Page 97 of Finding Hayes
I nodded, and we stopped in the kitchen to put the food awayand made our way to the bedroom. I was too tired to even wash my face tonight.
I’d been staying up late researching everything I could about my father’s treatment, and I’d usually get to the farmhouse first thing in the morning to meet the guys and oversee the renovations.
I knew I needed to sleep. Hayes pulled me into his arms, and my head rested against his chest. I loved falling asleep to the sound of his heart beating.
“Thanks for bringing me back to life, Sav,” he said, his voice quiet and calming.
“I wish I’d come back and found you sooner.”
“It didn’t matter when you came. I was always yours.” He kissed the top of my head. “I’m going to do my best to be the husband that you deserve.”
“You already are,” I whispered.
And that was the last thing I remembered before sleep took me.
When I woke up the next morning, I reached for Hayes, but he wasn’t there. I found a piece of paper on his pillow, and I sat up, blinking a few times as I adjusted to the sunlight flooding the room.
Sav,
I knew you needed the sleep, so I didn’t wake you. I’m heading to the firehouse. Call me when you wake up. Love you. H
I looked at the time on my phone and hurried out of bed. I was already late, and the guys would have started an hour ago. I brushed my teeth, got dressed, piled my hair into a messy knot on top of my head, and grabbed the box of letters.
I was dying to read them.
When I got to the house, things were well underway. TheFrench doors were being put in, and the landscape in the front yard was getting a nice refresh for curb appeal purposes, which would be important when we listed it. The place was coming together.
I couldn’t believe how quickly they’d gotten things done. But the bones had been there; it was all cosmetic. This house would sell for a small fortune once it was decorated and staged. I’d been finding furniture pieces everywhere and storing them in the garage, bringing them in as each room was completed. All the bedrooms were put together because all they’d required was a fresh coat of paint and the staining of the floors. I’d added area rugs, curtains, furniture, and décor. Each room had a unique vibe, and I loved the way this house was coming together.
“Hey, you all right?” Kingston asked as he pulled me in for a hug.
“Yes. I just overslept.”
“You look tired, Savvy. You’re working too hard,” he said, handing me a donut and an iced tea from Magnolia Beans.
“I’m fine.”
“Hey, you’re here,” Nash said. “We’ll have these French doors in by lunchtime.”
“Great. I’m going to go do some work upstairs in the bedroom. I’ll check back in with you guys in a few hours.”
“Sounds good.” Nash patted my shoulder before one of the guys on his crew called his name.
I took my box and made my way upstairs. I set it on the bed and pulled off the lid. I’d read the first seven letters that he’d written me, and I’d been dying for more.
I pulled out the next one in the box.
I’d wondered what would have happened if these letters had made their way to me all those years ago. Would things have turned out differently? Would we not have lost a decade of time?
I unfolded the notebook paper.
Sav,
It’s been two months today since you left. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I’m struggling. I know I told you that Saylor is staying at the Pierces’, and I’m staying with Nash and his dad. Romeo and River are stuck in that shithole of a place, and we can’t see them. But they write us letters. So, I’m going to keep writing you until you decide to read one and write me back.
I can’t believe my dad wouldn’t even step up knowing that Saylor and I were going to be put into foster care. He’s got all this money, Sav, and he can’t be bothered. Who does that? And my mom, she’s staying with that bastard. He put Saylor in the hospital, and she’s still with him. She lost her kids, and she’s still fucking with him.
I don’t know how they can call themselves parents. I hate them for doing this to Saylor. I know she’s freaking out because we’ve never been separated. Thankfully, I get to see her every day, and I know King’s looking out for her. I promised her I’ll get us our own place as soon as I graduate. I’ve got to get her out of that house.
