Playing The player

Chapter 32

Their faces were filled with shock, disgust, relief, shock, anger, annoyance and some more shock.


  "Mum," I said breathlessly, excitement lacing my words, "You're home. I had no idea. Did you get the report cards I sent you? I wasn't sure where you were so I sent them to your assistant, did she get them to you? Did you see my - "


  "Control yourself, Hayleigh," My mother snapped, "Yes, I saw them. They were very impressive. Are you happy now?"


  My grin faltered at her harsh words, and if it weren't for the arm that was wrapped around my waist, then I probably would've collapsed from all the tension in the room. I turned, remembering Blake. "Mum, Dad, this is Blake, my - " I started to say.


  "We see him," My father said coldly, "Is this what you've been doing while your mother and I have been away? Inviting hormonal boys over to use you for one easy night of pleasure? Despite everything we have said in the past, I never thought you'd go as low as this. If I had any idea that my daughter was turning into a filthy slu-"


  I was speechless- for a second, at least. "He's my boyfriend," I said hotly, lacing my hand with his.


  "And you're too young to have one," My father replied, even more coldly than he was before.


  By this point, to put it lightly, I was pretty pissed. Not only did they come and go in and out this house at their free will, leaving Nina and I by myself constantly, the rare times they do walk in, all they do is criticize the way I act, everything I do, the people I hung out with. I didn't see it before, but… they were the people who had moulded me into the person I was today. The up-tight, stiff shadow of a girl. And though I had started changing recently, I hated that they had done this to me, and still expected me to treat them with respect.


  "Fuck you," I hissed angrily.


  "Hayleigh Grace!" My father shouted, while my mother uttered some little shriek-scream thing. "How dare you use that language in this house?"


  "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you," I taunted, my adrenaline running high. I could feel my blood pumping through my body, and I realised that I was standing up for myself, the first time I had done so in seventeen years. For seventeen years, I had kept my thoughts to myself, thinking that if I shoved it under the carpet then it would go away. But it didn't. It just got worse and worse. "You have no right to tell me how I should act and what I should say. You lost that privilege when you and her," I jerked my head at my mother, "Walked out that door when Nina and I were seven years old and left us alone for a whole week by ourselves."


  "We left money on the counter," My mother yelled angrily, throwing her expensive orange Hermes bag onto the floor as the professional, cool, calm and collected façade she always kept on dropped.


  "You think money is going to solve anything?" I asked her brutally, venom injected in every single word, "Think again. You know more about your clients than you do about your daughters, and you know what, once upon I cared. But right now, I don't give a flying fuck about what you think!"


  I turned to my father, my voice shaking with anger. "You think you have a right to lecture me about who I date? You think you have a right to call your daughter a slut? You want to know what a real slut is? Maybe you should look at the girls you secretly fuck when your obedient wife isn't around," I turned to my mother, and looked at her with unemotional eyes. "That's right, your husband has been having several affairs behind your back. That's right, he's been unfaithful. He's a cheating bastard. And you were stupid enough to - "


  Slap.


  My hand automatically flew to my cheek, where it now stung like crazy. Next to my cool hand, it was incredibly warm, and I cringed at the red hand mark that was sure to be on there. Tears demanded to make an appearance, but I forced them back; I wouldn't give my parents the satisfaction of letting them see me cry.


  Blake stepped forward. "You touch her again," He said, his voice low but promising a dark threat, "And you will regret it." Giving them one last glare, he tugged me by my elbow out the front door.


  It was weird that I had come in this house feeling on top of the world and coming out feeling like a pile of shit. But as Blake guided me to his house, as I couldn't see with the tears streaming out my eyes, I realised that I didn't mind feeling like shit. I didn't mind crying. Why?


  Because Blake was here to comfort me.

*****

"I can't fucking believe you guys are going out!" Courtney screeched, her voice shrill in my eye and causing me to wince slightly. Blake wrapped an arm around my waist, looking amused at her reaction. "That is so freakin' cute!"


  I beamed. It had been a week since the incident at home, and thankfully, my parents were gone by now. When I had finally come home, they had told me that they didn't care what I did anymore, as long as I was happy. I suspected Nina had something to do with that, and by the time I woke up next morning, they had already left on their next business trip. It was easier this way. They weren't parent people, and it was easier and better for me to have them out of my life, cruel as it sounded.


  "It's not that hard to believe," Colt smirked, a grin lighting up on his face, "It's not hard to kiss -- I mean, miss the feelings they have for each other." I felt a slight blush appearing on my cheeks at the word 'kiss.'


  Courtney, Colt, Liam, Blake and I were sitting under the big oak tree. It was lunch, and we were sort of a new 'group.' I wasn't used to being the centre of attention, but with Blake, I realised that I didn't mind. I didn't mind a lot of things, as long as I sounded.


  I didn't even mind sounding like a right little romantic sap.


  Liam laughed. "He's right; you guys are obviously you know, nice for each other." It sounded like he was trying to be supportive, but he was a guy, and he had no idea how to say it.


  I laughed at his obvious discomfort and leaned forward, pinching his cheeks. "Aw, Liam, you're so cute."


  Blake pulled me back possessively.


  I rolled my eyes. "Calm down. You know I only have eyes for you." I looked at him adoringly, and almost felt his anger diffuse as he pulled me onto his lap. Courtney let out another girly squeal and Liam and Colt chuckled, before making some dirty comment. I didn't mind though; I was in his arms.


  Courtney gave me a mischievous look before sending Liam and Colt a challenging look. "Liam, can you smooch -- I mean, scooch over? I want to stretch my legs."

  I gave Courtney a suspicious look, but she returned it with an innocent smile. I decided it was nothing, snuggling back into Blake. "I'm just so glad everything's okay now, you know? Like, everything seems… perfect. I can't even say how happy I am."


  Blake leaned down and pressed his lips against my forehead. "Nor can I."


  Courtney and the others talk about something else, and Blake and I lean down, lying on the grass as we faced each other. I stared into his dark blue eyes, and knew I was making the right decision to be with him.


  "I love you," He whispered.


  "I love you too," I said softly back, leaning into his hand as he rested it against my cheek.


  He stared at me for a few minutes. "Things are going to be like this, for as long as you like. Dylan is out of the picture, you'll be turning eighteen in a few months, and when you turn then maybe we can move out together. The people we love are here," He looked behind us, and the rest of the gang were arguing with each other about who was the most awesomest. He rolled his eyes, "Okay, well the people who we sort of love," He corrected, and I laughed. "Really Hayleigh. Everything can be the way we want them to be… if you want them to be that way."


   "Of course I do," I smiled at him.


  Blake smiled, and it almost took my breath away. I wasn't used to seeing him like this; I was so used to his little sarcastic smirks that I found it shocking that he even knew what a smile was. When he smiled though -- well, it put sexy to a whole new level.


  "Enough with the gooey stuff," Colt shouted.


  We smiled at each other and got up, Blakes' arm still wrapped around me like he couldn't bear to be apart from me.


  "I love Tumblr," Courtney gushed randomly. She wasn't even on her phone, so I had no idea why she even brought it up. It was true that she loved it though -- she was one of those 'tumblr-famous' people. "It's so much fun," She continued, "I just love snogging -- I mean, blogging pictures!"


  "Courtney, stop doing that," I groaned at her, hating the blush that I could feel forming on my cheeks.


  "Doing what?" She asked innocently.


  I glared at her. "Pretending to say the wrong words. You too, Colt. Kiss, miss. Smooch, scooch. Snog, blog. You're just doing it to make me blush," I vented, blushing even more when they started laughing.


  After a few more minutes, Liam finally sobered up. "Okay, we'll get out of your hair, you little lovebirds. Come on, Courts, Colt." He held out a hand and pulled Courtney up, ignoring Colt who pretended to be hurt. Liam smiled back at me when I smiled appreciatively at him, "Let's grab something to eat. Hayleigh's a bit annoyed and we don't want her to make out -- I mean, take it out on us."


  "Liam!" I shouted, not able to give him a proper lecture before the three of them quickly made their way out of where we were sitting, their laughter loud and clear for everyone in the vicinity to hear. I pouted and turned to Blake.


  "At least we're alone now," He murmured.

  "At least we're alone now," I repeated contentedly, before allowing myself to be pulled back down.

 should i continue this comment, please tell me! i have some ideas but some other stories i wanna publish also.