A/N: Hello! I'm back and so excited to keep sharing this story with you. This is my favorite chapter so far, so I really hope you all enjoy!
Hailey stared up at the ceiling reliving the night before. Breathing slowly, she raised her hand to her throat then closed her eyes.
She could still feel Jay's fingers wrapped around her and his thumb under her ear. His breath had been cool against her lips whereas his other hand had burned her thigh.
She'd wanted it. Badly.
She wished he would have kissed her. She just wanted to experience it. She wanted to feel him and breathe him in and…
Her eyes shot open as she realized she liked him.
She thought he was funny and kind and attractive and she really, really wanted to kiss him.
Scrambling out of bed, she ran out to the living room where Vanessa was eating breakfast on the couch and said, "I like Jay."
Vanessa laughed to herself and took one last bite of her peach before wiping her mouth and saying, "I know."
Hailey sighed and knelt on the couch next to her. "You knew?" she asked.
"We all know," Vanessa said with a nod, "We talk about it."
"What?" Hailey asked.
Vanessa nodded and held up her phone. "Kevin actually took a picture of you two last night. It was cute, but I'm insulted you didn't tell me you two kissed."
"Because we didn't kiss!" Hailey said exasperated, "But I…I wish we did." She groaned and sat back into the cushions. "He's just…he's…he's Jay. And I like him."
Vanessa smiled at her and said, "Of course you do. How could you not?"
Hailey shook her head, but laughed and let out a long breath. "I'm scared," she quietly admitted, "What if…what if he's Garrett? What if he hurts me?"
"Hailey," Vanessa began and turned completely to face her, "I know I don't know Jay super well or even as well as you do, but he seems different. He doesn't seem like a guy who will hurt you - physically or mentally."
Hailey closed her eyes and nodded.
Vanessa reached over to rub her arm as she whispered, "You're allowed to be in a relationship. You're not weak to let a man love you. You deserve that, Hailey. It's time to let your fear go."
Hailey swallowed a lump in her throat. Opening an eye, she whispered back, "What if it doesn't work out? What's the point?"
"The point?" Vanessa repeated, "The point is to be yourself. It's to be happy and to have a partner in life who supports you unconditionally. The point is to love. That's the point of life: love."
Hailey wiped the sudden tears in her eyes and nodded.
"Here," Vanessa breathed and scooted over to hug her tightly. She closed her eyes as she rubbed Hailey's back. "You're okay," she whispered, "Everything's okay. I love you. I don't know what I'd do without you, Hailey Anne."
Hailey weakly laughed and gripped onto Vanessa's shirt. "I love you too," she choked out, "Thank you."
She sat still as Vanessa quietly helped her calm down. She took several deep breaths every time Vanessa's fingers dragged through her hair. As the tears fell down her cheeks, she kept replaying Vanessa's words in her head: she was loved by her friends and deserved to feel loved by others.
It was time for her to move on with her past and step into her future. Her mind could still be focused on her career, but her heart could have room for more. She knew it was possible.
And she knew she could do it with Jay.
She just needed to let go of her own past and fears first.
They spent the rest of the afternoon getting various chores done while also taking time to relax and dance around to music.
Hailey enjoyed it. It took her mind off of Jay and her feelings. Sometimes she would briefly wonder about what he was doing, but then Vanessa would turn the music up or toss her a dust rag and she'd get distracted all over again.
She was slowly feeling better and was back to laughing by the time Kim burst into their apartment with two words: "It's time."
Vanessa raised an eyebrow and turned the music down. "Time for what?" she asked.
"My parents are assholes!" Kim huffed and plopped down in a kitchen chair, "They are awful. I need to move out."
Hailey slowly straightened up from sweeping the kitchen floor and asked, "Here? Today?"
"I don't know," Kim mumbled, "But I need to do something to make myself feel better. I need to show them they don't own me. I'm my own person and-and I'm getting a tattoo."
Vanessa and Hailey made eye contact before Hailey repeated, "A tattoo?"
Kim nodded firmly and said, "I'll tattoo Adam's name right on me. Maybe even on my ass."
"Whoa, whoa," Vanessa said as she and Hailey rushed forward. "Let's not tattoo boys' names on our asses."
"But I love him," Kim argued.
"But it's a tattoo," Hailey pointed out, "That's permanent."
"Like my love for Adam," Kim said with a nod, "I'm doing it."
"No, hey, no," Vanessa said quickly, "Tattoos shouldn't be for other people, they're for you."
Hailey nodded and added, "Getting a tattoo will piss your parents off enough. You don't have to do anything to represent Adam. Get a tattoo for you."
Kim pursed her lips and looked between the two of them staring at her with wide eyes. Finally, she said, "That's a good point."
"Exactly," Vanessa breathed in relief.
"And you don't want an ass tattoo," Hailey said, "That's not cute."
"I disagree," Vanessa said, "I'd get an ass tattoo."
"No, that was another good point; Hailey's right," Kim said slowly, "My ass isn't great. It wouldn't have the right effect."
"And what if you bent over and some kid saw it?" Hailey suggested.
"No kid is gonna see her ass," Vanessa said, rolling her eyes.
"My jeans could slip," Kim said, "You, on the other hand, have a good ass and aren't bending over all day to help kids at desks. You should get that ass tattoo."
"Me?" Vanessa asked.
"You did say you'd get one," Hailey pointed out.
Vanessa's jaw dropped for a brief moment before she looked away and whispered, "Damn."
Kim smirked and asked, "So are you gonna do it?"
Vanessa rolled her eyes then glanced back at them with a sigh. "I have been wanting to get a little microphone tattoo. I thought it'd be a cute way to represent my job."
Kim clapped her hands quickly then turned to Hailey and asked, "And?"
Hailey raised an eyebrow and countered, "And what?"
"And your tattoo will be?" Vanessa asked.
Hailey laughed and shook her head. "I'm not getting a tattoo."
"Oh come on," Kim pleaded, "It'd be fun! Let's go right now."
"You don't just go get tattoos," Hailey said.
"You can get small ones," Vanessa said, "And these will be small, right? I'm not planning on anything huge."
Kim nodded quickly and said, "Yeah, just like…an inch or so. They'll be quick."
Hailey shook her head again. "I'm not getting one, but I'll go with you for sure. I'm not missing this."
"You'll get one," Vanessa said and stood up, "You have to. You won't want to be left out."
"Oh, I can be left out of a last minute tattoo decision," Hailey said.
"You're no fun," Kim said as she also stood.
"Hey, I'm coming with you," Hailey said, "That's fun."
Vanessa waved her hand then said, "I'll go grab my wallet then we'll get out of here."
Kim smiled and told Hailey, "I'm excited."
Hailey laughed softly then smiled back at her as she said, "Good."
"You're sure you don't want a tattoo?" Kim asked.
"I just don't know what I'd get," Hailey said, grabbing her wallet off the counter as well, "It's permanent."
"I like Vanessa's idea for a job tattoo," Kim said, "I could get an apple. That'd be cute, right?"
"Anything besides Adam Ruzek's name on your ass would be cute," Hailey answered.
Kim held back a smirk and shoved her arm. "Shut up," she said through a laugh, "My parents just…you know how they are."
Hailey nodded and squeezed Kim's hand. "Yeah," she said softly, thinking back to all the late night conversations about Kim's protective parents who couldn't let go of their baby girl. She felt then how Jay had felt the night before: strangely left out.
"This tattoo will be perfect," Kim continued, "Whatever it is will do the job."
Hailey nodded again and stepped to the side as Vanessa approached.
"Okay, ladies, here we go!" she announced and led the way through the apartment door.
Their entire journey to the tattoo parlor was filled with Kim and Vanessa going back and forth about what they were going to get. Hailey, on the other hand, stared quietly out the bus window.
She'd never really considered getting a tattoo before. It wasn't that she didn't like them, she just didn't give them much thought. It never felt like something she needed, but maybe she did.
Kim was getting her tattoo to free herself from her parents…in her own way. Maybe a tattoo would free Hailey from her parents too - or at least herself.
She didn't know what she could get, though, to even do that. She wasn't big into flowers and she didn't think she wanted to have a word inked in her skin forever.
Glancing across the aisle at Kim and Vanessa, she slipped her phone out and began looking up simple tattoo ideas. In no world did she want some elaborate design, so something small just for her would be best. She tried thinking of words she wanted to live by, and freedom was certainly up there like Kim, but she also wanted peace and love. Like Vanessa had said earlier, she deserved to feel loved and to get that, she needed peace.
When her idea came to her, she smiled to herself and began saving pictures of different tattoos. By the time they arrived at the tattoo parlor, she had a good idea of what she wanted and was confident in her choice.
Kim happily went first. She seemed to be talking a mile a minute to the artist about what exactly she wanted and where it would go. Vanessa and Hailey sat at her side as she laid down to accept the little bee tattoo on her side boob.
"They won't see it, but when we go on vacation in two weeks, it'll be right there," Kim said, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath as the needle pierced her skin.
"Does it hurt?" Vanessa asked.
"Well, it's not pleasant," Kim mumbled.
Hailey smiled slightly and brushed her hand over Kim's hair. "It'll be perfect, though," she said, "I love it."
Vanessa nodded and said, "Super cute. Perfect for you."
Kim groaned quietly and nodded to herself. "Why didn't we take a shot before coming?" she asked.
"Because we had enough yesterday," Hailey said with a laugh.
Vanessa smiled and added, "We should be sober more often."
"Now what's the fun in that?" Hailey teased.
"Oh, lots," Kim breathed.
Vanessa laughed and launched into reminiscing about some of their college adventures during their last two years once they could purchase their own alcohol. It paused for just a minute when Kim's tattoo was done only to pick back up the second Vanessa was laying on her stomach with her pants pushed down.
Hailey had briefly wondered if watching Kim and Vanessa get their tattoos would veer her from getting her own, but it didn't. Vanessa was able to hold a conversation much easier than Kim had been able to, and Kim's really did turn out good. In fact, it all just made her more excited to get her own.
When Vanessa stood and hurried over to the mirror to examine the small microphone on her butt, Hailey turned to the tattoo artist and said, "I'd like one too. Could you take a look at some pictures I found?"
"I'm sorry, what?" Kim asked and spun around to face her.
"You want a tattoo?" Vanessa asked quickly, hurrying back to the table.
Hailey nodded and said, "I do. We said earlier that I need to move on and find peace with my past and this will do that. I know it will." She turned back to the tattoo artist and asked, "So what do you say?"
Tears pricked her eyes when the tattoo began. She rested her head back on the chair and took a deep breath. Each pass of the needle inking the olive branch onto her inner wrist was a reminder of everything she'd been through: not the trauma, but the strength she'd had.
It felt good in a weird way.
Maybe even freeing.
And peaceful.
A leaf for her father for the abuse he'd put her and her family through.
One for her mom for keeping her kids in that home.
Another for Garrett for making her believe in love only then to stomp on her heart.
The fourth was for every professor and male colleague that tried holding her back.
And the last one was for herself. She had grown so much in the last few years that she knew her 10 year-old self would be so proud. Here she was at 22 and she was proud of herself. She liked who she had become.
"Doing okay?" Vanessa whispered to her.
Kim nodded and added, "You haven't said a word."
Hailey nodded back and said quietly, "Yeah."
Vanessa gave her a small smile then reached over to dab at her cheeks with a tissue. "You're really strong," she said.
"Thank you," Hailey whispered.
Kim grabbed her free hand and said, "You're basically my hero. I look up to you. I look up to you both actually."
Vanessa smiled at her then gently bumped their shoulders together. "I look up to you both too."
"And me," Hailey said then sniffled. "Oh god," she mumbled and shook her head quickly. "Sorry," she said, "It just really hurts. Trying to say I look up to you two too."
Kim laughed and squeezed her hand. "Hang in there, girl, you're almost done and it looks so good. I'm obsessed," she said.
"What do you think Jay will say when he sees it?" Vanessa asked.
"Oo, do we want Jay to say something?" Kim added.
Hailey rolled her eyes and laughed quietly. "I don't know," she admitted, "I…" She huffed and shrugged slightly.
"We do want Jay to say something," Vanessa answered for her, "We also realized we like Jay, didn't we, Hailey?"
Kim gasped then said, "Finally!"
Hailey laughed again and said, "I just like how happy he makes me. And I…he almost kissed me last night."
"Which I love," Kim said, "Oh my god, was it when you two were outside the bar?"
"Yes," Hailey answered, "But then one of those crazy retired people came running out of the bar and nothing could happen."
"Damn," Kim breathed.
"Mhmm," Hailey hummed.
"They were very sloppy," Vanessa said, "I would never act like that."
"Again?" Kim asked.
"Because you have," Hailey finished.
Kim nodded and added, "I seem to remember someone going to work drunk because she had one too many glasses of wine the night before."
"Okay, okay," Vanessa said, rolling her eyes and holding up a hand, "I get it."
Hailey laughed again and relaxed in the chair for the final few minutes.
Vanessa was right, she did want Jay to say something because she did like Jay. She just needed to think of what she'd say to him when he asked why she got it.
They were back at the apartment for about ten minutes before they heard the guys on the other side of the door debating if they were inside.
"I haven't heard from Kim all day," Adam said.
"Maybe she's ignoring you," Mouse suggested.
"I haven't seen them at all today," Jay added.
"So they went out and didn't invite us?" Kevin asked.
Vanessa smiled at her friends before going over to open the door. "Yes," she said and let them inside, "We went out without you four. Sorry not sorry."
"You okay?" Adam quickly asked, crossing the kitchen to pull Kim out of her chair and into his arms. "I stopped by your parents and they just about ripped me a new one," he mumbled.
Kim scoffed and said, "I'm done with them."
"What even happened?" Vanessa asked.
"They…" Kim sighed and glanced at Adam.
He raised an eyebrow and rubbed her arm.
"They want me to stop this," she whispered, "And I said no."
"Stop us?" Adam asked quietly.
Kim nodded and grabbed his hand.
"Damn, I'm sorry," Kevin said.
Everyone nodded and whispered their apologies.
"Wow," Adam breathed as he sat at the table. "What'd I do?" he asked.
"It's the job and…and all the break-ups," Kim admitted, "It's stupid. It's why I left."
Adam's eyes widened and his head shot up. "You left?" he repeated.
Kim nodded again and said, "I came here and we…we got tattoos."
Hailey wasn't looking at Jay, but she suddenly felt his eyes boring into her.
"You got a tattoo?" Adam asked.
Once more, Kim nodded. She weakly laughed and asked, "Wanna see?"
"Hell yes," Adam answered.
Kim stepped out of his arms then pulled her shirt up. Taking a deep breath, she turned to the side and pulled the left cup of her bra away to reveal the small line drawing of a bee.
"Wow," Adam said and wet his lips.
Mouse whistled and said, "Hot." Looking at Vanessa, he asked, "You get a bumble bee too?"
Vanessa shook her head and turned away from them. A second later, she'd lowered her shorts and underpants to show off her microphone tattoo.
"All right," Mouse said and stepped forward, "That's hot."
"Very hot," Kevin agreed softly.
Vanessa smirked and said, "Thank you," while straightening up.
"Hailey?" Jay asked.
She turned to him with flushed cheeks. Suddenly, she was embarrassed. She wasn't going to have to take off her bra or lower her underwear to show her tattoo: she just needed to flip her arm over.
"It's nothing," she said quietly.
"Hailey," Vanessa whispered.
"Show him," Kim added.
Hailey nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. Hesitantly, she flipped her arm over and held her breath.
For what felt like eternity, there was silence. Everything seemed to go blank, and Hailey could feel the air get stuck in her lungs.
And then someone grabbed her hand, and fingers ghosted along the clear bandage covering her olive branch tattoo.
She blinked her eyes open to see Jay holding her hand and carefully examining the ink newly pressed into her.
Not knowing what to say, she quietly explained, "It's not an ass or boob thing like them, so it's not really sexy, but-"
"No. No, Hailey. It's sexy."
Jay's voice was strong and clear through the apartment kitchen. It jarred her slightly causing her to suck in a gasp.
"Really?" she breathed.
"Really," Jay said, finally looking up to meet her eyes.
Mouse walked over and glanced down at her arm. "It's pretty," he said, "I like it."
Kevin nodded and said, "You all got really nice ones."
"I'm obsessed," Adam breathed while still staring at Kim.
Hailey blushed and smiled weakly at Jay.
"Air?" he quietly asked and nodded toward the fire escape.
Hailey nodded and squeezed his fingers before he gently tugged her away. Once he'd opened the window and helped her out onto the fire escape, she let go of him and took a deep breath.
"Hailey," he began softly, "Are you okay?"
She quietly laughed and shrugged, looking down at the leaves tattooed to her arm.
"Do you regret it?" he asked.
"No," she breathed easily, "Not at all." She licked her lips as she leaned against the railing. "I think I'm in shock," she admitted after a beat, "I can't believe I did it. I have a tattoo."
Jay chuckled and leaned next to her. "It's a really nice one, if that helps," he said, "It's not some stereotypical thing like an infinity sign or your name."
Hailey smiled then glanced over her shoulder and whispered, "Wanna know a secret?"
"Oh, of course," Jay said and moved closer to her.
"Kim almost tattooed Adam's name on her ass," Hailey said.
Jay laughed loudly, tipping his head back and saying, "Oh my god!"
Hailey laughed with him and shoved his chest. "Shut up," she warned through her laughter, "She might hear you."
"Sorry, sorry," Jay said while quieting down, "But that would have been a dumb idea."
Hailey smiled and shook her head as she looked back out at the city.
Jay studied her for a moment before saying, "I couldn't have done it. I have a hard time with needles. They freak me out."
Hailey looked up at him and asked, "How come?"
He shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. They just really gross me out."
Hailey nodded and closed any remaining distance between them so that her arm was pressed against his. "That's fair," she said softly.
"Did it hurt?" Jay asked.
Hailey nodded again.
Jay sadly smiled then gently picked up her hand. His fingers once again ghosted along her skin before he raised her wrist to his lips and pressed a light kiss right next to her clear band-aid.
Hailey's jaw slackened slightly and she tried blinking to refocus on where they were, but all she could think about was how good and gentle that had felt. She'd never considered her wrist an intimate spot on her body, nothing like behind her ear, but now that Jay had pressed his lips there, she wanted him to do it again.
"Hopefully it'll feel better soon," he whispered.
Hailey nodded and stepped so their chests were against each other as she rested her hand on his shoulder.
Jay turned to place one more kiss on her wrist before smiling down at her.
"It feels good," she quietly admitted.
"I'm glad," Jay replied. His hand slid up to her own shoulder so that his thumb could brush along the neckline of her shirt. He then cupped her jaw gently and tilted her head up.
Hailey couldn't look away from his eyes. Everything felt so warm out on the fire escape in the afternoon sun, but his eyes looked invitingly cool. They also looked as gentle as his touch felt. She liked being this close to him. It was comforting after her trip down memory lane earlier.
So comforting that she pushed up on her tip-toes and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Closing her eyes, she buried her face in his throat and took a deep breath.
"Hey," Jay breathed as he held her tightly to him, "I've got you."
Hailey nodded. She knew he had no idea what was going through her mind right then, but he was willing to hold her and support her right now, and that told her everything she needed to know.
He was a good man. That was clear.
He wasn't going to be like Garrett. He wasn't pushing for an answer or telling her she needed to tell him everything. He just knew she needed a hug. He knew she needed him today.
She wasn't used to it, but she liked it.
When Jay wasn't rubbing her back, his fingers were lightly running through her hair. He smelt good – a little like vanilla, but not the way her own soap smelt, it was definitely a cologne smell. She'd always thought his arms were big, but now that she was enveloped in them, they felt even bigger. It was more comforting than she'd expected it to be.
Hailey really wasn't one for hugs, but here she was in Jay's arms; she'd also had a hug that morning from Vanessa. Suddenly, she felt her earlier tears return. She hated that she was crying so much in one, single day. She just felt…wanted. And that was good.
Slowly, she pulled back and took a breath.
Jay frowned and rubbed his thumb just under her bottom lip.
"Sorry," she whispered.
He shook his head and otherwise said nothing.
"Today's been kind of rough," she admitted quietly, "I've been thinking about my family a lot."
"Hey, it's okay," Jay said. He glanced around at the empty fire escape then lowered himself to the ground. Tugging her hand, he asked, "Sit with me and tell me about them?"
Hailey squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't something she loved to talk about, but it was something she considered earlier. She had imagined telling Jay the true meaning behind her tattoo, and it hadn't scared her. He was good. She needed to remind herself of that.
So she sat next to him and took a deep breath.
"When you're ready," he said simply.
Glancing at him, she knew he meant it. She knew if she jumped up and back through that window that he wouldn't fight her. He wouldn't get mad if she suddenly regretted telling him everything, but she also knew that she wouldn't actually regret telling him anything. She needed to open herself up to him just like she'd discussed with Vanessa earlier.
She deserved to feel loved.
"My dad hit us," she said quietly after a solid minute of silence, "He loved us, but he drank and he hurt us." She cleared her throat and nervously looked up to meet Jay's gaze. "I don't know who knew," she added, "Obviously my brothers and my mom knew because he hit them too, but it was…I…I didn't deserve that."
"Of course you didn't," Jay breathed, his hand reaching out to hold hers gently on top of his knee.
"My mom should have left, but she didn't," Hailey continued, "I'm so confused on how I feel about her. I feel angry when I think about what she'd put us through, but I also know it's not completely her fault. That makes me sad."
Jay nodded and squeezed her fingers.
"I t-told you before that my brothers and I were alone a lot and kind of raised ourselves, and that's true, but not just because my parents were at our restaurant all the time; it was also because we knew to stay away. It wasn't the best way to grow up."
Again, Jay nodded and tilted his head to the side as her voice faded between them.
Hailey used her free hand to wipe at her barely shed tears before she took a deep breath. "I don't…I don't want to relive it all, but telling you and letting out even just that little bit felt good enough – especially after you were so open last night at the disaster that was the Bob Ruzek Show," she said quietly.
Jay sadly laughed and shook his head. "You don't owe me anything, but thank you," he whispered. He reached out to rub his thumb under her eye. "Thank you for opening up to me and feeling safe," he said, "I'll always listen to you."
Hailey nodded and closed her eyes.
Jay's thumb continued stroking her skin as his fingers lightly danced along her throat and ear. He remained quiet for a minute until he asked, "Can I hug you?"
Hailey couldn't help but laugh as she opened her eyes. "Yes," she said softly.
Jay's lips tipped up and he moved onto his knees. His hug was tight and almost bone-crunching. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head for just a second before burying his face into her hair.
"You're strong," he whispered against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine, "I don't know the whole story, but the fact that you're here right now with the strength to tell me, some guy you met across the hall not long ago, just a part of it tells me all I need to know about you, Hailey. You're even more amazing than I'd originally thought."
His breath caused a chill to move straight through her, but it still caused heat to form in her belly. She gasped softly and scraped her nails along his t-shirt until she had a good grip on him.
Yes, his words felt special as they slipped along her ear, but they also touched something within her that caused a few tears to finally slip down her cheeks. Just as she once more closed her eyes, she sank into him and sighed so that he accepted all of her weight.
The tattoo had been the start of her pain disappearing. Jay holding her right now was the perfect next step.
Eventually, the metal of the fire escape grew too hot and Hailey was convinced she was going to burn up just outside her window, so she stood with Jay, but never let go of his hand. Together, they returned inside the apartment where their friends had already dispersed. Not even Vanessa was sitting on the couch or in the kitchen.
Before Jay could even move to walk away, Hailey tugged at his fingers and whispered, "Stay?"
Without hesitating, Jay nodded and replied, "Of course."
Hailey smiled slightly and nodded back. She stepped backwards and led him to her bedroom.
Was there a goal in her mind? No.
But she wanted to continue what they'd started outside. It didn't feel right for them to walk away from each other in this moment. So she kicked off her shoes and sat on her bed.
Jay raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the side. In response, she nodded and scooted backwards against her pillows.
Jay smiled slightly before taking his own shoes off and joining her on the mattress. "Come here," he murmured under his breath and tugged her down into his side.
Taking a deep breath, Hailey relaxed against him and closed her eyes. She tossed an arm over his chest and whispered, "Thank you."
"Hey, you don't have to thank me," Jay said softly, "Besides, now I can experience the uncomfortable mattress for myself."
Hailey laughed into his shirt and shook her head. "Shut up," she said.
Jay chuckled and carded his fingers through her hair. "I will not," he replied, "Let's just hope I don't get a bad back either."
"I'll give you a massage if that happens," Hailey said.
Jay hummed and squeezed her to him. "I'll hold you to it," he said.
Hailey smiled as she lightly patted his chest and said, "It might not be great, though; you're the professional."
"I'm not a chiropractor," Jay said, "Just a future pediatric physical therapist."
"I like it," Hailey said softly.
Jay smiled down at her and asked, "Yeah?"
"Of course," she whispered.
Jay nodded then lightly grabbed her hand. He examined her tattoo once more with a small smile on his face. Turning back to her, he tucked her hair behind her ear and said, "So now we know, right?"
"Know what?" she asked.
"About each other," Jay said simply, "We've both let the other person know what's going on in our lives. Seems like a big step."
Hailey shrugged slightly against him and breathed, "Maybe."
Jay pressed a soft kiss to the side of her hand and asked, "Are you okay with just…being this right now? For today? Just us in this bed hanging out and ignoring everything outside that door?"
"I don't want to be anywhere else," Hailey admitted.
Jay's smile widened and he lifted her wrist further so he could place one more kiss next to her tattoo. He then pulled them further down the bed with his forehead just a few inches from hers.
She smiled back at him and lifted her hand to lightly brush her fingers along the side of his face. "Did you shave today?" she whispered.
"No, that okay?" he countered.
Hailey nodded and used her pointer finger to trace his jaw. Lightly touching his bottom lip, she said, "Remember how I told you you were pretty?"
Jay laughed and nodded. "Yes," he said.
"Maybe not the right word," she said with a smile, "But you are handsome. Drunk me was just struggling with words that night."
"Hey, I won't complain," Jay said through another laugh, "Thanks for clarifying, though."
Hailey smiled and nodded again.
"And maybe pretty wasn't the right word for me to use either," Jay said softly, "I should have said beautiful instead."
"I'm not-"
"You are."
Hailey swallowed a lump in her throat and tried to nod in response. Her fingers shakily spread out against his jaw. She breathed in slowly and whispered, "Thank you."
Jay once again brushed his fingers through her hair before leaning forward to lightly kiss the side of her mouth. He lingered for a moment then returned to his spot on the pillow just a few inches away.
"Jay," she breathed.
"No pressure," he interrupted, "Just us today, okay? You and me in here. It's just us."
Hailey nodded and lightly traced the outline of his ear with her finger. She wet her lips as she watched his eyes hold steady within her gaze. They calmed her down like always and she took a deep breath.
That morning, she had been laying here in this same bed thinking about kissing Jay and realizing she liked him. Now, they were here together taking things slow after having been vulnerable in front of each other.
She liked it, and she wanted more of it. As much as she might have wanted to climb on top of him right now, she wanted to learn more about him and who he was. She wanted to know about him.
So she quietly asked about his mom and what she was liked. He told her stories of a wonderful woman who had raised two loud boys while maintaining her marriage with a determined and stubborn man that loved her more than anything.
He finished by asking her gentle questions about her own upbringing. Her stories weren't as silly as his, but she still let him in and talked about practically being raised within a restaurant.
He smiled along with her as she spoke and lightly rubbed his thumb in small circles under her ear. In response, she slid her own hand back to gently tug at and play with the hair at the nape of his neck. Occasionally, his eyes slipped closed when she gently scratched him, but he mostly maintained his steady composure. She couldn't say the same about the quiet moans that threatened to leave her lips every once in a while. It was all so comfortable that she didn't want it to stop.
Eventually, though, they did hear Vanessa return home and call out asking for her. Jay pressed one more kiss to the side of her lips before sitting up and reluctantly climbing off of the bed.
"Thank you for staying," Hailey whispered.
"Thanks for keeping me," Jay said, chuckling quietly while picking up his shoes.
Hailey pushed up on her elbows and said, "She's going to grill me."
"We didn't do anything," Jay replied, "But next week…maybe a different story."
Hailey raised an eyebrow as she asked, "What do you mean?"
"You'll see," Jay said and winked at her. "I'll see you around," he added. Laughing to himself, he quickly leaned forward and grabbed her wrist to place one last kiss to her tattoo before winking at her and slipping out of the bedroom.
She had just fallen back onto her pillows and closed her eyes when her door shot open and Vanessa asked, "Did you two have sex?"
Hailey smiled and turned her head lazily to face her as she replied, "No, but we did talk."
"You talked and look that happy?" Vanessa asked, "He looked that happy after just a talk?"
Hailey blushed, but still laughed softly and nodded.
Vanessa sighed then smiled and crossed her arms. Shaking her head, she fell onto the mattress next to her and said softly, "I'm happy for you."
"Thank you," Hailey said under her breath, "I'm happy for me too."
A/N: What do you think? Worth the wait? I'm excited for you to hear Jay's plan, but until then, have a great week!