look at him. “I’m serious. I should have spent these last weeks fighting for you instead of letting you push me away and thinking the worst of you.”
“No matter what you say, I’m taking all the blame. I gave you too many reasons to doubt me.” Hayle brushed his lips over mine. “Now, can we get the hell out of here?”
“Absolutely.” I withdrew from his arms but took his hand and began leading him toward his SUV. “Why don’t you let me drive?” He’d calmed down, but he was still too pale and looked shaken.
“That’s probably for the best.”
Once we were on our way, I made an impromptu decision. It was lunchtime, and neither of us was in any state to go inside somewhere. So, I pulled into the drive-through for a sub shop and ordered for both of us when Hayle said anything was fine.
I remembered seeing a sign for a picnic area this morning and drove back toward Moss Harbor until I spotted it. Instead of taking us to a parking lot, the sign pointed down a narrow road that splintered off into separate parking spots, each with their own picnic table. I passed several before selecting one that was positioned in front of a stream and surrounded by tall trees.
Before I could ask Hayle if he wanted to stay in the car, he opened his door and grabbed the bag of food and his drink. He sat on top of the table, looking toward the water, and I followed his lead, leaving only about a foot of space between us.
“It’s pretty,” I said lamely. I wasn’t sure I had any truly interesting comments in me. Not after the morning we’d had.
“Yeah. Reminds me of our place.”
“We have a place?” I asked curiously.
“The gazebo, obviously. We had our first kiss there, and our best kiss,” he added with the first semblance of a smile I’d seen from him since we arrived at his mother’s temporary home.
“Good point.” I hadn’t thought about it before, but most of our good moments had happened there. “Too bad it’s on Vincent’s property.” If I had a choice, I would move it to right outside of the townhouse. Not that there was room, but it was nice to think about.
“Maybe we’ll find a better place one of these days.”
I gave him a faint smile in return. He was thinking about the future. That was a good thing. It meant that we still had one. We just had to figure out a way to get past all of this shit his parents had managed to stir up first.
We ate in silence, and it wasn’t uncomfortable. Just peaceful, the sounds of the stream and a few nearby birds adding to the atmosphere. Though the temperature was chilly, it wasn’t so cold that I felt the need to run for the nearest heater.
When we were both done, I gathered the trash and set it aside before turning my body to face Hayle’s profile. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”
“Not really.” He gritted his teeth. “But I need to.”
“Okay.”
“She admitted to stealing your hoodie and messing with Bodie’s car, so you were right about that.” He turned his head then, his eyes tortured. “And she admitted to killing my father.”
I gasped, my heart sinking all the way to my feet. “She started the fire?”
“She must have. We didn’t get into much detail, because she freaked out and began threatening to kill herself.”
“Oh my god.” I scooted forward and took his hand closest to me in both of mine. “I’m so sorry, Hayle. That must have been awful. I should have stayed with you.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m glad you weren’t there. Three orderlies had to drag her away. It wasn’t pretty.”
I rested my head on his bicep. “Do you think she was serious?”
“I didn’t at first, but I talked to her doctor afterward. Apparently, when my dad filled out the admission paperwork, he noted that she’s made suicidal threats before and at least one attempt.” He nuzzled his cheek into my hair and sighed deeply. “I had no idea. He never said anything.”
“He was probably trying to protect you.”
Hayle scoffed. “Yeah. Just like he was protecting me by keeping my mom’s mental illness from me for all of these years.”
“Did the doctor say anything else?”
“Just that she would be kept on suicide watch for the foreseeable future and that she shouldn’t be released anytime soon. She obviously needs intensive therapy, and I’m not sure