Chapter 2

Eight Years Later…

Hayle was on a bus just like the one from eight years ago and all her memories from that day flooded her mind. She  remembered everything about that night and the next morning she'd been trying to get herself to forget. She thought if she supresse's her memories it would be better, no matter how true the saying that time heals all wounds, in her case it proved that it's just a big fat lie. Eight years have passed and nothing has changed, the pain is still there and the memories have not faded. Maybe only one thing has changed… It was her. Back then a broken seventeen year-old girl got off the bus, who was a little chubby and ugly. Who did not know what to do with her life, how to move on. Now she knows exactly who she is: a determined, successful, attractive woman. She had confidence in herself, which she could not say at the time, now she would go to battle for success. She lost a lot and went through a lot. Her braces were gone, her teeth were now glowing white and perfectly symmetrical. Her face was spotless, which she accentuated with some light makeup. Her hair was golden brown and the curls reached her small waist.Tina always thought she would bloom one day. How she missed her aunt. Hayle lost Tina two years ago, she had breast cancer which has advanced  to the rest of her body and the doctor couldn't do anything for her. Hayle was there with her until the last moment her aunt would have done the same. She accepted her, kicked her through high school, then sent her to college, and she didn't say anything when one day she decided to leave college and instead help her run the bar. Which is why Hayle was in a very bad shape once she lost her. Tina was full of life and love. Her eyes started to fill up and she felt a knot in her throat. She missed her aunt very much. She didn't know what to do without her for a long time.

The bus stopped and the passengers started to gather their belongings. Hayle also grabbed her handbag. Four men had jumped to their feet to lend a helping hand, which she refused with a sweet smile. She got off the bus and pushed back her sunglasses which now held back her longhair. She took a moment to scan her surroundings. Her mother said that they were going to wait for her at the station. She hadn't discovered a single member of her family, but she'd seen many men who wouldn't if she ended up needing help. She looked at herself modestly, wearing short denim jeans with a simple white top and tight ankle boots. She knew it looked good, but she also knew that none of these men would have looked twice in her direction three years ago. She headed towards the waiting area hoping her family had taken cover from the sun in there. She didn't see, but from a distance a man watched her every move.

Alex Cross didn't know where to put the young woman getting off the bus, he just knew the girl was somehow familiar to him. The woman had long thighs, golden brown hair and short jeans which didn't do enough justice to what was underneath. Concentrate Alex thought. His future sister in law sent him out to pick up Hayle Davis from the bus station. It's been a long time since he saw the girl. Since she had left on one of these damn buses the girl had never come back to Summersville. The last passenger got off the bus, but Hayle wasn't there. Alex decided to wait ten more minutes. After making sure everyone got off the bus, he started the engine of his car. They must have misinformed me, or Hayle took another bus. Maybe she called Carrie he thought and she had forgotten to tell him about it. Although his future sister in law is probably not concerned about her sister right now, she is trying to spend as much time with Tom as possible before she exploits him. 

Hayle waited for a few more minutes to see if she would discover her mother on the station. When she decided that would not happen she made her way home on foot. Only three hours. It is now ​​obvious that Summersville is  a small town where they don’t know what a taxi is just yet.On the other hand it might be better this way. It will give her time to prepare herself before meeting with Alex again. She has been cursing her sister in her mind. Why did she choose Tom? She has to marry into a family whose one half can't stand each other. When her mother called her six weeks earlier to let her know about the wedding, that's how the conversation went:

- Hello?

- Is that you Hayle?

- Yes, Mom who else would it be? What's new?

- Well I definitely have news for you missy. Your sister is getting married !!

- Congratulations to her and who is the lucky candidate this month? -  Carrie was just like that, she fell in love easily, at that time her mother was already organising the wedding. Carrie's life was easy, everything was given to the role of a princess and she shined in that role. She was a blonde, proud, and sweet creature, well loved.

- Don't be naughty little girl! It's different now and you will not believe who the groom! Tom Cross !!! - after her mother's announcement, the phone fell out of her hand, she couldn't move much for a few minutes, then the fog occupying her brain slowly lifted.

- This can not be true. Tell me you're just kidding me ??

Her mother, on the other hand, did not joke, assuring her that this was very serious. She didn't really understand Hayle outburst, but she didn't know about what had happened eight years ago. Hayle never told her why she left back then. Every year at Christmas her parents and Carrie would visit her in Nashville, and every year they had asked to come home but she always refused. Slowly her breathing subsided, then her mother told her that Carrie wanted her to be her maid of honour. She started to search for an excuse to get out of the obligation but she knew that was impossible. She loved her sister and didn't want to disappoint her. So she had agreed to spend a week at home before the wedding. The consequence of this decision is that now, she is walking home on a  dusty country road since her mother, the great  organiser, had forgotten to arrange a lift for her. She couldn't decide if she was more mad at herself or the groom. She knew that Tom had nothing to do about her foul mood. If she had left Summersville under other circumstances, she would have been thrilled that the two of them had found each other. She always thought that Tom liked her sister, she just never mentioned it. But she couldn't think of anyone else but Alex alone. Knowing that she has to spend a whole week in his company and act like she is having  a good time made her feel sick to her stomach. She saw a car approaching and put out her hand to signal the driver to stop. Maybe they would be able to take her to Summersville would take him to Summersville, when she said she would come home she didn't not taken on a two hour walking tour.

Alex discovered the woman on the road just in time, from far ahead he had recognised the young woman from the bus station. He pulled to the side with a smile and rolled down his window. See in the women up close who could have sworn that he has seen her before he just couldn't place her anywhere in his memories. Now he'll have an hour to try to find that out. 

Hayle watched with a smile as the four wheel SUV pulled to the side, and it occurred to her that the driver might be looking for some kind of payment for the ride , but then she  thought it wasn't Nashville. In this place people just wanted to help others. Smiling, she leaned in through the jeep window to ask the men inside if he could drop her in Summersville. She  looked into the man's face and froze for a moment. Hayle finds herself face to face with Alex Cross, the man she was trying to avoid. For seconds, she just watched the man's face, and realized that he didn't recognize her. Of course you didn't, she thought, eight years is hell of a lot of time. Maybe she can have someone fun from this fortunate incident. 

- Hello thanks for stopping.

- Hello, no problem. Where are you heading?- Alex asked, but he knew he would take this woman to the end of the world if that's what she wanted. The woman was beautiful, and Alex couldn't place all the feelings he felt when looking at her. 

- Summersville. Do you think he could drop me there? -  Hayle asked, still smiling, when all she wanted to do was to make a face at him. She really didn't know where the urge came from. Alex smiled too, the woman forgot how sweet he was when he smiled. Suddenly she felt a tightness in her chest and all the memories dawned on her from the time when he smiled like that every time he was with her. 

- Yeah not a problem hop in -  Alex said, getting out of the car to help with her bag. Hayle walked to the back of the car with him still smiling. Amazed while looking at the man. Alex didn't changed a lot in eight years but if she can say he just got handsomer than ever. At the time, he was more veiny rather than muscular, his face still had child-like features. Alex used to be tall, but not with all the muscles he looked even bigger. Now that he is in his early thirties his face has become devilishly handsome, his smile is more sly than ever, and his eyes seemed like he was undressing her with every look. Hayle unintentionally  wondered what Alex's body might look like under the blue plaid shirt, and unfortunately she couldn't figure out the answer, she glanced at what was obvious. The hard scrumptious butt that was covered by the tightest jeans ever worn by a man. Undoubtedly it covered the Texas most wanted backside. The color of the shirt highlighted his tanned forearm, the eyes were, like molten gold speckles glistening form under his dark black hair. Hayle remembered that this man was DANGEROUS. The old emotions have flowed through her veins today mixed with a little rage. She didn't know back then that what she had felt for him wasn't love, but that was different today. Her head said no but her body immediately was enticed by him. It was up to her to get into his car but she thought she might  start an avalanche that she won't be able to stop. 

Thanks for reading. I hope that you have enjoyed this next chapter. If you have, please continue to support me so I can keep writing it for you guys. If you want to check out my patreon on the link below it would be much appreciated.  

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K. J. Sulliven