Falling for a Superhero

Chapter ThirtySix-"Hayden's Family"

The next day I decided to stay and help Veronica with the wedding decorations. Not because I wanted to, but because my eight healthy hours of sleep woke me at what normally was the middle of my first period.

"So who should I expect to see you to be escorted by tomorrow?" Veronica asked me as we both sat and took a break finally.

"Kenneth of course," I answered. She had this all planned out. I didn't know why she was asking me.

"I meant as your date," she said. "I do hope it's still Hayden."

"Why's that?"

"Well other than the fact that Kenneth RSVP-ed for some girl named Jaime..." she listed, "I see how Hayden makes you happy when you two are around...and plus, he's hot."

"Veronica!" 

"Well!"

"I hope you two aren't deciding now to fight over me," my father laughed, walking into the reception hall with three boxes. He placed the clinking boxes onto the floor.

"Of course not," Veronica assured.

"Because we both know you're mine," I added, running over to hug him.

"Ladies, ladies, please," he played along. We laughed along and for the day, I actually got to sense the family environment I was used to back in Frankford.

"We're back," Sebastian's voice rang out, entering the hall with five boxes opposing dad's three. Then, Hayden came in after him. He had been helping out with the heavy lifting outside and running some errands. I was rather surprised because he forgoed his senior ditch day by spending it here with his girlfriend's family.

"Mrs. Warden?" Hayden addressed. My jaw tensed. I loved Veronica, don't get me wrong, but I only wanted that title for my mother. And plus, I think Veronica was going to hyphenate her name anyways.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Call me Veronica!" she smiled.  

"Sure, sure," he returned. He walked over and slid his arms around my waist. "Do you think I could steal her away or is she still needed for duty?"

"Well..." my dad started to deny. Veronica tapped his arm.

"You two have fun," she allowed before Hayden started to tow me away with a light kiss to my cheek.

"Not too much fun," Sebastian hissed as we had to pass him to leave.

***

"Yeah that did taste really good," Hayden agreed, eating the last bite of a hotdog. A drop of ketchup landed on his chin and I wiped it off. As I ate it myself, he lightly pulled my hand down and planted a kiss on my lips. My heart fluttered at this and we parted from each other.

I had something to ask him, but he was making me so happy at this point that it might not even be worth it.

We sat on the bench and he stroked my hair around my face. He smiled and joked with me today so much that I was seeing the youth inside of him that he never showed at school. He acted like a jerk—more than Dastan, but he'd never been that scornful towards me...except for that one time when he first kissed me. But today? This was the Hayden Marshal that I fell for. It made things ten times more confusing. 

"I can't believe you've never just gotten a hotdog from a hotdog stand. Isn't that what New York is for?" I joked to him.

"Um, keep in mind I'm not from here and my family had too much pride and money to have ever taken me to a hotdog stand..." he replied. I noticed that his smile slowly faded away.