Page 55 of The Way I Hate Him
“Oh God, are you burnt?” Hattie asks while bouncing on one foot.
The wet fabric clings to my leg, making it exponentially harder to get off. My leg is burning up. “Fuck,” I scream.
“Youareburnt. Oh God!” Hattie yells as she moves to the sink.
I finally free myself of my jeans, relieved from the razor-sharp pain piercing my skin. I let out a deep sigh of relief just as water blasts me in the side, drenching me from the waist down.
Standing there in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and an Aerosmith graphic T-shirt, I glance at Hattie as she sprays me with water, her eyes focused on my crotch as she doesn’t let up on the faucet.
“What the hell are you doing?” I ask. “Do you think I’m on fucking fire?”
“I don’t know,” she says, continuing to spray me. “From the girly squeals you let out, I was afraid maybe you were . . .”
She looks up at me and smiles.
I frown at her.
She tries to smile more broadly.
I sneer.
And then our eyes both fall to the pool of water still gathering at my feet.
“Turn it off!” I yell.
“Oh right.” She scrambles to turn the water off. She moves around the corner and toes the puddle of coffee and water. “Well,” she breathes out. “What a way to start a morning, huh?”
Jesus fucking Christ.
* * *
Abel:Hey, I know I was kind of tough on you at dinner, so I want to make sure we’re cool.
Hayes:You never have to send a text like that, you know we’re always cool.
Abel:I don’t want you thinking I’m taking Ryland’s side. I’m looking out for you.
Hayes:I know you are.
Abel:And I know you probably don’t want to hear this, but I don’t know if keeping her around is a good idea. It won’t end well. I’d cut ties now before word spreads, and Ryland finds out.
I pinch the bridge of my nose as I stare down at his text because he’s right. I really should fucking end it. Could I find someone to do the work she’s doing? Yeah, I could. But two things make me hesitate. I actually trust Hattie. It’s rare to know someone for a short time and trust her, but because of the history between us and because she’s from my hometown, I trust her. A rare thing today. There’s also the fact that I know she needs this, and as much as I want to say I don’t care about Hattie, I don’t think I could take away the one thing that is going okay—decent—in her life.
Hayes:I understand where you’re coming from, man, but she’s going through a tough time.
Abel:It’s not your responsibility to help her through that. Hell, you shouldn’t even be talking to her.
Hayes:Just like how her family’s currently not talking to her?
Abel:What do you mean they’re not talking to her?
Hayes:I ran into her on the beach after she had pizza with Aubree. She’s struggling, man. She thinks her family hates her. She keeps wanting to help them, to be a part of the new journey they’re all on, and they’re pushing her away.
Abel:I know Ryland and Aubree are being pushed to their breaking point right now.
Hayes:That’s what she said, but they won’t let her help. They keep telling her to focus on school, and dude, she failed out this semester. She can’t go back to school right now.
Abel:Fuck, are you serious?
