How to Date an Asshole

Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Hailey sat slack-jawed across from me.

"Hailey?"

Her eyes glanced to mine, blinking slowly, mouth parted as she took everything in.

I knew I shouldn't have let it pile up before telling her.

Her mouth closed finally and her lips formed into a grimace, "Why would you keep that from me?"

"I-" I stared at her face, measuring her reactions.

Her left brow raised in impatience, demanding an answer.

I smiled sheepishly.

She shoved my arm, "You shouldn't keep things from me, Lauren."

"I know."

"I could've helped you."

"I know."

"I could've beat the fuck out of Axel."

"Hailey."

"Lauren, I asked you." Her face was stern.

All I could do was look away.

"I asked you how it went. You said it was fine. I didn't ask further because I thought you had a romantic night and you wanted to keep some things to yourself. But boy, was I wrong." Her head shook left and right, "If everything goes wrong, we tell each other, remember?"

I nodded in absence of words.

"What happened to that?"

I lowered my head, "I'm so sorry, Hailey. I was too embarrassed."

She exhaled loudly as she leaned closer, "Laure, you know you can trust me, right?"

My head rose to meet hers, "Of course."

"Okay," she nodded and it seemed to calm me down because I nodded too. "Next time, God forbid there's a next time, but if there is, don't drop a bomb on me. Please?"

I nodded in reply.

"Or I swear, 'Death by Lauren Grant' would be written on my epitaph."

I smiled. There she is.

"You wouldn't want that, would you?"

"I wouldn't."

"Okay," she nodded. "Hug it out?"

"Yeah," I leaned in and went for a hug.

"Oh," her voice was muffled. "I've missed you, Laure."

"I missed you too."

We hugged each other for a while until Hailey whispered, "So how's it going with Dean?"

"Hailey!" I released from her hug.

"What? He talked to me."

"About what?"

"What do you mean about what? He asked when you're coming back and that he wants to surprise you at the airport."

"Oh, that."

"Oh, that?" her head moved left and right with a scowl on her mouth. "Something happened that I don't know."

Shit, I should've just kept my mouth shut.

"Spill." She jabbed my arm.

"F- alright."

She placed her head on her palms, like a kid waiting for a bedtime story.

"I sort of... suggested... uh..." I gulped the lump in my throat.