Hard to Love You

Mason and Ryder come back to the room and I move over so Ryder can have the middle. Mason climbs in after getting Ryder settled with his bottle. I’m so in awe of this man. I have no clue what I’m going to do if he keeps hurting me.

Mason reaches for my hand above Ryder’s head and then he lays his hand on my hip. “I love you Hailey Madison Taylor.”

I close my eyes and a tear slides down my face. “I love you too, Mason Jonathan Cahill.”

With my eyes still closed I fall to sleep with my dreams of one day having this with Mason.

After Ryder finishes his bottle I carry him back into his room and try to catch a few hours of sleep.

The alarm goes off at five and I’m still exhausted after only managing three hours. I look over at Hailey’s sleeping body and I never want to be separated from her again. She’s the one for me, that much is clear. Last night sealed the deal. Hailey is the type of girl that will put everyone else before herself, make sure everyone is happy before she makes herself happy. She’s been through so much shit with her family that no one should ever have to deal with and I am going to make it my mission to see that she never deals with it again.

I regrettably untangle myself from her na**d body and go to wake Cooper for practice.

When I walk downstairs Cooper and Jaylinn are already sitting at the breakfast bar, drinking coffee.

“So Masey, you and Hailey?” Jaylinn questions me.

I shrug. I’m not sure exactly what we are right now.

Cooper stands up and goes for another cup of coffee. “You f**ked her in our sister’s house, in the kitchen dude, and all you can do is shrug?”

I walk by and smack him upside the head, “Yup and you aren’t going to say a word about it to Kenzie either.”

“Hell no I’m not. I’m staying far away from that.” Cooper says.

The three of us talk for a little while before Coop and I leave the girls and Ryder to head off to practice.

17

I wake around ten and I feel the panic quickly. Mason is gone, I can’t feel his body heat, but he never woke me to make sure I kept an ear out for Ryder. I throw the covers off and run into his room. Jaylinn is sitting on the floor playing with Ryder’s blocks as he is sitting in her lap, attempting to eat the block in his hand. Thank God those things are plastic.

“Morning Sunshine.” Jaylinn greets me.

“Damn, I was in a panic for a minute. I didn’t hear Mason leave this morning and thought Ryder would be in here screaming his head off.” I take a seat next to Jaylinn and Ryder on the floor and pick up a block, twirling it around in my hand.

Ryder squeals, I reach out and grab his little hand, “Morning monkey.”

I look over to Jaylinn and she grimaces a little. “What’s the matter?” she says.

“Damn rug burn.” I start laughing. “It’s not what you think, jackass.”

I roll my eyes, “Yeah sure.”

“It wasn’t! Coop and I were playing around. I tried to get away from him but he caught me by my feet and dragged my ass across the floor back to him.”

I laugh harder, “Didn’t you have pants on?”

“Oh whatever.” Jaylinn huffs and blows her bangs out of her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“When are you and Coop ever going to get together? Everyone knows you two are fighting your feelings for some reason and it makes no damn sense, Jay.”

“It’s complicated.”

“What isn’t complicated anymore?”

Jaylynn shrugs, “Every time I try to get close to him he shuts me out and then things are weird for a few days afterwards.” Jaylinn shrugs and looks hurt.

“What’s so complicated about your relationship? Is it because of baseball? And your soccer? Both?”

Jaylinn just shrugs.

“Do you want me to have Mason try to talk to him?”

“No.” She shakes her head.

Ryder starts getting fussy. Poor little guy is drooling like crazy.

“Don’t panic, but I think you need to run out to the store and get Ryder some teething medicine. He’s putting everything in his mouth and he’s really cranky. Kenzie left a note.” I laugh once, of course she did. “She said if he’s really cranky to put Baby Orajel on his gums but I can’t find it anywhere.”

“Aww, Monkey are your teeth bothering you?” I coo to him. He reaches for my finger and tries to stick it in his mouth.

“See.” Jaylinn says while reaching for a teething ring I didn’t notice on the floor.

“Alright, I’m going to go throw some clothes on. You’ll be ok with him until I get back?” I ask Jaylinn as I stand up.

“Yup, we’ll be fine.”

An hour later I walk into Walgreens, pushing a shopping cart down the baby aisle. I grab the Baby Orajel and then swing around to the next aisle to grab some snacks.

I stop dead in my tracks. Lily is standing there. She hasn’t noticed me yet and I could easily back up and leave but before I get the chance she looks up. Panic flashes across her face.

“Oh hey, Hailey.” Lily says as the panic leaves her face. Lily is a nasty person and cries for attention from anyone that has a dick. It’s a shame that her good looks were wasted on such a sleazy whore bag.

Someone clears their throat behind me. I turn and I’m almost face to face with Brittany.

Fuck!

This situation could go one of two ways. I could completely ignore them and leave or I can stay and stand my ground. I’ve never fled before and I’m not about to start now.

“Well who the f**k do I owe this surprise to?” I say with a sweet voice.

Brittany walks past me and stands next to Lily. I look down to what Lily has in her hands. Two different kinds of pregnancy test.

What. The. Fuck?

“What idiot would f**k you without a condom? He’s gotta be f**king stupid.”

“That f**king idiot would be Mason.” Brittany taunts.

I want to punch this bitch in her face. There isn’t an ounce of relation between her and her step-brother and step-sister. She’s vile. I pity any man she ever ends up with.

Lily plasters a fake smile on her face, “You know how Mason can get so caught up in the moment he forgets to use a condom sometimes, and now look what’s happened.”

I feel all of the air leave my lungs. Please, please, please let me have misunderstood what she just said.

“Mason’s not sleeping with you Lily. I’d know if he was.” I would. Jaylinn or MacKenzie would tell me. Wouldn’t they?