"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."

– Bernard M. Baruch

Asher POV

I hold a very drunk Hailey up as I try to open her door, but her breath on my neck and giggling is making it very near impossible. "Hailey, where's your card?" 

She shrugs and wraps her arms around my neck. "You have such pretty eyes... woah, did you know that?" She says with a giggle as she stares up at me.

Fucking hell, a drunk Hailey is surprisingly a very hands-on Hailey and I'm not hating it but shit, she's pissed out of her mind, and any minute now she's going to feel the effects of whatever she's been drinking. 

I spot her handbag. "Hailey?" I pause and notice she keeps closing her eyes and swaying back. "Shit." I go into her bag and fish out her keycard for the door, upon finding it I scan the door and open it with my foot as I carry Hailey into her room and lay her on her bed.

This was not how I expected the night to go, I was honestly surprised to even hear back from her, I thought I had totally blown it with the gifts, shit, I just couldn't help myself.

I looked away for a second and when I turn, Hailey is lifting the dress over he head, and failing to get it off, I shouldn't have laughed, but I did because damn, she's fucking hilarious drunk and she's totally different to when she's totally sober.

"Here, let me help you." I bite my lip from laughing as I lift her dress up over her head.

She sits there in matching underwear and I couldn't help but notice how gorgeous she is, even a drunken mess I'm insanely drawn to this woman, it's baffling how crazy this shit is, I didn't even know her a day ago and now I'm helping her to bed, worlds a strange place.

She mumbles out something as I go pour her a glass of water, I sit on the bed and put the glass near her water. "Come on love, you need water." 

Nodding her head, I watch as she drinks half the glass then she drops back onto the bed when she's had enough, she rests her head into the pillow and watches me sleepily as I put the covers over her half-naked body.

"Are you going to leave me too?" She whispers out so quietly that I wasn't sure I heard her.

I sit on the edge of the bed and look down at her in confusion. "What was that?"

"Don't go." She mumbles out, closing her eyes. "Stay with me, please.." 

My chest tightens at her words and I can't fucking believe someone would break this beautiful girls heart, she selfless as fuck and funny, but her personality is deeper than that, she's so easy to love and hard to hate, I can't see anything wrong with her other than her absolute shit taste in men, I'd be one lucky son of a bitch to call her mine, shit, I'm rethinking my whole life just to see her smile and laugh.

"I won't leave you." I whisper out.

She smiles, her eyes closed. "Good..." She sighs out. "Cause.. I'm falling for you." 

My chest is beating rapidly and with that massive bomb of truth, she falls asleep still clinging onto my hand as I watch her with the biggest shit-eating grin I can muster on my face because fuck..the feelings are very mutual. 

"I'm falling for you too." 

Pulling my eyes away from hers I swallow hard and take my hand from hers as I tuck her into the blanket, I take a pillow from the other side of the bed and place it onto the sofa, I can't leave her when she's like this, I wouldn't be able to sleep if something happened to her when she's this drunk.

Making a makeshift bed on the sofa I take off my shoes, trousers then my t-shirt then grab an extra throw from the sofa, laying down I try to get as comfortable as I can because I have a feeling after the truth bomb Hailey set off, I doubt I will sleep tonight.

*****

After last night, I had only slept four hours as I had woke up constantly checking if Hailey was breathing, when I found out she was I tried to relax and fall asleep, the third time I woke up I decided it's impossible to fall back to sleep.

Even though she was drunk when she said she liked me, I can't stop myself from smiling because it was her who said it. I've heard those words said so many times in my life, from lovers to strangers to family than from fans, yet it doesn't even come close to when Hailey had said it.

It's only 7 AM and today's the day I'm supposed to leave and head home with my bandmates, even though we have time for a break, there's still a lot to do for the album, filming our music video starts next month for our latest hit song and it's being shot in London, so either way, I need to make the most of the time I have with Hailey before I go back.

I go into my trouser pockets and grab my phone and search for my mum's number, she's going to be pissed she's not going to see me tomorrow but fuck, what better time to tell her I'll be late than now? I look to Hailey and notice she's still fast asleep and curled into the blanket.

I quietly walk to the bathroom and shut the door behind me and turn on the light, whilst I facetime my mum, I wait for her to pick up knowing around this time she's watching soaps on TV.

The call goes through and my mum's face pops up on my phone screen.

"Asher! About bloody time I heard from you!" She shouts and I wince and try to cover the sound.

"Shhhhh!" I tell her off. "Not so loud." 

She looks at me weirdly. "Are you with a girl Asher?"

I can't help but grin. "Not exactly." I pause. "That's not why I called you, I'm not flying tonight."

She frowns. "What, why? I haven't seen my son in months, is something wrong with the tour?" 

"I know mum and it's nothing like that." I pause. "I can't really talk right now, I don't want to wake her up." I say more quietly.

Her grin is contagious as she looks at me. "What's her name?" 

"Hailey."

Her face lights up. "You like her."

I roll my eyes, grinning. "I'm hanging up now mum, gonna fetch us some breakfast, I'll ring you later yeah?"

She laughs. "Yeah yeah, you kids have fun, love you."

"Love you too, speak to you later mum." I say then hang up, ending the video chat.

I use the bathroom then head back into the bedroom quietly as I can to grab my clothes from the floor near the sofa, Hailey is stirring awake as I zip up my trousers, I watch her amused as her hair sticks up in all directions as she sits up, her eyes desperately trying to open as she groans out.

"Morning sunshine." I say, hiding my smile as I grab my T-shirt.

Her eyes pop open as he head flips in my direction, a look of shock and confusion is now clear on her face as she stares at me holding my t-shirt in my hand grinning at her.

Damn, even with that bird's nest I still find her irresistible and sexy, this woman is doing strange fucking things to me. 

"W-What- why.. what are you doing?" She whispers out, baffled.

I chuckle and put my t-shirt on over my head. "You were completely pissed last night, I put you to bed."

She frowns then lifts the covers then looks at me and pales. "That was all you love, I just tucked you in." I say, laughing.

I grab my wallet, phone, and keys and put them in my pocket. "I'm off to grab breakfast, coffee, or tea?" I ask, picking up her room key and looking at her, still confused as to why I'm here as she tries to wake up.

"Uh... coffee.. thanks?" 

"Got it, I'll be back in five, I left some water on the bedside table with some aspirin." I say before looking at her one last time before I head out the front door. I put my cap on then my jacket and rush to the elevator to go get us breakfast, then maybe I can have that talk with her about seeing her again when I get back.

It takes a little more than five minutes due to taking a quick photo with two people who recognized me in the bagel shop, but I make it back to Hailey's hotel room in record time as I had to dodge everyone's glances with coffee and bagels in hand, seven minutes later I make it to her room and open the door with the hotel card.

Walking in I don't see her on the bed. "Hailey?" 

"Bathroom, I-I'll be out in a sec." She calls from the bathroom.

I hear the shower water running so I decide to set out some plates for the bagels, after I did that I stood there thinking what the fuck to do next, I shouldn't be nervous but this girl has me feeling like a complete idiot.

I decided to clean up the hotel room since standing there was not helping anything going on in my head right now, as I was making her bed I heard the shower turn off so I decide to open the curtains then sit on the sofa and grab my cup of coffee while I wait for her to come out.

The bathroom door opens and there is the most beautiful fucking girl I've ever seen, wrapped in a towel with wet hair down her back. "Hey." She says shyly.

"Hey." I grin. "I got us bagels, is that cool?"

She nods her head and shyly walks past me in a towel, her cheeks pink as she avoids my eyes as she goes to sit beside me and I don't know where to look as she sits down beside me, eyeing the coffee on the table. 

"Thanks.. for this." She pauses then groans. "And last night.. I'm so sorry for that, I feel so embarrassed." She mumbles, leaning back into the sofa, hiding her face with the coffee cup.

I laugh and grab my bagel. "Nah it's all good, I'm a musician, looking after drunk people is like a second job for me." I say jokingly.

She cringes. "Aw god, I don't even remember anything after leaving the restaurant." 

What? Well, we can't have that, not when she finally admitted her feelings for me and I felt like I was getting somewhere.

I look at her. "Not even when you said you liked me?" I say casually.

She choked on her coffee and then starts coughing. "W-What?" She coughs out.

I grin and hand her a napkin. "You good?" I ask amused as she nods her head, her face red.

"I'm so embarrassed!" She groans out, peeking out at me through her fingers on her face. "I'm not really a drinker.. you must have been terrified, and you slept here.. oh god." She groans into her hands.

I laugh and nudge her leg with mine. "It's good, seriously, you were fucking hilarious oh and you asked me to stay, I was gonna anyways."  I say with a shrug then bite into my bagel.

"Why?" She frowns. "You didn't have to stay Asher."

"I made a promise." 

She looks at me with more confusion on her face as she bites into her bacon bagel. We eat in a comfortable silence until we are both done eating and then start drinking our coffee's, she's still in a towel and I need to go soon to make some adjustments to my travel plan, not yet wanting to leave without knowing for sure that she wants to see me again because I definitely want to see her again.

I clear my throat. "I need to say bye to my band soon." I pause and turn to her, she's looking at me nodding her head slowly with a frown. "I'm leaving in two days Hailey and I really would like to see you again."

She looks at me with wide eyes and blushed cheeks. "Like.. as friends?" She says slowly pondering my words.

I shrug as my chest tightens. "If that's what you want Hailey." I sigh out and run my fingers through my hair. "I like you. And I really want to see where this goes, if you feel the same way that is, id like to see you again." 

 She bites her lip and turns her gaze away from me, she hasn't said anything as she looks deep in thought, which makes me more nervous than it should, I'm practically on the edge of my seat waiting for her to speak.

She swallows hard and turns to face me. "H..How would this work? You live in another country Asher.." She pauses. "I'm sorry.. i-i just can't, I'm not ready to get my heart broken a second time in a month." She says sadly, standing up to walk away from me.

I stand up and grab hold of her hand to stop her. "Hailey-"

She pulls her hand from me, tears in her eyes as she walks over to the bathroom, grabbing some clothes on the way.

I sigh out as she shuts the door behind her, I'm still standing there with my eyes on the door, unsure what the fuck to do now, do I leave? I can't leave it like this, I'm not her fucking ex-boyfriend, I won't break her heart.

I walk over to the bathroom door and knock. "Hailey?" 

She ignores me and I lean against the wall opposite the door and sigh out.

Did I do this all wrong? Was I mistaken about how she felt about me? It's true that if we had a relationship it would be hard, but what relationship isn't? I would just need a few months then I could've stayed in the US, shit I could relocate here if it meant that I would get to see her because when you know you just know, and I don't want to pass this feeling off as if it means nothing.

The door opens and Hailey is standing there, fully dressed and hair brushed, her eyes are slightly red and she's not looking at me nor moving from the doorway of the bathroom.

Shit, did I fuck this all up? I feel like she's about to tell me to piss off from the look in her eyes.

"Asher.. I'm sorry." She starts and I shake my head and turn to grab my keys and phone on the coffee table, not wanting to hear the end of whatever she is about to say.

Hailey doesn't look at me as I walk towards her as I head towards the front door, putting my cap on low, I put my hand on the front door handle and swallow hard, I turn to look at Hailey, my chest is squeezing me tight when I see her, she looks heartbroken as defeated, I can't stand to see her like this, much like myself, but I won't stay if I'm not wanted.

I open the door and freeze for a second, praying she stops me and changes her mind, when she doesn't I walk out the door and never look back, trying to savor some of my pride I keep my head high and shake it off, I head straight for the elevator with a stabbing feeling in my chest, the elevator doors open and I step inside, my eyes fixed on her hotel door until the doors close. 

I grip my chest and lean my head against the steel wall of the elevator and close my eyes, picturing a smiling and happy Hailey, as I  try to erase Hailey's face as tears stream down her face, the elevator goes up to my hotel room, so I can pack and leave Portland and the memory of Hailey behind