Chapter 23

• Xander I break every speed limit and road rule I can on my way to her. Huxley Street isn’t the safest street around. It's near the industrial area, which is abandoned this time of night. Hayley and I have both been silent on the phone for the five minutes it takes me to get to her. When she said I was the last person she would call, it hit me hard. I can’t put into words what I want from her, I’m too stuck in my own head about that but I do know it’s not for her to feel like she can’t count on me. That shit ends today. I spot her car on the abandoned stretch of road, all alone in the dark. I want to swear but I know I need to keep my composure... for now. I pull the range up next to her. She sees me and opens the driver's side of her car to meet me before the car even stops. She’s wearing dark blue demin shorts that end mid thigh and a black sleeveless tank top. She looks sexy as fuck... and has she lost weight? Am I responsible for that? I see her shiver as I open my door and I shrug off my jacket and place it around her shoulders. “Thanks for coming" she says quietly, head down as she clutches my jacket to her body. I place my hand under chin and gently force her head up to look at me, “How long have you been out here?” She keeps quiet. “Hayley. How long have you been stuck here?” I ask again“About two hours.” “Fuck Hayley!” II say as I pull her into my body and hold her tightly, “You can always call me babe, always.” I whisper into her hair as it registers to me that holding her feels like the most natural thing in the world. She sniffles into my chest and I pull away slightly to look into her tear filled eyes. “Are you ok?” She nods, “Yeah, it’s just been a long day”. I hear the sound of another vehicle and turn to see a tow truck approaching. “The car just started jerking and stopped. It wouldn’t start after that.” “It’s okay”, I say as I wipe an errant tear away with my thumb, “Wait in the car. I'll sort it out with these guys and we can leave. Okay?” She nods and goes to the car. I give the tow guys the address of my garage and ask them to tow the car there. Then I phone Tony my mechanic and tell him to meet them there. I get into the driver’s seat of my range and turn to face her, “This isn’t going to happen again Hayley. You will call me when you need someone. You will call me when you’re in trouble. I understand why you felt like I wasn’t an option and I own that but that shit ends today. No matter what happens between us, you call me and I’ll be there. Got it?” I say as I lift her chin to look into her eyes. She nods. Tonight could have gone so badly if someone else had gotten to her before me. I don’t even want to think about it. She is right, I am an asshole for putting us in this position. II lean over and kiss the top her head before starting the engine. The drive home is more leisurely than the ride to get to her, simply because I don’t want to give up this time with her, even if it’s in silence. When we reach the gates, I press the remote to open it and drive up the driveway to park in front of the house and well lit fountain. A fountain that, that little bugger Sebastian is sitting at with a khoi fish in his mouth. I burst out laughing as Hayley notices her cat and jumps out of the car. She tries to approach him calmly and talks to him soothingly but he knows what’s up and makes of with the fish up the stairs and into the door that gran just opened for us, with Hayley hot on his heels and me laughing uncontrollably. Gran steps back quickly as Sebastian rushes past her and into the house. “What on earth is going on!” she exclaims. Hayley manages to corner the cat under the dining room table and screams for me to grab a bowl of water. I’m still laughing and sloshing water everywhere when I check out my wife's ass in the air, fishing under the table and my mirth quickly changes to something else. Hayley emerges with Sebastian under one arm and the squirming fish in the other. She drops the fish into the bowl. “I must have been really late with his supper today” she quips and Gran and I both laugh. “Can you please put the fish back in the pond, Xander. IIf I let Sebastian go he will probably just catch another one now that he's discovered them.” The dogs have been running around only too happy about the drama and curiously follow me to the pond to check what I have in the bowl. It’s the first time Zola’s followed me anywhere. She’s usually stuck to Hayley’s side like glue and I can’t help but feel happy at this new development. Apparently it’s the first time these two have noticed the fish in the pond too and they happily stand on their back legs sloshing the water as the fish swim by. These two warm my heart. Why have I never had pets before? By the time I get them back inside, they are wet and leave a trail of water behind them. Hayley emerges from the kitchen with two dog bowels in hand and notices the mess, “Oh God, can this day get any better! Do I even want to know what you guys were up to?” She asks. “Probably not”, I reply for them. She shakes her head. “Come on guys its food time. Sebastian’s already eating” she says as she leads them back into the kitchen. After dinner with gran, I leave the women to talk and I go upstairs to shower and change. I pull on a black track pants and by the time Hayley comes upstairs I’m already in bed. She looks surprised but doesn’t say anything as she grabs her clothes and goes into the bath, shutting the door behind her. She gets onto the bed the side furthest from me and lies on her side. I turn to face her and pull her back towards me before gently laying her head on my chest. She says nothing and just lies there quietly with her hand over my heart. “Oh and Haley...”“Hmmm...?” “You are never leaving the house dressed like that again.” She looks up then “What’s wrong with what I was wearing boss?” “What’s wrong is you are far too sexy for your own good.” She laughs at that even though I’m dead serious she goes back to laying in the crook of my arm with her head on my chest. We are quiet after that and after a while we both fall asleep.