don't you show anyone your stuff?" Luke asked her curiously.
"What stuff?" Hayley played dumb.
He shrugged his shoulders, seeing that she wasn't going to admit anything. She didn't like to even acknowledge that she was artistic in any way. It was one of her few escapes from the world when it became too much to handle. And it was a way to express her emotions that she couldn't put into words.
Luke slowly placed her coffee on the counter. Hayley couldn't read the way he was looking at her. "Thanks for the coffee, Luke." She said softly. He just nodded his head and walked to the back room. It allowed her to turn her attention to the rest of the coffee shop. He was right, someone had taken her usual spot in the corner. It was secluded from the rest of the seating and had perfect lighting.
Just as Hayley let out a sigh of disappointment, she realized that she recognized the person sitting there. It was the guy she had run into on Halloween. The good-looking one with the British accent, her mind added. Suddenly, her usual confidence felt even bolder. Hayley walked over to his spot, the buckles on her knee high boots clicked with every step. It was a two-person table and the chair opposite of him was wide open, practically inviting someone to sit down. And she did exactly that. He looked up, completely unsurprised. She could tell that he recognized her, yet he wasn't surprised to find her sitting across from him. Hayley narrowed her eyes, feeling like he had been expecting her this whole time.
"You're sitting in my spot." Hayley said with a charming smile.
"Is that so?" He asked with an amused smile.
She just nodded and took a sip of her drink. That was when she noticed that he had something in front of him. It was a plain, black sketchbook. He had been drawing in it before she so rudely interrupted him. Hayley's charm faltered just a moment as she turned to look out the window. He had been drawing the downtown view and it was completely faultless. She suddenly became bothered by how he was drawing in her usual spot, just like she would.
"You draw?" Hayley asked after clearing her throat. She tried to remain unfazed by it, realizing she had lost her façade for just a moment.
But he was smirking at her. Clearly, he had caught the flicker. "And paint." He confirmed as he leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "That barista boy fancy's you." He gestured in Luke's direction. Apparently, he had heard their conversation.
Hayley let out a laugh at the idea. "He's a good friend. We've gone to school together since like kindergarten." She confirmed with a smile.
"You don't see yourself very clearly." He informed her quietly. Although there was a small amount of amusement in his eyes, his voice was serious.
Hayley's smile vanished when she caught his tone. She didn't quite no what he meant by that. But she also knew that by asking him to elaborate was a ploy for him to continue his charms. "So are you following me?" She asked him as her eyes narrowed theatrically to indicate her sarcasm.
"Well, I was here first. So I believe that would mean you are following me." He said with his thick accent. He then smirked when he saw an entertained smile spread across her lips. It didn't seem like they were very common for her.
"Touché." Hayley tipped her cup of coffee in his direction. "Do you mind if I stay and join you?" She asked carefully. Then she caught something in his eyes. "I'm Hayley by the way." She said charmingly, holding out her hand with confidence.
The gesture seemed to throw him off completely. But he regained his composure before she could identify his strange reaction. "Nick." He said smoothly as he shook her hand. "And I do hope you would stay." The second part seemed like it was hard for him to express. He seemed to have to put an effort into simply being friendly and casual, not seducing and charming.
Hayley let out a deep breath and relaxed into the chair. "Are you new in town?" She asked him almost suspiciously. Both of their encounters didn't seem like a coincidence for some reason. But she pushed the thought out of her head.
"What would you make you think I'm new in town, sweetheart?" Nick answered practically in a hum.
She glared at the word 'sweetheart'. "I believe I just gave you my name for a reason. Save your pet names for someone who you're actually capable of seducing." She wasn't aware of how much she was exposing her fire. To some it was intimidating or sometimes even bitchy, but Nick found it quite amusing.
"And who says I'm not capable of seducing you?" He leaned forward, his forearms on the table. There was a glimmer in his gaze as his voice lowered.
Hayley raised an eyebrow at his boldness. Little did he know that she was more than capable at playing his game, she was always good at pretending to be this person. It was easier to show others this than her true self.
Hayley leaned onto the table, matching his move. But she moved closer, never breaking eye contact. She didn't stop easing nearer until her face was barely a centimeter away from his. She glanced at his lips just for a split second. Her mouth parted, expressing the desire. But just as Nick believed he would feel her kiss, she quickly pulled back. Hayley broke into a fit of laughter. Once she was done, she caught his anger at being played. She didn't seem scared like others would if they saw such an expression on his face. Instead, she appeared greatly satisfied and content with the reaction she drew from him.
"You can't seduce me. Whatever game you think you can play, I promise I can play it just as well, if not better." Then she crossed her eyes and glared, giving him even more of a warning not to even try.
"Well played." Klaus finally said. He wasn't used to controlling his anger in such a way. Most people he simply spoke with always knew who he was and how dangerous he could be. But Hayley's ignorance showed him a different way he was forced to behave. Then he realized her honesty was what made this so different. Unknowing to his true identity, she had no fear of being brutally frank. But a part of him believed she would do the same even if she did know who he really was.
"You aren't very good at not getting your way." Hayley said through a smirk. She instantly picked up his on mood. "I'm going to ask you a question. And I want you to answer it honestly." She warned, giving him no time to agree. "Have you ever sat with a girl and just…talked to her? Without having any shady intentions or underlying motives, you simply want to have a conversation with them?" Nick's jaw flexed but gave no other response to the accusation. And Hayley knew instantly that she'd called it perfectly. "That's what I thought." She stated softly.
There was a moment of silence and Hayley then realized she'd upset him. She watched carefully as he fiddled with the pencil in his hand. It was like he was trying to stop himself from killing something.
"Hey." Hayley whispered. The rare kindness in her voice was what brought Nick out of his quiet rage. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hit a nerve." She apologized sincerely. "I'll make it up to you." She promised. He raised an eyebrow, curious as to how. "You can practice." Hayley said as she gestured to herself theatrically.
He saw her relax when he barely nodded. Then he felt another pair of eyes watching them. There was no need to turn around to find whom they belonged to. "Your boyfriend keeps watching you and glaring at me." He pointed out to her without gesturing to Luke in any way.
Hayley barely glanced over to realize what he was talking about. "Ok. Once again, just friends." Then she smiled. "Actually, you should try it sometime!"
Nick ignored her jokes aimed at him. "But you are spoken for?" He questioned slowly and evenly. Her eyes flickered toward his without giving a response. "I'm doing exactly what you advised: I'm practicing." He countered with a mischievous smirk.
"Yes. I am." Hayley stunned herself by saying. There was no questioning whom she was referring to. But she was confused at how she convinced herself that he counted. It didn't feel like that their confusing relationship should be considered being spoken for on her part.
"I see." Nick said, amused by her response. Unbeknownst to Hayley, he knew that she spoke of Elijah, for he knew of his brother's and her prophecy. It was clear, not only by the way she said it, but by the look in her eyes when she did. They lightened, staring off at perhaps a memory he could not see. And for a moment, Klaus swore he saw Hayley. Not her frontage, but her true self and nature.
A phone unexpectedly vibrated on top of the wooden table. Both Hayley and Nick glanced at it. The sound brought them out of their little world of charm and duplicity. Nick picked it up and his eyes skimmed over the message. Hayley saw his jaw tense and his mouth fell into a straight line.
"Excuse me, but I must be going." He said shortly, already closing and picking up his sketchbook.
"See ya." Hayley said calmly. It wasn't until then that she realized she had actually started to enjoy talking to him. She'd noticed far too many similarities between the two of them. A part of her became frightened about how many others she would find if she got to know him more.
Nick stopped for a moment, watching her space out. "I believe I need more practice." He managed a small smile. Hayley was taken out of her thoughts, and looked at him blankly. "You were right. I don't really know how to talk to people unless I'm seducing them or getting something I want." Saying it out loud was one of the biggest trials he had ever faced.
Hayley then thought of how wrong this could turn out. But the way he was looking at her wasn't as if he saw her a challenge. She swore she saw him gazing at her with some kind of hope. It seemed like he was unreasonably lonely. And then Hayley wondered why it bothered her so much. But she didn't have the strength to admit it was because she felt it more than anyone would ever know, even herself.
Nick was about to walk away, thinking that she wasn't going to answer his implied question. Just as he turned his back to walk out the door, she stopped him. "Wait!" Hayley said nervously. Without looking at him, she grabbed the pencil out of his hand and a napkin from the table. She scribbled something really quickly on it. A few seconds later, she was shoving back into his hand as if at any instant she would change her mind. Nick looked down at it and saw her name and a number jotted on the paper napkin. He smirked before turning to leave.
Hayley watched him go, still confused about what made her do it. Her eyes squinted as she watched the car he got into. It was a black Aston Martin Vanquish. He would be filthy rich, she thought. Then her attention was pulled away when she felt someone stand next to her side.
"Make a new friend?" Luke said to her.
"I guess so." Hayley said with a shy smile.
"I don't think that's a very good idea." She could tell he was choosing his words very carefully. Why, she did not know.
"Why not?" Hayley asked him as she saw Nick drive away.
"He's no good." Luke declared. His seriousness caused her to finally turn and look at him. She was caught off guard by how angry he looked.
"You don't even know him." She defended.
"I don't have to. And neither do you." Then his expression softened when he became lost in her eyes. "Just do me a favor and stay away from him, okay Hayley?" His voice practically sounded like he was begging her.
"Don't tell me what to do, Luke." She replied sharply before walking to the table and grabbing her stuff. He instantly knew that he upset her. Just before she passed him, he opened his mouth to defend himself. "Save it. I'll see you later." Hayley said roughly as she brushed past him.
Hayley lay on the couch, watching TV in her empty house. Janet was grounded for a month after her parents caught her coming home drunk on Halloween. And Hayley didn't feel like calling the rest of her friends. To be honest, she was in no mood to be social anyways.
She glanced out the window to see the forest behind her home. Branches were being shook, leaves were getting ripped off, and flowers were losing their petals. There was a severe wind warning flashing across the television. Hayley sighed, none of it was really fazing her.
Just as she was flipping through the channels, the power flickered and then the TV screen went fuzzy. Hayley winced at the static noise that followed. She sat up and quickly tried to turn down the volume. Then she sighed in relief that the power hadn't completely gone because she had no idea how to fix the power box. Even though it was still intact, the cable never came back.
Suddenly, there was a crack right outside the house. Hayley shot up to stand from the couch. She looked out the window to see the umbrella on the deck had snapped completely in half. She slowly walked closer to the view, trying to see if there was anything else that was capable of being destroyed by the storm. Just as she was an inch away from the huge window, the glass door leading to the backyard flew open. She jumped and whipped around to see the curtains flailing around the new opening. The storm was so loud that its sound flooded her house, making it seem like she was in a wind tunnel.
Her heart was racing as she ran toward the door that was only a few feet away. The wind was so strong that she actually had to put some force into shutting the door. The second she managed to close it; she made sure to lock it this time. She took a few steps backward, still staring out the windows and glass door. She was just waiting for something else to happen. Then, right on cue, the power completely went out. Without the humming of all the electronics or the static from the TV, the house was disturbingly quiet. The sun had set hours ago, leaving Hayley with no source of light but her cell phone that she had inconveniently left upstairs.
She turned away from the windows just as lightning hit. The flash of light allowed her to see someone standing just on the other side of the living room. But it was too quick for her to make out any details. Hayley was about to let out a scream and sprint back toward the door. But the intruder rushed in front of her, pressing her back into the glass door. His finger gently pressed on her lips, preventing her from screaming in any way. Hayley immediately recognized Elijah.
"It's only me." He told her softly as he slowly removed his finger from her lips. Hayley let out a giant breath just before she embraced him. She sensed his body freeze, just for a second, before she felt his arms wrap around her too. "I apologize for scaring you." He breathed into her hair.
Hayley pulled away and finally looked at him. Despite the crazy weather, his hair was still perfectly kept. He was wearing an all black suit. But she panicked as soon as she saw giant rip in his shirt that was right over his heart. There was dried blood still able to be seen, despite the black color of the fabric.
Her eyes widened in horror at the sight. "What happened?" She gasped. "You're bleeding, Elijah!" Instead of waiting calmly for an answer, she was already moving around him to get the first aid kit. But with his vampire abilities, he was already standing in front of her once again.
"There is no need to be alarmed. I am okay." He informed her calmly.
Hayley nodded, trying to remember that being a vampire had its peculiarities. "What happened to you?" She whispered.
Elijah took a step closer to her. "Hayley, your heart is still racing." He noted quietly as he gestured toward the kitchen counter. She needed to sit and he knew she wouldn't move unless it was suggested. "I shall try and turn the power back on." He stated before disappearing into the darkness of the large house.
A few minutes later, Elijah came back unsuccessful. The power lines must be twisted or damaged from the storm, something he could not fix. Hayley's house had an odd amount of candles sitting around. She didn't waste a second before lighting many on the kitchen counter, allowing her to actually see. The light was unnecessary for Elijah's vampire sight. As soon as they sat across from each other at the granite counter, he kept noticing her gaze falling to the tear in his dress shirt.
"It healed long ago." He told her. She ran her fingers through her hair in stress. Elijah looked down to see she was wearing cotton shorts and an oversize crew cut sweatshirt. Her hair was a little wavy and messy from air-drying it.
"Who did this too you?" She asked angrily. It caused a smirk from him. He found it amusing that she wished to gain some sort of revenge on Damon Salvatore. He would never allow her to ever even be in the same state as the arrogant vampire.
"It is a rather long story." Elijah said lightly.
But he glanced up to see that she was shrugging her shoulders. "I don't mind." She surprised him by saying. "Would you like some tea? The stove still works." She then asked sensibly. "Do you even drink anything besides blood?"
Her carefulness caused Elijah to smile. He nodded his head. "Thank you." She moved around the kitchen, grabbing all the necessary parts. He watched her silently. With only candles, her hair looked even more red than usual.
Hayley slowly sat back down as she waited for the water to boil. "What happened?" She asked him again, more calmly this time. Elijah explained his reasoning for leaving so abruptly. He never expected to tell her about the ritual and sacrificing the newest doppelgänger. But there he was, explaining all of it to her.
"Why do you want to break this curse so badly? It doesn't bind you, it binds your brother." Hayley pointed out.
"He killed our entire family." Elijah said without any emotion. His eyes stared into the flickering flame of the candle right in front of him. He heard Hayley's breath catch from the shock of his statement.
"Why would he do that?" She asked him.
"It is a story that expands through centuries." He stated faintly. "There is no happy ending. It only finishes with me forever searching for my revenge."
Hayley jumped as the teapot whistled sharply, breaking the silence they allowed to come between them. She jumped from her stool, quickly preparing two cups of tea and sitting back down. Her eyes locked into his. "So…start from the beginning." She instructed him slowly.
Elijah got lost in her eyes for an instant. "If I tell you, you must give me something in return." He offered. She waited for him to continue. "You must answer any questions I have of you once I am finished." Hayley's eyes narrowed, trying to find the catch. But there wasn't one. She nodded her head hesitantly, agreeing to his terms. Elijah nodded back and then gathered the story of which she wished to be told. He started from the very beginning, when he was still a human. There wasn't a detail left out. It was no longer fair to keep things from her. She had the right to know. Elijah spoke of the daggers, his siblings being thrown at sea, and even his plan of how he would end his brother the night he tried to break his curse. He couldn't remember any time he had spoken so much about himself. All the while, Hayley sat there patiently, soaking in every part of his life. Once he finished, he waited, hoping he hadn't overwhelmed or bored her with all of the information.
"That's why you could never stay." Hayley whispered to herself. She finally understood why he had to keep leaving ever since the day he met her. He had been looking for retribution on his family's behalf.
"If my brother knew of my plan to destroy him, he would have gone after anything close to me. I hoped he would never even know of your existence, but I underestimated Niklaus' resources." Elijah stated darkly.
"What do you mean?" She asked, her brow creasing.
"The last time I saw you until recently, companions of my brother's had followed me to you. They hunted down information from a witch who had once been a companion of mine." He saw a flicker in Hayley's eyes. Had it been jealousy? "They knew of the prophecy and of you. I killed them, but it was too late. They had already forwarded the information to Niklaus."
"Was I there?" She murmured. He nodded. "Why…why can't I remember any of it?" She looked away, concentrating on trying to concentrate on the memory. But she came up blank and frustrated. There was nothing.
Elijah looked torn with guilt. "You were only a child." He defended. "I could not bare the thought of the scene haunting you for the rest of your life." She waited nervously for him to continue. "I took away your memory, forcing you to forget."
"But on Halloween, those two vampire's said that I was off limits. They made it seem like your brother wanted me alive." Hayley pointed out. While she had one original protecting her, the other apparently wanted to use her as collateral.
"My brother would have nothing against me if you were killed by any other. You cannot impend another without threatening what is most dear to them." Elijah said steadily. Hayley's gaze flickered to him.
"'Most dear to them'…" She whispered to herself. Without even meaning to, he had just revealed how important she was to him. Did he really care about her that much? She asked herself.
"Yes." Elijah immediately confirmed. Hayley hadn't realized he was able to hear her. He caught her shiver a little, then wrapping her arms around herself. To a vampire, warm and cold were irrelevant. Neither mattered. But with the fast approaching winter and no electricity, it was clear that Hayley was freezing.
"Perhaps I should take you to my home." He proposed, making sure to make it seem like it was an option. Otherwise, Hayley's stubbornness would never allow it.
She surprised him by slowly nodding her head. "If I go with you, you have to promise me one thing." She shook between every word. Elijah nodded. He would give her anything she wanted, no matter how impossible it was. She was his weakness and to do anything, other than what she wished, was a revolting thought.
"You have to promise to not ever leave without saying goodbye. No matter what." Her voice overcame the cold, coming out assertive and serious. "All I want is for you to be honest with me." She added more softly.
Elijah leaned forward, never breaking eye contact. "I promise I will never leave without telling you goodbye, Hayley." He heard her heart jump as he said her name. He found it odd that if his heart still beat, it would do the same thing every time she said his own name. Elijah sat up from the stool. He took off his suit jacket, which had miraculously stayed unscathed from Damon Salvatore, and draped it over Hayley's shoulders. She gave him a shy smile at the unexpected gesture.
Hayley sat in his fancy car, realizing this was the second one she had been around that day. Suddenly, her thoughts drifted to Nick. For some reason, she felt guilty for talking to him today. But she had done nothing wrong. In fact, she had even told him she was spoken for. Yet he still seemed interested in getting to know her. Maybe he truly only wanted a friend. Hayley pulled Elijah's jacket tighter around her skinny frame as she tried to get Nick out of her mind.
She took in a deep breath, trying to relax and stop her shivering. When she did, she took in Elijah's scent that still lingered on the jacket. It smelled musky, yet warm with more natural traces. It was old fashioned and she knew she'd never find such a unique smell from any other man or vampire. And Elijah was unaware of how comforting and relaxed it made her.
Elijah parked his car in the private lot only open to him. He glanced over to see Hayley had fallen asleep on the drive. Her head rested against the glass window and a few strands of hair had fallen across her face. Even if she had refused, Elijah knew he would have forced her to come back with him somehow.
Ever so quietly, he opened the passenger, making sure not to wake her. He lifted her into his arms and was pleased to feel her position her body even closer against him. As soon as he got out of the elevator and into the manor, Charles was waiting. Apparently he had seen his car arrive on the security camera.
"Has something happened? Is she hurt?" The butler asked while his face was filled with concern about the young girl.
"Everything is quite alright. She has simply fallen asleep." Elijah spoke in the softest voice. Charles relaxed and then smiled ever so subtly.
"Clearly, the girl is very entertained by your company." The butler joked.
"Careful now." Elijah smirked. "We won't be needing your services for the remainder of the evening." He informed him. This seemed to confuse Charles.
"Shall I prepare the room she stayed in during her last visit, sir?" He asked.
Elijah glanced down at Hayley's peaceful face. "No." He confirmed without looking up. "That will not be necessary." He didn't look at Charles to read his mixture of expressions. He owed the butler no explanation.
Elijah walked into his personal wing of the manor and continued to his bedroom. The bed was neatly made, as usual. And as if Charles knew of the situation, the fireplace was warmly lit. Elijah could still feel how cold Hayley was even with his jacket on her shoulders and her sleeping in his arms. He moved to the bed, gently laying her head against the feathery pillow. She stirred a little at the separation. In her sleep, she began muttering words. Hayley moved to sleep on her side, facing Elijah, who kneeled down to try and make sense of what she was saying.
Her eyes slowly opened, instantly connecting with his. Then she glanced around the room and recognized where she had been taken. "I'm in your room." Her voice whispered drowsily. Elijah grinned as he nodded his head. He couldn't help but find her loveable while in such condition. "I didn't meant to fall asleep on you." She continued to whisper.
"It's quite alright." He assured her. "Go back to sleep." But just as he instructed her to do so, he saw another wave of shivers move across her skin. "Are you still cold?" He asked her with concern. But Hayley shook her head. Elijah caught her poor attempt at lying. Perhaps if she had been fully awake she could have fooled him. Elijah then leaned forward. "I believe we must remedy that." He whispered. There was a small space left on that side of the bed between Hayley and the edge of the mattress. Elijah carefully propped himself beside her, his back resting against the headboard. As soon as she realized what he was doing, she scooted over slightly. She froze, undecided on how she wanted to approach the situation. But she couldn't help herself, she moved closer to him and immediately felt his arm wrap around her. Hayley rested her head on his chest and swore she could feel his muscles even through the dress shirt. She couldn't deny that her body instantly felt warmer, not just in temperature, but in ways she couldn't explain.
"Thank you." Hayley was able to whisper just before she fell asleep again.
I hope all of you realize who 'Nick' really is...if not, I'm slightly concerned for your well being.
I think you should send me novels of reviews for how quickly I put this up. Just sayin...lol