When I'm Gone ( Nate Maloley AU)

Chapter Sixteen

Hayden's POV:

"Hello, I'm Cameron," the brown eyed boy says, and shakes my hand.

"Hayden." I smile at the male.

Nate pulls me towards him and I stare at him. His grip tightens, and the blue eyed boy stares at us.

"So, who's girlfriend is she?," the blue eyed boy asks, "Sammy's?"

My eyes widen and my fave heats intensely.

"She's my step-sister, Nash. She's Nate's girlfriend."

He looks at me and laughs.

"Wow."

I eye him and Cameron looks at me to push it off. Two dogs run towards us. One is a husky, and the other looks like a Golden Retriever. They both attack me, knocking my small body to the ground. Tongues attack my face and I giggle. Sitting up.

"Jake, Jaxx, sit", Cameron says.

They do and I smile. Getting help from Nate. We're lead into the living room, and Nate pulls me into his lap, so Nash's hands aren't all over me. Jack J sits next to us.

They talk for awhile while I look down at my phone. My mom just recently sent me all the pictures of my dad and I together when i was a child. I smile when I see the two of us at the park, as he's pushing me on a swing. I feel Nate look down.

"Hey, who's parent married who's," Cameron asks.

"Oh uh, my mom married Sam's dad," I smile hoping that no one asks about my father.

I miss him. He never really bothered to see me though.

"What happened to your father, Hayden?" Nash asks.

I look at Sammy for help.

"Nash, just don't. We aren't getting into this now," sammy says.

"What? I just want to get to know her," he spits defensively.

"Nash, stop making this uncomfortable."

I shake my head and stand from Nate's lap, going up to the guest room we're in. I hear Nate call for me. I needed to be alone. This was all too much, and I just can't handle it.

I lay on the bed and stare at the ceiling, seeing the circular pattern painted on the ceiling. I sigh and grab my phone. Opening up Wattpad, to read my new favorite fanfiction. Though I'm sure it was made a couple years ago. The door opens and I look over at Nate.

"Go be with your friends, Nate. I'm okay," I whisper.

"I'm sorry that Nash is being this way. He usually isn't," Nate says sitting beside me.

"It's okay, I promise, Nate. My mom just sent me pictures of my dad and I. I really just want to look at them alone," I whisper with tears springing into my eyes.

"Okay, beautiful. I love you," he smiles and kisses my cheek.

Nate shuts the door, and I look through the texts. I look at one from my second birthday, and he looks so sick. A video shows up, and I click it. It's of myself lying in bed, at four years old, and my father sitting next to me. He's reading the Three Little Piggies. I smile as I watch myself drift off to sleep. All these memories I forgot.

He wasn't a bad man. Just a man who didn't want his only daughter at the time to watch him die. He loved my mom and I more than anything. I smile and hold the phone to my chest.

Maybe I was wrong about him, and even though he's gone I know I can forgive him for not being there.

•••

"Hayden," Nate whispers.

"Huh?"

"You hungry?

"No, I'm just tired."

Nate pushes me over and lies with me. I shut my eyes, and fall into a dream.

I was in my room at my old house when my parents were together. Doing my homework, and blaring Fall Out Boy.

"I'm not going to have her watch me...," the last words were blared out.

"then leave!"

I look at my door and turn up the sound louder. Trying to drown out their words. Sam wasn't home so I couldn't go to him.

I never said goodbye to him. The front door slammed and I watched as my father left my life, and no one dared to stop him.

I sit up and wipe my face. That was the last time I saw him alive. The last time I was able to tell him I loved him.