Between The Hardships • Hayes Grier ; Sequel To Between The Lines

Chapter 8

Jill's POV

"Are you sure you wanna do this?" Hayes asks me.

"I'm sure," I say.

I'm positive I wanna meet Hayes' fiancé.

I could basically hear Hayes take a gulp.

I take my car and swerve to the side of the road. I stop the car and turn the engine off, turning my way to Hayes.

"Tell me about her," I say.

He looked me in the eyes and replied, "well, what do you wanna know?"

And that's the exact moment I knew he didn't love her, not really. See, if he did he would've gone on about how her voice is now his favorite sound. That when she is next to another women their beauty doesn't compare to others. How even she steals the blankets at 3am he's just glad she's warm. That when she touches him, even slightly, it causes the hair on his neck to stand. How when he kisses her, he doesn't know who's air he's breathing but you know that all he wants is to be in that moment forever. But not with her. That you can see yourself with three children and a dog in a beautiful house someday soon. How her eyes are pure and truthful and when you look into them all you feel is happiness. That her laugh is what you live for even though it is last and obnoxious. How looking at her makes all the bad seem okay. He would've gone on a rant about her without hesitation, like the way I do when someone asks me why I still love him.

I start the car again, making my way onto the road as I get out of Hayes' eyes staring me down.

"Stop staring at me," I say to Hayes as I concentrate on the road.

"I can't help it," Hayes says.

I let out a cough, "So what does this Jenny do?"

"She's a nurse," Hayes says.

"That must be nice," I state.

He shrugs, "I guess it helps when I'm sick. But I'm barely sick so I don't know."

I nod.

"She works really late. I'm really surprised she's home."

"Yeah," I say.

This is really awkward. I never thought I'd be driving in a car with my ex lover talking about how he is getting married. In my defense, I never thought I'd see him again. The silence was killing and I wanted to stop it. I just didn't know what to say.

"So, is she like pretty?"

"Yeah, she's pretty." He says, shrugging.

I feel like my heart just stopped then and there as my hands grip the steering wheel, making my hands start to sweat.

"But you're beautiful," Hayes says, finishing.

"Don't say that," I say, shaking my head.

As much as my heart skipped a beat, he isn't mine and I'm not his.

"What?! That you're beautiful!? Oh my god, Jill. You're the most beautiful person in this whole world. I have never seen someone more beautiful than you." Hayes says.

He calls me beautiful like its my name.

I start to blushing, but I stop myself as I clear my throat.

"You can't say this stuff, Hayes. Not when you are getting married."

"Do you not get that I wish it was you walking down the aisle instead?! I feel like I am losing my mind! You're all that I think about and it makes me so mad because you aren't mine!" Hayes says.