Look at Me

Terry walked a few angry steps away from the car and then stopped. It wasn’t like she was going anywhere. She was in the middle of the fucking woods. There were just trees for miles around and it was dark.
Not that she would admit to being afraid of the dark, but still….
So, she stood there alone, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill out of her stupid eyes. Should she feel betrayed? Probably, and she kind of did. How could Paige not tell her something so…so important? So what if it wasn’t her secret to tell?
Terry was her best friend. She was protective of Paige and anything that threatened to hurt her was sooo not happening. Maybe that was why though…maybe Paige thought she’d freak out and overreact and…
Well, that was exactly what she’d done…
Damn right it was. Hayden Peirce was a weirdo to start with, but now he was officially a supernatural weirdo! Of course she was going to freak out. He was something that was supposed to be fictional and he was putting the moves on [HER] Page Brinkley. She knew Paige loved him though, and he had been through some seriously awful stuff with his parents….but how could he possibly be normal or safe? Especially now?

It was just so confusing. [n that sick, kind of makes sense at the same time too, way.] Terry cradled her head in her hands as she thought of when she saw Hayden in Paige’s house the night before. She’d wondered how the fuck he could possibly be there. It hadn’t made sense and she’d tried to turn it into something her brain would accept. Maybe it was just Paige having a little naughty fun…but with her mother and her best friend right there?
Now her stomach twisted in a dangerously nauseous way as she remembered the dog…It had shown up at the back door covered in motor oil or whatever and…it had been Hayden… Had Paige know even then.?
Terry’s mind said, NO!!! She remembered the tense erratic way Paige had acted. Her friend hadn’t know anything. It was after…and now…
What was supposed to happen? How was she supposed to deal with something so unnatural?

***

When Hayden walked up to her, Terry had her backed turned. She was slightly hunched in what seemed to be a position of pain or sadness. Maybe it was both…
Hayden placed his hand gently on her shoulder and quietly said her name. He spoke to her the way someone would to a frightened animal, because of course, fear can turn into defensive aggression. And that was exactly what he saw in Terry’s eyes when she turned around.
“What do you want?” she half -sobbed.
Hayden paused before speaking, unsure of what to say. He didn’t want to make it worse and scare her even more. Finally he took a deep breath and said the only thing he could.
“Terry, you love Paige . You want what’s best for her. I know that, because I do too. I also know she needs you right now. She needs you to be there and just understand that she didn’t mean for any of this to hurt you.-”
He was cut of mid-sentence as Terry shouted, “But it did. It hurt me that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth!“
“She was afraid… and she didn’t want to tell you something that she didn’t think it was her right to tell. She was trying to protect me Terry. Surely you know what it is to want to protect someone?”
Terry was only partially lit up b y the headlights. Hayden couldn’t see her expression, but when she spoke her voice sounded sad, “Why would she be afraid of me?’
“Paige didn’t know how you’d react, but she wanted you to know. She really did…but it was just hard and then Gabriel….”
“Decided to fucking flip the switch while I was driving?”
“Yeah, something like that…”
Terry breathed deeply several times and trembled like she was trying to shake off the nervous energy coursing through her.
“I won’t let you hurt her Hayden,” she finally whispered into the darkness. “I swear to God you won’t fucking hurt her. She cares about you. I’m sure you know that and it you use her like this ever again you will regret it. Are we clear?”
“Yes,” Hayden said shortly.” Let me make this clear also though. I love Paige.”
Terry moved closer and asked, “Can you love? Isn’t that a human emotion?”
She didn’t even sound spiteful when she asked. It was that awful curiosity people at a freak show display. Hayden understood it even as he resented the way it made him feel. Inferior….
“Yes, I have a heart and a soul Terry. And they both belong to Paige,” he finally replied .