Broken Bad Boy

23

PERCIE

I stepped on the brake. The tires screeched. Our body whiplash as the car stopped to a halt. I was too

angry to notice that the traffic lights just turned red. Damn it, Hailey.

“Are you okay?” I checked for her. She was holding her chest and breathing rapidly.

“Lee.” I regretted it right away. What was I thinking, letting my emotions clouded my judgment? I

cupped her face and looked her in the eye. Everything flashed back at me, of what happened months

ago when I saw the reaction in her eyes.

She blinked rapidly, constantly nodding. Thank God she always wore her seatbelt whenever she rode

with me.

“I’m sorry, Hailey. I was just angry. This won’t happen again. I think you should buy a car. The sooner,

the better. I can’t risk your life like this.” I stared at her in the eye longer until she gave me a reassuring

smile.

“I’m okay. I was just a little bit shaken.” Her voice didn’t lie.

The horns behind us started me. I cursed silently. I drove carefully this time. I still remembered the

wrecked of my dad’s car after that accident. I might be walking to campus if I used my car during that

incident.

***

I’m sweating everywhere after checking Hailey’s car from the engine, carburetor, wires, interior, and

tires. I also changed the oils. Her Honda Accord 2019 would run like brand new. Although it ran long

miles already, that man in the selling garage didn’t actually lie. This car was worthy of her dad’s money.

“Lee!” I called while wiping my sweat off my forehead. I had to remove my white shirt before start

checking her car. The garage of her father was a little a bit smaller now her car was already here.

“Pe—” She stopped when she saw me. I ignored the tingles as she checked me out sweaty, greasy,

half-naked in her dad’s garage.

“Hailey, try to start it now.” I closed the hood of her car.

I was running out of patience when nothing happened. I looked back at her. Her face was a deep

crimson. Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“Um—” She blinked rapidly.

“What’s wrong with you?” I asked harshly. Remember, Percie. I’m like her brother.

“Um, nothing!” She snapped, glaring at me.

I bit my lip to hold my smile. Fine, I bite it. Nothing, just like you said.

“Then get inside your car because it won’t start by itself.” I rolled my eyes.

I knew the key wasn’t with her, but she was already inside the car. And she didn’t ask from me. I

knocked on her window while dangling the key.

She was still blushing. What was she thinking? My interests piqued me.

“You can’t drive when your mind is in the gutter, Hailey.”

“Shut up! Just give me the key.” She offered her hand.

“Really, Hailey? Not even a thank you?” She hurt my feelings, honestly. I fished out the key from my

pocket and put it in her hand. “You’re welcome.”

I left her alone, snatched my shirt from the coat rack, and put it on quickly.

“Lily, Hailey’s car is good as new. She can drive that to our apartment. I’m going home to take a

shower. Do you need anything before I go?”

She gave me her usual motherly smile and pecked me in my sweaty face.

“I’m sweating, Lily.”

She just giggled. “Thank you, Percie. Why don’t you wait until dinner?.” There’s nowhere I’d rather be,

but my feeling is hurt.

“This Sunday, Lily. Promise.”

“Okay, my dear.”

I pecked her on her cheek. “Got to go.”

I walked out of the house and drove away without saying goodbye to Hailey. I didn’t know what was

wrong with her or what was wrong with me? I knew one thing, though, but I’d rather deny it than admit

to myself that I was slowly, painfully, falling for my roommate.

I showered the grease and oil-stained away from my body. I was still in the middle of wearing my shirt

when I heard a loud knock on my bedroom door. I rushed my way towards to open it.

“Why did you leave me behind?” Angry Hailey’s voice snapped me out of my misery.

For a moment, I wanted to kiss her to shut up. But looking at her so pissed, her hands on her hips while

glaring at me, I’d rather sleep to slumber.

I didn’t answer her. I ran my palms in front of the shirt, combed my wet hair with my fingers. I walked

out of my room without a single word coming from me.

I was turning into sensitive and soft when she was with me. My emotions were turning into a whirlwind

when she was around, and I didn’t like it. She was making me feel like a human, an ordinary guy like I

used to be. But I didn’t like my old self, who undoubtedly got hurt. And the feeling was awful.

A few months ago, I didn’t care what people thought of me. I didn’t even give a fuck about them. I had

my world, and they had theirs. It drastically changed the moment I met Keith, Lily, and Hailey.

“Percie, I’m talking to you.” She followed me to the kitchen.

I opened the fridge and drunk the OJ from the juice box.

”What’s wrong with you? Ew. When did you start drinking from the carton? I should buy for my own

next time. Are you drinking the milk directly from the carton too?” She was wrinkling her nose when I

looked at her.

I belched out.

Her eyes widened. Her hand flew to her mouth.

I walked away from her to the living area and slumped my ass to the couch. I pressed the TV remote

and scanned some shows. She was still standing beside me with her hands on her waist.

I could see her in my peripheral vision. Her patience was wearing thin. I stopped scanning when it

landed on the replay of The Walking Dead. I watched these six seasons many times, but I wanted to

distract my mind away from her.

“Is this your way of saying to me that I should search for a new roommate soon?” Well, I didn’t see that

coming.

I froze in my seat. It didn’t even occur to me to kick her out of our apartment. I swallowed the bile rising

from my throat.

“I’m not kicking you out of here, Hailey. What would your parents think of me?” I threw her a glance

before I focused again on the show on TV. “But if that’s what you want.” I didn’t mean that. I hoped she

would bite it.

“You always thought about them. I’m glad you respect my parents, Percie, but if you’re not comfortable

with me being around anymore, I would understand. I’ll start searching for an apartment far from here

even without telling them.”

I squinted my eyes at her. “What in the hell I’m not kicking you out from here you didn’t understand?”

My voice boomed in the living room, causing her to flinch.

She looks terrified.

I regretted it right away. Seeing how Hailey react only made me realize how much she meant to me. If

she was hurt, so did I. In the end, I was hurting myself back.

I couldn’t let her go. She was the only person who kept me sane. The only one who made me closer to

normal.

She started shaking.

I cursed silently.

“Thank you for fixing my car.”

She ran away from the living room. Then her door slammed shut, the whole floor shook. If it was not

her room door. It was the main door.

“Fuck.” I fisted my hands stronger that turns my knuckles into white. Before I could even think of hurting

myself, the glass table crashed down the floor into pieces.

***

I dialed her number, but she didn’t pick up, and I started to worry. I couldn’t keep on calling her. I

couldn’t distract her if she was driving. I tried to take a breath to calm my nerves, but it didn’t even help.

It’d been an hour since she ran away. I constantly checked the time on my phone. I leaned my back

against my car while waiting for her. I scanned around the parking lot, but her car wasn’t around.

I called her mom before I went outside the apartment. She didn’t go there. Her mom said not to worry,

but I couldn’t help myself. It was my fault. Again, it was all my fucking fault.

I got in my car and listened to some rock music on Spotify. My nerves calmed down a bit, but my mind

always went back to Hailey.

I closed my eyes and leaned back. A light that streaked through my windshield forced my eyes to open.

I sat straight instantly in my seat.

Quickly, I got out and walked towards her car, but then another car parked beside hers. In an instant, I

knew who car that was.