One Missed Call

32: make her feel bad

The flick of the tongue echoes the silent room, getting Hailee to glance over her shoulder and at Aaron who is on the other side of the couch.

Unfortunately for them both, they couldn't make themselves happy enough before the hours of work and since Hailee is under strict supervision, she can not dare to turn in late, unlike Aaron who can show up at any moment.

Hailee's job isn't permanent, as she was told before the promotion. She is under a test run and if she manages to get through the two remaining with no dent in her appeal, she could be placed there permanently until the next competitor.

The watching eyes of the board of directors could finally let her breath without watching her every move for the moment she slips off.

"You've been awfully quite since the last ten minutes. Completely unlike you." Hailee chuckles nervously as she runs her fingers through her hair and glancing up at the clock on the wall. "Well, I'm nearly an hour late. I might as well pretend to be sick than being late."

Aaron turns his gaze from the fireplace and towards Hailee, meeting her innocent yet so not innocent eyes. Eyes that almost make him feel entirely suffocated under.

"Sure." Aaron simply nods as he drops his eyes to his laps.

"If there is something you want to say, just say it." Hailee rolls her eyes as though not bothered by his actions, only to be deceived when Aaron notices her fingers gripping onto the sofa.

It is almost as though she knows what's coming next.

"Hailee..." Aaron sighs out and reaches his hand to the back of his head as he glances around awkwardly.

He's never had a hard time trying to say it before.

It almost came so naturally.

"You won't be seeing any of me. Anymore." He says out softly and she sighs out shakily with her gaze elsewhere.

Eventually it would happen.

He would want to leave her and go on to the next woman he can find. It is just who Aaron Black is.

"What I'm trying to say is-."

"You don't need to clarify." Hailee chuckles out forcefully as she glances over to Aaron, meeting his gaze. "I knew things would end this way."

Though not this fast.

She shrugs her shoulders and he nods slightly before getting up from the couch.

"I don't normally last this long with women. It's just that we both just had unfinished business. We both knew that." He chuckles as he steps towards her. "Unless you fell for me, Hailee."

"No." She chuckles out and rolls her eyes. "It's been a short while. I didn't." She explains, getting him to smirk and nod slowly.

"Fine then. Though it really is a disappointment." He chuckles out and grabs an apple from the fruit bowl on the small coffee table in front of them. "Anyway. I have a meeting I'm late from. I need to leave-."

"Does this mean we really won't see each other again?" Hailee asks as she glances up at Aaron who glances back down at her with raising brows. "I mean... I'm not like you so changing men really isn't my thing."

"Oh so you don't want to break up with me, huh?" Aaron grins out as he watches Hailee roll her eyes, clearly annoyed. "I don't mind. I only said so earlier to make sure you aren't seeing me different."

"You are all the reasons I shouldn't date you." She chuckles uncomfortably as she gets up from the seat and bats down her towel, since it is the only thing she has been wearing since he arrived.

Aaron grabs his jacket hanging off the chair and slums it over his shoulder before walking towards the door where he stops and turns to Hailee.

"I'm heading off." He points out and she simply nods slowly before turning her gaze elsewhere, feeling her entire face burn red from his unintentional seduce gaze. "I have a favour to ask of you."

"Is it Bella?" She asks and he chuckles out as he nods his head while glancing at his shoes that have caught some dust. "You want me to pick her up?"

"Yes." He smiles and watches her nervously glance around. Clearly avoiding his eyes. Just as she always does after they fall prey to their lust for each other. "Ria didn't get her the thing she wanted yesterday as well. I don't think she will. I'll hotwire the money and you can go buy her whatever it was she wanted."

"Okay." Hailee nods, knowing she has nothing better to do the entire day anyway, now that she skipped work. "What do I get out of it?"

"You want money?" He asks with a smirk to which he fishes out his phone and taps a few icons on his screen before shoving it back into his pockets. "Send me your account number and I'll have it wired once I get it. I'll send you extra for gratitude."

"I was just joking." She shakes her had with a small chuckle. "You don't need to give me money-."

"It's a sign o gratitude." He shrugs his shoulders. "That way when you somehow meet Ria, you can say I pay you to pick Bella up."

"That reminds me." She clears her throat and glances to the ground. "Didn't she wonder where Bella was yesterday?"

"Well... She actually noticed. I'm surprised too. Then she put the blame on me saying I was cheating on her." He chuckled out as Hailee furrows her brows at him.

"Well you are." She shrugs her shoulders and he rolls his eyes.

"Well you're letting me. You're just as half as bad as I am." He grins out as she frowns and glances away from him.

"I could stop."

"Yet you didn't want us to part ways." He points out, getting her to clench her jaw and tighten her fists in embarassement. "I didn't want to either." He adds when he notices her hardly saying more, almost seeming as though she is fighting within herself about it.

He watches her for a moment, noticing the deep frown carving her lips as her eyes stare down to the floor lifelessly.

"I didn't mean to put it that way." He sighs out as he reaches his hand up to his forehead. "Anyway. I should get going. Send me the number and please don't rethink over getting Bella. She was happy this morning and kept talking about you in the car and about how nice your office smelt."

Hailee chuckles out at that, getting him to smile in relief, glad she isn't going to get upset for the accusation and cut all ties with him.

Bella needs Hailee.

If Hailee disappears now, Bella would be devastated and it would make his life more difficult.

With the big project he's working on, the last thing he wants is to deal with a depressed four year old and a troublesome wife.

The wife part is bearable, since Ria is hardly ever in his hair unless her account runs dry.

"So should I feel rest assured?" He asks as he grabs the door handle.

"I'll pick her up." She nods and glances at him, easing his shoulders when she finally looks up at him.

"Great. Thanks." He smiles and leaves the house, closing the door behind him and leaving Hailee alone as the frown comes back to her lips.

He's right...

I'm just as bad as he is...