Welcome to Hayleywood

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Both Sides of the Story

          I stared at my Sidekick, which lay on my bed untouched. I wasn’t exactly sure what I should do. To call him or not to call him? Charlotte thought I should at least try talking to him. Truthfully, I wanted to, I couldn’t hate him forever, right?

          I picked it up and dialed his number. He picked up on the first ring.

          “Hayley! I have to talk to you!” he exclaimed.

          “I know, I know,” I said softly, “where are you?”

          “I’m at the pier,” he answered.

          “Meet me at the coffee shop on 6th and 7th. I’ll be there in five,” I told him.

          “Really?” I could tell he was trying not to sound too excited. “Alright, sure. I’ll meet you there.”

          “Thanks, bye.”

          “Bye.”

          I hung up the phone and collapsed on my bed with an exasperated sigh. You have no idea how relieved I am now. Just hearing his voice made my heart skip a beat. Now I would get to see him face to face.

          I grabbed my bag and ran downstairs.

          Caroline was in the kitchen making a smoothie.

          She studied me questioningly. “Where you going?” she asked.

          “To talk to him,” I said as I slipped on my purple Toms.

          A small grin spread across her tanned skin. “You’re ready?”

          “I’m ready,” I assured her and closed the door behind me.

          As I drove, I tried to figure out what I was going to say when I saw him. Should I act excited? No. Definitely not. What about depressed? I couldn’t seem like that, either. I didn’t want him to think I didn’t care about him at all. I would just have to keep my cool. Act casual, that’s what I would do.

          I pulled up to the coffee shop and parked the car. I stepped out, fixed my hair, and took a deep breath. I could do this. I was going to do this.

          Once I walked in, I spotted him. Right, there. My Cameron, sitting by himself in one of the booths sipping a cappuccino. His hand traced the lid of the container and his foot tapped a familiar beat.

          He didn’t notice me until I made my way over there and took a seat right there in front of him.

          “Hi,” I said. One simple word that brought his eyes to mine.

          “Hey,” he said, his voice smooth and sexy.

          It was like we hadn’t seen each other in years even though it had only been a few days.

          “I missed you,” he reached over and took my hand.

          I pulled away. “Cameron, I need to know what really happened.” There, I gave it to him.

          He sighed. “First off, I need you to know that there was nothing between me and Mandy,” he ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. “That night, I was looking for you after everyone had arrived. So I went around asking and Amy, I think her name was, told me that you were upstairs.”

          That bitch.

          “I went to one of the bedrooms and instead of finding you, I found Mandy. I asked her if she knew where you were, and next thing I knew she had me up against the wall.”