The Good That Won't Come Out

The phone rang a few days later and Hailey lazily picked it up. It was 9:00 in the evening and she was pigging out on a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cookie Dough Ice Cream.

"Yellow"

"Hai, get up, I'm taking you out."

"James, I don't want to go out," she whined.

"Well, pick up the pace, because I'm outside."

She got up and opened the door to see James standing outside, a grin spread across his face.

"You look like the cat who ate the canary," she quipped.

He surveyed her t-shirt and Adidas shorts with obvious disgust.

"And you look like a homeless person. Now get up and get ready. I will carry you out of here kicking and screaming if I have to."

"Fine!"

She stomped off to her room and changed into some cuffed jeans, a black and white striped strapless top with a skull on it and a pair of Chucks with skulls all over them. She brushed her hair and put on some make-up, then went back out to the living room.

"Better?"

"Yes, now let's go, Natalie's waiting in the car."

"Great, now I'll be the third wheel with my ex and his new girlfriend."

"Come on."

Hailey trudged slowly behind James, not wanting to be there at all. James walked swiftly, with a purpose, as usual. She glared at him as she climbed into the back seat. Natalie smiled.

"Hi, I don't think we've had a proper introduction," she said sweetly. "I'm Natalie."

"Hailey, nice to meet you."

Hailey sat in silence as James guided the car into traffic. He pulled up to a club with a huge line out front. Hailey looked up at the marquis and squealed.

"God, I guess I didn't need those eardrums anyways," James laughed, rubbing his ears.

"The Good Life! I fuckin love you James!" she cried. Then noticing Natalie smiling uneasily, she stuttered over her words. "Umm, but not in that way."

James parked the car and they got out. Hailey jumped around happily like a small child. She moved ahead of the couple, singing and dancing.

"Is she always like this?" Natalie asked incredulously.

"Yes," James said with a soft smile.

"She has no clue, does she?"

James shook his head and smiled in self-satisfaction. When he watched Hailey, he felt a small twinge of pain in his heart. He knew he had done the right thing. But, nothing would make the love stop, and he just wanted her to be happy. That was all he had ever wanted.
Hailey danced around with a huge smile spread across her face as the line began to move inside. She hugged James and felt comforted by the familiarity of him. She missed him, but mostly she missed Patrick. Trying to push him out of her head, she was behaving over the top. She blinked as a flash went off.

"Ahh, we'll be in all the dirt rags tomorrow. I can see the headlines, "Hailey Andrews and James Wilksford, the Golden Couple Together Again," he said in a dramatic voice.

Hailey laughed, "We're always giving them something to write about."

Natalie came back from the bathroom and eyed the two of them warily.

"Just so you know, there are rumors flying," Hailey grinned.
"What?" she asked, obviously confused.

"Ahh, tabloids snapping pics of Hai and me again."

"Oh."

Natalie was beginning to feel uncomfortable. She knew that Hailey and James had been together for a very long time. James always claimed he loved her and not Hailey. But, after today, she wasn't quite so sure. She eyed Hailey with jealous eyes. Hailey smiled brilliantly and James smiled down at her with affection. Natalie swallowed her nerves and took James' hand in hers. He reached down and placed a kiss on her lips.

James led them to the VIP area where they sat and ordered drinks. The band started to play. Hailey sung along, smiling. She kept on getting the feeling that she was being watched. Her eyes searched, but found nothing. She stood up.

"I'm going to the bathroom."

But, James wasn't looking at her. He was looking behind her. Natalie had a huge grin on her face. It was like some horrible slow-motion scene as Hailey turned around. She saw Patrick standing there.