The Game

by Natalie Clarke

  “Not good.” I offer him a weak smile.

  “I knew it. I knew he would hurt you.” He shakes his head, pulling his lips tight over his teeth. “What happened? What did he do? Gwen called me asking if I’d seen you.”

  I lower my gaze. “Let’s just say he lied to me and leave it at that, I don’t want to get into it.”

  He brings his hand up to my face, tipping my chin up to him. He kisses my forehead as he’s always done since we met, only he doesn’t stop there. Before I realise what’s happening, Aaron’s lips are on mine.

  I pull back out of his grasp. “What are you doing?”

  “What does it look like I’m doing?” he replies softly, leaning back in, kissing me harder this time.

  “Aaron stop.” I slide off the bed away from him, crossing my arms over my body protectively.

  “It’s because of him isn’t it?”

  “This has nothing to do with Kyle, this has to with the fact that my best friend just kissed me.”

  “I’m in love with you.”

  Wait, what? I stand there in silence, staring down at him wide-eyed.

  “What?” I breathe out.

  “I love you, I have done since we first met.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “I guessed as much." He laughs softly. “Hayley, I want to be the one you confide in, I want to be the man you come home to at night and wake up to in the morning. I want you.”

  “Aaron, I... I don’t feel that way for you.”

  His face falls in disappointment. He stands up and steps towards me, placing his palm on my cheek. “You and me, we can be good together, good for each other. Forget about him, he’s an asshole who doesn’t deserve you.”

  “Aaron, leave Kyle out of this, it has nothing to do with him.”

  “He’s got you wrapped around his little finger. He’s changed you, Hayley.”

  “I’m the same as I’ve always been.”

  “The old Hayley would never allow herself to be defiled against a car outside a bar,” he spits.

  My eyes widen in shock. “You saw us.”

  “Yeah, the night you brought your little boyfriend to Terry’s, when you allowed him to feel you up for anyone walking by to see, it made me sick, he was practically dry humping you in the street!”

  “No one forced you to watch,” I snap.

  He steps forward, gripping my chin in his fingers, his face inches from mine. “He’s not good for you, Hayley. Why can’t you see that? You should be with me.”

  “So that’s why you hate him so much, that’s why you’ve been acting the way you have? It’s about jealously. Is that why you waited until now to tell me? You’re my friend, my best friend, but that’s all it’s ever going to be, I don’t want to hurt you, that the last thing I want to do, I’m sorry Aar-”

  He cuts me off with his lips, and I jerk out of his grip.

  “I want you leave, please.”

  “Hayley...”

  “Aaron, I really don’t need this right now. Please, just go.”

  His shoulders slump forward, and he turns and leaves, clicking the door shut behind him.

  I wander over to the window overlooking the front yard, I look up, grey clouds are rolling in, threatening rain. I hear the front door close below me and I watch as Aaron comes into view, trudging his way down the path, just as a deep green Mustang pulls up to the curb.

  “Shit.”

  Before I know it, I’m flying out of my room and hurtling down the stairs, out of the front door.

  Kyle and Aaron are arguing, their faces inches away from each other, their voices drifting towards me as I get closer.

  “…warned you what would happen if you hurt her,” Aaron spits.

  Kyle’s gaze flicks to me as I near them. “Hayley.” His deep voice washes over me.

  My heart jumps, a torrent of contradicting emotions flood me.

  “What do you mean you warned him?” My attention trained on Aaron.

  “He never told you?” Kyle chimes in. “How he came to my office and threatened me the day after we met at the bar.”

  “You threatened him? What the hell is wrong with you, Aaron?” I yell. “You know what, just go.”

  “Hayley, please, I love you.”

  Kyle takes in a sharp, exasperated breath, gritting his teeth.

  “Go.” My voice turning quiet.

  He begins to walk away, but not before he swings around, his fist colliding with the side of Kyle’s face. Kyle stumbles back, trying to regain his balance. Aaron surges forward, his fist reeling backwards, ready to take another swing at Kyle, but I jump between them.

  “Aaron, stop!” I shout, but it falls on deaf ears.

  Aaron continues forward, gripping my arm harshly, tugging me out of the way, I trip backwards, my foot catching on the uneven bricks of the path, and I go down, hitting the ground on my ass, falling on my wrist awkwardly in the process. I circle my injured wrist with my hand and wince at the twinge that radiates up my arm.

  I look up to see Kyle grip Aaron’s forearm, landing his own punch on his jaw, the blow hard enough to send him sprawling back.

  Kyle grips Aaron’s face in his hand, his face inches from Aaron’s. “You ever touch her like that again, I’ll break every fucking bone in your hands, got it?” His grip tightens. “I suggest you do as she says and get the fuck out of here, if you know what’s good for you.” He pushes him back, Aaron stumbling away.

  Aaron glances back at me, blood seeping from his split lip. He sends me an apologetic look before turning the corner and walking away.

  Kyle strides towards me, wrapping an arm around my waist, bringing me up to my feet. Blood trickles from his nose. “Are you okay?” he asks, his gaze flicking over my body in search of injuries.

  “I’m fine.” I nod. My eyes scan over him, his nose is trickling with blood and his lips is busted, his fists cut up and bloody, slowly beginning to bruise. “Come on, let’s clean you up.”

  I lead him into the house, up the stairs and into the bathroom. I push him down to perch on the edge of the bath before filling the sink with warm water. I find a washcloth in the cupboard, dipping it into the water and bringing it to Kyle’s face.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I came to ask you to hear me out.”

  “I don’t think I’m ready for that yet.” I let out a deep sigh. “I need time, to get my head around everything.”

  He nods regretfully, lowering his gaze. “I understand.”

  I begin dabbing away the blood around his nose, causing him to wince slightly.

  “I’m not saying it’s going to be forever, you hurt me, lied to me, betrayed my trust...”

  He frowns in anguish.

  “Just… be patient with me?”

  His gaze meets mine, a faint smile touching his lips. “Of course, however long you need, I’ll be here, waiting.” He jerks, gripping my wrist as I touch what must be a tender area at the side of his nose.

  “Sorry.”

  I finish cleaning up his face, tossing the washcloth back in the sink and turning back to face Kyle as he rises from the edge of the bath and towers over me.

  “I’ll leave you to it. Thank you for taking care of this.” He points to his nose.

  “No problem.” I offer him a faint smile.

  I follow Kyle out of the bathroom and down the stairs, stopping just inside the doorway. It’s spitting with rain now, the clouds have darkened, and it’s turned dull and gloomy.

  He turns to me and smiles. “Bye, Hayley.”

  “Bye.” I return the smile.

  I watch as he turns and walks away down the path.

  “Kyle,” I call.

  He turns on his heel, his face full of hope. “Yeah?”

  “Was all of it a lie?” I ask. “Were we a lie?”

  He shakes his head. “No. I never lied about how I feel about you, all of it was real... is real.”

  He smiles once more before turning his back and heading for
his car, the engine purring as he drives away.

  Chapter 41

  Kyle

  Fucking board meetings. Bored meetings more like.

  I’m sat at the head of the long table with each member of the board of directors, I can see their lips moving but I can’t hear a single word that comes out, it’s muffled like I’m underwater.

  My thoughts drifting to Hayley.

  Always to Hayley.

  It’s been almost two weeks since I last saw her and as much as I hated it, I’ve kept my promise to leave her alone, giving her the time and space she needed, that she asked for.

  In that time, I’ve had my cell practically glued to my hip, eagerly awaiting a phone call, a text from her, anything to tell me she’s ready to talk.

  I’m desperate to see her.

  I need her.

  I need her like I need air to breath, like an addict needs a drug.

  “Mr King?” I snap back into the board room, each face turned to me, awaiting my response.

  “I’m sorry, I’m not feeling so good. What was the question?” I try to focus but I’m struggling. I haven’t been able to focus on much of anything of late, except Hayley, the guilt, the self-hatred, the booze.

  “We were discussing the possible buy-out of Ramsden Industries, the price is good, and the time is right. Did you read over the file that I sent over to you?” Warren Miles, one of the larger shareholders in my company asks.

  What fucking file?

  I vaguely remember signing for a delivery of confidential information three days ago, the drunken haze I was in casting a shadow on my memories. And I vaguely remember throwing the file straight in the trash.

  “Oh, no, sorry, I never got around to it,” I say.

  “Kyle, this is a steal, it’s a goldmine.”

  “Look, I apologise gentleman, my head isn’t in it today. Warren, I trust your instincts on this one, you’ve never steered me wrong in the years we’ve worked with each other. Get the contracts drawn up and we can discuss it further in the next few days. If you’ll excuse me.” I excuse myself from the table and hurry out of the room, loosening my tie around my neck.

  I press the button for the lobby in the elevator and the doors glide shut.

  My phone vibrates in my pocket

  Hope fills me.

  Hayley.

  I pull out my phone and glance at the caller ID. It’s my mom.

  A twinge of disappointment grips me.

  “Hey mom.”

  “Kyle…” Her voice is quiet and unsteady, as if she’s crying.

  The rest of her words send me staggering back against the cool metal of the elevator wall, trying to keep my balance, trying to stop my legs from collapsing underneath me.

  The doors slide open and I break into a run, tearing my way through the lobby of the building and into the parking lot to my car.

  The engine thunders to life as I burst out onto the street and speed towards the hospital.

  Chapter 42

  Hayley

  “Shit!” I curse, as the plates I was carrying slip through my grasp and smash on the floor, pieces flying in every direction.

  “Hayley, go into the back room, don’t worry about this.” Uncle Jack nudges me out of the way gently as he begins clearing up the mess, offering me a reassuring smile.

  “Sorry, Uncle Jack.”

  “Don’t sweat it, we've all been there.”

  “Come on.” Gwen takes my hand and we weave our way through the diner into the back room and sit down on the couch.

  It’s been twelve days, nineteen hours and... thirty-seven minutes since I last saw Kyle, since I watched him walk down my driveway to his car.

  I was ready to curl up into a ball in my bed and cut myself off from the world, but Gwen wouldn’t allow it. She forced the truth out of me, the whole truth, down to the very last detail, and cried with me all the way through it. We’ve spent every night since in my room, watching everything and anything we could find on Netflix while eating our entire weight in comfort food.

  She doesn’t like leaving me alone for too long, so every once in a while, she drops in to check on me, even when I’m at work, like today.

  Every day I wake up with a sense of loss, I miss Kyle. I’d become so accustomed to being around him, that when he’s not here, everything feels empty, lonely, somehow. But today it all became too much, I don’t know why today exactly, all I know is, I woke up with an even bigger hole in my chest than usual.

  I should hate him for what he did, after all, he lied to me, kept the fact that Nicholas was his real father a secret, hidden from me. All the time we spent together, each time he told me he loved me, each time we made love, he knew.

  He knew all along. Would he have ever told me himself, or would he have kept on keeping it from me? But then again, how do you even begin to tell someone that their father was the man that raped you?

  Deep down I know in his own way he was trying to protect me, keep the truth hidden to save hurting me, but in the end, as the lie kept going on, and more time passed with him not telling me the truth, the hurt and betrayal became that much more painful.

  I never lied about how I feel about you.

  His voice echoes in my mind.

  I have no reason to believe what he said, not after all the lies, but he seemed so sincere.

  “What’s wrong?” Gwen places her hands on mine.

  “I miss him, Gwen, so much.”

  The door opens and my uncle steps into the room, walking over and perching next to me on the couch. “You alright sweetheart?”

  I nod unconvincingly. “No,” I admit.

  “It’s been nearly two weeks, have you forgiven him enough to hear him out?” Gwen asks.

  “It’s not a case of forgiveness, it’s about trust. He broke that trust when he lied to me. I’m scared.”

  “Scared of what?” Gwen presses.

  “Scared that if I trust him, he’ll hurt me again.”

  “That man loves you, he looks at you how your dad used to look at your mom. He’s kept his distance, giving you time like you asked for, you’ll never know if you’re gonna get hurt again, it’s just a chance you have to take. You can’t run from love in fear of getting hurt.” My uncle grips my shoulder, squeezing gently.

  Am I willing to give him another chance?

  Am I willing to risk my heart being broken all over again by putting my trust in him?

  Is he worth it?

  Yes.

  Uncle Jack lets me cut my shift short to go and see Kyle. The sun is out, it’s unusually warm out for this time of year. As I head for the subway, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out. Three missed calls from Kyle in the space of five minutes.

  My heart lurches.

  I answer. “Kyle?”

  I can hear him breathing deeply through the other end. Something’s wrong. I stop in my tracks, clutching my phone tighter.

  “Kyle, are you okay? Can you hear me?”

  “Hayley?” His voice is strained. “I need you.”

  ∞∞∞

  I race through the doors of the hospital, stopping at the reception desk.

  “May I help you?” the lady behind the desk asks.

  “Luke King, he was brought in not long ago,” I reply.

  “Are you family, miss?”

  “I-”

  “Hayley.” I whirl around to find Kyle striding towards me, his face ashen, his eyes bloodshot.

  I rush towards him. “What happened?” I take his hands in mine.

  He shakes his head. “All we know he was in a car accident, heading down the freeway and somehow he lost control of the car.”

  “Oh my God, have they said anything, how is he?” I ask.

  A tear falls down his face. “He’s in surgery, right now. I can’t lose him, Hayley, I can’t.”

  “You won’t. He’s going to pull through.” I squeeze his hands tighter.

  He nods sorrowfully.

  We make our way over to Kyle’s p
arents who are sat in the waiting room, Nathaniel sits with his arm clamped tightly around his wife’s shoulders, clutching her to him. They both look up as we approach, Ellen’s eyes are red and puffy from crying, her husband’s face, pale, his knee bouncing anxiously.