POSSESSED

POSSESSED EPISODE SEVEN

"Why did you leave me for him?"

Stanley asked as they both lay on the bed as Hailey had her head on his chest while he stroke her hair staring at the empty ceiling with their bodies half covered.

"You hurt me Stan, you of all the people knew just how hard I struggled to get to where I am right now yet you were the first to accuse me..you never fought for me, you said you loved me but you left me anyway, do you know how hard my life became after that?".

He turned his face to hers and she didn't look up at him. He held her chin and raised her face to his and she had teary eyes. He knew how much their past was a trigger and when they broke up so much was left unsaid.

"I did not leave you for him Stanley, your ex girlfriend set me up and you believed everyone else but me. I'm not a thief, I tried to tell you that but you walked away like I never meant anything to you."

She got up from her laying position and sat up on the bed having pulled the sheet on top of her to cover her chest. Stanley remained on his back stealing glances at her and on realizing she had tears in her eyes, he got up and hugged her. She sobbed in his arms.

"I'm sorry for everything, the evidence they provided was hard to argue with, i did not know what to do."

"You trust the people you love. Do you know what you sending me to jail did to me and my siblings"

She broke free from the hug, got out of the bed and went to clean up. Stanley followed her to the bathroom and stood by the door watching her take a shower..it was late in the night, way late for Stanley to get home and he had also sobered up a little after the session they had.

"I'm sorry Hailey, i should have believed abd trusted you"

She didn't look at him, she stepped out of the shower and took a towel from the hook.. she wrapped it around her waist and walked out like Stanley was not standing there. Stanley was confused because they had been making out alot of times and she never brought any of those issues up. Just a while ago she confessed that she never stopped loving him. What had come over her?.

He got into the running shower and washed himself as Hailey pulled off the stained sheets and got some clean ones. She was now on a bathroom rob and when Stanley stepped out of the bathroom naked, she tossed him the towel.

"Do you want me to leave?"

He was wiping the water off his body when Hailey reached for the wardrobe and pulled out a sweatpant and a t-shirt and gave it to him.

"I want you to stay"

She got to bed and sat up resting her back on the pillow.

"I said I'm sorry for everything i put you through"

"Sorry doesn't cut it for me Stan, sorry doesn't make anything better. You think i have been okay for three years?"

"But you should have said something, I thought we were cool Hailey, we have been making love every other time and you never said a thing"

He was dressed up already. He hooked the towel in the bathroom then got back and climbed on the bed and sat next to her.

"What was i supposed to say when you were with someone else and to make it worse it's my best friend. I had s*x with you because I loved and missed you, it killed me inside that I could not have you back because I was with Josh and you are with Abby, we both moved on. I don't want to wreck Abby's marriage just because it didn't work between me and Josh."

"Did you love him?"

He looked deep into her eyes when he asked that. He knew Hailey well enough to know if she was telling the truth only that he never stood by her when she landed in jail.

"I loved him."

He was silent for a minute because that was not what he expected to hear.

"What, you thought I never loved him?"

"Yeah, I thought you never did and that's why we always made out"

"I loved him but indifferently, he made me try to forget about you and he loved me. He fought for me and made me feel safe"

"But he still left and I am here"

"Yes but you are married with a baby involved."

He looked away then back at her. He badly wanted to hold her in his arms and yell her the truth but he could not. Not until he spoke to Abby and tell her of his decision to let everyone know that they were not married and also to tell her that he was in love with another woman. He was of course going to take care of his baby but he had had enough drama from Abby to last him a lifetime.

"Look at me"

He said moving in closer to her. He took her hand in his and gently stroked it with his thumb.

"I love you, i regretted my actions but when I wanted to make things right, it was a little too late. You never wanted anything to do with me but I knew I somehow had to get you back"

"Its too late for that too."

"No it's not"

He planted a kiss on her forehead.

She looked at him like he was insane then slid under the blanket and slept on her side.

"We should get some rest. It's late"

Stanley joined her and pulled the blanket over him, pulled her to him for some spooning as they fell asleep.

The following morning, Stanley and Hailey were woken up with a call from Abby on Stanley's phone. It was around 9:00 in the morning. Abby had already been given a discharge and her mother was out of Town. She needed Stanley to pick her up and take her to her mother's place or even to his place because she could have used his help.

"I'll be there in an hour"

He had her complain but there is nothing he could have done. He had to dress up and show up like a man who was going to receive his newborn baby.

He ended the call then turned to Hailey who was sitting up on the bed.

"You should get going"

"Yeah, i know that. Are you going to be okay?"

Hailey nodded. He kissed her then jumped out of bed and collected his clothes from the floor.

"I will drive home in this sweatpants and t-shirt but i will bring them back"

She watched him grab his keys from the lamp stand and he left.

She took a pillow, put it on her face and screamed in it. She didn't like the idea of Stanley leaving her and rushing to another woman's rescue.

What was she complaining about, Abby was his wife and she was just an ex he had s*x with.

Cindy that morning woke up on the wrong side of the bed and she was really salty. Josh had gotten to her last nerve because she was the only one participating in the wedding plans and all josh did was be on his phone, play games or roam around like a stray dog. Whose idea was it for them to get married?.

Cindy tapped Josh several times in an attempt to wake him.up and when he did, she pulled the blanket off him and say beside him.

"What?"

He sounded pissed.. Maybe it was in the way he was woken up.

"We need to talk"

"Then talk!"

He responded arrogantly.

"Do you want to get married to me or not?"

You know the answer to that babe, what is this about?.

"Well it seems like I'm the only one excited about the wedding"

"Haven't I showed up when you need me to, haven't I given you money to do all the things you want to do?."

"That's not enough babe and you know it"

"What do you want?"

He was still agitated.

Cindy did not respond to that. She got up yet again and walked away. Walking away seemed to be her thing and Josh never really cared to interpret what it meant.

Two years ago after Hailey's invite to coffee, Josh showed up Hailey's place with a bunch of roses and as soon as she opened the door, he handed it over to her. She looked happy to receive the flowers and he got a warm hug for that.

"How did you know I loved roses?"

She asked putting the flowers in a vase. She then walked back to him.and ushered him to a seat.

"I took a wild guess, beautiful roses, would attract the attention of a beautiful woman"

He flashed a sexy smile and she fell for it. He had his way with words and every woman who came across her wanted a piece of Josh.

"The place looks nice"

He complimented and even took note of a few details he had missed the other night when they ended up rolling off the couch and doing other things.

Hailey's house was warm and very welcoming. It had a theme of orange and black and she knew just how to blend the colours to come up with something so simple yet so elegant.

"About last time..."

He started to explain but Hailey put a finger on his lips and shush him. She then planted a light kiss on his lip and pulled back with a smile on her face.

"I wasn't upset and infact I should be the one apologizing for leading you on"

"I love to be led on..you are beautiful Hailey"

"Unfortunately not many people tend to think that"

The words seemed to have a hidden meaning but it was the pain in her eyes when she said that.

"I prepared a meal then maybe we can have the coffee later?"

"Sure ."

He watched her walk to the kitchen and he fell for her even more. Hailey was beautiful and any man who thought otherwise was at a loss.

Hailey served their food and they ate as they got to know each other better. Josh was good company as he kept Hailey laughing through out, that was something she had missed and especially after she had had served a few months for theft that has been imposed on her by Stanley's ex. She lost everything to auctioneers when she could not pay her landlord. Her two brothers were taken in by relatives and when she got out, it took her around six months to get back on her feet but how did she do it with no job and no savings?..

"Why do you think.you are not beautiful?"

Josh finally asked when they sat down in the living room eating some ice cream way after they had their meal. They were watching a movies and having a good conversation and for the first time after Stanley, she felt like she met someone who saw her and listened to her, he was not only charming but very nice to her too.

"I am on the outside but on the inside I'm just wounded and damaged. I look at myself in the mirror and I don't know who I'm seeing"

"When i look at you, i see an amazing woman, you have a beautiful smile and an amazing personality. I would like to see you smile a little more often and I'd like to be the one to control the damage and heal the wounds. Let me show you what love feels like"

"I've been there, done that and it ended in pain and tears"

Yes but that was with someone else and not me.

He wiped the ice cream from her mouth with his thumb and licked it. Their eyes met in sn awkward gaze and when she tried to look away he held her chin and turned her face to his and kissed her. He then pulled back and looked in her eyes.

"I'm interested and I'm not going to stop until you give me a chance"

"You don't know me that well Josh, you don't know my past."

"I know enough to make me wanna be with you... Come here"

She moved in for a side hug and she rested her head on his shoulder.

"What do you see in me that makes you interested Josh?"

"I see alot of things, your beauty, you are soft spoken and you know how to make a good conversation. I can tell you love deeply too."

"And that's why I don't want to be in another ship that will sink and leave me drowning on my own."

"This ship will be careful with your heart. I will never intentionally hurt you and i will never leave you all alone and sad."

"Those are just words Josh, I've heard them before."

"Fine , we can do those silly spells you know the one where we vow never to leave each other? The spell will keep up together alway, but that's only of you want to be with me."

She pulled away from his hold and looked at him. He looked serious almost like he was a spell caster or as if he had done that before.

"Does those things work?"

She had curiosity written all over her face.

"I don't know but we could try then find out. It could be the real definition of till death do us part."

He brushed her arms and she got comfortable on his shoulder again.

"I like you too. I would like to be your girlfriend if you are serious about us..we could try and see how it goes."

"Is that a yes?"

He lifted her face to his and they were gazing into each other's eyes. It wasn't surprising that Josh got Hailey to believe him, the question was, if he really meant his words.

"Yes, but only to being your girlfriend and not the spell"

He smiled then hugged her tightly and kissed her on the forehead. It was a win for him.