We Can Lay With Our Eyes Closed
So I Need Some Help But He's All I Know
2 days later and I’d ignored him and he’d tried to talk to me at work but I’d managed to stay out back so he couldn’t see me and got the guys to say I was off work. He’d come over but nobody answered the door, I was sat at home when my phone beeped “Hayley I am more sorry than I think you understand, I never meant to upset you and you know that! I know how it looked but it’s not that way at all, I don’t care who you are or what you are because I love you! I admit if I wasn’t in this situation I’d say the guys a creeper etc but I am here and I know that there’s nothing wrong with us. I love you and I don’t care whether you’re 18 or 28, baby please just come see me or let me see you. Hell just answer me back, just don’t leave me not knowing where I stand! I miss you; please talk to me! I love you Hales! Xxxxxx’ I read before sighing and turning my phone off.
I was at work the next day when someone shouted my name “There’s a guy here asking for you” he explained, “I don’t want to see Kevin” “It’s not him” they replied and I nodded following them out to see Jeremy. “Hayley sorry for coming down here, do you have a break or something?” “I’m on lunch,” I stated and he nodded “Can we have a talk, maybe go outside?” he asked and I nodded following him.
“How are you?” I nodded slowly “Look I’ll cut the chat, I came down here because well I know you got upset at the bar. I could see it and I know Kevin overstepped the line, we’d been pushing at him all day long winding him up and he was in a foul mood already. I know it’s no excuse but well we feel so guilty for it, we feel like we pushed him and wound him up all day long and that sparked something between you guys and now you’re where you are and we feel like it’s all our fault” he admitted and I sighed.
“Well you don’t have to, he said what he said not you! Nobody made him say them things” “No but in his way he was trying to defend you, look Kevin might be older than you are but he’s still that teenager inside. Hell that’s probably why you both get on so well, he never meant to upset you and you have to know that. Maybe he’s not told you and I know it’s not our place but he loves you Hayley. Right or wrong he really does, I don’t know what you 2 talk about or what you do when you’re together but all I know is he’s missing it. If I have to walk in that house to hear another sappy love song playing I’ll tell him I love him to shut him up” he smiled and I laughed quietly.
“It’s just…it doesn’t matter” I said, “No go on, I won’t tell him. Must be weird being so far from home at your age” I nodded “Something like that, it’s a long and complicated story” I admitted “Well my life isn’t that thrilling, I have the time and the patience” he offered and I nodded “Well I don’t, my break finishes in 5 minutes” “Well how about we go out later, just for a drink. You know we can talk about whatever you want, promise not to tell him” he reasoned and I looked at him.
“Fine, I finish work at 4 today” “Well I’ll come by at 5, where do you live?” he asked “Here, I best go, I’ll see you later” I replied and he nodded walking off as I went inside again. It got to 5 and I headed downstairs to see Jeremy walking down the road he smiled as he got closer “Hey, so where do you want to go? I’m thinking I definitely remember you can’t drink and neither do I so coffee?” I nodded walking with him to the nearest shop and we sat down.
“I still get lost here,” I admitted and he smiled “You like it here?” “I guess, you from around here?” I asked, “Yeah born and raised, you’re from Atlanta right? Why here?” he replied and I looked at the table “Circumstances changed, this place seems different not being around Kevin. He’s the first person I met and one of the few people I know,” I explained. “Who else do you know around here?” “Kevin, the guys from work, Mico and his family and that’s it, oh and some guy named Max I see around sometimes” I listed “Really?” I nodded “So this must be strange, you know not having anyone to talk to about it” he said and I nodded again.
“So what’s this long complicated story?” I looked at him “I just had to leave” “Doesn’t sound so long or complicated to me, I thought you were 17 when you guys started dating?” I nodded “So you moved with family?” “No” I stated. “But if you were 17…” “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble” I said quietly and he smiled, “Look I ain’t about to go getting Skaff in trouble so you can tell me, if you want” he reasoned and I smiled.
“If I stayed in Atlanta I was going to have to live somewhere I didn’t want to so I left” “Ran away?” he asked and I nodded “I came here because, well it holds some importance but I don’t want to talk about that. Kevin walked into me” “Spilt his drink on you and it went from there?” he finished for me and I nodded smiling thinking back to then. “He’s told me all about how you guys met and all that, so he knew all this?” he questioned.
I shrugged “He found out, he never asked and I never told. I never thought he was as old as he is and he thought I was older, I guess we’re both to blame for that but when he found out he wasn’t happy. I mean I get it, he was breaking the law, he has a right to be angry with me but it’s not like I did it on purpose,” I explained and he nodded.
“I’m not saying this is his opinion but if it was me I’d be angry that I was in some way deceived by someone I trusted but if I cared enough I would put it behind me, he really does care about you Hayley. He was out of line and he knows it now, maybe you won’t gain anything from it but can it really hurt just to go see him and let him explain himself to you properly?” he asked and I looked out the window.
“I can’t explain his actions and his words because I’m not him. I’m not here to lecture you anyway, I’m an old man compared to you and well I know more than most you have to make your own mistakes. You can’t learn from mine, the other guys say hey by the way” he smiled and I nodded as I heard my phone vibrate. ‘This isn’t how I wanted to spend it but it’s our 6 month anniversary! Can you please just talk to me even if it’s to tell me to leave you alone! I miss you Hales, love you beautiful xxxxxx’ I read before sighing, “What’s up?” I shook my head “I’m just tired, the guys at home have been up until late recently,” I admitted and he nodded.
“Anyway I should get home, I was up early this morning and I’ve been at the studio all day long” he said as we both stood up “How’s that going?” “Yeah good thanks, seems like awhile since we did it all so we’ve been clashing a lot and getting stuck in bad habits but I think we’re pushing on with it now. Do you want me to walk you back?” he asked and I shook my head. “I’ll be fine, thanks for this” I offered “No, anytime. I’ll see you soon hopefully,” he said smiling “Yeah” I replied before we went separate ways.
The door opened “So you still don’t get dressed then?” I asked, as he looked at me “Hales what are…I’m sorry I…erm…I don’t know what to say” he admitted. “Well maybe this will help” I stated holding the drink out and he took it before smiling “Chocolate milk, I’ll try not throw it on you” he smiled and I nodded. “Come in” he said walking into the lounge and I shut the door following him to see his little home on the couch with blankets etc.
I was at work the next day when someone shouted my name “There’s a guy here asking for you” he explained, “I don’t want to see Kevin” “It’s not him” they replied and I nodded following them out to see Jeremy. “Hayley sorry for coming down here, do you have a break or something?” “I’m on lunch,” I stated and he nodded “Can we have a talk, maybe go outside?” he asked and I nodded following him.
“How are you?” I nodded slowly “Look I’ll cut the chat, I came down here because well I know you got upset at the bar. I could see it and I know Kevin overstepped the line, we’d been pushing at him all day long winding him up and he was in a foul mood already. I know it’s no excuse but well we feel so guilty for it, we feel like we pushed him and wound him up all day long and that sparked something between you guys and now you’re where you are and we feel like it’s all our fault” he admitted and I sighed.
“Well you don’t have to, he said what he said not you! Nobody made him say them things” “No but in his way he was trying to defend you, look Kevin might be older than you are but he’s still that teenager inside. Hell that’s probably why you both get on so well, he never meant to upset you and you have to know that. Maybe he’s not told you and I know it’s not our place but he loves you Hayley. Right or wrong he really does, I don’t know what you 2 talk about or what you do when you’re together but all I know is he’s missing it. If I have to walk in that house to hear another sappy love song playing I’ll tell him I love him to shut him up” he smiled and I laughed quietly.
“It’s just…it doesn’t matter” I said, “No go on, I won’t tell him. Must be weird being so far from home at your age” I nodded “Something like that, it’s a long and complicated story” I admitted “Well my life isn’t that thrilling, I have the time and the patience” he offered and I nodded “Well I don’t, my break finishes in 5 minutes” “Well how about we go out later, just for a drink. You know we can talk about whatever you want, promise not to tell him” he reasoned and I looked at him.
“Fine, I finish work at 4 today” “Well I’ll come by at 5, where do you live?” he asked “Here, I best go, I’ll see you later” I replied and he nodded walking off as I went inside again. It got to 5 and I headed downstairs to see Jeremy walking down the road he smiled as he got closer “Hey, so where do you want to go? I’m thinking I definitely remember you can’t drink and neither do I so coffee?” I nodded walking with him to the nearest shop and we sat down.
“I still get lost here,” I admitted and he smiled “You like it here?” “I guess, you from around here?” I asked, “Yeah born and raised, you’re from Atlanta right? Why here?” he replied and I looked at the table “Circumstances changed, this place seems different not being around Kevin. He’s the first person I met and one of the few people I know,” I explained. “Who else do you know around here?” “Kevin, the guys from work, Mico and his family and that’s it, oh and some guy named Max I see around sometimes” I listed “Really?” I nodded “So this must be strange, you know not having anyone to talk to about it” he said and I nodded again.
“So what’s this long complicated story?” I looked at him “I just had to leave” “Doesn’t sound so long or complicated to me, I thought you were 17 when you guys started dating?” I nodded “So you moved with family?” “No” I stated. “But if you were 17…” “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble” I said quietly and he smiled, “Look I ain’t about to go getting Skaff in trouble so you can tell me, if you want” he reasoned and I smiled.
“If I stayed in Atlanta I was going to have to live somewhere I didn’t want to so I left” “Ran away?” he asked and I nodded “I came here because, well it holds some importance but I don’t want to talk about that. Kevin walked into me” “Spilt his drink on you and it went from there?” he finished for me and I nodded smiling thinking back to then. “He’s told me all about how you guys met and all that, so he knew all this?” he questioned.
I shrugged “He found out, he never asked and I never told. I never thought he was as old as he is and he thought I was older, I guess we’re both to blame for that but when he found out he wasn’t happy. I mean I get it, he was breaking the law, he has a right to be angry with me but it’s not like I did it on purpose,” I explained and he nodded.
“I’m not saying this is his opinion but if it was me I’d be angry that I was in some way deceived by someone I trusted but if I cared enough I would put it behind me, he really does care about you Hayley. He was out of line and he knows it now, maybe you won’t gain anything from it but can it really hurt just to go see him and let him explain himself to you properly?” he asked and I looked out the window.
“I can’t explain his actions and his words because I’m not him. I’m not here to lecture you anyway, I’m an old man compared to you and well I know more than most you have to make your own mistakes. You can’t learn from mine, the other guys say hey by the way” he smiled and I nodded as I heard my phone vibrate. ‘This isn’t how I wanted to spend it but it’s our 6 month anniversary! Can you please just talk to me even if it’s to tell me to leave you alone! I miss you Hales, love you beautiful xxxxxx’ I read before sighing, “What’s up?” I shook my head “I’m just tired, the guys at home have been up until late recently,” I admitted and he nodded.
“Anyway I should get home, I was up early this morning and I’ve been at the studio all day long” he said as we both stood up “How’s that going?” “Yeah good thanks, seems like awhile since we did it all so we’ve been clashing a lot and getting stuck in bad habits but I think we’re pushing on with it now. Do you want me to walk you back?” he asked and I shook my head. “I’ll be fine, thanks for this” I offered “No, anytime. I’ll see you soon hopefully,” he said smiling “Yeah” I replied before we went separate ways.
The door opened “So you still don’t get dressed then?” I asked, as he looked at me “Hales what are…I’m sorry I…erm…I don’t know what to say” he admitted. “Well maybe this will help” I stated holding the drink out and he took it before smiling “Chocolate milk, I’ll try not throw it on you” he smiled and I nodded. “Come in” he said walking into the lounge and I shut the door following him to see his little home on the couch with blankets etc.