Page 15 of Finding Hayes
But my mind was elsewhere.
I was actually looking forward to walking home and being alone. But I couldn’t very well turn down the ride since he’d waited two hours for me.
“Well, thank you. I appreciate it,” I lied.
As we stepped outside, Hayes was standing there, and his gaze moved from me to Scotty and back to me. “Hey, do you need a ride?”
“She’s got a ride,” Scotty said before I could respond.
“Just making sure she wants to take that ride.” Hayes squared his shoulders, and I rolled my eyes, because they were both ridiculous.
They’d never cared for one another.
Maybe I’d let Hayes’s dislike of Scotty sway me back in the day. But today, I could make decisions for myself. I certainly didn’t rely on Hayes Woodson anymore.
“I’m all set. Thanks for the offer, and thanks for coming,” I said, and he nodded. I brushed past him and found my stride beside Scotty as we made our way to his car.
I was emotionally drained.
I wanted to be alone.
Cry it out.
But the minute Scotty slipped into the driver’s seat, he started talking. “You two didn’t keep in touch after you moved away?”
“Me and Hayes?”
“Yeah. You were so tight growing up.”
“Well, people change. No, we didn’t keep in touch.” I could taste the bitterness on my tongue as the words left my mouth.
They say friendship breakups can be as tough as romantic breakups. I’m here to say, the ending of my friendship with Hayes Woodson was the greatest loss of my life—as far as a person whowas still living.
I’d grieved, and I’d hurt, and it had taken a long time to get over the betrayal.
I’d been blindsided by the person I’d trusted most.
“I always thought he was the reason that you broke up with me,” he said, turning to look at me when he approached the stop sign.
Are we really doing this on the day I just said goodbye to Abe?
Scotty and I had dated for six months. It was high school. It just didn’t work out.
And sure, Hayes hadn’t liked him, but that wasn’t the reason I’d ended it.
It wasn’t the only reason, at least.
Scotty was a narcissist at its finest. He was all about himself, and it had been entertaining at first, but it wore on me over time.
“Nope. I think the relationship just ran its course.” I stared out the window, looking at the field where Abe had taught me to ride a horse all those years ago.
My head was pounding. My heart felt like a gigantic elephant had copped a squat there.
“I don’t think so, babe. I think that dude was jealous.” He turned down the final street, and relief flooded that this was almost over.
Did he seriously just call mebabe?
And is this driveway the longest driveway known to man?
