by Brenna Ash
All right then. Guess he knew who was running this show. Hayden couldn't help but smile. She'd gained a bunch of confidence in the years they'd been apart. Sunny Burns was no longer the shy, quiet girl he once knew.
She glanced at him over her shoulder and asked innocently, “What do you want?”
“Oh, no, you don't. You're not pulling that one on me.” He turned to the young woman behind the register. “Coffee, black, and I'll pay for both. Thanks.”
The woman's eyes widened with recognition when he ordered, but she didn't say anything. He just gave her a smile and handed her a twenty-dollar bill.
Sunny huffed beside him. He passed her the latte she ordered, grabbed his coffee and headed toward a table in the corner near one of the huge floor to ceiling windows. Hayden waited until Sunny took her seat before doing the same.
“Thank you for the coffee. You didn't have to do that.”
“I know. I wanted to.”
“I think she recognized you. She was blushing like a teenager and can't stop staring at you now.”
He shrugged. Nothing he could do about that. Part of the job. “It happens.”
She studied his face for a moment. “Why are you here?”
He sipped his coffee before answering. It was a charged inquiry and they both knew it. He set his coffee cup down and peered out the window at the quiet street. It was so different here than in L.A. “I had to get away for a while. Things were getting out of hand. Better to take myself out for some time instead of staying as everyone's punching bag.”
She raised a brow in question. Waiting for him to continue.
Hayden shook his head. “I'm not here to burden you with my issues. I'm just glad we ran into each other. I've missed you.”
Sunny snorted. “Yeah. I'm sure.”
“I have! Truly. I thought that if I saw you again it would be awkward, but it's like we've never been apart.”
She laughed out loud at that one. “Maybe for you it seems like that. You don't think this feels weird? You up and left, Hayden. With no word, no clue. I got up one day and you were gone. Gone! I thought I was pregnant and was counting on your support. But you left without a word and never looked back. And before you even mention them, emails don't count.”
He flinched. She was right. She had every right to be angry with him.
“I'm sorry. I really am.”
“Yeah, well, it all seemed to work out really well for you. I'm happy for you, Hayden. I really am.” Throwing his words back at him. “I just don't know why you're here opening old wounds.” Sunny stood, snatched up her purse and pivoted to the door. “I should go. I just remembered I have some work I need to finish.”
Hayden stood as well. “Of course.” He followed Sunny outside, stopping in front of her on the sidewalk. “Sunny, look. I'm sorry. I didn't come back for this.” He pushed his hand through his hair. He'd been back for a few hours and was already screwing things up.
“It’s fine.”
They rode back to her car in silence. When they arrived at Edson’s she’d nearly had the door open before he’d brought the car to a full halt.
Sunny bent in before closing the door. “Thanks for the coffee.”
Hayden watched as she hastened away from him. “You're such an ass,” he mumbled under his breath.
Chapter 6
Sunny didn’t wait to see Hayden’s reaction. She hopped in her car, started it and took off, ignoring the stifling heat until Edson’s was out of sight. She flicked the a/c on high and opened the window until cold air filtered through the vents.
Honestly, she wanted to run out of Café Blanca and back to her car on her own, no matter that it was over a mile. But she didn’t want to give Hayden the satisfaction of knowing how much he still affected her.
Activating the Bluetooth button on her steering wheel, she dialed up her friend.
“Hey, Sunny,” Marlene answered on the third ring.
“Guess who's here?”
“At your house?”
“No, in town.”
“I have no idea. Someone you were expecting?”
“No, you'll never guess. And he's the last person I expected to see.”
“Ooooh, it's a him.” Sunny could hear the teasing lilt in Marlene's voice.
“Mmmhmm. But not what you're thinking.”
“So, you're not happy about the person being here?”
“Not really.”
“Okay, you're killing me. Who is it?”
“Hayden.”
“No way! He's here? When? Why?”
“So let me stop you right there. I don't have all the answers. Nor do I want them. But I ran into him at Edson's this afternoon. And then he asked me out for coffee and then--”
“Wait, you saw him already? And went for coffee and you are now just calling me?”
“I texted you, and it wasn't all rainbows and gumdrops you know. Do you have time for a late lunch? Do you want to meet somewhere?”
“I'll be there. I'll clear my afternoon. Let's say two o'clock at Trinny's?”
“That works. I'll see you then. Thanks.” Sunny ended the call. She hadn't arrived home yet. Almost there. She was good to go.
Externally, anyway.
Internally, she was a mess. She couldn't believe Hayden was back. She just couldn't wrap her mind around it. And what had he meant by needing to let things cool down? Sunny hadn't covered any serious relationships lately. He was too busy sleeping around for that. Was it the gambling problem he had? She'd written a blog piece on it, but her source, Sharon, hadn't revealed all that much. Sunny was clueless as to how far in debt he was, or even if he was in debt. Maybe he was really good at gambling and was winning all the time. No, Sharon said Hayden always chose the losing team. He could owe money to a bookie. That was never good.
Sunny had no idea what his reasoning was for returning to Pebble Harbor. Couldn't be because of her blog. Either way. In any case, she couldn't tell him about The Scoop.
It was so hard seeing him again. All those painful memories from when he left came rushing back. She'd worked so hard not to think of that time, to move forward and focus on him in the here and now, accepting the fact that the future held nothing for them.
Sunny doubted he thought about that time at all. Maybe it didn't mean anything to him. It wasn't as if he'd ever contacted her after he'd left. Not once. Not to see how she was doing. To see if everything was going okay. Nothing. It was like she didn't matter anymore. One day she was his sole focus, and the next it was as if something had taken over his mind and he no longer had any feelings for her. He shut them off like a faucet.
Sunny wasn't that lucky. Her brain didn't hold that function and her heart definitely didn't work that way.
Sunny knew she needed to move on, and she did eventually, but it wasn't easy. Hayden still held a huge part of her heart. But she'd never let him know that. It would always be easier for her to tuck that longing away deep inside since they'd never cross paths again.
Then today happened. Why? She didn't get it.
She caught a glimpse of Hayden’s black Audi slowly approaching her. She kept driving and tried to ignore it. And him.
He pulled up alongside her.
“I'm sorry,” he called out the window.
That got her to slow down. Those were the two words that she'd waited years to hear, sure that they would never come, but hoping they would.
Sunny pulled over in the grassy run off. Hayden brought his car to a stop behind her. She watched him approach her car in her side mirror.
“I shouldn't have come on to you so strongly after not having seen each other for so many years. I forgot my place and I apologize.”
Ah, so not the apology she wanted. Sunny put the car in drive, ready to head home again.
“Jesus, Sunny. What the hell?” He jogged over to the passenger’s side and opened the door. “Look, I don't know what happened at the cafe, or here or whate
ver. Whatever the hell it was, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I ruined your day. If I could start over, I would.”
Sunny spun in her seat to face him, lifting her head to be able to look him in the eye. He may have even grown a bit taller since the last time they'd been together.
“I'm sorry too, Hayden. I don't know why you're here or what you want. But I think it would be best if we just stayed clear of each other. That way you can have your vacation and I can have my life.”
He didn't say anything. Just gazed into her eyes and if she held on she was going to lose it.
“I really need to go.”
Hayden shut the car door and backed away a few steps, raising his hands.
Sunny pulled back on the road toward home. This time he didn't follow.
By the time she reached her house, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she didn't care. Sunny let them fall as she sat in the driveway.
***
Hayden watched Sunny take off and wondered what the hell he was doing. He'd come home to clear his head and take a break from everything, not to make matters worse.
With a curse, he got back in his car and headed home, trying not to think about the hole in his heart that Sunny had left.
He knew he'd messed up when they were younger. But they were older now. No longer in college. They both had careers. The past shouldn't be something they couldn't let go. It'd been almost ten years and he hadn't left in the best of ways. He hadn't meant to hurt her like he did.
But that night she'd voiced her worry. Told him she was pregnant. His mind went into overdrive. If he was going to take care of a kid, he had to make some instant money. He couldn't wait until they'd graduated in a couple of years and then work his way up the corporate ladder. That kind of career wasn't really what he wanted anyway, but it was safe and seemed expected of him from those concerned about him. The Burns and Sunny. They wanted nothing more for him than success. The only person it didn't matter to was his mother. DeeDee just wanted him gone so she didn't have to deal with him anymore. Of course that changed once his name was in lights. Now he was useful to her.
Rational thought left his brain. Hayden packed up what little he had that morning and hopped on a bus that would eventually get him to L.A. Was he naive in thinking that he'd get a part and start making loads of money right away? Hell, yes. But he was determined and he went to audition after audition. When he finally landed a role on a new series that ended up being a huge hit, he knew was good.
Throughout the process, he tried reaching out to Sunny. Continued to send her daily emails, letting her know what was happening. That he was doing this for them. For their baby. Even after he learned the pregnancy was just a scare, he still reached out to Sunny. He wanted to see how things were going. How Sunny was doing. But she never answered. Not one email. He should have picked up the phone and called her. But he was a coward and never did. When she ignored his emails, he gave her the space he thought she wanted. But his intentions were always for them to be together. He was doing this for them.
Several months later his friend, Joe, told Hayden she was dating someone she'd met through her friend, Marlene. Hayden was crushed to find out Sunny had moved on. He couldn't blame her. He'd set their fate in motion.
He'd stopped sending emails, and Hayden never spoke to Sunny again, with the exception being when her parents died.
Until today.
Not that she wasn't on his mind. She was. She was his first love. She held his heart. Yes, he'd had a couple of girlfriends, but nothing serious. And all the tabloid talk about his party boy ways was just shit. Made up stuff and a persona that he and his PA kept active because that's what people liked reading. It sold magazines and kept him employed. Stupid but true.
And of course, there was that damn entertainment blogger that seemed determined to take him down single-handedly. He'd had plenty of bad press. Most times he shrugged it off. Part of the whole being famous thing. But now what she was posting was blatantly untrue. And those lies were causing unfortunate repercussions.
Directors he'd previously worked with were calling to tell him they no longer thought he'd be a fit for a part they'd discussed. Hayden hadn't signed any contracts, so he didn't have any options. The past couple of weeks had been rough. They were telling him not to bother, they'd decided to go in a different direction, blah, blah, blah. His meeting with Ben had been just the beginning. They'd wrapped filming a few days before Hayden left for Pebble Harbor. He was just glad Ben gave him the chance to finish the film. The other calls he'd received hadn't been so forgiving.
Hayden sighed as he pulled in the drive, cutting the engine. Instead of entering the house, he walked around back. A leaf covered path led out to the beach. He headed in that direction. Maybe the salty air would help clear his head.
While some of the blame could be placed on the blog, there had to be more that he wasn't seeing. Gossip was the status quo in Hollywood. It was nearly impossible to separate fiction from fact.
Hayden's sneakers sank into the white sand of the beach. It was low-tide so he walked further down into the hard, sea-packed sand. The sun still shone, but the breeze coming off the ocean cooled the air, causing goose-pimples on Hayden's arms. Definitely a bit cooler here than in California.
This mess was partly due to this shit with the blog. He had to find the bitch behind it and get her to fix her statements. Gambling problem? He'd never gambled in his life. He worked too damn hard for his money and the last thing he was going to do was throw it out the window, which was what he likened gambling to. He wasn't his mother. He liked the stability of being able to pay his bills.
If he could figure out who this person was and get her to retract and correct her posts, then maybe he'd be able to save a couple of the jobs he lost. His PA could probably turn it around and work it to his favor, but he did have limitations as to how far he wanted this fake persona of his to go.
“Hey, are you Hayden Wagner?” a young woman of about twenty sporting a huge straw beach hat, a pair of yellow sunglasses and a bikini called out to Hayden.
He stopped walking as she ran to catch up to him. “I am.” He smiled at her though his mood wasn't a good one.
She held up her phone, shaking it in mid-air. “Would you mind?”
A common occurrence, Hayden just went with it. Putting his arm around the girl, he leaned in and smiled so she could snap the selfie.
“Thank you so much!”
“Any time. Have a good day.”
“I will now!”
Hayden watched her turn and run down the beach. Before she decided to connect and return with a bunch of her friends, he changed direction and headed home.
Back at the house, he unpacked the sheets and towels he'd bought at one of the big box department stores, threw them in the wash and doubled up on the fabric softener. He hated stiff and rough sheets.
He checked his messages and noted that both Ellen and Anna had called. Ignoring the messages, he made himself a cup of coffee then went out on the back deck and settled on the all-weather lounger that had been part of the 'furnished' part of the house.
It was so different here from L.A. Things were so quiet. Not so hectic. Simpler.
California was hustle and bustle, with everybody always going full speed ahead. Everyone was always done up to the nines. Heading to the grocery store, put your face on. Heading out for a coffee, need to get my hair done. It was crazy. Here girls just stuck up their hair in a ponytail and went. There was no one to impress.
And that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
His thoughts wandered back to Sunny. She looked damn good. Really fine. He had to figure out a way to get her to see him. He got hard just thinking about her. That hadn't changed. The effect she had on him was all-encompassing. The years apart didn't break the bond, and seeing her again only solidified it. She was still his.
***
Marlene was waiting in a booth when Sunny arrived and waved her over. “I a
lready ordered us drinks,” she said as Sunny slid in across from her.
Marlene waited all of two seconds before she started in with her line of questioning. “Spill it. He's back? Why?”
“Honestly? I don't know. I was at Edson's to pick up a few things and as I was rounding one of the aisles, he was right there. I almost ran right into his cart.”
Mar's eyes widened. “No! What'd you do?”
Sunny shrugged. “I froze. Like an idiot. And then once I gained some of my brain function back I ran out of the store so fast I probably left a chem trail in my wake. But then he was at my car and he asked me out for coffee and then I was in his car.”
She drew in a deep breath. “He's staying at Mrs. Wester's old house. We went to Cafe Blanca and I just couldn't handle it.” She sighed and then continued, “He was talking like we saw each other last week. As if all of the things that happened in the past never did. Like he never took off and left me hanging with the possibility of a kid to raise on my own. I got pissed. Hollered and had him take me back to Edson’s. But he followed me down the road wanting to apologize. I stopped, but took back off soon after.” She finished in a huff.
The bell above the door rang, and Sunny watched a group of utility workers approach the counter and sit on the round, orange pedestal seats.
“Wow. You like totally met your heart rate quota for the week just this morning in excitement.”
“Really? That's what you're focusing on?”
They paused to give their order when the waitress stopped by the table.
“So he didn't give you a real reason as to why he's here? Maybe it's just a vacation.”
“Yeah, because of all the places he could afford to go, he'd pick here.” Sunny shook her head. “He just said he had to get away for a while.”
“At least here he won't get bothered all that much and I doubt the photographers will be following him. Talk about a boring-ass assignment.” Marlene sipped her iced tea. “Does he know where you live?”
Sunny gasped. “Lord, no.”
