Status: Read, Stay with me... Please!
Look at Me
8.
Some part of Hayden registered the bell had gone off and it was lunchtime. He broke away from Paige’s eyes long enough to stand up and walk over to her desk. Without speaking, he walked over to her desk and held out his hand. Wordlessly she took it and they walked to the cafeteria.
***
Hayden was limping. Paige noticed the slight hitch in his gate as they walked through the lunch line. Something in her brain registered that fact, but she didn’t know why at the time. It didn’t seem important.
Nothing did, except the fact that he had taken her hand again and was leading her to an unoccupied table. She knew she should be completely freaked out by that. But for some reason it felt right that he was holding her hand. For some reason his touch felt familiar.
After they sat down, he asked in an absurdly casual way, “Want to tell me why you were staring?”
“Want to tell me what happened to your face?” Paige shot back in an equally casual way.
His black brows raised as if to say touché and he took a purposeful bite of his burger. She really hadn’t been staring because of his face. (At first anyway) But she couldn’t exactly turn and say, I had a sex dream about you last night and I was wondering if you were as hot in real life. So when he didn’t say anything more, neither did she.
After a very quiet meal, Hayden stood up an looked down at her. His midnight bangs shifted a little and for the first time she saw his eyes.
The were the color of new leaves. Bright green with small gold flecks…Paige almost fell off the plastic bench she was sitting on. As she looked into Hayden’s frighteningly familiar eyes, her brain worked furiously to make the connections she seemed to have missed.
His eyes.
His limp.
The scratches.
What did they mean? Why did they feel important? She tried to think, but as his gaze connected with hers all she could do was look back at him.
As she did, a part of her brain was screaming, YOU ARE NOT FALLING FOR HAYDEN PEIRCE!
The rest of her just whispered back, too late.
It was already happening. Paige could already sense the irresistible pull of gravity tugging her down. And she had a feeling it would be a hell of a ride…
***
Lunch had probably been the most awkward half hour in Hayden’s entire life. He’d been his usual ineloquent self and said absolutely nothing. Paige didn’t say much more, but how could she? She was probably dying of embarrassment over her “dream” and the fact that she’d stared at him for like an hour.
Hayden absently touched his still stinging cheek and wondered if he really looked THAT much like a monster. Probably, if she stared at him for that long, he probably did.
Hayden forced himself to stand up. He wanted to sit by Paige until the next ice age or so, but why stay where he wasn’t wanted? Then as he rose to his feet her entrancing blue eyes caught his once again and for several seconds he was lost.
“Hayden,” Paige whispered, her voice like an angel’s.
“Yes,” he breathed with his whole soul on display.
“You could tell me you know,” she said hesitantly. “If…if you did something bad…or if something bad happened to you…”
Images Hayden fought to drown rose to the surface as Paige spoke. Emotions best repressed were set free. And as much as he didn't want to he felt the burn of tears in his eyes.
***
Paige saw the way Hayden’s green eyes clouded and her hand reached out to brush his cheek seemingly of its own will. As she felt the sticky texture of dried blood beneath her fingertips she knew. It was not his fault. Whatever happened to him, he hadn’t deserved it.
***
Hayden was limping. Paige noticed the slight hitch in his gate as they walked through the lunch line. Something in her brain registered that fact, but she didn’t know why at the time. It didn’t seem important.
Nothing did, except the fact that he had taken her hand again and was leading her to an unoccupied table. She knew she should be completely freaked out by that. But for some reason it felt right that he was holding her hand. For some reason his touch felt familiar.
After they sat down, he asked in an absurdly casual way, “Want to tell me why you were staring?”
“Want to tell me what happened to your face?” Paige shot back in an equally casual way.
His black brows raised as if to say touché and he took a purposeful bite of his burger. She really hadn’t been staring because of his face. (At first anyway) But she couldn’t exactly turn and say, I had a sex dream about you last night and I was wondering if you were as hot in real life. So when he didn’t say anything more, neither did she.
After a very quiet meal, Hayden stood up an looked down at her. His midnight bangs shifted a little and for the first time she saw his eyes.
The were the color of new leaves. Bright green with small gold flecks…Paige almost fell off the plastic bench she was sitting on. As she looked into Hayden’s frighteningly familiar eyes, her brain worked furiously to make the connections she seemed to have missed.
His eyes.
His limp.
The scratches.
What did they mean? Why did they feel important? She tried to think, but as his gaze connected with hers all she could do was look back at him.
As she did, a part of her brain was screaming, YOU ARE NOT FALLING FOR HAYDEN PEIRCE!
The rest of her just whispered back, too late.
It was already happening. Paige could already sense the irresistible pull of gravity tugging her down. And she had a feeling it would be a hell of a ride…
***
Lunch had probably been the most awkward half hour in Hayden’s entire life. He’d been his usual ineloquent self and said absolutely nothing. Paige didn’t say much more, but how could she? She was probably dying of embarrassment over her “dream” and the fact that she’d stared at him for like an hour.
Hayden absently touched his still stinging cheek and wondered if he really looked THAT much like a monster. Probably, if she stared at him for that long, he probably did.
Hayden forced himself to stand up. He wanted to sit by Paige until the next ice age or so, but why stay where he wasn’t wanted? Then as he rose to his feet her entrancing blue eyes caught his once again and for several seconds he was lost.
“Hayden,” Paige whispered, her voice like an angel’s.
“Yes,” he breathed with his whole soul on display.
“You could tell me you know,” she said hesitantly. “If…if you did something bad…or if something bad happened to you…”
Images Hayden fought to drown rose to the surface as Paige spoke. Emotions best repressed were set free. And as much as he didn't want to he felt the burn of tears in his eyes.
***
Paige saw the way Hayden’s green eyes clouded and her hand reached out to brush his cheek seemingly of its own will. As she felt the sticky texture of dried blood beneath her fingertips she knew. It was not his fault. Whatever happened to him, he hadn’t deserved it.