Catching Feelings- Leah Williamson

Chapter Twenty-Three

Leah's POV

"Can you maybe stop laughing?" I ask Hailey as I help her to the door, searching for my door key inside of my pocket, "I dont want to wake the other guests"

"The what?" she ask confused, her voice high pitched, clearly ignoring what I just said, "where even are we?"

"The hotel Hailey, you know the one where the whole team is staying?" I help her inside turning the lights on. 

"Wait, this isn't my room" she says, slurring her words and I turn my face to meet her eyes. 

"No" I say and take my shoes of, "tonight, you're my responsibility" 

Hailey starts walking towards me, she puts a hand through my hair, messing it all up while giggling. 

"Sorry" she says looking down. 

"Dont apologise" I put a finger to her chin, forcing her head up, "I liked it"

Hailey gives me a weak smile before I follow behind her, taking her hand and guiding her to the bed. 

"Sit"

Hailey takes a seat on the bed, and I go through my clothes, picking something out for her to wear.  When I return, I find her laying on her back, almost asleep. 

I sigh, before reaching down and taking her heels off. 

"What are you doing?" she groans as I slip them off. 

"Helping my drunk girlfriend" I say sarcastically. 

Hailey sits up on the edge of the bed, looking down at me. 

"I can do it myself"

"You can't even sit straight" I point out and get up/

"No. Im not supposed to be on good terms wit you right now and you're making it very hard for me" she says and rubs her forehead. 

She's so cute when she's drunk.

"You can get back to being mad at me tomorrow, just let me help you now"

"I can take care of myself you know?" Hailey says half asleep.

"I know, trust me, ive seen it" I chuckle

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well... you can be very scary sometimes" I say and Hailey opens her eyes wide in shock, "and stubborn and annoying and you never put up with anyones shit"

"Seriously? Wow, what a kind girl you are"

"Yeah, but its fine because that's what I like about you"

Its quiet for a bit before...

"You like me?" she whispers and I just realise what I said, the weight of my words. 

I had known for a while now, but I had never admitted it.  Not to myself, not to anyone.  but now it's so clear to me that ive fallen so hard. 

I nod. 

"I feel the same way" she says and blushes. 

"You do?" she nods "you dont absolutely despise me?"

"You're very full of yourself and extremely annoying but..."Hailey says and tilts her head to the side, staring in my eyes, "I like you... sometimes"

"Sometimes is enough for me"

I smile, feeling nothing but a weight lift off me. Maybe I should have done this a lot sooner. 

"Arms up" I say and reach for the bottom of the dress but Hailey doesn't more.

"Come on, you dont want to sleep in this thing"

She still doesn't listen to me.

"I brought you my hoodie to sleep in since you like to sleep in my clothes so much" I wink, not helping the situation by teasing her. 

She mumbles something  under her breath before putting her arms up. 

"Good girl"

I try taking off her dress without looking so I can be respectful. 

"Caitlin said you'd like it" she suddenly speaks up. 

"What?" I ask confused.

Is she talking nonsense now?

"My underwear" Hailey says, which makes me move my eyes from her face to her body. 

I look away immediately, my cheeks heating up. 

So it actually was for me?

"You d-dont like it-t?" Haileys voice is suddenly breaking.

She looks beautiful and I can say that even though I haven't seen anything really.

"Its not that" I say and hand her the hoodie before turning my back on her.

"You won't even look at me"

"I can't..." I say out of breath because of the effect she has on me. 

The lingerie will be the death of me.

"Do you want me to leave?"

'What? No!" I turn around and face her. 

How do I even explain this to her? I've never been good at expressing my feelings. 

"I can't control myself when it comes to you.  I can't do anything properly. I can't thing straight when im around you"

God I hope she won't remember this in the morning.

Hailey walks up to me, our bodies standing close to each other.  She takes one of my hands, placing it on her neck before sliding it down, my fingers brushing slightly and gently over her body.  The surface of my fingers warms against her smooth skin and all I can think about is running my hands over her entire body.

"You're drunk" I say, pulling my hand away.

"So if I asked you to kiss me right now, you wouldn't?"

I shake my head.

There's no way this isn't the alcohol talking, there's no way she's saying any of these things because she means them.

"I care too much about you to do that... so please done"

I wish I could tell her that from the very first moment we first kissed, she's all I ever think about and that im dying to get another taste of her. But I can't. If she was sober, she'd react differently. 

I take the hoodie off the bed, helping Hailey put it on.  She doesn't touch me any further, she doesn't say anything else. 

It's not that I dont want it... her... but it's the fact that she's not a hundred percent able to make the right decisions right now. Besides, she'll probably thank me in the morning for not allowing her to do anything reckless. 

Once she's lying in bed, I cover her up with a blanket and I watch how her eyes slowly close, how her chest rises and falls. 

"What are you doing to me Hails?"

This wasn't meant to happen.  Ive grown too fond of her and when this things is all over and she leaves, how can I carry on living my life as if she'd never been a part of it?

Why couldn't I just keep my distance? Just stay away from her and let her believe that im this bad person who wants nothing to do with her?

I kiss her forehead, whispering 'good night' before leaving to sleep on the sofa bed.