CHAPTER ELEVEN
❝ feelings ❞

HAYDEN MAKES HER way outside, watching with narrowed eyes as her parents' car pulls into the driveway. Her mother makes eye contact with her through the window, but the girl refuses to stare any longer. Instead, she moves towards Emmett's jeep, clenching her hands into fists and counting backwards from ten.

It was a hurried motion as her mother gets out of the passenger seat, then begins to speak to Hayden. "Can we talk, dear?"

"I have places to be and people to see," the brunette says calmly, her voice quiet. "You can go inside, Mother. I should be home before dark‒ but don't wait up."

Hayden could feel her chest tightening; is this what her relationship with her parents had evolved into? It was a terrible feeling to know that, at one point in time, her bond with them was unbreakable. But it had all led up to this‒ Hayden leaving them behind every chance she got. They deserved it though, didn't they?

Emmett sits in his car, gripping the steering wheel with a light force. He kept his face clear, though, and held back the urge to get out of the car and tell Hayden that things would be alright. Everything inside him told him to take her away from this toxic home; it was the main cause of her pain. And, if he had anything to do with it, Hayden would never be harmed again.

"Hayden, please," Amberley begs, running a hand down her face. "Don't be like this, just come inside and we can work this out."

By now, Hayden's father was out of the car, resting a careful hand on Amberley's back‒ that flared the girl's anger.

"I need to get away from everything for a bit," the girl mocks her mother, not holding back her glare. "You see, I have this rare occasion where I can stop thinking about how many times you've forgotten about me, and I just need to take the opportunity to rest. I assume you understand, considering how often you abandon me."

Emmett would've laughed if this wasn't such a serious moment; Hayden was standing up to her mother like she had wanted to. And this time, unlike the previous time, she wasn't holding back how she felt.

"Do you know how many times I've lied awake at night, questioning myself for the explanation as to why you leave?" Her voice quivered now, and it was obvious she would cry if she kept going. "Because for some odd reason, I sometimes think it's my fault that the two of you have utterly screwed up as parents! I blame your absence on my carelessness for sharing feelings, or for my hatred towards your jobs.

"But I've realized now," she pauses, closing her eyes for a moment, "that this is all your fault, and you need to know that I haven't done anything to push you away. I've attempted to find my way back to you, to communicate and offer up opportunities to break whatever boundaries the two of you built. It's obvious none of that is possible anymore."

Hayden's hands were shaking, her eyes burning with unshed tears. But she wasn't about to show her parents that she was weak, or that she needed their attention. The brunette had lived without them long enough, and she would be fine if they decided to disappear altogether. She had close friends now, and that was all that mattered.

Emmett wanted to hold her hands within his‒ to whisper sweet nothings into her ears that would stop the shaking. He wanted to run his thumb underneath her eyes and tell her that it was okay to cry, and that he was going to be there when no one else was. He wanted to place his hands on either side of her face, pull her close, and place his lips on hers.

"I'm leaving," Hayden murmers, finished with her point. "Don't bother trying to talk when I get back home, because I have nothing left to say to you."

And with one last glance at her heart-wrecked mother and father, Hayden opened the door to Emmett's jeep, climbed inside, and told him to drive.

---

"You know, I'm here if you ever need to talk," Emmett states, putting the car in park. "It doesn't matter what it's about‒ I'm always going to be here when you need me."

Hayden wasn't sure if he was meaning it in a friendly matter, or if it was supposed to mean something more. But in truth, she couldn't read the expression on his face, or even the meaning behind his words. So instead of asking questions, she gave him a nod and a weak smile. Someone as perfect as Emmett Cullen wouldn't be interested in her. That was too good to be true; a miracle if it were to take place.

"Thank you," Hayden sighs, leaning back into the cushion of the seat, "for everything. I didn't expect them to come home, nor for you to be there if they did. I just needed to get that out and let it sink in."

"There's no need for apologies," he assures her, much like Paul had. "It's better to get it out than to hold it in. Emotions are shit."

A grin broke out on the brunette's face as she rolled her eyes. It wasn't surprising at how quickly her emotions changed when Emmett was near. With Hayden, her her would skip beats, or even stop at the sight of him. And with Emmett, he could swear that his heart starts beating when he sees her.

"Are you sure your family won't mind me coming over?" Hayden hesitates, unbuckling her seatbelt. "Because we can always hang out somewhere else if it's necessary. I'm good at bowling, and I hear there are some nice movies at the theaters."

"Believe me, they're completely fine with it," Emmett snorts, getting out of the jeep.

In fact, they were beyond fine with meeting the girl Emmett had been fawning over. Alice, of course, didn't stop mentioning Hayden, either. And it was clear that Bella was growing attached to the new girl, along with Edward getting fond of her almost constant presence. Not all of the Cullens had gotten to know her, but they would eventually; Emmett wasn't letting up on Hayden.

"Wait‒ this is your house?" Hayden's jaw drops as she takes her place next to Emmett. "Emmett, this is a freaking hotel, not a house!"

"I guess you could call it that, considering how many people live here," the raven-haired boy shrugs. "Wait until you see the inside."

Hayden felt as though she were in a movie, seeing as how rare it was to run into houses such as this one. It was definite that the Cullens had plenty of money, along with the shock that their family was very put-together. Hayden wished she had a sibling, or even a greater attachment with her parents like they did.

"I might pass out," Hayden warns him, grabbing his forearm. "This is a whole lot to take in‒ woods and a pretty mansion . . . you aren't going to murder me, are you?"

Hayden wasn't being all that serious, but the thought still lingered in the back of her mind. Maybe he thought that inviting her would be better than kidnapping; that way, he got her there without struggle. And either way, the brunette was defenseless. Emmett, however, was entertained and slightly amused at her automatic assumption about his family being serial killers.

Sparks erupted at her touch, and Emmett almost shivered. Instead, he decided to continue as if he didn't feel it. "Are you serious?"

"This isn't a set up, is it?" Hayden removes her hand from his muscles, placing it on her chest. "Oh gosh, you guys probably have a graveyard for all the dead people around here, right? I'm not stepping on decomposed bodies right now, am I?"

As if to prove a point, Hayden began to look under her feet for any bones or body parts the Cullens could have missed.

"Nah," Emmett chuckles, tossing a careless arm over her shoulder.

The girl lets out a soft giggle at her previous words, giving Emmett a heart-stopping smile. Hayden felt slightly more relieved, even though she trusted him completely. Being a little dramatic was part of her job description of being a close friend. But Emmett's next comment made her go rigid underneath the weight of his arm.

"All the bodies are buried in the backyard."

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