Page 116 of Blinded By Hate
“Why do you call mama ‘princess’?” Junior turns his head to Hayden.
I look away from the TV to look at Hayden.
“Because your mama is a princess. She’s pretty like a princess, everyone in the castle envies and loves her.”
“What princess is she?” Junior asks.
Hayden looks up at me. “She’s her own princess. Your mama is strong and beautiful. She doesn’t need to be another princess from a movie.”
“Who’s her prince then?”
“You and me, bud,” Hayden says, a small boyish smirk on his face appearing when he moves his eyes to me.
My heart melts.
Because Hayden isn’t wrong. Hayden’s always been my knight in shining armor and Junior has been my little prince.
Hayden and I stare at each other for what feels like an eternity. He has this soft glint in his eyes that makes him always look like that boy from college. The one who was soft and was in love with me.
I know Hayden still loves me, it’s just hard for me to break down my walls for him even though he is desperately trying to break them down himself. And he is so so close.
Hayden, Junior, and I are quiet as I start the movie.
Halfway through the movie, Junior starts to get more comfortable and yawns as he lays on Hayden’s chest. Hayden looks down at Junior, not really knowing what to do before he rests his arm on Junior's back and gets more comfortable, sinking into the cushions on the couch.
I wish I could take a picture of them two but I don’t want to make it seem weird, especially since Hayden and I still have no clue what we’re doing and we still need to figure it out.
The movie continues to play and eventually Junior ends up falling asleep on Hayden. I end up laying next to Junior, my body behind his and my arms wrapped around him. Hayden’s still sitting on his side of the couch but his arms are still on Junior, itching to go closer to me.
We’re at the part where Simba is saving the Pride Lands from Scar and the hyenas.
I think my favorite part of the whole movie is when Nala and Simba find each other after so many years. I am a romantic at heart and the old Disney movies make the romance aspect of their cartoons so good.
I feel a hand lay on my shoulder. I look up at Hayden and his attention is on the TV. He is drawing small circles on my shoulder, somehow calming down my rapid heart.
Eventually the movie ends and Hayden still has his fingers drawing circles on my shoulder. I don’t want to get up because I feel so comfortable and at peace with us three cuddling like this.
But I know Junior has school in the morning and I have work. I have no clue what Hayden’s plans are but I know he probably has some stuff for work going on.
“Do you want to put Junior to bed?” I sit up and turn to Hayden, realizing we are so close from how all of us were laying together.
I notice Hayden’s eyes move down to look at my lips, which I can’t help but lick.
Hayden meets my eyes again and nods.
Fifty
Jaclyn
Present
I’ve been watching Jaclyn sitting on the floor, looking at a box of God knows what, for a good five minutes.
She hasn’t noticed me since I leaned on her door frame and started watching her. Junior is dead asleep. Didn’t move an inch when I laid him in his bed.
He’s a heavy sleeper like me, that's for sure. Jaclyn told me one time in bed, when we were in Italy, that Junior has a lot of my characteristics. He doesn’t just look like me but he also acts like me a lot. Since I’ve met him, I’ve noticed how he is the perfect mix of me and Jaclyn.
He does have her cheeks, thank God. I’m working on getting Jaclyn’s cheeks back since her face slimmed down from doing God knows what. He has my drive and confidence. He won’t ever take no for an answer. He does this nose scrunch thing that Jaclyn always did in college, still kind of does now, when he grimaces or when he’s thinking really hard about something.