Chapter 58
-Hailey-
I took a deep breath.
A
“Matt…” I hated saying his name. It felt like sludge on my tongue. “He wasn’t who I thought he was. Things weren’t good between us. Not for a long time.”
Mom’s face softened, but she was waiting for me to continue.
I didn’t know where to start, so I just let it all spill out. “He was controlling. Violent. He beat me, over the littlest things. I tried to leave a few times, but he always found me. Punished me. Eventually, I just resigned myself to it. Accepted his engagement proposal and started planning the wedding.”
Her knuckles were white around her mug. “Why didn’t you come home? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“He… he cut me off from everyone. He printed out the phone records, to watch who I was calling and texting. And I guess part of me didn’t want to drag you into my mess. I was afraid he’d hurt you too.”
“You’re my daughter, Hailey,” she murmured, her voice shaking with emotion. “I would’ve done anything to protect you.”
I nodded, tears welling up again. “I know. I’m sorry.”
Logan shifted beside me, resting his hand on my knee in silent support. I could feel the tension radiating off him, though. He’d never heard a lot of these details about my past.
“Then one night,” I continued, “it got worse. I… found out he was cheating on me, and I confronted him. He… he shot me, Mom.”
I gestured to my shoulder, glancing at Logan to gauge his reaction to the lie. There was no reason she needed to know about me pulling that trigger. Or about the stuff with Becker. “It was bad. I… I almost died.”
Mom’s face was pale, her coffee forgotten as she stared at me in horror. “Oh my God, Hailey…”
“Logan found me,” I said quickly, trying to reassure her. “He saved me. He was next to me when I woke up in the hospital… He’s been taking care of me ever since.”
Her gaze lingered on him, and I could see her trying to reconcile the man in front of her- the biker with the leather cut and tattoos – with the man who’d saved her daughter’s life.
“Thank you,” she murmured. “For taking care of her.”
Logan squeezed my thigh. “She’s tough. You raised a fighter.”
She smiled, her teary eyes flicking between us. “You’re staying, aren’t you?” she asked, hopeful.
I glanced at Logan. We hadn’t talked about this part- how long we’d stay, what came next. But the look in his eyes told me he was leaving it up to me.
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Chapter 58
“For a little while,” I said finally. “If that’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay,” she murmured. “You’re home, Hailey.”
Home. The word sounded strange, like it didn’t quite fit anymore. This house, this town me, but so much had changed. I wasn’t the same girl who’d left here years ago.
And Logan… he was part of me now too, in a way I couldn’t explain.
–
they were part of
My mom stood, wiping her eyes. “Let me fix you some breakfast. You must be starving. Why don’t you go get settled in upstairs? There are fresh sheets on the bed in your room.”
She disappeared into the kitchen, and I glanced at Logan.
He was smirking, and I caught a twinkle in his eye. I stood, feeling the ache in my shoulder as I reached for his hand.
“I’m gonna go grab the bag off the bike,” he murmured, kissing me on the forehead. “I’ll meet you upstairs.”
I nodded, watching him walk out the door before heading up.
My old room was exactly as I’d left it. The pale pink walls covered in band posters, the quilt my grandmother made still neatly tucked over the bed.
It felt like stepping into a time capsule. The girl who’d lived here had vanished years ago… she wasn’t coming back.
I walked to the window and peeked around the curtain. Logan was leaning against his bike, taking a drag from a cigarette. His eyes scanned the quiet street like he was expecting trouble. Even here, in this sleepy little town, he couldn’t fully relax.
I didn’t blame him. Trouble had a way of finding us.
My shoulder throbbed as I turned away from the window and pulled off the leather jacket. I was stuck with one of the hoodies halfway over my head when I heard heavy footsteps on the stairs.
“A little help?” I asked meekly, and I heard Logan chuckle. He gently eased the hoodie over my shoulder, and I caught him staring at the walls.
“Didn’t peg you for a pink kinda girl,” he murmured, moving around the room to look at the posters and photos. He looked even more out of place in here. Like a lion at a tea party.
I rolled my eyes, collapsing onto the bed. “Yeah, well. I helped my dad paint it when I was eight. Two years before he died. I could never bring myself to cover it up.”
His smirk softened, and he sat on the edge of the bed. It felt so weird, having him here in this room, surrounded by remnants of my old life.
“Don’t judge me,” I said, teasing him to break the tension.
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Just tryin‘ to picture little Hailey Conway rockin‘ out to-” he squinted at one
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Chapter 58
of the posters. “My Chemical Romance?”
I shoved him playfully. “Hey, they had some bangers. You don’t know what you’re missing.”
He laughed, low and warm, and it felt good. Normal.
“Hailey? Logan?” My mom’s voice floated up the stairs. “Come cat!”
youchers
I led the way downstairs, with Logan’s boots heavy on the creaky steps behind me. The smell of bacon and syrup filled the air, and my stomach growled.
But when I stepped into the kitchen, I froze. There were four place settings at the table. I frowned, glancing a my mom, who was busy flipping pancakes at the stove. “Mom, why are there-”
The front door slammed open, cutting me off.
I turned just as my sister burst into the house in navy blue scrubs, her blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun. She looked so much older than I remembered. Sharper, more focused.
“Mom, where is she?” she asked, but then her eyes locked on mine, widening in shock.
“Hailey,” she breathed.
“Abby,” I said, my voice trembling.
She dropped her bag and coat by the door and rushed toward me, pulling me into a tight hug. I winced as her arm pressed against my shoulder, but I didn’t pull away.
“Where the hell have you been, loca?” she demanded, her voice cracking. Leave it to Abby to throw out a Twilight quote at a time like this. “Do you have any idea how worried we’ve been?”
“I know,” I whispered. “I’m sorry.”
She finally released me, and her eyes flicked to Logan, sizing him up the same way my mom had.
I just stared at her, my stomach doing a flip. The last time I’d seen Abby, she’d been the one lecturing me about staying away from Matt. About how she didn’t trust him, and I was throwing my life away.
She was a year younger than me, but she’d always been mature. The golden child. And now here she was, looking at me like I’d betrayed her all over again.
“Abby,” my mom said gently. “Let’s all sit down and eat. Hailey’s been through a lot.”
“Yeah, clearly,” Abby muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. “And who’s this? Another bad decision?” She exchanged a knowing look with Mom.
Logan tensed beside me, but he didn’t say anything. I felt a flare of anger rise in my chest. “Abby, don’t start,” I said.
Her eyes narrowed and she took a step back, her voice dropping. “You disappeared, Hailey. You cut us off. You let that bastard-”
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Chapter 58
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“Abby,” my mom interrupted. “If I’d known you were going to behave this way, I wouldn’t have texted you Now, sit down and eat before it gets cold.”
Abby huffed and closed her eyes, rubbing her temples. Then she sank into a chair at the table.
Logan and I followed suit, but the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.
My mom joined us, her hands shaking slightly. “It’s good to have everyone together,” she said softly.
Logan and I dug in, but Abby didn’t touch her food. Her eyes were locked on me. “Start talking, Hailey. What happened?”
I glanced at Logan, who gave me a nod of encouragement, and then I was off again, spilling all the same details I’d told my mom.
When I finished, Abby’s face was pale. She was staring into her coffee mug. Then she looked up at me, and her eyes were brimming with tears. “I told you he was a piece of shit. You should’ve listened to me.”
I sighed, already getting tired of my sister’s attitude. “Yeah, well. He’s gone now.”
She stared at me like she knew I wasn’t telling the whole story. Then she leaned back in her chair, taking a sip of coffee. “Good.” That was all she said. Then she dug into her plate of pancakes.
The rest of breakfast passed in uneasy silence. When the plates were empty, Abby stood abruptly, heading for the door. “Thanks for breakfast, Mom. I have to get to work,” she said, grabbing her coat and bag. “But we’re not done talking, Hailey.”
I nodded.
She hesitated for a second, her eyes softening just a fraction. Then she turned and walked out the door without another word.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
