Highest rank on the hot list over the last two weeks - #507 in Chick Lit

I'll try to get a sneak peek up on the site as soon as possible! If you guys could continue to vote and comment, that would be great!

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© 2017 Shay Spencer. All rights reserved.

Something Real

[ Chapter 14 ] It Wasn't Illegal, I'll Tell You That Much

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After the day we'd had, it was almost predictable that Hayden would have whisked me away to a secluded rooftop.

"I hate them," Hayden murmured as he ran his hands over his face. "I didn't always, but now I can barely look at them."

Hayden reached down, picking up a single bottle of beer from the six pack he'd taken from the bar downstairs. He'd apparently had an in with the bartender.

"The guys?" I asked, smiling slightly as Hayden glanced back at me.

"Yeah," he sighed before throwing his head back. "I don't know how I was ever friends with them."

I watched him, taking notice as the sun hit his face. Hayden looked different up here, now that we were away from everything. He seemed troubled, which he usually hid when we were anywhere else. I was starting to think that there was a different side to him that only I ever got a chance to see.

"What happened?" I asked, leaning back in my chair.

The chair squeaked slightly as I shifted from side to side, trying to find a comfortable spot. The chairs themselves were practically falling apart, I was almost scared to move for fear that it would break right under me.

"What do you mean?" Hayden took a small sip of his beer, the man raising his eyebrows at me.

I shrugged, tapping my finger against my own bottle, "with the guys. What did they do to piss you off so badly?"

Hayden simply laughed, "nothing that concerns you."

"Come on, Hayden," I whined. I kicked my foot out in his direction, knocking his beer back into his waiting hand.

"Why do you even want to know, anyways?" Hayden smiled, shaking his head at me.

"Curiosity," I shrugged once more. "And the fact that I'm dating one of the three people you claim to hate so much."

Hayden pursed his lips together in thought before falling back into his chair next to mine. He leaned back, resting his feet against the ledge and brushing them against my own as he did so. It was an oddly intimate moment, enough so that Hayden felt the need to clear his throat.

"It wasn't anything illegal, so don't go using the 'I'm dating Zane' card as bait to get me to talk," Hayden smiled. "Zane's a stand up guy most of the time, and you guys seem to work together. You don't need to worry about what happened."

"Then why do you worry about it?" I ventured, narrowing my eyes in on him. "Why is it so big that you can't even go to school in New York?"

"Because I don't want to see them everyday," Hayden huffed in aggravation. "Plus, my mom's up there with her new husband."

I could feel my eyes widening in surprise.

"She's married?"

Hayden nodded, "she got married around a year ago. Nearly six months after the divorce was final."

"She moved on pretty quickly," I commented, resting my head against the back of the chair.

I closed my eyes for a second, just basking in the warmth of the sun. This was the first time in a while that I'd had a moment to relax, and strangely enough, Hayden was helping.

I liked just talking with him.

"She moved on before their marriage was over," Hayden relayed. "Both she and my dad were cheating on each other by the time Jay and I were in middle school."

I bit into my lip awkwardly, not knowing what to say next. "That sucks."

Hayden nodded, "they were too obvious about it. I was surprised they lasted as long as they did. The only reason they stayed together was for their office events. Elias' law firm practically demanded that he be married. It was like they needed to be some big political power couple. That's practically why we had to move."

I frowned, looking back at him for confirmation. The only reason my parents stayed together was for my sake. It was hard to imagine two people staying together for some law firm.

"That's just weird," I sighed, taking a drink there after. "People can't just stay together because it looks better that way."

"Is that how it was with your parents, then?" Hayden mocked, nudging my foot gently. "They weren't just together because it looked good?"

"No," I frowned. "They were together for me. Their marriage wasn't pretty by any means. By the time the dust settled after their last fight, my dad had packed his bags and found a new place for himself. My mom didn't even fight him on it, which was-"

"Unlike her," Hayden laughed. "My mom did about the same thing. She was there one minute, and gone the next. Jay and I didn't get a call about it for almost a month."

We sat, allowing for a small silence to settle over us as we looked out over the city.

Cars were honking and speeding down on the freeway below, and from the looks of it, each building in sight was packed to the max. Beverly Hills was buzzing if nothing else, all while Hayden and I lounged up on the rooftop of the Reynolds Resort.

I was surprised my mother hadn't sought us out yet.

"Have you spoken to her?" I asked, threatening to break the silence. "Your mom, I mean. You never talk about her."

"No," Hayden shook his head. "After what I did, she really wanted nothing to do with me. But I think she'll be here for Jay's try out's next month."

"She's coming to California," I laughed. "How the hell are my mom and Elias going to handle that?"

"No clue," he took a second to look back at me. "But it'll be even funnier when she gets to meet you."

"And why is that?"

"She always wanted me to end up with someone like you," Hayden smirked. "She'll be dying when she finds out you're my new step sister."

"Well, she doesn't have to meet me," I reminded him. "I could always skip tryouts. Jay and I haven't really gotten to know each other, anyways."

"But Wren will be there," Hayden said. "Plus, I'll need you there. I won't be able to make it through a day like that without you by my side."

"What makes you say that?" I smiled. "We really aren't that crucial in each other's lives, Hayden."

"I know," he scoffed. "But it'd sure be a hell of a lot more fun with you there."

I rolled my eyes at him, and instead of thinking up a quick response, I stayed quiet.

Over the last two weeks or so of getting to know one another, Hayden has become a pretty vital part of my life. At least now I knew he felt the same way about me.

"When's this game, again?" I huffed, nudging his foot. "I may have to check my calendar, but I'm sure I can clear some time."

"Two weeks from today," Hayden laughed. "I think I might even have an extra ticket for you."

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Little look into Hayden and Scarlett's pasts - how did everyone like it?

So sorry for the extended wait! I'm pretty sure I had the stomach flu or an ulcer (neither have been confirmed 😜) so I decided to take a little break from Wattpad.

The next update will be on April 8th!

Remember to vote guys!
It means so much :)

Also! Check out The Buddies Rule - Chapter 24 and 25 will be up tomorrow!

Thanks guys!

PS: I'm hoping to finish up Dehydration within the next couple days - if not, I'll still be wanting to release it sometime in the spring 😜 there's been a sneak peek posted in the latest chapter of The Buddies Rule

Thanks guys 😊