Path of Destruction (Broken Heartland, #2)(70)

Hayden Prescott was sitting on her porch when she pulled up in her driveway.

Thankfully her mom and dad were out to dinner. Rekindling the romance or some bull like that. They’d started having date nights a few weeks ago and she had to admit, her mom was smiling an awful lot more lately. And this way her dad couldn’t run Hayden off with his overprotective nonsense. As if her dad had any idea what went on in her life.

“Hey,” she said, getting out of her truck. Seeing him made her feel ten pounds lighter. He looked so beautiful sitting there in the light of sunset. But it made her nervous too. Afraid that her dad had gotten his dad into some type of trouble.

“Hey,” Hayden said, standing from the porch swing and meeting her at the edge the steps. “I was actually waiting on your mom.”

“She’s on a date with my dad.” EJ rolled her eyes and fidgeted with her truck keys, twirling the silver ring slowly around her fingers.

“I haven’t been here long. I just came by to let her know I won’t be working here this summer like we’d discussed. Not that your dad would’ve allowed it anyway.”

A solid stone settled into the pit of EJ’s stomach. “Oh. Well, okay. I can pass that message along.”

“Thanks.” He stepped down off the porch as if he were just going to leave now. Like that was all he’d come for and now he was done. If that were the case, couldn’t he just have called? As much as she didn’t want to admit it—even to herself—she preferred sitting outside talking to him versus going into her big empty house all alone.

“Not that it’s any of my business, but why won’t you be working here? I mean, other than because my dad is an ass?”

Hayden smiled but it wasn’t his usual genuine grin. Only one side of his mouth moved. “I’ve registered for summer courses at OSU. I’m heading there right after graduation.”

“Ah.” Her throat constricted but she didn’t know why. It wasn’t like she’d been looking forward to spending the summer with him. She hadn’t even known he’d planned to work there again. And yet it felt like she was losing something she hadn’t even known she’d had. “Well good luck. At OSU, I mean.”

“Thanks.” He paused for a long moment, staring at her intently until she began fidgeting more under his gaze. “Can I ask you something?”

“Would it really stop you if I said no?”

Hayden chuckled, but there was no joy in his laughter. “Probably not. I just need to know…I mean, why Kent? Why spend so much time with someone who could care less about—”

“That’s why,” she interrupted. “He doesn’t care about who I was or what I lost or what I have or haven’t done. No pressure. No expectations. Clean slate.”

She’d asked Jarrod why he was so nice to her, why he never made a move on her when his reputation indicated he was such a player.

He’d answered by telling her that no matter what EJ had heard, he’d never made a girl do anything she hadn’t wanted to—though sometimes girls had regrets when it came to hindsight. Specifically when their parents found out what they’d been up to. And then he’d said something that EJ hadn’t been able to get out of her head for months.

“Because you’re just like me. Dead inside. I can see it in your eyes. It wouldn’t matter if I made a move or not. You wouldn’t feel a thing.”

He was right, and the truth was a terrifying monster she usually kept shoved under her bed.

Hayden nodded. “For what it’s worth, I cared about those things because I cared about you. I just wanted you to be happy.”

She tried to smile but her face seemed to be against the idea. He’d said ‘cared.’ As in past tense. She figured she deserved that. He had enough to deal with, no reason he should still be hung up on her when she hadn’t given him the time of day. “I know. But I needed you to understand that it wasn’t possible. I couldn’t be happy just because everyone wanted me to be.”

She hated that her pain had been his pain too. Standing there looking at him and remembering their summer together, she wished she could find a way to try harder, to reach deep inside and find that girl she once was and be her again.

“I understand. I do.” He looked away for a few minutes, his eyes scanning the property as if he were reliving their long lost summer one last time as well. “I have finals then I’m done so if I don’t see you…”

“I’ll see you at graduation,” EJ offered. “My family will go to watch Cooper walk so…”

“Cooper,” Hayden repeated evenly. “Of course. Well I’ll see you around I guess.” He opened his mouth and then closed it again as if there was more but he’d decided to keep it to himself. She watched as he walked to his Jeep.

“Hayden, wait.”

There was so much she wanted to say and if she’d learned anything from losing Kyle it was that you didn’t always get a second chance to say it.

He paused, leaning on his open door. “Yeah?”

“I just wanted to say that I’m sorry for how things—”

“Save it,” Hayden said, cutting her off and turning away from her. “I don’t need your apologies. I never did. Take care of yourself, Ella Jane.” With that he climbed in his Jeep and cranked the engine.