The Other Side Of Us - (gxg)

Chapter Fourty Three

Jessie's POV

I knew this would happen, although I was expecting worse than Hayley just walking out of the room... I was expecting at the least a slap.

Which I deserved in all honesty.

I tried following her—I searched around the lake house until figuring out she had headed outside, where to exactly was now the question. She wasn't in the basketball yard or by the picnic tables, but I did manage to find her—she was sat by the lake dock.

When I approached her the creaking of the dock's wood tables made her aware of my presence—making Hayley get on her feet and attempt to leave. I stood on her way not allowing her to walk pass me.

"Get out of my way." Hayley glared at me.

"No. We need to talk— never mind that we are going to talk. Properly this time."

"I have nothing to say to you." Hayley tried to walk pass me again but I grabbed her by the arms.

"Don't touch me Jessica." She tried to pry my hands off her. "Let me go or I swear to God—"

"You'll punch me? Go ahead, do it. I won't stop you and I won't fight back I know I deserve it." I said and let go of her.

Hayley shook her head and groaned before pushing me. "Fuck you, why did you have to come back to my life? I was fine I had healed from you! And now here you are again with Kaden bewitched by you and I had to just suck it up because she's my wife's best friend!"

"I didn't plan for that to happen."

"It feels like you did. It feels like a fucking cruel joke. You— you were my best friend! How could you have been so cruel to me?" She pushed me again and I took it—her green eyes starting to get red.

"I was stupid and young and drunk but that's not an excuse, not even a remotely good enough one to begin with, but I am sorry. That is my biggest regret to this day. I knew how to hurt you and I did, I betrayed your trust Hayley and I am so so sorry." The heartbroken look on her face that night at the party has been imprinted on my brain for years.

"The worst of all is that if you had come the next day to apologize... even a year after... I would've forgiven you in a heartbeat, that's how much I loved you. You were my fucking rock Jessica, the first person I loved and my best friend. No one mattered to me more than you."

All I could feel was shame and guilt with every word Hayley uttered.

"I know—"

"No you don't. You don't know the wound you reopened when you showed up on my apartment six years later with a half assed attempt of an apology. So if you came here hoping for us to be friends again... you are too late." Hayley said wiping her tears from her cheeks.

"No, that wasn't my intend when I came here. I know there is no fixing this Hayley... that doesn't mean you don't deserve an apology— a true apology this time." I hesitated before taking a step forward. "I am so sorry, I'll never get tired of saying that to you even if it's meaningless to you. I shouldn't have treated your feelings like they meant nothing... like I was disgusted."

Hayley bit the inside of her cheek, "I shouldn't have kissed you that night. I should have known better."

"We both made impulsive decisions about kissing someone else that night. You weren't the only one in the wrong... maybe if the time had been better we could've— I don't know." I sighed not sure of what I was saying.

"No we couldn't have. You didn't love me like that... and I was more obsessed with the idea of you, clinging to the one person that loved me in any way. It wouldn't have worked, so it was for the better that it didn't." Hayley sighed and looked down to the dock tables.

She's right about that.

"I'm glad that you found love—that you found a real family... that you got everything you wished for and more." I spoke with every drop of honesty that I had in me.

"I did... and I can't lie and say that there weren't times that I wished you were there. That I wished I still had my best friend so that she could be in my wedding like we used to talk about when we were kids." Hayley words made me feel a pang on my chest as the memories of us as little kids invaded my mind.

Friendship breakups do fuck you up the most.

"I know we can't fix this... that you don't forgive me. But we can build something new start anew." I grabbed her hands and when she didn't snatch them I took it as a sign to continue. "I want to get to know you again, know your new life and I would be foolish not to at least try again with you. We are going to be stuck together from now own, you are not going to leave Morgan and it'll be damned before I let Kaden get away from me again. I want our children to be friends, to set an example to my daughter that is never too late to do the right thing. I know it would take time... a lot of fucking time but I want the chance to earn your forgiveness."

Hayley looked down at our hands before moving her gaze back up. "I don't hate you Jessica. I thought I did, I was so fucking angry and full of resentment to you that I thought I did. I believe your words, that you are truly sorry but right now I can't accept your apology."

I nodded and let go, "I understand."

"That doesn't mean I don't want to try. But you are right, it will take a lot of fucking time."

"All I ask is one chance Hayley. That is all."

Hayley nodded. "Fine, I can give you that. I can give you the benefit of the doubt, for me... and you... for our children and our families I can do that."

I smiled at her as she gave me a small one herself. I wanted to hug her... I really did, but if I still know anything about Hayley is that she has her limits and a hug wouldn't be welcomed—

"Don't fuck this up." Hayley said as she engulfed me in a hug—surprising me.

I slowly let my arms surround her as I returned the hug. "I'll try my best... I'm sorry it took me this long." I squeezed her harder.

Hayley nodded again and broke the hug. "You have a beautiful daughter, she is just like you when you were little," she said with a genuine.

"Thanks, it makes me happy you finally got to meet her. Marcus is adorable, the perfect mix of you and Morgan."

Hayley chuckled, "Let's hope he doesn't inherits her sense of humor—I can only deal with one Morgan."

I laughed at that.

"Is the father still in the picture?" She asked.

"He is present in her life a lot. We are just not together, we divorced years ago." I explained.

"I supposed you would after Kaden told us about your affair together." Hayley gave a knowing look.

"I— I can't defend myself there, just know he had the same sins as I did."

"I'm not judging you, just surprised about you and Kaden being together... although it kind of makes sense. She needs someone to put her in her place." Hayley said making me laugh once again.

"I could say the same about you and Morgan, I didn't understand it at first but each time Kaden spoke about you it made me realize she was right — you two make a perfect pair."

"Morgan is a dork and drives me crazy most of the time in both good and bad ways but... she is my soulmate." Hayley confessed—the love clear in her eyes.

We sat on the duck that afternoon as we told each other about our lives, about everything the other had missed. Some part of me thought it wasn't real at times... I never thought I would get the chance to get Hayley to even speak more than two words to me. Yet here we are, in a lake house in Montana where our families plan on meeting every summer, where our kids will grow together.

—

A/N - It finally happened! Thoughts?

Epilogue next!