Love Heals All (21 page)

Hayes

How can she
be so beautiful?

Anything she does is perfect. She's perfect. And she doesn't even know it.

We're watching the movie, and she's been dancing and singing all the songs to
The Little Mermaid
. Yes, I let her make me watch it. She's just so cute!

I sound so sappy and lovestruck, but I don't care. She really is my world, and I would do anything for her.

“Come on, Hayes, sing with me!” She threw her arms in the air and twirled, standing on the bed.

“It's so amusing just to watch you.” I laughed, shaking my head side to side.

“Aw, Haas, please?” She pouted.

“No. Let's just lie down and watch the movie,” I whined.

“Ugh, fine! I'm only doing this for you, and 'cause I'm tired.” She giggled, lying down beside me.

I wrapped my arms around her, pulling her closer. Just like always. I love the feel of her in my arms, safe and sound. It's the only place we can have peace and quiet.

“You know, I started trusting you faster than anyone else. It took me a while to get used to everyone, but with you, it clicked. Like, you're here for a reason, and I need to trust you,” Autumn said, looking up at me after the movie finished.

“Well, I am here for a reason, and it's to love and care for you. I'd do anything to keep you safe.” I looked into her eyes.

“I mean, I have such bad trust issues, but it's, like, you broke down a wall I thought could never be broken,” she whispered.

“I'm happy to be the one who broke it down. It says that I'm a big part of your heart, like you are of mine.”

“You got that right. You're one of the most important.” She kissed my collarbone, and snuggled closer to me.

She gives me chills every time she does that. I hate it,
and
I love it. It's bittersweet.

“Hey, I'm going to go change!” she sang, leaping off the bed, grabbing a change of clothes, and running over to the bathroom.

When she came out, she was wearing a black-and-gold NY shirt, polka-dot pajama bottoms, and black giraffe ankle socks.

“I need to change, too.” I kissed her cheek and went into the bathroom.

When I came out, she was asleep. Curled up on the bed, looking peaceful. I lay down, wrapped my arms around her, and instantly fell asleep.

Early the Next Morning

Autumn

I woke up
the next morning to banging on the door. I groaned and got up. When I opened the door, Ella was standing there. I smiled sleepily, and she frowned. “Did I wake you up?” she asked.

“Yeah, but it's fine.” I waved her into the room. Bart, Aly, and Hayes were all still asleep, so I motioned that we should be quiet.

“What are you doing here? It's so early.” It was about seven in the morning. I should still be asleep.

“I know, but I can't sleep. I feel like something good is going to happen today,” she said excitedly.

“Well, I'm happy that you feel that way, but please, can't we just go back to bed,” I said to her, pushing her toward the door.

“Ugh, fine. Love you, Auts.” She kissed my forehead, then walked down the hallway to her room.

I rolled my eyes. Sisters. They are
crazy
! I climbed back in bed, my back toward Hayes.

“Who was at the door?” he asked groggily.

“I thought you were asleep,” I whispered.

“No, I wasn't. Just waiting for you,” he whispered.

“Well, it was Ella, and we need to go back to sleep. It's too early to be awake.” I yawned.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and intertwined our fingers. I fell back into a peaceful sleep.

Later That Morning

I woke up,
and Hayes was lying next to me watching TV. I turned over and laid my head on his shoulder.

“Do you want to have a lazy day today?” I asked him.

“Yeah. Let's invite the others,” he said.

“Okay. Let's go tell them.” I sat up but got pulled back down.

“How about we text them.”

“Seems okay.” I laughed, settling down next to him again.

He texted everyone in our group text that we were all gonna have a lazy day and to bring snacks and wear their pajamas.

“I gotta go brush my teeth,” I said, heading into the bathroom. While I was there, I washed my face, too, and put on my glasses. I went back into the room and sat on the bed, watching TV and cuddling with Hayes until the rest of the gang joined us.

After fifteen minutes of watching reruns of
Ridiculousness
, there was a knock on the door. We yelled, “Come in,” and everyone piled inside the room.

“Heeeeey!” I said, as everyone found a place to sit and we started eating.

We put in
Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
. We decided to let Aly watch it just this once, after bickering for ten minutes with Bart. He's so protective of her, and it's really cute.

We watched movies and played around until three in the morning. We almost got kicked out of the hotel with our foolish behavior, but I loved it. We can always have fun.

We're back to our normal selves again.

Three Months Later

Autumn

FAM Tour is
over. It was so much fun while it lasted. I guess all good things have to come to an end.

I cried for two days straight, knowing I wouldn't be around my best friends all day anymore. No Bailey, Shaelyn, Aly, Bart, Daniel, Aaron, Jonah, Tez, Alec, Alyssa, Mason, Brandon, Alyssa, Gabby . . . none of them.

Notice I didn't say Carter, Cameron, or Ella, because they are all going to live in North Carolina! Well, Carter already lived here, but he's moving closer, and Cameron and Ella are getting an apartment right down the street from Nash and Hayes, and I may or may not be living with them . . .

Ella and Cameron are now a couple! Cameron asked her out when they went on a romantic date to the beach, and Ella said, and I quote, “He asked me in the sweetest way possible, and it was right when the sun was setting!” She was really excited. Cameron decided to move down here since Ella's now my legal guardian, and she didn't want me to have to be separated from Hayes.

Bart and Aly found out they were brother and sister when Bart's mom visited us when we were in Virginia. She started crying when she saw Aly, and told the two of them everything! It was really sweet, and now Aly's back with her real family. We're all happy for her.

My relationship with Hayes is still going strong. We're starting school in a couple of days, and I'm excited but nervous! Excited because I now cheer at White Lightning Athletics in Davidson. It's near our school, it's really fun, and I've met lots of new friends. I also do hip-hop at Motion Dance Studio in Cornelius, and it's not that far away.

I get to see Hayes every day. After his football practice and my dance or cheer practice, we always go to his house or somewhere around town. I've met all of his close football friends and their girlfriends. They're all really nice.

I was watching Hayes's practice with Lana, Hayes's best friend and Tyler's girlfriend. She's on my cheerleading and hip-hop teams, and we get along really well, but she's nothing like the other girls I spent the summer with. She's pretty close, though.

“Do you wanna spend the night at my house tonight?” Lana asked, pulling me away from my thoughts.

“I wish, but I'm babysitting Skylynn tonight with Hayes. Apparently, she didn't want to be alone with him.” I giggled.

She laughed. “Aww, darn! Maybe tomorrow?”

“For sure.” I smiled. We started talking and somehow we got on the topic of cheerleading.

“Did you see Haley's tuck? It got way better,” Lana said, talking about yesterday's practice. We have practice every other day. And on the days we don't, we have dance workouts, but dance got canceled today.

“Yeah! It was awesome. I can't believe she learned it in only a couple of weeks.”

Lana and I don't gossip about the team. We keep to ourselves and don't listen. We want to have a good team with members who all think of one another as family. Everyone agrees except for Madeline and Meredith, or, as we call them, the double M's. They're rude and only on the team for popularity. They hate to cheer, so I don't get how they got on a level-five team.

When practice was over, Tyler and Hayes came up to us and gave us huge hugs. We pushed them back and looked at each other, disgusted.

“Y'all stink!” Lana and I said at the same time.

“Well, thank you.” Hayes rolled his eyes. I laughed and gave him a quick peck.

“I have a surprise for you at the house,” he whispered in my ear as we walked.

Lana, Tyler, Hayes, and I walked to Elizabeth's car. We all were headed to Hayes's house to watch movies and stuff until he and I had to start babysitting. We hopped into the car and said hi to Elizabeth.

I was sitting shotgun while Lana complained about how bad the boys smelled. I laughed and told her to suck it up, the house was only five minutes away.

Once we got there, Lana jumped out immediately and lay on the ground, gasping in the fresh, non-boy-scented air. I laughed and pulled her up.

“Were they really that bad?”

“Yes!”
she said.

I laughed at her as she ran into the house, probably straight toward the kitchen.

I went inside and ran upstairs to Skylynn's room, only to see Will playing with her.

“Will!”
I ran and crushed him with a big hug.

“Hey, kiddo. What's up?” he laughed, hugging me back.

“I thought you were in Florida until next week?” I said excitedly.

“They let me come home a week earlier so I can spend time with family before fall training begins,” he said.

“Well, I'm happy you're back.” I hugged him tighter.

“Ahem.” Hayes coughed, walking in.

“Was this the surprise?” I asked him.

He smirked and nodded. I ran over to him and hugged him, wrapping my legs around his waist. He hugged back, and I kissed his cheek. “It was a great surprise.” I looked into his eyes, smiling.

“I'm happy you liked it.” He gave me a kiss until Sky ruined it.

“Ewww! Mommy, Hayes and Autumn are kissing again!” Skylynn screamed, running down the stairs.

We laughed and I hopped off of him, pushing him out of the door. “You need to shower.” I pinched my nose.

“I'll be right back.” He walked down the hall to the bathroom. I could hear the shower turn on as I walked over to Hayes's room, where Lana and Tyler were stuffing their faces with cheese puffs. I guess he already showered?

“Hey, share, you pigs.” I pouted, sitting down beside them on the bed.

“We aren't pigs, we're cows,” Tyler said sassily. Lana laughed her head off.

“Well, then, I'll just take these, considering y'all are vegetarians,” I said smartly, taking the bag out of his hands.

“I'm not a cow, I'm a pig! Now, gimme those cheese puffs,” Lana said, attempting a gangster voice.

I laughed at her failure at sounding like a gangster and gave her a handful. Meanwhile, Tyler was staring at the cheese puffs dreamily. Cheese puffs are his and Lana's favorite.

“Okay, fine, I give up!” he dramatically yelled, taking the cheese puffs from Lana. They started wrestling over them while I Vined it and posted it right away, of course.

Hayes walked in, wondering what was going on. He was wearing fresh clothes and smelled heavenly. I waved him over to sit next to me and told him what was going on.

“It's the duel of the cheese puffs,” I told him.

“Again? Really? I should just get my mom to stop buying them.” Tyler and Lana stopped when they heard that.

“Mrs. Elizabeth will never ever stop buying cheese puffs. That would be child abuse,” Lana seethed.

“I'm sorry! Why don't you just go downstairs and get the other bag?” Hayes put his hands up in surrender.

“Wow, Hayes, you actually said something smart,” Tyler said, walking out, probably on his way to get more cheese puffs.

“They're so weird.” I shook my head and laid it on Hayes's shoulder.

“That's just how they are.” Hayes wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer.

“You guys are cute.” Lana smiled.

“Thanks, but you and Tyler are cuter.” I smiled at her.

“We've only been together for a month, so there's no way we could be cuter than y'all. You've been together for months.” She smirked.

“Sure.” I winked, putting my legs on her lap.

Tyler walked in with a whole new bag of cheese puffs, and we started watching movies and playing random games.

We all hung out together for three hours until they had to go. Hayes and I had to babysit Skylynn because Nash was in Canada with Shaelyn, Daniel, and Bailey. Lucky butt. And Will, Johnnie, and Elizabeth were going out to eat with some important people or something.

“Be good, Sky,” Elizabeth said while they walked out.

“Yay! We're all alone!”
Skylynn started running around the house.

It was going to be a
long
night.

These days, being here, being with people I love, and being with Hayes, are the best, and I definitely wouldn't trade Hayes to hang out with Teo Halm . . .