Reason 27: You are THE girl
I knock on the door quick, then shove my hands in my jeans. She makes me nervous. Real nervous. The good kind of nervous. The kind that makes me want to jump and not care about what happens.
That was real sappy. I’ve become a love-crazed sonnet spewin’ sucker. Just like everyone else who figures out what they want.
The handle turns and I’m about to do a one-knee-er ‘cause I’m that big of a sap now, but it’s judgmental mom.
“May I help you?”
She acts as if she doesn’t know who I am. I know she does. She’s given me those pissy stares since I first locked eyes with her.
“Is Hayley home?”
Her hand moves to the back of the door. The ready position to slam it in my face. I tuck my foot in the doorway. “She’s busy. You can see her at school.”
“Please, I need to talk to her. It’s important.”
She lets out a dismissive laugh that sounds like a grunt in her Cruella voice. “What is so important you have to distract her from her exercises?”
I lied. Quynn wasn’t the hardest one to tell. It’s Hayles’ mother. I scratch the back of my neck and gulp.
“I love her.”
If she had been drinking anythin’, it would’ve been sprayed all over my face. I get a little spit anyway when her mouth pops open, and she ‘gah’s’ at me.
“Excuse me? Who do you think you are?”
“My name’s Brody Grant.”
“I know who you are. But are you blind? Maybe a little slow in the head? Or just looking for someone to roll around with till you leave for college?”
Whoa, whoa, whoa. What kind of parent talks like this?
“Why would you ask that?” I say through my teeth.
“You’re taking advantage of my daughter. I don’t know what you’re using her for, but I won’t allow it. No one with your…” She gestures to my body and lets the thought drop. I cross my arms. “Would spend time with my Hayley without an agenda.”
Heat is crawlin’ through my chest, beggin’ to be unleashed. I choke back the insult I’ve got for her, and try to come up with somethin’ that doesn’t have the word ‘bitch’ in it.
“You must not know me that well, then.” Bitch. “I’m in love with your daughter because she’s the best thing that’s happened to me. She’s smart, funny, and has a kickass body. And I’m not goin’ to hide her till I find her ‘acceptable’. She’s already perfect. And I don’t care what you think. I’m tellin’ her that.”
I shove past her, ignorin’ the protests and the threats to call the cops if I’m not outta there in five minutes. I go straight to Hayles’ room. She’s lying on the floor, headphones in her ears, eyes closed and tears goin’ down the sides of her face and landin’ in her hair. She’s singin’. Soft and beautiful, and I’m amazed I know the song. It’s from a musical. Judge me all you want, but I know Les Miserables.
I close the door behind me. Judgmental mom gave me five minutes. I’m goin’ to make them count. Lying on the floor, heads together and feet facin’ opposite directions, I wipe a tear from her eye as she sings the last note.
She jumps, sittin’ straight up and holdin’ her chest.
“Holy friggin’ fruitbats. You scared the snot out of me.”
“Sorry.” I smile. I’m not sorry at all.
She punches me in the shoulder, doin’ that friend act she’s been keepin’ up all week. “Whatcha doing here, Mr. Grant?” Her eyes go to her door like she’s finally realizing I’m in her room. “Oh my gosh, how did you get up here?”
“I dodged past your mom.”
She laughs. A Hayley laugh. “You are crazy. What is so important you couldn’t just text me?”
I jump to my feet and reach for her hands, which suddenly need to be in her pockets. I smirk at her, take her wrists and pull them from her pants, trapping them in mine.
She’s not gettin’ away this time.
“I told her.”
“What?”
“I told Quynn that I’m in love with you.”
Her face gets real red. That damn cute red that drives me crazy. “Um, why would you do that?”
I shake my head, smilin’ at her. “‘Cause it’s the truth, you dork.”
“And… you’re okay with that? You’re… happy?”
She sounds like it’s a hard concept to grasp. That I’m happy to be in love with the most amazin’ girl I’ve ever met.
I let go of one of her hands to jam mine in my back pocket. I pull out the worn piece of paper. The one that’s been read and re-read so many times so I’ve got them all memorized. The one I keep addin’ things to because there are just so many reasons why I want her. Why she’s the girl.
“Hayles,” I say, tuckin’ the paper into her palm, “this is the first list of many I plan on writin’ for you. Whatever it takes to let you know how incredible you are, I’ll do it. You don’t have to be with me if that’s not what you want, but you should know how much you mean to someone. How important you are.”
Her mouth splits open into her Hayley smile. The one that goes right up to her dark green eyes. “My list?” She tugs me to the bed, plops us down, her hands shakin’ as she opens it.
“You’re goin’ to read it now?”
“Duh!” She giggles. “I’ve been waiting for it. I didn’t think I’d get it after… you know.” She waves it off like our argument was nothin’ more than just a tiny spat. I laugh, putting my arm behind her and readin’ over her shoulder even though I know them all.
She’s laughin’, and the smile on her face doesn’t leave. She gasps at number twenty-three and slaps me in the arm. But by the end of the list, she’s practically in my lap, hand on my leg and tears in her eyes, but not like the ones she had a few minutes ago.
“Brody?”
“Yeah?”
She takes a deep breath and turns to face me, her leg separating us from bein’ as close as I want to be.
“I’m sorry.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What do you have to be sorry for?”
Another deep breath. “You were right. It was me who was keeping us apart. I… I didn’t want to love you because I was afraid you’d wake up and realize what a cow you’ve chosen for a girlfriend.”
“Hayles—”
“Sorry, I won’t do that anymore. After reading this, I get it.”
Something in my chest tightens. And I want to pull her into me, but I wait for her to finish.
“I guess I am pretty awesome.”
I laugh, and that’s it for my self control. Cuppin’ her face in my hands, I pull her mouth to mine, lettin’ her smile and kiss me at the same time. I like that. She’s happy to be kissin’ me.
And I’m smilin’ too. Even when judgmental mom comes in, I wave her off, givin’ her a ‘one more minute’ finger. But yeah, that woman is a lot stronger than I thought she would be. She pulls me from the room and tosses me down the stairs and out the front door.
I’m about to drive away when Hayles comes runnin’ down the driveway, ignorin’ the Cruella Devil screams behind her and plops in the seat next to me.
“I want another one.” She smiles, and I give her what she wants. She can have everything she wants.
She pulls back, then buckles her seatbelt and tosses her feet on the dash. Her hand goes right for the stereo. “Where to, Mr. Grant?”
“How long do you have?”
“As long as you want.”
I put the car in gear and pull out onto the road. “Feel like meetin’ my parents?”
“They’re home?”
I smirk. “They will be, in about three hours.”
She tucks her hand in mine, givin’ me an evil grin. “I think we can pump one out in three hours.”
I speed the rest of the way home.