Part 28

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I lay on my bed, contemplating the events that unfolded in the kitchen and going over everything that Hailey had said.

Maybe Hailey was depressed... I'm no psychologist and have no authority to even try and diagnose her, but she has many of the common symptoms. She was distant, shutting herself up in her room whenever she wasn't working, and then throwing herself into her work the rest of the time. To keep from facing reality maybe?

Guilt settled in my chest. No matter how much I wanted to convince myself that her feelings were her own and the distance between us was because she always withdrew, I knew this wasn't the whole truth. She was right, I never made any effort in reaching out to her.

I should have. I should have known that being in this house with my parents, bearing all responsibility for what goes on within would get to her. I knew very well that our parents didn't take any responsibility for the inevitable slide into bankruptcy of our family. Did I check up on her throughout the years since I knew what her situation must have been like? It had been all of our situations for many years after all. 

No, I did not. I was so consumed by my own life and getting through university so that I can start with my future, that I did not turn back. Not even once.

I was on a roll. In the span of 24 hours, I have managed to have a very intense argument with two people.

I wonder what it's going to be like in the office tomorrow. Am I going to get the cold shoulder from Mr Knight again? Or is he just not going to show up for another month?

Okay, no, don't think about Mr Knight! You are one thought away from becoming a desperate heroine in a romance novel who has nothing better to do than sit around and think about the male lead.

Would that make Mr Knight my love interest?

Oh, bloody hell!

I sighed in frustration.

I had to get out of the house. I couldn't take being stuck in my head for a minute longer.

I tossed on a pair of shorts, sports bra and T-shirt, grabbing a pair of trainers as I headed out of my room.

The house was once again eerily silent as I made my way to the foyer. Julie left about an hour after Hailey stormed out. She was blushing like crazy and practically skipped out of the house when she told me she was going out for the afternoon. It didn't take a genius to figure out who she was meeting. Our father was in the study again, minding his own business and mother was... well I don't know. She was probably out blowing some more money on unnecessary household trinkets.

The table in the foyer was cluttered with unopened letters, random batteries and some spare keys. I finally located the key for the family Jeep.

I rolled down the windows of the Jeep and allowed the smell of the ocean to fill my senses as I drove closer to the beach. This was exactly what I needed, some fresh air and vitamin sea.

I parked at an open parking spot and quickly tied my shoelaces. The beach was crowded with families and high schoolers walking on the walkways. This was normally the case over the weekends, jogging became more difficult as you had to dodge pedestrians every couple of feet.

I placed my earphones in my ears and started jogging to the beat of the music. Within a few minutes my heart rate had picked up and a slow trickle of sweat was starting to make its way down my back.

Soon all thoughts of Hailey and even Mr Knight had left my mind and I was left with the sight of crashing waves on my left and the glorious sun baking down on me. Being outdoors like this always had a calming effect on me.

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