The Odd One Out (Hailee Steinfeld)

Chapter 16

Alex woke up feeling an unusual weight on her chest. Alex looked down seeing Hailee laying there awake. She felt Hailee playing with her hand again which calmed her. "Good morning." Hailee said looking up at her as Alex looked down at her with a small smile. "Thank you Hailee." A smile grew on Hailee's face, "I told you to let me take care of you." Alex stayed quiet for a moment trying to think of something to say, "Yeah I'm not the best at letting people do that." Hailee's eyebrows furrowed confused, "And why's that?" Alex chuckled and looked up at the ceiling not responding. "Alex?" Alex heard her but chose not to as thoughts consumed her mind. Suddenly she felt movement beside her Alex went to look over but it looked like Hailee was making her way on top of Alex. Hailee straddled Alex putting her hands beside Alex's head on the bed. Alex looked up at her as Hailee giggled making Alex smile. "What are you doing?" Alex said in practically a whisper as Hailee leaned down hovering her face over Alex's. "Why don't you find out?" Hailee said in a teasing way as she showed her shining smile that's able to brighten up anyone's day. Alex couldn't help but look down at Hailee's lips as they slowly got closer. "Oh someone's interested." Hailee said in a low husky voice. Alex smiled as she let her hands travel up Hailee's sides slowly rubbing up and down. Hailee bit her lip as Alex's hands traveled along her body. Alex looked up into those beautiful hazel eyes as they stared back at her while she beamed with happiness and something else that Alex couldn't quite tell what it was. Hailee finally let her full weight lay on Alex as she put her hand up to Alex's cheek. Hailee glanced down at her lips a final time before slowly leaning in. Their lips grazed but Alex slightly pulled away as Hailee looked up at her. "I jus-" The front door opened making Alex carefully push Hailee off of her and shoot up. "Alex?" She heard Braden's voice coming towards her bedroom as she started to panic. If he found her and Hailee in here he might just kill both of them. Alex picked Hailee up bridal style as the foot steps reached the door. Alex ran to the bathroom with Hailee in her arms. Alex heard the door open as she quietly shut the bathroom door. Alex set Hailee down and pushed her into on the closets she had in her bathroom and closed the door. "Alex?" She heard Braden call again. "I'm in here." Alex said as he started walking towards the door.

   He opened the door as Alex stood at the sink. She looked over at him, "Let me have your phone." He demanded walking over. "What?" "You heard me." Braden said holding his hand out in front of Alex. "Why?" Braden smirked, "You really think I'm that stupid. I know you and that Hailee girl are sneaking around while I'm gone. I saw it on TV so you can't even deny it." "We are not-" "I saw it for myself so don't even deny!" Braden said getting in her face and shouting making her flinch. Alex stayed quiet as her eyes went to the ground. "Oh so you wanna play like that. I can play like that." Braden raised up his hand slapping Alex across the face. He pushed her causing her to fall to the ground in front of him. He lifted his foot stomping on her stomach knocking the air out of her as she gasped on the floor. He knelt down beside as she kept gasping, "Don't ever let this happen again I ask for your phone you give it to me." Alex nodded her head unable to speak. He picked up his fist quickly smashing it into her jaw as she quickly grabbed it as pains jolted through her body and head. Alex's vision was a little blurry and her hearing was not on point at the moment but she swore she heard the closet door open and Hailee said something then Alex blacked out.

Alex opened her eyes seeing white bright lights around her. She squinted for a second before her eyes finally adjusted to the light. She looked around the empty room confused. She was hooked up to an IV, she was in a hospital bed, and she had a hospital gown on. Alex's face dropped as she went to get up from the bed but instantly everything in her body started hurting forcing her to lay back down. Suddenly the door opened as a doctor rushed in. "Alex you're awake." He said rushing to her side. "Are you feeling okay?" Alex grabbed her ribs with her hand that wasn't hurt, "I feel like I have been hit by a bus." "Well you may as well have been some of your ribs were broken or fractured and we had to give you stitches in your hand on that deep cut." Alex lifted up her hand and looked at it as she took in everything the doctor had just said. "I-Is there anyone else here to see me?" Alex asked almost afraid that no one was going to be there. "Actually there is a girl waiting outside for you she can come in once we give her the green light." Alex nodded her head. "Unless of course you don't want her to come in." "No" Alex said a little too fast as a knowing look grew on the doctor's face. "No she can come in." Alex said as she cleared her throat and looked at the bed avoiding awkward eye contact with the doctor. He softly nodded his head then walked towards the door opening it before letting Hailee in the he disappeared.

   Hailee rushed in as she grabbed Alex's hand. "I'm so glad you are alright." Hailee said as she squeezed her hands and a few tears came out of her eyes. "Hailee" "Oh I'm so happy you are alive." Hailee said completely ignoring Alex as she pressed Alex's hand to her warm soft cheek. "Hailee" Alex said gently taking it away as Hailee looked at her in almost shock. "What's going on?" Hailee nodded then paused for a moment as she looked away. "After you got knocked out I was in the closet when I called the cops and when he was shouting I was telling them everything. Once you got knocked out I stepped out and he turned around ready to beat me too. But I was still on the phone and when I showed it to him he tried running away but the cops had already gotten here." She paused again as she looked back over at Alex as her eyes started filling with tears.
"H-He had so much anger in his eyes over nothing. Why do you wait?" "What?" Alex said as she kept a steady eye on her. "Why do you wait for him to come home when you know he is just going to act like that." Alex stayed silent, talking about past events that made her sad wasn't really her thing. "Alex" Hailee whispered her name making Alex look up at her as it so easily rolled off her tongue. "I don't know" she said as the room went quiet again only stopped every few seconds by the beep of the vital monitor. Alex's eyes started filling with tears as everything hit her at once.

  Not now I can't do this right now not when Hailee is right here. Stop please stop.

   Alex squeezed her eyes shut wanting everything around her to disappear. She wanted to never see the day of light again.

   Maybe it would be better if I never existed at all so I didn't have to go through that.

  Alex's thoughts got thrown off when a doctor walked through the door making her look up at him. "Alright you're all set to go. Hailee has brought you some spare clothes so you can get changed out of that gown then be on your way."

  Alex nodded not wanting to speak right now. "Thank you doctor." Hailee said as the doctor nodded then went right back out the door. Hailee turned back to look at her, "You ready to go home?" Alex swallowed hard as she nodded. "Here let me help you get up." Hailee said as she went to put her arm under Alex's. "No need I got it." Alex said carefully standing up from the bed. Hailee handed her the clothes then Alex walked to the bathroom to get changed. After she got changed into her joggers and hoodie she looked at herself in the mirror, seeing a pale face staring back at her, one she didn't even recognize. She shook her head then turned on the water and splashed some cold water in her face trying to wake herself up a little bit. She dried her face off then ran her hands through the hair before opening the door as Hailee stood on her other side of it. "You ready." Alex nodded as they both walked out of the hospital together. It was quite all the way to the car Alex didn't want to speak right now it was taking all of her energy just to walk. They got to the parking lot and Hailee started walking towards a, "No way is that a 1968 Chevrolet Camaro RS!" Alex said as loud as she was able to. Hailee looked back at her and smiled. Alex walked over to the passenger door as Hailee opened it for her. "Thank you" Alex said quietly as she sat down in the seat. Hailee walked back around to the other side of the car and got in starting it up as the engine roared making Alex smile. Hailee looked over at her just before backing out and driving off.