"Was your old housekeeper a hot piece of ass?"

He deadpans, one hand around the steering wheel. "She's a fifty-year-old woman."

"Fifty-year-olds can be hot. Look at Jennifer Lopez. Salma Hayek. Julia Roberts. Jennifer Aniston. Sofia Vergara. You're telling me, you wouldn't bang Sofia Vergara?"

"I think you want to bang Sofia Vergara."

"The woman is a walking Goddess. Are you kidding? I'd totally rock, paper, scissors with her."

He gives me a dry laugh and a head shake.

"What's your type, anyway?" I ask.

"You first."

"Hmm, my type are men who come up with their own questions, instead of copying everything I say."

"Oh, yeah?" His smirks is threatening me with a good time. Or perhaps it's the alcohol speaking.

"Oh, yeeeah?" I mimic like a wild, exotic bird.

Hayden snaps his neck towards me with a wide-eyed expression, and I stare back at him with absolute seriousness.

Before making that sound again. "Yeeeeah?"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" He can't help but laugh.

My head grows with a sense of accomplishment. "Is that your type?""

"Nailed it. How'd you know?"

"You look like you'd be into baby voices."

His smile drops. "Don't even-"

"You like that, babyyy?" I make a ridiculous pout and watch his lip curl with disgust. It's so hard not to burst out laughing. "Oh, you're such-"

He brakes hard at a stop sign, throwing my body against the seat belt. I choke on a gasp and gape at him through a curtain of messed up hair.

"I'm sorry, were you saying something?" The devil nonchalantly asks.

"You jerk."

"Am I?"

He pulls into his driveway and shuts the engine off. It feels like it's only been five minutes since we've left the restaurant.

"Come on." He opens my door to help me out. I'd argue that I don't need it, but my limbs disagree.

No, I definitely wouldn't be able to drive my car.

How did I get so wasted?

"This is a lesson for me to eat more..." I groan as he unlocks the front door.

"Yup." He switches the lights on. "Will you be okay while I go and get your car?"

"You don't have to, I'll pick it up tomorrow-"

"I don't think you can park there overnight. You'll get a ticket."

"How much would the ticket be?" I'd rather lose some money than bother Hayden.

"Probably a lot."

"Oh. Okay, if you're going to get my car, then I'll work for free tomorrow. It's only fair."

Hayden smacks his lips, opening his hand toward me. "Car keys."

The lychee cocktail churns in my stomach and burns my throat. With shaking hands, I unzip my purse and stick my hand inside, searching for my keys. Somehow I find them. Hooray.

"Do you have to throw up?" Hayden asks.

I hiccup. Mmm. Pressing my face against a cold toilet sounds lovely. "No, I'm good..."

"I'll help you settle in. You can sleep in the guest bedroom. Do you want to change into one of my shirts, so you're more comfortable?"

I just want to cuddle with his toilet. "Just go, I got everything covered here. Adios. Travel well."

I stumble to the bathroom and kneel. Hayden flips the lights on behind me and gathers my hair away from my face, holding them in a ponytail.

"No, no, no. Please go..." My eyes water from mortification. I'm so weak, that I can't push him out of here. "Please, go, Hayden...I'm fine."

"It's okay. There's no reason to be embarrassed. We've all been drunk before." His voice is tender.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get so shit-faced. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Hazel. You don't have to apologize. You'll feel better once it's out of your system. So just try to throw up, okay?" He rubs my back in circles and a wave of fresh nausea attacks me.

My mouth fills with saliva and my head floods with panic.

"No, no, no. P-please...Let me just lean my cheek here." I press my cheek against the cold toilet seat and close my eyes. "I just need a nap."

"Hazel, no."

"I'll nap, I'll nap."

"You're not napping on the toilet, sweetheart. Come on. If you can't stick your finger in your mouth, I'm going to do it for you."

I giggle through the hazy blur. "In a different context, I wouldn't stop you."

"Jesus Christ." Hayden chuckles.

I attempt to shove him away. "Go. I got it."

"Let me he-"

"I swear, if you leave, I'll get it over with in five seconds. I can't throw up with you here. I'd rather pass out! Just go."

He hesitatingly releases my hair. "You sure?"

"Yes, please. Just go. Please."

"I'll be outside if you need anything."

As soon as he closes the door behind him, I glare into the toilet with a hazy vision.

You've embarrassed yourself enough. Grow up. With that, I shove my finger deep down my throat and gag, then empty my stomach. It burns, and my stomach folds itself in half.

I flush immediately, thankful Hayden isn't here to smell this horrifying vomit. Although the damage is done. If he found me attractive before, now he must think I'm just an annoying mess.

"You okay?" he asks as I flip the faucet to wash my hands.

"Mhm." I rinse my mouth and scoop a bit of toothpaste on my finger to freshen my breath.

Staring in the mirror is like a cold wake up call. A flashback to the stressful evenings with my mom being uncontrollably drunk.

I hate that I look like her, especially right now.

"Here, have this." Hayden hands me a glass of orange juice when I come out. He also has a large, black shirt in his other hand.

His eyes are filled with concern, as if he can sense my mood shift.

"Thank you..." I mumble, taking the glass.

"Feeling a little better?"

I nod, struggling to make eye-contact.

"Do you want to go to bed or watch TV while I'm gone? I can bring Milo to keep you company."

I shake my head. "No, it's okay. Thank you."

"Okay, you want to go to bed? Come on." He helps me to the bedroom.

I sit on the edge of the bed, not really interested in observing my surroundings.

"Do you need anything else before I head out?" Hayden asks. I shake my head. "Okay...I'll be back soon. Finish the orange juice."

I nod absently and Hayden leaves, locking the front door after him.

As soon as I'm alone, I turn the lights off and sit on the floor, with my back against the bed. I hug my knees to my chest, squeezing myself into a ball and cry as quietly as possible.

But eventually I get tired...and cold. So I crawl into bed, bring the sheets up to my chin and ignore Hayden's shirt in the corner.

I faintly hear him come back in the middle of the night. Not sure what time it is, but I assume the sun will rise soon, and we can talk then.

When I wake up again, I hear two voices outside. Harry and Hayden.

My phone tells me that it's almost 9 AM. I slept more than I expected, but I still feel like crap.

I wash my underarms and my face, and run my wet fingers through my hair to freshen it a little bit.

Daring to step out of the bedroom, I find Harry setting the kitchen table. Hayden is facing the stovetop, scrambling eggs with vegetables.

"Morning." Harry smiles, friendly and warm.

I offer a smile back, embarrassed that he knows I slept here. Embarrassed about a lot of things, honestly. I acted so immature last night.

"Thank you for picking up my car last night..." I say in a hoarse voice to Hayden.

"No problem." He makes no eye-contact.

"Let's eat! You must be hungry. Are you feeling better?" Harry asks, lowering in a chair.

I settle across from him. Hayden claims the seat on each of our side with our breakfast plates.

"Not really..." I mutter. "But it was my dumb idea to smoke and drink on an empty stomach."

"Yeah, I didn't notice you drink any water at the dungeon, either. You must've been really dehydrated, especially after dancing."

I eye Hayden's cup of black coffee.

"Not now," he says, realizing what I really want. "I'll make you an affogato after breakfast, once you have some real nutrition in you."

"It's Saturday...did you skip work because of me?" I ask sheepishly.

"I plan to go back in a little bit." Hayden glances at Harry, as if waiting for a signal.

"What's wrong?" I grow even more anxious. "Did I do something? Did I offend someone?"

"Nothing like that," Harry reassures.

"Let's eat." Hayden picks up his fork. "The food is getting cold."

I nibble on my bacon, thankful for the salt and grease. My pounding headache forces me to also eat some of the eggs, only for the painkillers to kick in which Hayden kindly offers later.

"So you might be wondering why I'm here..." Harry says after a while. "Hayden wanted me to have breakfast with you two, because there's something we'd like to discuss."

"Okay..." I frown.

Hayden clears his throat and leans a muscular arm on the table. "I picked up your car last night...and..."

My nerves tighten from dread. He knows, doesn't he? He noticed the mess and figured it out.

"It looks like you're sleeping in your car, Hazel."

I lower my gaze at my unfinished plate.

"For how long?" He asks. "At least, a month. Right? Because when you first came over for the interview, you said you took the bus. Then you admitted that your car was always parked down the street. You don't have a hoarding problem."

Harry looks like he is holding his breath, waiting for me to speak. My throat has become dry.

"It's only been a month and a half," I finally say.

"Why? Did you get kicked out?" Hayden asks.

I shake my head.

"So you left on your own..." Harry muses. "May I ask who you lived with before?"

"My mom and her boyfriend." My walls go up brick by brick. "What is the point of this?"

"We just want to know how we can help-"

"But I never asked for help. I work for you. I've never asked for anything else. If I did, I'm sorry..." The shame of lump in my throat hurts too much to continue. I rise from my seat-

"Hazel, please," Harry says and I realize...this is why Hayden asked him to be here. "We don't mean any harm. I'm sorry for triggering you. If I were in your shoes, I'd also hate to talk about it."

If it wasn't for the sincerity, the kindness in his tone, I wouldn't be able to stay. Even Hayden...with his eyebrows raised with quiet desperation, like he doesn't know how to prevent me from running away.

"At some point, I also had no place to go," Harry adds. "Not many people know this about me, but I grew up with a...difficult father and two older brothers. They all suffered with a drinking problem, plus gambling and other things...and they took a lot out on me for a long time."

My problems dissipate like smoke. All I feel is sorrow for this gentle man who did not deserve to be hurt, especially by his loved ones.

He smiles sadly. "I also chose to be my own out, but it wasn't easy. And I refused to accept help. I felt like somehow, on some level, I deserved everything that happened to me."

My eyes blur again. That's how I feel too.

Hayden's hand twitches on the table. I wonder if he is holding back from reaching out.

"Hayden's been there for me," says Harry. "He might not show his soft side that often, but that's because he's been through his own struggles. Everyone copes in their own way. I think that's why he feels so connected to you. You both are compassionate, but also stubborn."

"Alright, I didn't ask for you to give a free therapy session." Hayden gives him a dry look.

I chuckle. "He's translating your silence."

"He doesn't need to."

That's true.

I change the topic. "Well, I appreciate the intervention, guys. But I have it all under control. If I keep kicking ass at work, in three months I'll have the paystubs that I need to apply for an apartment. Then I won't need to live in a car anymore."

"You plan to live in your car until then?" Hayden snaps. "Are you crazy?"

"I've managed so far."

"You're lucky you haven't gotten kidnapped. Or killed. And you were planning to sleep in your car last night? While you were drunk? If-"

"No..." I drawl. "Okay, yes."

His glare is harder than concrete. "And you thought that's smart?"

"You need medication for your memory problems. Didn't I just admit how stupid it was of me to get so shit-faced?"

"Yet you still-"

"Not to mention, I have a pepper spray and a pocket knife-"

"You think that's enough? Did you forget your mom's boyfriend-"

"Let's calm down..." Harry says to both of us. I forgot he was here. "I'm sorry, but I completely agree with Hayden. I've seen so many cases of women your age who've been...hurt. Your car won't protect you. I'm not trying to scare you, but it only takes one unfortunate incident."

He doesn't continue, but his eyes tell stories that would give me nightmares. I suppress a shudder.

Truth be told, I've avoided thinking of the possibilities. Simply because there was no alternative. Ignorance helped to cope. It's not like I could afford to sleep in a hotel room.

"Why can't you stay with your friend?" Hayden asks. He looks exhausted.

"Her parents don't want me there, and she doesn't work. She's in med school."

Harry nods like he was expecting that. "We have a solution. Two solutions. If you're willing to hear us out."

"Two?"

"We both have extra bedrooms," Hayden says. "We don't need it. No one sleeps there. This would be a temporary solution, so you don't sleep in your car and put yourself at risk."

My spine clenches with discomfort.

"And obviously, you haven't known either one of us long enough. So I know it's not an easy answer." That calm, confident authority that I have always admired in Hayden comes to the surface, demanding my full attention. "But we would love to have you. Not only because we care for you, but because we've been in your shoes before, and we know what it's like."

"This is too much..." I whisper. "I'd never feel comfortable with that. Thank you, but-"

"We know." Hayden cuts me off with mysterious amusement. "You don't like free things. We're not offering the rooms for free."

My eyebrows lift in surprise. "What do you mean?"

"We have two job offers," Harry chimes in. "That way, you don't feel indebted. I consider you a friend, Hazel, but you also work for me. I don't want to lose you or what we have. That's why we've put so much thought behind this."

"It's completely up to you," Hayden says, but his gaze means more than friendship. It's intimate, intent and nerve-wrecking. "I'm cool with whatever you choose, just as long as you're okay. What matters is that you have options. You're not stuck. You don't have to settle."

The fact that both of them have put so much effort into communicating. Being so patient, so considerate...

Never in my whole life have I been treated with so much respect.

Hayden knew I would run out. I would be too embarrassed to consider his help. How he managed to sit me down and...and Harry, Harry is so open about his own past.

I thought I would feel like shit if they ever found out...but I feel seen. Heard.

And that brings...unimaginable relief.

"I'm listening."

A/N
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