He turns back around. “Hi,” he says.
“What do you want?” I say with an attitude.
“Forgiveness?” he says with puppy-dog eyes.
“You're a little late for that, and you’re not as sweet as you make yourself out to be. You can't take back what you said. Obviously you meant it,” I say, going off on him and hoping the neighbors don’t hear me.
“Hailey, I'm sorry. I really am. What I said to you has really been bothering me. I should never have said it.” His apology means nothing to me. What he said really hurt me.
“Parker, just go.”
He notices the bags inside by the door that I put out just in case I decide to go with Chase.
“Are you leaving?”
“Maybe. I haven't decided yet.”
“Is there still a chance for us?” he asks with a serious expression on his face.
I look at him like he has twenty heads. “You're having a baby with Megan.”
“I talked to Megan. We decided that we aren't going to be together just because of the baby.”
“I'm sorry, Parker, that it's come to that. I don't have any feelings for you.”
“Is it because of Chase?” He knows the answer.
I look away. “Yeah, it's always been Chase.”
“I know that. If he treats you badly, come find me.”
“Chase is a good person. I don't think that will happen.”
“I'm sorry again, Hailey,” he says, walking away.
I'm pretty sure he'll have a woman in the sack very shortly. He doesn't waste any time.
Right now, I have a decision to make.
A few hours later the doorbell rings.
“Are you Hailey McCormick?” the driver asks.
“That's me.”
“I'm here to escort you to the airport. Will you be joining Mr. O'Brien today?”
I stand there staring at the man. One little word will make my destiny: yes or no.
CHAPTER 41
Chase
AT THE AIRPORT waiting, I sit on my suitcase by the sidewalk. I'm a nervous mess. Will she or won’t she show up? Mario, our driver for lacrosse, said he would do me a favor and pick Hailey up. I told him not to call me and let me know the outcome. I want to be surprised.
I must be on something, because I probably made the waiting twenty-thousand-times worse for myself. My heart feels like its punching my throat. I start to pace then I see the Escalade pull up. The windows are tinted, so I can’t see inside. Mario gets out of the driver's seat and walks up to me.
“Is she in there?” I ask, clearly on edge. I can tell by his face that she's not in the car.
“I'm sorry, man,” he says as he pats my shoulder with sympathy. “She asked me to give you this letter.”
“Thanks.” I feel so heartbroken.
As he drives off, I open the letter.
Chase,
I wanted to be there with you up until a half hour ago. I was going to come with you to Vegas. I am just not sure it’s the right time for us to get married, but what do I know? You mean everything to me. I really hope this isn't the end. Maybe we can take it slower and spend some time together.
I hope you're not upset. The other night was perfect, and I don't want to ruin that right now. Maybe when you come home we can talk.
Hope to see you soon,
Hailey
I just need to think. I thought she would have come with me to Vegas. Everything seemed so good between us.
I'm not going to call or text her or bother her just yet. I head towards the airplane. Off to Vegas I go... alone.
CHAPTER 42
Hailey
“THERE'S NO COFFEE!” I YELL.
“I'll make more,” Melanie says.
I go in my office and slam the door. I've been unbearable the past week and a half. I know it. Mel wants to kill me. I've been snapping at everyone. I haven't called Chase, and he hasn't called me. I want to pick up the phone every minute and call him, but my pride has the best of me.
I have a meeting at one o'clock with that anonymous author about signing them to a book deal. After that meeting, I'm going home. I'm taking the rest of the day off. I deserve it, and I need to relax and release some stress.
Melanie buzzes me to let me know my one o'clock is here. I tell her to send them in.
“Okay,” she responds.
A few minutes later I hear the door opening, and it’s Melanie.
“What's wrong? Did they leave?” I’m hoping they didn’t, because I really want to know who it is. A part of me thinks it may be Carrie and that has me on edge too.
“No, they want you to see the full manuscript. They said turn to the title page.”
“They couldn't bring it in?” I say with attitude.
“I don't know. They just said to open the manuscript,” she says, growing impatient with me.
“All right, all right, I'll do it.”
I open the manuscript and flip through the first few pages. Clear as day, it says in really large writing: Will you marry me, Hailey?
Confused, I look up at Mel, but she's gone, and a guy with a microphone bursts into my office singing. I have no idea what's going on. The man is singing Michael Jackson's “I Just Can't Stop Loving You.”
Chase comes in behind him. I gasp. Tears start to form then start pouring down my face. He's standing there with a smile on his face. When the guy stops singing, Chase gets down on the ground and opens a ring box.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this,” I say in shock. This was the last thing I expected today. I knew in my heart that we would eventually speak to each other again, but I was afraid that he would never have forgiven me for not showing up at the airport.
“Hailey, you deserve more than a Vegas shotgun wedding. You mean a lot to me. I want you to have a big wedding. I'm a jerk for even suggesting it. I have come to have feelings for you. I know what I am feeling is love. I know you are forever for me. I will be here to protect you until the end of time. When we are too stubborn to call each other, I can't stop thinking about you. I want to wake up next to you every day. What do you say let's do this together. Will you marry me?”
I can’t describe how I feel. I am at a loss for words. I know that I love him. When he was in Vegas I felt a void. I wanted to be there, but I needed time. During that time, I thought about how I felt not being with him. I missed him. I longed to see him and be with him physically. I know what my answer has to be.
“Yes, I'll marry you. How can I say no to this proposal or to you? I’ve missed you a lot.”
He always knows the right thing to do. He kisses me and puts the ring on my finger. “I’ve missed you too.”
This is like a dream come true. I couldn't even have imagined that this would be happening to me, not after everything that we've been through for so many years.
“Wait, I have to go apologize to my client. I had a meeting at one. Wait... What the hell? How? You sent in the book…!”
“I forgive you,” he says, smiling once again.
“What? I’m…”
“I wrote a book about a girl who was teased in high school about her weight and ended up marrying the guy who protected her.”
“You wrote Provoked?” I struggle to comprehend everything that is going on.
“Yes. I wrote it for you. Everything that happened in high school never left me. I always thought about it. I always wanted to be a writer, as well as a lacrosse player. This was the story I needed to tell.”
“Oh, Chase, that’s the best thing anyone has ever done for me.” I grab him and kiss his face. “I honestly thought it was going to be Carrie. She's an author, so I heard.”
“She's on drugs. God only knows what she does with her life.”
“I know. I'm just shocked you are the author.”