Chapter 28: Mudslide


    That week ended way too soon. Hayden and I spent almost that entire time in our room, lounging


    around. asionally we’d go out shopping and sight-seeing, but for the most part, I was all his. He


    was all I really cared about anyway. He got my mind off of my dad and my wicked stepmother


    effectively. The rest of the week was sheer bliss, but all too soon, we were back home in San Diego,


    walking back into our apartment. Hayden put my bags into my room before he joined me on the couch.


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    His arm went around me as he kissed my head.


    “Hey are you okay?” he asked me. I nodded and smiled.


    “I don’t think things can get any more perfect than they are right now,” I said, kissing him. I couldn’t


    have been any more right.


    A few weekster and Hayden got a phone call that changed everything. His mom traveled a lot. In


    Seattle, she got hit by a drunk driver. She didn’t make it. After that phone call, Hayden was a


    wished that he’d talk to me. I went to the funeral with him for support but he barely even noticed that I


    was there. He hadn’t eaten in days. All he would do is sit in his room staring at the wall. I tried to help


    him but he would just sit there for weeks. I knocked on the open door before I walked inside. I sighed


    and looked at him sympathetically.


    “Hayden, you have to eat something,” I said, bringing in a bowl of soup. He looked at me nkly. He


    wasn’t talking much either. I set the bowl on his bedside table before sitting beside him. I touched his


    cheek gently. He pulled away from me before he went back to standing at the wall. I sighed before I let


    the room. The next week, he was acting a little more like the Hayden I met when I first met him.


    ‘Hayden the ass’ was back. It was my turn to avoid him. He was mean and distant. I didn’t know how


    much more of this I could take.


    When I went to go check on him, he was slipping on his jacket.


    “I’m going out,” he muttered, before he was out the door. I sighed and covered my face with my hands


    briefly as I heard the door close. Here we go again. He’d been “going out” a lottely. I knew he was


    mostly going to bars but it didn’t stop me from worrying about him. I understood why he was distant and


    upset, but I didn’t know why he was pushing me away. He was hurt, I knew that; but he was hurting me


    too.


    I called Quinn. She knew about Hayden’s mom and what he was going through even though Hayden


    and I hadn’t been to any rehearsals since he got the news.


    “Hey thanks foring,” I said softly. She nodded and walked inside before she hugged me.


    “Are you okay?” she asked. I shook my head.


    “Hayden’s acting… strange, and I know that he’s been through a lottely, but he refuses to talk to me,


    at all,” I exined.


    “Just give him a little more time, hun. He’lle around. He loves you,” Quinn tried tofort me. I


    sighed and nodded. I guess I just needed to hear that from someone else. She stayed with me for a bit


    before she left around midnight. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” she asked. I only shrugged.


    “I guess when Hayden gets home and we have a chance to talk,” I answered. I tried to wait up for


    Hayden, but I ended up falling asleep watching TV. I woke up confused when I heard giggling. I sat up


    and yawned. The giggling wasing from Hayden’s room. That was weird. I walked over to his room


    and pushed his door open. I froze. I was angry and upset. Red dots shed in my vision.


    “Out… now,” I said to the girl. She giggled and rolled her eyes at me. Fine, we would do things my way.


    I stormed over and pulled her out by her hair. I threw her out of the apartment and locked the door. I


    paused with my hands on the door. I took a shaky breath and prepared myself before going back into


    Hayden’s room. He was sitting on the end of his bed waiting on me.


    “Look, Jo,” he started.


    “No! You know what; I have been there for you through everything! What is wrong with you?!” I yelled


    as hot tears streaked my face. He walked over to me and tried to kiss me. I pushed him away and


    looked at him shocked.


    “Jo, don’t be that way,” he said. Great, just great; he didn’t even care in the slightest.


    “No, Hayden, I can’t do this right now. Hurt or not, you made the decision to hurt me,” I started. “I know


    that what happened with your mom was bad, I’ve been through it too, but you’re starting to act like


    before,” I said.


    “You don’t know anything!” he yelled at me. I flinched as more tears fell from my eyes. I hesitated


    before I turned.


    “I’m going to bed,” I practically whispered. He sighed.


    “No wait, Jo,” he said. It was almost like he was sleeping for thest month and a half and he was now


    waking up. I didn’t care; I was beyond hurt by this point. I walked to my room and locked the door. Iid


    down and sighed shakily. I closed my eyes and waited for sleep to take me. It never came.


    “Jo. Jordyn,” I heard at my door, with a light knock. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. If I didn’t open the


    door now, he would just keep knocking. I sighed before I walked to the door and unlocked it. Hayden


    came in and grabbed my arms immediately. He was gentle. He seemed more aware of what he was


    doing than before. Like he was awake now.


    “Please don’t touch me,” I whispered.


    “Jordyn, I am so sorry. Things got out of hand,” he tried to exin. My eyes watered as I puffed out a


    breath in disbelief.


    “Out of hand?” I snapped, repeating his words. “Hayden, you’ve been at it for weeks! You’re killing me,”


    I said softer. He shook his head as his watered too.


    “Jordyn, I am so sorry,” he whispered. I shook my head and looked away from him as my tears finally


    did fall. “I guess I just flipped,” he tried to exin.


    “You could havee to me, but you didn’t. You chose to go out every night for thest few weeks.


    Who knows what else you’ve done? I was right here. I guess that wasn’t good enough for you,” I said


    softly. His thumb wiped away my tears as he brought my face closer to his.


    “That’s not true, Jo. I was upset and angry at what happened. You’re right, I should’vee to you,” he


    said.


    “But you didn’t,” I cut him off. He paused and just looked at me.


    “I’m so sorry, Jordyn… I really am,” he whispered.


    “That’s just not good enough this time,” I said, finally looking into his eyes again. He shook his head as


    a tear finally fell.


    “I can’t lose you too,” he whispered. Seeing him like this hurt me but I didn’t want to be hurt again by


    him. I couldn’t. I sat on my bed and shook my head as I looked away from him. Hayden did something


    that I never saw him do, he started crying. He dropped his head into my chest and shook his head


    slowly. My breath caught before I let it go and wrapped my arms around him. I shushed him as he


    started sobbing.


    “Hayden,” I breathed. His arms went around my waist. He clung to me like I was going to disappear.


    And I guess that it was true in a way.


    “Please, you can’t leave me too,” he sobbed. I rubbed his back gently.


    “I think it’s toote for that,” I said softly. We just sat there with me holding him as he cried. He


    eventually passed out on myp from exhaustion with me running my fingers through his hair. I sighed


    and looked at Hayden’s sleeping face. Even in his sleep, he looked upset and sad. I couldn’t move


    from underneath him, he was too heavy. Plus, every time I tried, he would grip my leg harder and he’d


    start to whimper. Iid back and ended up falling asleep too.