Friends With The Bad Boy

give each other some space

Hailey's POV
"Am going to be an uncle?" he smiled " why don't we celebrate?"

His arm wrapped around my waist and we held eyes. I loved playing with his hair, I loved how he smelled like...so divine...so wonderful.

"Enjoy it while it lasts" Maddie passed by us accompanied by her usual minions. She still couldn't get that Liam and I were in love with each other and no matter what she'd try to do, we would never break up. And I mean never!

"How about lunch me and you at the bleachers?" He asked as I got away from his hold taking my books from my locker.

"Sure. I gotta get to class, Liam but it's a date" I giggled walking away from him as he ran his hands through his messy hair. Was it cheesy that I thought he was the most handsome guy in the world. Well apart from being annoying, a jerk at times but still he was my Liam. My boyfriend. My forever.

Mr Tres wasn't exactly the best teacher in the world. For an old man in his sixties I still wondered why the hell he hadn't retired yet. He had a way with words, struggling to let them out from his mouth but at the same insistent that his students actually enjoyed listening to him which wasn't exactly true.

The only thing that kept me awake was the fact that I pretended to be busy listening to avoid Jake's eyes. We hadn't talked and I hadn't given him any chance to. Everytime he tried talking to me, Liam and Justin were one step ahead threatening to damage his balls if he tried talking to me.

The bell rang and I sighed a good old hallelujah. I packed my books in a hurry as the rest of the students scurried out of the classroom away from Mr Tres. I slung my backpack across my shoulder before I felt his hand on my arm. To say that I wasn't scared was an understatement. Last time he held me this way, he hurt me...he almost pulled my hair from my head.

"Jake let go of me" I growled and immediately I turned around as he let go of me aware of how uncomfortable the situation really was for me.

"I'm sorry. Sorry" he said lifeless. He looked terrible, his hair unkempt and his knuckles had fresh wounds. What was he doing to himself?

"It's okay. The past is the past. I have to be somewhere-" and before I had the chance to get away he had his arms around my waist. His whole body shaking uncontrollably as his chin landed on my shoulder.

"I need you now more than ever, Hailey! I'm Liam's brother. His stepmother fucking left me in an orphanage" he sobbed. My hands stood still. Should I? I pitied him and me being me I caressed his back. Rubbing circles on his back to make him calm down.

"Jake at some point you have to face her. You have to forgive her. Find out why she did that" I consoled him taking his hands in mine as I wrapped them with my handkerchief.

"I don't think I can Hailey. She abandoned me" he sobbed furiously taking my hands in his.

I smiled guiltily wishing that I could stay with him more but Liam was surely around the corner waiting for me and I dreaded with fear with what he might think if he caught me in this situation.

"You can, Jake. You can" I patted his shoulder once more.

"Yes I can, with you by my side"

I let out a cough.

"That's not possible Jake you have to do this by yourself"

"Hailey I need you." He whispered.

"Jake don't make things hard. We are over"

Liam's POV

She was taking too long. It was weird enough that I had to listen to the chatterbox seated next to me that wouldn't stop clinging to my arm. Maddie was really something...and as much as I tried keeping my cool she was irritating.

"Lee, I know you love me" she pouted her hand caressing my thigh even as we sat on the bleachers. Taking her hands off me, I stormed away from her. Five texts to Hailey and still no reply. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen her since this morning and I was already getting worried.

Lunch period and the hall was empty but two figures caught my attention. Jake in Hailey's arms. I clenched my fists, a surge of jealousy coursing through my veins. She was hugging him back? And was he? Damn he had his hands on her waist!

I tried keeping my cool so slowly creeping up on whatever getup they were in, I pulled Hailey's arm from Jake's shoulder.

"Hailey, let's go," I spat but she resisted and that made me mad.

"Liam, he needs help," she resisted and my grip on her hand got tighter.

Jake needs help? How about me? How about how I felt when practically everyone in my family talked about him? When everyone in my family wanted him... Kate, dad, Em and Abby wanted him to be part of our family and that hurt more than knowing dad didn't think I'm good enough to be his son.

"Hailey...I said let's go!" I whispered between gritted teeth and surprisingly she let go of Jake and when she did, I pulled her down the hallway.

"Liam. Lopez? Lopez? Can we talk?," she placed her hand over my chest but no matter how her eyes looked at me, I was hurt. I realised that Jake Reeves was back in my life again only this time I had to share everything I have with him including her.

"He's your brother. You have to talk eventually"

"Are you choosing him, Hailey?,"my voice almost cracked.

"What? No...Liam? What I'm trying to say is that you can't keep fighting him! He's already miserable as it is"

"Miserable? Wow? Just wow! You still care about him don't you?"

And that pretty damn hurt as fuck.

"You know what? This conversation is over. I don't wanna fight because of Jake. You're clearly not in your right mind so take a breather Lopez, maybe then we'll talk"

"You're right. We should take a breather. We should give each other some space" I said walking away.