In His Bed (18+)

Chapter 43

My thoughts buzzed with anxiety as we left the bathroom and strolled at a leisurely pace toward our next classes, Faith and Sierra breaking off to head toward Calc while I continued into the English hallway, hurrying into Mr. Meehan's room and slipping into my seat.

Surreptitiously, I pulled out my phone, holding it in my lap as I tried to formulate a message that didn't sound as panicked as I felt.

"Hey, Faith told me you were going to be at Prom-"

Shaking my head, I held down the 'delete' key.

Forehead creased with worry, I tried again: "So, just as a heads-up-"

Grimacing, I erased the words and tried to think, wracking my brain for a way to say, "I have a date to prom, and it's not you."

Fuck it.

"Hey, just wanted you to hear it from me and not Faith: I have a date for prom, but it's totally platonic."

Pressing send shot my heart down to the pit of my stomach.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit!

Turning my phone over, I set it in my lap and pulled out my copy of Jane Eyre, trying to follow the lesson with my nerves crackling like live wires.

Then, a sudden shiver against my thigh had me frozen solid in my seat.

Fuck.

Taking a breath, I wore a mask of polite attentiveness while I reached beneath my desk, turning my phone over and unlocking it.

Looking down was like stepping up to the executioner's block. Opening the message, I read one word:

"Platonic?"

FUCK.

With trembling fingers, I typed, "Very. It's a 'been there, done that, NEVER doing that again' kind of situation."

My thumb hit the send button just as Mr. Meehan's voice caught my attention.

"Hailey?"

Caught red-handed, I could only look up and ask, "Yes?"

The fluorescent lights shone off of his cueball-smooth head. Eyebrow cocked, he sighed, "I understand that your lap is terribly fascinating, but it's your turn to read."

Dammit.

Sliding my phone under my thigh, I picked up my book. "Sorry... um, where are we?"

There was a resigned disappointment in his eyes as he said, "We just started Chapter 23 – page 233."

Beneath my leg, I felt another shiver, and when I began to read, my voice was pitched high with overwhelming dread.

Class dragged on as the minute hand of the analog clock slowly, imperceptibly moved forward, whittling at my patience until the only thought in my head was, "What did he say?"

The instant the bell rang, releasing us to lunch, my hand was under my leg, pulling out my phone and bringing up my messages.

One word.

One word.

"Okay."

I stared at the screen.

Okay?

Sitting in the hard, plastic seat, I bounced between confusion, frustration, and panic.

The fuck is that supposed to mean?

Down in the cafeteria, I seated myself at our usual table, stomach too full of knots to be hungry.

As the air around me filled with the noxious fumes of the day's hot lunch, I felt a growing anxiety spiraling within.

It only escalated as Faith and Sierra sat down, Faith griping in a tone that made me want to rip her trachea out.

"-it's going to be so embarrassing!"

Sierra glanced aside at Faith, "I'm sorry, but if I'm spending all this money and time getting dolled up for prom, then I'm damn sure getting pictures of it."

Faith groaned, "Okay, like, I get that? But posing on the front lawn while Mommy and Daddy take pictures of you and your date? Ugh..." Looking over at me, she continued, "Be glad you won't have to go through that – your mom has the decency to be working that night."

"Actually, she took the day off – she'll be there for photos." I replied.

My jaw clenched, remembering who else was going to be there that night.

"Wonderful," Faith rolled her eyes, "Well, at least you won't be posing solo." Taking a swig from her water bottle, she continued, "For all of Nate's faults, he photographs well."

"Yeah," I muttered, tone devoid of enthusiasm.

"I'm serious – I've always thought you two made a cute couple."

There was a strange twinkle in her eye, and I genuinely couldn't tell if Faith was serious or mocking me.

Slamming the bottle down on the table, she stood, "Anyway, I'm starving." Pulling her wallet out of her bag, she said, "I'm going to go grab a yogurt – you guys want anything?"

I shook my head, confident that anything I put into my stomach right now would come right back up.

As she walked away, I took out my phone, ready to spend the remainder of lunch fixated on one word.

Then Sierra leaned across the table.

"So," she spoke, voice sly, "what does your boyfriend think about your prom date?"

Freezing in place, I slowly dragged my eyes up to meet hers.

"What?"

Snickering, she sat back, "You really think nobody noticed? I mean, yeah, Faith doesn't pay attention to anything that doesn't directly involve herself, but the rest of us have eyes, Hales."

"I- I'm not..."

"Oh, don't bullshit me – you always have excuses to not hang out with us, you won't let anybody touch your phone, and you've stopped staring at Will during lunch."

"I-wh-" I stammered glancing across the cafeteria toward my ex, "I do not stare at Will-"

"Not anymore." Sierra replied, following my gaze as her tone softened, "Honestly, I don't blame you."

"For what?"

Sierra looked back at me. "For keeping it secret. After all, if Faith doesn't know about it, she can't ruin it, right?"

I swallowed hard, looking away, heart racing, thoughts desolate.

"Right."