Maintaining Dominance

Chapter 23

I open my eyes, assaulted by the bright lights that the drawn curtains are letting in. I groan and try to move but realize that there is something heavy lying on top of me. I tilt my head up and see that Nathan is still in his spot from when I woke up earlier. We had talked and shared a few passionate kisses.

"So are you guys officially a thing or what is going to happen now?" I hear a female voice say and look over to see my mother standing there. She looks tired but I know that she must have gone home last night.

"He isn't ready yet to tell other people, but I'm ready to accept that kind of stipulation," I tell her and sigh lying my head back. I can't help but wonder about how I am going to explain all of this to Easton. We never explained where it was that Trevor had gone and went to such lengths to keep him from understanding what had happened.

"Well, I am glad things have settled down then. For a few weeks there, I was worrying that Jessie might get pregnant from all of the times I heard or noticed things between you two." My jaw dropped and my face went bright red and I scoffed, unable to believe that she has known about Jessie and I the entire time. She raised an eyebrow at my shocked expression and laughs slightly. "Hayden, I'm your mother, whether or not I want to, I hear everything." I look away, unable to face her.

"Yeah, sorry, well I'm actually wondering how we are going to explain all of this to Easton," I confess and she holds her hand up.

"I told him last night what I thought he needed to know. He knows Trevor isn't coming back as he took it hard but understands better now." I feel a weight lift off of my shoulder as she takes a seat and I begin to play with Nathan's hair. I keep thinking about the things I had seen after the accident, the conversations I had with Trevor. I feel like they were real.

"Do you remember why it is that you flipped the car?" My mother asks and I look up at her, she is looking at me with eyes that feel like they are peering into my soul.

"She had a gun and noticed the car following behind us. I let go of the wheel and grabbed her arm, which made us run into the guard rail. I was going so fast and ramped it, so we flipped." It wasn't something I did on purpose, I just didn't want to see her hurt anyone else. She won't hurt anybody ever again though. I remember Trevor urging me to come with him and tear up at the idea that I actually thought of just letting go.

"Well, she got what she had coming to her." My mother says and I notice the anger that is still in her eyes. My hands are still unconsciously running through Nathan's hair, it is soothing and I feel as if I could put me back to sleep.

"Do you believe that there is something beyond this world?" I ask my mother and she looks at me surprised. I have never asked spiritual questions before but I realize now that what happened yesterday had to have been real.

"I would like to believe so. Why do you ask?" She reaches into her purse and starts to look for what I assume to be her phone. I bite down on my lip and wonder to myself if I should tell her what I saw, I can't explain how it makes me feel. She looks up once I don't answer and I feel the tears building behind my eyes. "Hayden, What's going on?"

I look down and see that Nathan is still sleeping soundly. "I saw everything, but I wasn't alone," I tell her and she furrows her eyebrows, not quite understanding what I am talking about.

"Who was with you?" Explain to me what you are talking about." Her expression shows genuine confusion and I can't blame her, she did not almost die. I can't believe that she will ever truly understand what is going on.

"At first, I remember being alone, waking up on the asphalt and not realizing that I was still hanging upside down in the car. I saw my own face, the blood, there was so much blood in the car. Then I heard a voice behind me and then Trevor was there." She stands and comes to my side, grabbing my arms. Nathan wakes up and asks what is going on.