The Very Naughty List

15. Hailey

15

HAILEY

When I wake up the next morning, I’m feeling a bit less frazzled. I was able to get at least some of the sexual frustration out of my system, and my head is feeling a little clearer—although I’m not sure how long that will last once I’m around the guys again.

I get up and get dressed, then follow Lorelai’s urging from last night and force myself to leave my room. I pad downstairs into the living room, realizing with a mix of relief and disappointment that all three of the guys are gone. I’m sure they’ve headed off to their respective jobs already. Even though Sebastian and Reid work for themselves and own their own businesses, I know they put in a ton of hours. And Nick sometimes has early shifts at the fire station.

The only ones left in the house are me and Bruno.

“Guess it’s just you and me, huh, buddy?” I look over at the dog, hopeful that he’ll have warmed up to me a bit since last night.

He’s standing at the base of the stairs, his back paws still on the bottom step and his front paws on the floor. He doesn’t wag his tail or anything, just regards me with a serious expression as he clutches something in his mouth.

I frown, leaning a bit closer as I peer at it. He’s such a big dog, literally the perfect mutt for a frequently brooding and burly guy like Nick, and whatever is hanging out of the corner of his mouth definitely looks like something too delicate for him to be allowed to have.

I take a step closer, still trying to figure out what he’s got clenched in his jaw.

Then I let out a little squeak of surprise.

It’s a pair of my panties .

“Hey! Give those back! They don’t belong to you!”

I reach for them, completely forgetting the fact that I’m supposed to be a little afraid of him. But before I even get close, he darts to one side and lopes into the living room. I lunge for him again, and he evades me, seeming to want to make a game of having me chase him around the house as my black lace panties dangle from his drool-laden jowls.

“Dammit all,” I mutter, trying to cut him off by feinting right and then going left. But he’s too smart for me and sees the trick coming a mile away.

I try for several more minutes, until we’re both panting a bit from the exertion. But even though his tongue is lolling out of one side of his mouth, Bruno doesn’t let go of my underwear. When I finally sink down into the couch and give up, he takes a few steps closer, looking almost disappointed that the game has ended. Then he shakes himself out, saunters over to the large window along one wall, and lies down with my panties still firmly clenched in his jaw.

“Fine, you win. Keep them. But now you owe me, buddy. I’ll accept my payment in licks and wags.”

I shake my head at the panty stealing dog, then stand back up again to head out.

I have a lot on my agenda today.

First, I stop by the diner to say hi to my parents. Pippa told me that she usually stops there for breakfast, and I’m happy when I run into her too.

We grab some food so our parents won’t have to wait on us and settle into a booth in the back, and I watch as our folks hustle around the diner. Mom is taking food orders, and Dad is working on a few cosmetic repairs.

“Man, they don’t stop moving, do they?” I ask, thinking about how many times I’ve seen them do this throughout my life. Pippa and I both worked here during high school, so we’re well acquainted with the hustle of a busy diner.

My sister laughs and shakes her head.

“Nope, never. I help out as much as I can, and they just hired a new guy to work behind the counter, so that’s good. But it feels like they’ve been under a bit of extra pressure recently. I don’t know if it’s just the holidays or what, but I hope it eases up soon. I know how much they both love this place.”

They really do. We used to joke about it being their fourth child.

“Sooo…” My sister drags the word out, giving me a look. “How are things at Creepy Ted’s place? Are you two besties by now? Did he turn you into a cigar aficionado?”

“Actually, I’m not staying at Ted’s anymore. The Cooper brothers offered to let me stay at their house.”

“Oh, did they?” Pippa raises her eyebrows, and her fiery red hair makes the smirk on her face look almost devilish.

I grab the biscuit off my plate and chuck it at her face, but she snatches it out of the air and bites into it.

Dammit . Now I’m down a biscuit.

I refrain from throwing any more food at her since I know she’ll just eat that too, but at least all the commotion hopefully distracted her from the flush that rose into my cheeks at her little innuendo.

“They’re just being nice,” I say firmly. “And they have a spare guest room. Plus, you know they’re only helping me out because they’re best friends with Lucas.”

“Whatever you say.” Pippa grins again but doesn’t press the issue.

The diner picks up shortly after that, and we both end up quickly scarfing down the rest of our breakfasts and hopping behind the counter to help our parents out. It’s nice, all of us working together like this, the way we used to back when things were a lot simpler.

Once the rush dies down, I give my parents and Pippa hugs goodbye and step out into the wintery air.

The next thing on my to-do list is going to be a lot less fun than working at the diner. Today is the day I’m supposed to meet up with Maeve and the other women who all volunteered to help with the Santa’s Workshop display this year.

I’m sort of dreading it, since it’s likely going to be mostly Divas volunteering.

Maeve and Brielle are friends, and I could do without seeing my ex-bestie for a while longer.

Regardless, I refuse to let them think that they have won by scaring me off. So I head over to the town square where the display will be set up, stepping into the Courtyard Shops, a large building that houses several shops and cafes, with an open space and atrium in the middle. Most of the volunteers are there already, and I greet them with a friendly smile, even though it does feel a bit forced.

“Oh my gosh, Hailey! Hi!”

Amanda Swann, whom I distinctly recall dumping paint all over my hair in our theatre tech class waves at me, brushing her hair back over her shoulder with perfectly manicured nails. I nod at her, pressing my lips together as a few other women greet me too—all of them acting as if we’re best friends, when most of them made my life miserable in high school.

Whatever. That was a long time ago , I remind myself. Just smile and get through this, and maybe you can talk the guys into going out for drinks or something tonight.

A woman named Tina is in charge of organizing the volunteers, and she leads us all into the storage area where all of the supplies for the workshop are kept.

“You three.” She points to me, Maeve, and Amanda. “You’re on wreath duty. The wreath will go on Santa’s door, so it needs to look good. There are supplies in a couple of tubs somewhere, marked ‘wreath.’ Get to it.”

Maeve gives a perky smile, gesturing for me and Amanda to follow her. “I’m pretty sure I know where it’s kept,” she tells us. “Hailey, since you’ve been out of town, I know you’re a bit behind on how we do it, but we’ve been building a new wreath every year to keep things fresh.”

“Sounds great,” I say unenthusiastically.

She leads us over to a corner of the storage space, frowning slightly as she takes in the somewhat haphazardly organized supplies. “They’re around here somewhere. Oh, wait, I know. They’re in the crawlspace. We thought it would be better because it’s more dry.”

Maeve gestures to a metal ladder bolted to a nearby wall. It leads to a tiny door about halfway up the wall.

Jesus . I grimace as I look at it. How is it worth it to store the wreath materials in there? Personally, I would’ve just let them get dank and musty if it came down to it.

“Hailey.” Maeve raises a brow at me. “Do you mind getting them? I’m not wearing good shoes for a ladder, and yours seem so… practical.”

She gestures from her high heels to my boots, and irritation prickles through me.

“Sure,” I mutter. “I’d love to.”

Without waiting for her to respond, I march over to the ladder and start climbing, yanking the metal door open as soon as I reach it. The crawl space isn’t wide at all, but it’s deep enough that I have to crawl all the way into it to grab the materials. I clench my jaw, muttering curses under my breath as I clamber off the ladder and into the small, dark storage area. I don’t like confined spaces, but I wasn’t going to admit that to Maeve, especially not when she was clearly already trying to get under my skin.

I’ll just grab the wreath materials quickly and then get down.

Crawling on my hands and knees, I make my way toward the back of the space, heading for the plastic tubs that should have what I need. A creaking sound catches my attention, and I glance over my shoulder as the door I just came through swings shut.

The light cuts off immediately, and my pulse spikes.

“Shit,” I whisper.

My hand scrabbles in my back pocket for my phone, and when I finally manage to turn the flashlight on, my breathing evens out a little. Instead of continuing on toward the tubs, I turn back to the door, wanting to prop it open so I won’t lose the light again.

But when I try to open it, it won’t budge.

Oh fuck.

My heart rate leaps again, and even though I’ve still got the light of the flashlight, it’s not enough. Because now I’m trapped in here, and the panic I was holding at bay a moment ago is rising hard and fast, like a tsunami wave racing toward shore.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I mutter, shoving hard at the door. “Hey! Can anyone hear me? Maeve! I’m stuck!”

No one answers me, and my stomach twists. How thick is this door? Can they really not hear me?

From down below, I swear I hear a small burst of laughter. My skin chills, my voice going quiet. Was that Maeve? Maybe she can hear me, but instead of coming to help, she and the others are just laughing at me. It’s childish and petty and just plain fucking mean, but that doesn’t mean it’s above them, if their past behavior is anything to go by.

Dammit. Why did I ever agree to do this?

Anger surges through me, and I work harder to get the door open, this time even kicking it with my heel, but it still doesn’t budge. The exertion only makes my heart thud harder, and I can feel myself inching closer to a full panic attack. Every breath is short and choppy, but I can’t seem to slow them down.

My phone is still clutched in my hand, the small beam of the flashlight jerking wildly around the space, and I pull up the first contact I can think of and press the call button.

“Hey, shortcake. Did you miss me already?” Sebastian’s teasing voice through the phone’s speaker makes me feel so relieved that I practically burst into tears.

“Sebastian! Please, you have to help me! I’m locked in a crawlspace in the Courtyard Shops, where I was volunteering for the Santa’s Workshop.” I can’t hide the urgent, spiraling panic in my voice. “Please come get me and let me out. It’s so fucking small. I can’t breathe.”

“Shit.” Instantly, the tone in his voice changes from playful banter to concern. “I’m on my way, Hailey, just breathe. Stay on the phone with me and breathe, okay? You’re going to be fine, and I’ll be right?—”

He cuts off mid-sentence, and the light winks out too. I let out a gasping, startled breath as I look down and realize that my phone battery has died. Dammit, I forgot to plug it in after my call with Lorelai last night.

“No,” I whisper, clutching the dead phone like I can somehow bring it back to life. “No, no, no. Come on.”

There’s no light in here anymore, and even though the space is big enough that I’m in no real danger of being suffocated or crushed to death, it doesn’t matter. The fact that there’s no way out makes it feel as if my skin is crawling and I can’t suck enough oxygen into my lungs.

I’m spiraling, and I dig the nails of one hand into my palm, trying to ground myself, but it’s not working.

I need to get out of here.

Please, Sebastian. Please come get me.

My chest feels like it’s being squeezed in a vise, each inhale sending stabbing pains shooting through my ribs as my body fights to draw in air. I force myself to keep breathing, tiny, shallow breaths that fill my ears with a harsh, raspy sound.

I feel like I’m drowning in darkness. Like I’m about to be pulled under, and I’ll never fight my way back to the surface.

“Hailey. Hailey!”

A muffled voice slowly registers in my ears, cutting through a bit of the panic. There’s a loud banging sound, and a second later, the crawlspace door swings open. Light floods the small space, illuminating Sebastian’s worried features.

“You’re okay,” he murmurs as he reaches for me, and I practically throw myself into his arms. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

He lets me cling to him for a moment as shudders wrack my body, and when I finally loosen my hold a bit, he helps me down the ladder. When we reach the floor, I still feel lightheaded, my legs so wobbly that I almost collapse into a heap. Sebastian notices immediately and pulls me close, tucking me against his chest and keeping his arm wrapped tightly around me. Nick and Reid are here too, flanking us on either side.

Reid steps forward, rounding on the Divas. They’ve all gathered around us, no doubt eager to witness the spectacle of me being rescued from the crawlspace like some kind of frightened child.

“What the actual fuck ?” His voice is low, but the anger in his tone is unmistakable. “What the hell were you thinking, locking Hailey in that crawlspace?”

“It was just an accident.” Maeve gives him her most falsely sincere smile. “We had no idea that she was stuck up there. I assumed she was just taking her time with the wreath materials. We hadn’t heard anything from her until the three of you barged in here like the place was on fire.” Her gaze flicks to me, and she gives me a condescending look before adding, “Honestly, she probably just called you because she wanted the attention.”

My stomach clenches. It’s bad enough that I had a panic attack in front of the women who used to bully me, but for her to imply that I was faking it just so that the Cooper brothers would rush to my aid makes me feel even worse.

Before I can respond to that, though, Nick steps forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Reid.

“You’re almost as terrible a liar as you are a person,” he growls, and Maeve’s eyes widen, her cheeks flushing with arrogant embarrassment.

“I don’t—” she starts to say, but Nick cuts her off.

“Save it,” he bites out. “We don’t need to hear any more of your bullshit, and neither does Hailey. We’re taking her home. But if you ever treat her badly again—hell, if you ever even fucking talk to her again—you’ll be dealing with the three of us. You got that?” His voice hardens as he sweeps the rest of the Divas with an icy glare. “That goes for all of you. Understood? Hailey is off fucking limits.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence as all the Divas stare at him in shock. Then they slowly nod, looking more cowed than I’ve ever seen them. Even Maeve seems thrown off by the force of the Cooper brothers’ defense of me, clearing her throat and looking at the floor as she nods along with the others.

“Don’t worry about finishing up the wreath,” she mutters. “We’ll get the materials down and do it for you.”

“Damn fucking right you will.” Reid glares at Maeve. “She’s done here.”

My legs still feel like they might give out at any moment, but with all three Cooper brothers surrounding me, I manage to make it out of the Courtyard Shops without my knees buckling. I can feel the Divas watching us as we go, but the men don’t even spare them another glance, and neither do I.

Nick was right. I’m well and truly done with them—and now, thanks to him and his brothers, maybe they’re finally done with me.

All of the men drove to the Courtyard Shops separately, since they were all in different places when Sebastian texted to let Reid and Nick know what was going on with me. They leave my car where it is, and I ride home in Sebastian’s car, with the other two trailing right behind us.

Back at their place, they get me into the living room and onto the couch, and I curl up next to Nick, leaning against him more unabashedly than I might in other circumstances. I’m still trying to come down from the panic, and his steady, solid presence is helping.

“Thank you all for coming to get me,” I whisper, trying to keep the quaver out of my voice. “I know it was silly for me to get so freaked out over it, but I really don’t do well in confined spaces.”

“It’s not silly at all,” Nick grunts.

Sebastian nods. “Seriously, Hailey. I’ve got a confined spaces thing too, so I get it.”

“Everyone has things that they’re afraid of,” Reid adds. His expression darkens as he adds, “And I’m glad you called Seb, since those fucking bitches thought it was more fun to laugh at you than to help you.”

Sebastian and Reid settle onto the couch too, all four of us crowding onto the large sofa. Reid rubs my back, and the palm of his hand feels warm and smooth as he traces steady circles. It’s rhythmic and relaxing, and Sebastian reaches for my hand, talking to me quietly about nothing important.

His deep voice soothes me, and as the adrenaline rush starts to fade, pure exhaustion fills its place. Even though it’s nowhere near the end of the day, I feel like I can’t keep my eyelids open, and a short while later, I fall asleep surrounded by my three handsome rescuers.