Waiting for Us (26 page)

“I guess I should have asked you first before I pulled you up here. May I have this dance?”

“Of course you can.” We sway to the slow song, wrapped in each other’s arms. My head is resting on his chest and I never want this moment to end. We stay like that, barely moving until a song with a fast beat comes on. Cory pulls away and starts waving his arms around and dancing all crazy. He looks so ridiculous I can’t stop laughing. I’m bent over clutching my stomach laughing like a loon over his dorky behavior. He finally stops dancing when I think my stomach can’t take any more laughing. He picks me up by my waist and swings me around a few times making me shriek with laughter. When he sets me down, I’m a little dizzy. I clutch his arms until I regain my balance.

“I fucking love to make you laugh. I may make it my life’s mission to make you belly laugh every single day.” He swipes his index finger down my nose and then he kisses me on my cheek, close to my mouth. “I’m having such a great time with you, babe. Thanks for spending the day with me.”

“Cory, I’m having a great time with you too and I’m so happy you’re here.”

         The four of us spent the next couple of hours sitting on our blankets and enjoying the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. I’m definitely picking up on some sort of vibe between Jake and Shelby. I mentioned it to her earlier in the night and she told me I was crazy and that they’re just friends. I know her too well and I don’t believe it for a minute.

Since coming down to the beach a few hours ago, I have finished six margaritas and I’m feeling pretty damn good from them. When we finally decide to head back to the house, my legs feel unsteady and I have a case of the giggles.
Hey, at least I’m a happy drunk.
Cory shakes the sand out my blanket and neatly folds it up before handing it off to Shelby. He squats down in front of me.

“Get on babe, I think you need a ride.” I clumsily jump onto him and he firmly holds the back of my thighs pressing me against him. I loop my arms around his neck and he starts to make his way through the slippery sand with me leaning my chin on his shoulder. He’s moving at a pretty quick pace now so I kiss his neck, just below his ear.

“Hailey, behave.” He admonishes me. I’m feeling naughty from the alcohol, though, so I don’t listen. I lick his neck and nibble on his earlobe as we make our way to my front door. He stops on the side of my house and removes me from his back, pressing me against the outside wall of our garage.

“Babe, you need to stop. I’m trying to behave here. I promised I’d keep it innocent this weekend, but I can’t do that if you are going to provoke me.” I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him down towards my mouth.

“I just need to taste your lips, Cory. Just one little taste.” Cory lets out a groan as if he’s in pain and drops his head down closer to mine, stopping a few inches above me.

“Then taste me, babe.” I rise up on my tip toes and brush his lips with a feather light kiss. He freezes in place and lets me continue. I take his bottom lip between mine and suck it into my mouth before biting it.

“Mmm, you taste delicious,” I tell him. His hands suddenly grip my hair and he tugs my head back till I’m looking up at him.

“You need to stop now baby, I’m so close to ripping your shorts down and plunging my cock inside you,” He tells me through gritted teeth.

“Are you gonna behave now?” I nod my head and he releases his grip on me. He steps back away from me, running his hands up and down his face.” I think it’s time for you to get some sleep babe.”

“Will you tuck me in?” 

“If you promise to behave yourself I will.” He takes my hand, pulling me towards the door. He pauses before he opens it. “I need you to go to bed without trying anything funny, okay?”

“Okay.” I smile up at him. ‘Can I have one more kiss?” I ask pouting. God, if I were sober right now, I would really hate myself.

“Yes, but I’m kissing you and you need to keep your hands to yourself.” He leans down and brushes his lips against mine for the briefest moment. “That’s all you get for now. Come Sunday night we can talk and decide if you want more. You need to be completely sober for that discussion, though.”

He opens my front door and pulls me inside. Before I even realize it, I’m whisked up the stairs and into my room. I pull my shirt up over my head as I make my way to the bureau to grab a shirt to sleep in. I pull the tee over my head and remove my bra once it’s on. I take my shorts off and go use the bathroom before I can climb into my bed.

“Will you come cuddle with me?” I ask sleepily. “I promise I’ll behave. I just wanna see what it’s like to sleep in your arms.” He removes his shorts, leaving on his shirt and boxer briefs and then climbs in beside me. He turns to his side and pulls my back to his chest. His arm is wrapped around my waist and I feel like I’m encapsulated in a safe and blissful warmth.

“Good night Cory,” I mumble.

“Sweet dreams babe.”

The warmth of the early morning sun on my face and the heat of a firm, male form pressed along my back are the first things I notice as I slowly stir from a deep and satisfying sleep. It takes me a moment to fully grasp where I am and who I’m in bed with. His warm lips nuzzle the back of my neck and move over to nibble on the bottom of my ear. I smile to myself,
I’d recognize those lips anywhere.
I arch my back, rubbing against him like a cat purring for attention.

“This is the best morning I’ve ever had,” he whispers in my ear. I’m overcome with emotion and my throat tightens as I try to speak.
He needs to hear that I feel the same.
As I roll onto my back and look up at his handsome face, I am once again overwhelmed by the happiness I see reflected in his eyes. He opens his mouth and I place my finger over his lips, interrupting him with a gentle kiss from my fingertip. It takes me a moment to regain my voice.

“Let me say something first.” He’s always the one who puts himself out there and for once I want him to know what I’m feeling. “I’ve had so much fun with you the past couple of days and spending so much time together has been really eye-opening for me.” I pause to gather my thoughts and he looks anxious about what I might say next. “You and I have picked up our friendship again, with no issues at all. It’s like we were never apart and it’s better than ever. His expression is so serious; I reach up to smooth the frown lines between his brows. “As much as I enjoy being your friend, that’s not what I want. I love this, waking up in your arms. I can’t think of a better way to begin my day. I want to be with you, kiss you, make love with you and wake up with you always.” The words have barely escaped my lips before he has me wrapped in his arms.

“Babe, you just made me so happy. You’re not going to regret this. I’m going to show you every day how much you mean to me.” His eyes are glassy with tears as he leans down to kiss me. I let him brush his lips against mine before I push him away.

“Babe?” He cocks an eyebrow, waiting for me to explain why I won’t kiss him.

“I don’t want to start anything physical with you until I have a chance to talk to Marcus. I need to let him know that you and I are together and that he and I will go back to being friends only. It feels disrespectful to him, and us, if I don’t handle this properly. I don’t want there to be any questions in his mind or anyone else’s that our relationship began after I ended things with him.”

“I know we’ve never talked about how you feel about him, but I am curious about it. Do you love him?” He asks with worry in his eyes.

“I do love him.” He looks crestfallen as I say those words. “Cory, I love him like a best friend. Yes, we slept together and enjoyed each other’s company but spending time with you every day for the past month and even just the past two days alone, has opened my eyes. I now realize, I feel so much more for you.” He flashes me a smile, pulling me against his chest. He caresses my hair and squeezes me close.

“I’m so happy Hailey. This is the first day of us as a couple. Oh my, God, we’re an “us” now.” His smile radiates with happiness and he’s so adorable it makes my heart feel as though it can’t possibly contain all the feelings I have for him.

Chapter Forty-One

July 2015 - Marcus

I’m sitting at a bar somewhere in L.A., knocking shots back to numb my pain. Today is the sixth of July. It’s difficult for me to believe it’s only been three days since my heart was ripped clear out of my chest. It feels like so much more time has passed than that. I place my elbows on the bar top and rest my head in my hands as I think back over the events that transpired over the past few days.

I used my bonus money from my landscaping job to buy a roundtrip ticket so I could be with Hailey for the fireworks on the third. My flight was late leaving so by the time I arrived at the beach the fireworks had already begun. I made my way through the crowd, to our spot and found Hailey sitting there with Cory wrapped around her. I kept my distance and decided I would observe their behavior and see what was going on. I wish I hadn’t, I wish I had just walked straight over to her and pulled her away from him. Instead, I stayed back and watched first hand, how happy she is with him. She was laughing at Cory while he was dancing foolishly and she looked at him with an expression I’ve never seen before. An expression I’ve never seen her look at me with. I would gladly spend my whole life trying to make her happy just to see her look at me in that exact same way, but I know she never will. I’ve been fooling myself all this time. It’s always been him. Even when he was out of the picture, he was still there...in her thoughts and memories. I can’t compete with how she feels about him and she won’t want to hurt my feelings by telling me. That is if she will admit to herself that she’s in love with him. I know what needs to be done. She can’t know I’ve been there and that I saw them together. I’m going to take advantage of the distance between us and tell her I’m staying in California permanently. Then she’ll be free to move on to her happily ever after with Cory.

***

  I flew back to California that very same night and drank tequila until I passed out in my room. I spent the next two days lying in bed in a complete state of depression. I kept sleeping as much as possible because only when I was asleep could I forget about my heartache. I finally dragged my ass out of bed Sunday night and made myself take a long, hot shower. It helped a little, but nothing prepared me for the conversation Hailey and I had.

“Hey, Hails. How was your weekend?”

“It was great, but I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Listen, I need to talk to you about something. I know this is sudden, but I’ve decided to stay out here permanently. I’m really enjoying working with my dad and I
think it’s best if I continue to do so.”
I close my eyes as I wait for her to reply.

“O, okay,”
she stutters. “
Whatever you think is best for you
Marcus
.” I can hear her voice wavering. I can tell she’s trying not to cry.

“I’m going to miss you so much Hails.”
I grit my teeth and try to hold my composure at least until I get off the phone.

“I will miss you every day Marcus O’Connor. Don’t forget
about your bestie while you’re living the high life.”
She jokes to make light of her pain and that’s typical Hailey. Always trying to hold it in and be the strong one.

“Hails, I could never forget about you.”
No truer words have ever been spoken by me. She will always be a part of me, no matter where I am. There isn’t a day that goes by that I won’t be wondering what she’s doing and hoping for her happiness.

“Be happy baby girl. He’s out there, go find him.”
And with those words I touch the screen, ending our call. I fall on my bed and sob into my pillow, wondering how I’m going to survive without her in my life.

***

  Which brings me back to why I’m sitting at this bar and drinking myself numb. It’s been twenty-four hours since I last spoke with Hailey since I last heard her voice. I wonder how she’s doing and hope that she’s dealing with this better than I am. I know in time she will be fine. She has Cory and as much as it pains me to admit this, they were meant to be together. I knock back another shot as I notice someone sit down beside me.

“Hello, Marcus.” I hear my name said in a sultry tone and when I look over I see Josie, the receptionist from work, sitting next to me.

“Hi.” I keep it simple.

“You look like you could use some cheering up.” She leans against my arm, pressing her ample chest against me. I take another glance at her and notice her chocolate brown eyes, full lips, and long brown hair. She looks nothing like Hailey and maybe this is just what I need. I turn on my stool and lean in towards her.

“What d’ya have in mind?”

Chapter Forty-Two

July 2015 -  Hailey

   Now that Cory and I have officially been together for six days we are free to go on our first date. Work kept us both busy during the week so we didn't have a chance to get together outside of the office. We tried to maintain an air of professionalism at the law firm. Now that it's Saturday and the moment is here, I’m feeling a little anxious about it as I’m getting ready and I’m not sure why. This is Cory...the guy I’ve loved since I was twelve years old. After all this time, I know that I’m able to fully be myself around him. I don’t need to put on any false pretenses or act a certain way. He accepts me for who I am, faults, flaws and all. He told me to dress casually and comfortably and that there would be some walking involved. I have no idea what he has planned but I know no matter what we do, we’ll have a great time. Being around Cory is always fun and now that we don’t have to deny our feelings any longer, we can ease some of this sexual tension between us. I’m not ready to have sex with him, but there are lots of other things we can do to relieve the stress we’ve both been dealing with. I can’t wait to get my hands on his hard body. It’s too much temptation for me to resist. I’ve fought the urge to be near him and forced myself stay away from him for five years and now that I no longer have to, all bets are off and hopefully his clothes will be too.

I’m touching up my lip gloss when I hear him knocking on the door. I smile at my reflection in the mirror and notice that my cheeks are flushed and my eyes are shining brightly.
This must be what love looks like.
It’s no surprise for me that I’m head over heels for Cory Marshall. I have loved that boy for eleven years now. Even when I hated him, I still loved him. I’m not going to tell him that, though. I’m going to take this relationship one day at a time and try not to place expectations on it. He says he’s all in and this is what he wants, but there’s a part of me that worries it will be too much for him and he may have a change of heart. It’s like when you buy a new car and you spend too much money on it. You tell yourself that you will have so much fun driving around town in it and you think about road trips you’ll take. But every month that large payment is dangerously hanging over your head and you’re too busy working to pay for your car, to even enjoy it. You start to wonder why you made such an extravagant purchase in the first place and wish you wouldn’t have rushed into it. Buyer’s remorse sucks and I don’t want Cory to feel any regret for starting a relationship with me. 

I open the door to find him standing there with a bouquet of daisies in his hand and a beaming smile on his face. I take a step back to let him in as he grabs me around the waist, with one of his arms, hugging me so tight, my feet lift off of the floor. I wrap my arms around his neck and lift my face toward his, signaling that I want a kiss from him. He kicks the door shut before lowering his lips till they meet mine. Although it starts out innocent, our kiss soon becomes heated. It’s only a minute till the flowers are on the floor and I’m on my back underneath him on my couch. There’s a lot of dry humping and groaning going on right now. Having him on top of me like this is heaven. It feels amazing to know that there’s no reason why we can’t keep doing this all night if we want to. I’m no longer too young, he’s single, Marcus is gone...yep no reason to stop. It’s all I can do to keep my hands from venturing down to his zipper and having my way with him. I know he’s trying to keep things from moving too fast, but I’ve been waiting for eleven years for him to be mine. It doesn’t get much slower than that. 

Cory pulls away and ends our little make out session and now I’m disappointed and turned on.

“We should get going before I stop myself from being a nice guy and just fuck you senseless.” He rubs his hands over his face and exhales loudly.

“If my opinion counts, I’m all for being fucked senseless by you." I sit up, placing both of my feet on the floor, before standing. I run my hands up and down his chest and play with the button on his jeans. He grabs both of my hands, pulling them away from his waistband.

“We should get going and you need to behave.” He scolds me.

“Where are we going? Is what I’m wearing appropriate? I ask him, glancing down at the skinny jeans, black flip flops and a charcoal gray tank top I’m wearing. This outfit is very casual and definitely comfortable. My hair is up in a messy bun on top of my head and I have sterling silver dangly earrings on.

“You look beautiful as usual. You know I love it when you are wearing your kick back clothes. What you chose is perfect because I’m taking you for a picnic in the public gardens and then we’re going to take a ride on a boat that a friend of mine owns. You should grab a sweatshirt so you won’t be cold on the water. I would say I’ll keep you warm, but someone has to drive the boat.” 

Cory drives us to the public gardens in his Range Rover and we find a parking space as close as possible. He opens my door for me and closes it behind me, reminding me of how impeccable his manners have always been. He grabs a picnic basket and a blanket from the back hatch, holding them in one hand and taking mine in his other. It’s only a short walk before we enter the gardens and as we continue on, I take in the expanse of the beautiful scene before me. The well-manicured grass is thick and dark green. It’s trimmed close to the ground, appearing healthy and lush, reminding me of a giant shag rug. We walk along for a bit and I’m enjoying the sensation of my hand being held in his. It seems surreal that we no longer have to hide our feelings and we can openly show our affection for each other.  Holding his hand in public is even better than I could have imagined. How can something so small, something that I’ve taken for granted hundreds of times in my life, have such a monumental feeling to it now?

We find an area that is away from the beaten path and offers us a sense of privacy. Cory spreads the blanket out on the grass, neatly and precisely, before setting the picnic basket down. I kick off my flip flops at the edge, where the grass and blanket meet, before taking a seat with my legs stretched out before me. He sits down next to me and flashes me a quick smile before he begins digging around in the basket. The light blue blanket is soft under my heels as I slide my legs up into a criss-crossed position.

“What kind of sandwich would you like? I made turkey and cheese roll ups with honey mustard dressing or turkey and cheese roll ups with honey mustard dressing?” He cocks his eyebrow and tilts his head as if he’s asked me a valid question and is waiting for my answer. I try not to giggle as I act like I’m thinking, tapping my lip with my index finger, before replying deadpan.

“I’ll take the turkey and cheese roll up, please.” As he hands it to me, I can’t help the giggle that escapes. He made me my favorite sandwich and it makes me happy knowing that he wants to please me. The fact that he has paid enough attention to know what my favorite sandwich is makes me giddy. It’s the little things, the small details that don’t go unnoticed, that sometimes mean the most to me. I don’t need extravagant things or grand gestures. I need to know that I mean something to him and so far he’s doing a great job of showing me that.

He hands me a bottle of lemon flavored ice tea, another one of my favorites and a small bag of potato chips. I smile over at him as he hands me a napkin and a paper plate.

“Wow, you’ve thought of everything. You have all my favorites here.” I take a bite of my roll up and moan as the honey mustard taste bursts on my tongue. “The honey mustard is a nice touch, by the way.”

“I know you always use it, but only on your turkey sandwiches. Otherwise, you prefer mayonnaise.” I smile at him and watch as his full lips move into an answering grin.

“So what else do you know about me?” I inquire, as I continue eating, crunching away on a chip.

“I know that green and blue are your favorite colors, that the Foo Fighters are your favorite band and that your kindle is loaded with more books than you’ll ever read.” I nod my head in answer. “I know that you smell like warm vanilla frosting and that your lips taste even better.” He leans closer toward me and I suddenly feel flushed. “I know that you have the biggest heart, that you’re fiercely loyal to those you care about and that we were meant to be together.” He pauses, tipping my chin up so he can gaze into my eyes. I drop my sandwich on my plate, all thoughts of food, fleeing from my head.

“I mean that, Hailey. I know this is where we are meant to be, everything in the past, led us to this point and I’m not going to do anything to risk losing you. You’re finally my girl now and I’m going to do everything I can to show you how much you mean to me.” His expression is so earnest I can’t help but crawl into his lap to kiss him... repeatedly. He is sweetness personified and I know that most people don’t get to see this side of him. He keeps all of that buried beneath a cocky outer shell. In the past, he’s given me glimpses of how kind and caring he can be but I have a feeling I’m going to be seeing a lot more of it now.

         As our lips part, I feel as though I need to say something to him, to let him know that I’m taking our relationship seriously, even though I’m hesitant to think too far ahead. Instead, I prefer staying in the present and enjoy each and every moment we share. I'm sure in time, as I gain more confidence about our relationship lasting, I’ll look forward to what the future has in store for us.

“You forgot something,” I tell him as I remain straddling his lap. “You failed to mention how crazy I am about you. That you’ve owned a piece of my heart since I was twelve-years-old and…” I pause for a moment, trying to compose myself. I’m feeling a little emotional over what I’m about to say to him. “My favorite place to be in this world is in your arms.” I smile tremulously at him, my eyes shining with unshed tears. He cups my face in his palms, kissing me sweetly and lovingly, before resting his forehead on mine.

“How did I get so lucky?” He whispers.

After we had finished eating our dinner, we decided we would skip the boat ride and instead go back to Cory’s place. He mentioned that we can borrow his friend’s boat another time and I’m looking forward to eating our dessert and watching some television with him. I just want to spend time together doing normal things. Things that we’ve never had a chance to experience before...things that most couples take for granted.

We’re cuddled up on the couch watching Suits, which is one of my favorite shows. I just learned it’s also one of his. He’s feeding me bites of chocolate chip cookies that he made just for me. They are soft and chewy and so much better than mine ever come out when I make them. Who knew that Cory Marshall was the kind of guy to bake his girlfriend cookies?
My boyfriend baked for me.
How sweet is that?

***

Cory gave me the option of going home to my apartment or staying over here, at his place. Of course, I chose the latter. There was no choice to make. I want to sleep in his arms and start my day the same way. He gave me a t-shirt of his to sleep in and it smells divine... like him. It covers me almost to my knees thanks to his ample height and my lack of. I’m swimming in this thing, but I love the idea of wearing something of his to bed.

He cuddles up behind me in bed, wrapping his arm around my waist. He kisses the top of my head and I smile to myself as I feel him smell my hair.

“Good night babe. I’m not going to touch you or kiss you tonight. We’re just going to sleep in each other’s arms. I’m going to wait to make you mine Hailey and when I do, we won’t ever be the same. We’ll be forever changed and there will be no going back to us just being friends. It’s all or nothing from here on out.”