HAYLEY: YESTERDAY

(The Night of the Party)

San Francisco, California

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“DON’T SIT UP YET,” A deep male voice was behind me. “Just wait until you’re one hundred percent done, Hayley.”

I opened my eyes and tried to make sense of what was happening. A cool cloth was dabbing my mouth every few seconds, and I was sitting in the passenger seat of a car with the door wide open. My hands were on my stomach, and someone was holding my hair behind my head.

I looked down at the black asphalt ahead and coughed.

Is that vomit?

I slowly lifted my head, and the stranger behind me let my hair go. He stepped out of the car and popped the trunk, stepping in front of me with a cleaning kit. He bent between my legs and wiped the floor, keeping his eyes on mine the whole time.

Corey?

“Is this a dream?” I asked. "Or is this really happening?"

“It looks like it's really happening, unfortunately.”

“Since when do you live in Seattle?”

“Come again?”

“When did you move to Seattle?” I asked. “And why am I in your car?”

“Jesus...” He muttered under his breath. Then he stood up and pressed his hand against my forehead. “Do you have any idea how much you drank tonight?”

“I don't remember drinking anything. I was drinking?”

He sighed and gently moved my legs into the car. He returned to the driver’s seat and cranked the engine, pulling off onto what looked like a San Francisco highway.

He turned off on the first exit ramp and pulled into a gas station. “Wait here.”

I watched him walk inside. Then I picked my purse up from the floor. I fumbled for my phone, but the battery was dead.

Okay. Think, Hayley. Think. 

My mind was blank. I couldn’t remember anything, about tonight, the past few hours. But I did remember a few things about this week.

You called Jonathan and ask him to bring you to San Francisco. You chicken.

I sighed and leaned against the door, looking at Corey as he stood at the counter. I knew I had to be having a dream because this version of Corey was sexy as hell, and far from the chubby boy I once knew, the one who thought ripped jeans and T-shirts was couture.

“Here.” He returned to the car and handed me a paper bag and a cup of coffee.

Inside the bag were bottles of water, a bag of chips, Skittles, and a chocolate bar.

“You need to eat something so the alcohol can start wearing off,” he said, uncapping a bottle of water for me before returning to the road.

I obliged and started with the Skittles. I stared at his side profile, still wondering how I’d ended up in his car. Then the images started flashing before my eyes: Vodka and cranberry juice. Corey in a suit on the roof. Him looking me up and down from afar as his lips parted.

When the hell did he get so sexy?

I started to blurt my thought aloud as I admired his chiseled jawline, but I felt my stomach churning. “Oh, God..."

“What is it?”

"I can't..." I turned toward the window. "Can you pull over?"

I didn't get a chance to wait for him to decide. Everything started to go black, and the last words I heard were, "Jesus Christ, Hayley!"

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THE NEXT TIME I OPENED my eyes, I realized I was being carried. At least it felt like I was being carried. I opened my eyes and realized I was slung over Corey’s shoulder and he was stepping onto an elevator.

I sighed as the cart rose to the top, as he stepped off and tipped the bellman—carrying me into a suite.

Hitting the lights, he carried me around the room, muttering, “Where the hell is the bedroom?”

When he found it, he set me on a chair. Then he went to the restroom, returning with a robe.

Bending down, he unbuckled my stilettos. He unbuttoned the suit jacket I was wearing, tossing it onto a chair with my purple dress.

“I need you to hold up your arms so I can help you into this robe.”

I didn’t move.

He sighed and positioned my hands above my head. He tried to avoid looking directly at my body as he helped me into the robe, but I could tell he was struggling.

When he was finished, he slid his hands under my thighs and carried me to the bed. Shaking his head, he placed a blanket over me and walked into the living room.

I heard him talking to someone on the phone, but I could only make out a few of the things he was saying.

Strawberries. Breakfast. Dry clean her dress by morning. Don’t bring any fucking Starbucks up here—regular coffee is fine.

He returned seconds later and stared at me from the doorway.

“Am I really that drunk?” I asked.

“Apparently so.”

“Are you going to stay the night?”

“Doubt it.” He walked over and adjusted my pillows. Then he dimmed the lamp light next to me. “Go to sleep, Hayley.”

“I need to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

“Why aren’t we friends anymore?”

“Distance, time, the usual.”

“Before I went to college, you used to call.”

“You used to answer.”

I sighed. “If I had told you that I had a crush on you and wanted to date you—”

“Go to sleep, Hayley.” He cut me off, looking panicked as hell. “Now.”

“I really liked you back then—as more than a friend,” I said. “Like, I’m pretty sure I damn near loved you.”

He stared at me, looking stunned.

“Would you have told me no if I asked to be with you?” I tried to sit up, but my body felt too heavy. “Corey?”

“I don’t think so,” he said, pausing. “I would’ve said, not right now, though.”

“Not right now?”

He nodded. “We were too young, but for the record, I’m pretty sure I damn near loved you, too.”

“Okay.” I shut my eyes and felt my body succumbing to sleep, but I felt him pressing a kiss against my forehead.

“Hayley?” he whispered.

“Yeah?” I kept my eyes shut.

“I’m going to send you an email tomorrow, and I’m going to tell you exactly what happened between us tonight.”

“Um hmmm.” I was dozing off.

“It’s going to be short and to the point, and I’m going to send it to protect the both of us.” He paused. “But if by chance you remember what I’m about to say—because I can’t believe I’m about to say this shit and I swear I’ll deny it... You’re honestly the only girl I’ve ever cared about, and I know it’s been years and we’ve grown in different ways, but I never stopped caring about you. And if you want to try us now, and get to know each other again, I wouldn’t say not right now. I would say yes.”

“Corey?” I opened my eyes, my head still feeling fuzzy.

“Yeah, Hayley?”

“What did you just say?”