-   You're home, Hayle! I thought you might not even come -  her sister whispered. When she helped her off the floor and then let her into their parents hug. But the only face she was curious about now was Alex. She glanced at his way to see the glass falling out of his hand. The only reason it didn't break was thanks to his wonderful reflexes. She smiled and then turned to his sister, but she was really talking to Alex.

-   Come on, you are my only sister. I can't miss your wedding. At least Alex didn't have to find me and dragged me here by hair like we are in the stone age - She said, laughing at Carrie again all while waiting for  Alex to react. 

Alex was standing shocked. He couldn't take his eyes off Hayle. His Hayle came back, and even he's been enjoying her company for some time now and he didn't seem to recognise her. Then he corrected himself immediately. He couldn't have known she had changed so much. The girl he knew no longer exists. In front of him stands anything but a little girl Hayle becomes a woman. He smiled and then thought at least she returned. For years now, he had a sense of guilt. When he woke up early the next day, to ask for forgiveness the girl was gone. When he finally found her at the bus station, he tried everything to get her off that bus, but she was stubborn. He just wanted to apologise for everything he said and did. He had no doubt that it was the most selfish act in the world. He tried to drive her away, which ended up being very far away. That day he was drunk, he didn't know what else to do somewhere, he had been disturbed by Hayle's admiration in the past, but for a while he started to enjoy Hayle's glances, he couldn't help but notice that the girl was becoming a woman. He knew he needed to put a stop to it very quickly. He didn't want to do anything that he would despise himself later on for. 

Hayle didn't understand Alex because he was just standing there smiling like a basket case. She wanted to tell him to move you unfortunate, but she didn't have a sound in her throat. Maybe because she discovered something in his eyes, something she has not seen for eight years. Love, happiness and caring. He used to look at her like that before she destroyed it with her obsession. By the time she had walked down memory lane, he had slipped across the room and closed his arms around her so tightly that Hayle could barely breathe. She didn't know what to do. She should have been angry and she was. This man humiliated her in front of everyone she ever knew, but the moment he had wrapped his arm around her all the memories had vanished from her mind and the only thing left was this man hug. Haley's body surrendered and snuggled close to Alex. His arm around her felt so good, then she heard his whisper.

-   You finally come home Hale - he said and pulled her even closer.

Hayle didn't understand the man's words at first, and then he recognised the nickname from way back. He had no right to call her Hale anymore. I'll show you Hale she  thought and she unwrapped his arm. She took a step back then followed her sister upstairs. Where she first went into her bedroom. She laid down on her bed and thought about and thought about what had just happened. What is this man doing? Did he really think that with one hug he had solved everything, that her anger is gone now, and the past eight years had disappeared without a trace? Like hell it did. It doesn’t go that easy, all she wants is to go back to Nashville and forget about man again.

It felt like ages before she moved again and finally looked around in her old bedroom. She hasn't been here in eight years. Everything was left the way she left it, according to her mother, Carrie wouldn't let her touch any of her stuff, always saying she'd come back one day, now she's here if only for a week. She got up and stepped to her mirror. There were plenty of pictures glued around it. Carrie could be seen, some of her pictures had been taken with her parents or school trips. There was one that she was most curious about. Alex and her. She was fourteen and he was twenty-two. The picture was taken at Disneyland on the day of her birthday. They have known each other since they were babies, they grew up next to each other, their parents were best friends. She remembered well, when they were kids their parents would joke around and say they would be a couple one day. Before the Disneyland trip, she didn't know that she was in love with Alex. There and then she realized that she had fallen for her best friend. Alex was her friend and she had lost him three years later when she tried to take it further, not knowing it could never be more. She was certain that Alex loved her and when she kissed him she felt him kissing back it was just for a second, but she could swear. Maybe she just wants to believe that so she can justify what she has done. If she could have known what she would start with that kiss, she probably would have thought about it twice before actually executing the plan.

She walked to her closet and unpacked her clothes. Then she changed her clothes, put on her favourite blue shirt and a pair of shorts. She had knotted the shirt just under her breast, showing off her belly button which had a small diamond piercing in it . It was a birthday present for Tina, before her death, for her twenty-third birthday. Tina's influence had paid off. She was more free-minded than she ever was before, she became so cheeky and sharp tongued that she could probably write off the account of the bar and time she had spent there. Now she was longer afraid to say what's on her mind; she even enjoyed arguing her point of view. For a long time, she thought that the most important thing in life was to be someone with a perfect shape and a beautiful face, after she moved in with Tina she realised that being confident was more important. She learned to handle the men in her own way, she  knew men admire her and which one only wants her for one night. She could tell that Alex was no different; he would want to get closer to her if she would let him. Well, you can wait all you want for that, dude, she  thought angrily, while brushing her hair with powerful strokes, and once finished she walked out of her room. She planned to ride out before lunch so she can spend the whole afternoon with Carrie. She wanted to discuss the details of the wedding, and of course she was curious as to how she got Tom to propose the last time she saw them. They were ready to strangle each other in a spoonful of water. 

Thanks for reading. I hope that you have enjoyed this next chapter. If you can, 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