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“Where is he?” Hailey rushed into the ER of Gaffney Chicago Medical Center and was immediately met by Will, who wore a relaxed expression.
It wasn’t exactly how she’d expected to find him since he had called her with an agitated tone in his voice, telling her Jay had been brought in.
“They’re cleaning his wound, but the bullet didn’t go through. Just scraped him a little,” Will explained to Hailey, walking next to her and guiding her towards the room that Jay was in.
As they arrived in front of it, the red-haired heard Hailey’s heavy sigh when she saw Jay, who was sitting at the side of the bed while the nurse — April — was bandaging his wound.
“He’s alright,” Will tried to reassure her, placing his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to console her.
What Will didn’t know, though, was the fact that Hailey was more pissed-off than worried, at that moment.
The blonde turned her head towards him with a bitter smile on her lips. “Nah, I’m killing him myself,” she declared, making Will snort at her words.
He raised his brows, “Yeah, okay. I’m not getting in the middle of this,” he muttered amusedly, “I’ll see you later,” Will gently squeezed her arm and left her alone.
Hailey looked in front of her and saw April getting out of the room, “Thank you,” she shot a grateful smile her way.
She took a step inside the room, she found Jay already glancing at her with an apologetic expression.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, his voice low.
He reached for his black t-shirt, ready to put it on.
Hailey immediately went in to help him, since the injury was on his left arm, and “What happened?” she asked him as she carefully lifted his arm to put it in the hole of the shirt.
Jay sighed, he could hear it in her tone that she was everything but calm, understandably so.
“On foot chase,” he simply said, getting on his feet, straightening the shirt he’d put on.
“I’m okay, though,” he added, shooting a playful wink at her.
That’s the word Hailey didn’t want to hear, okay.
She crossed her arms on her chest, her fingers absentmindedly brushing against the soft material of the sweatshirt she was wearing.
“I’m tired, Jay,” she sighed, biting her bottom lip and caressing her seven-moths-pregnant belly.
Jay approached her and touched her stomach, “Let’s go home, then.”
Hailey removed his hands off her body. “No, Jay. I’m tired of this,” she waved her hand around, indicated the room — the place — they were in.
Jay fought the urge to roll his eyes at her apprehension, “I’m fine, Hailey,” he sighed.
And that when she snapped.
“ I’m not fine, though! Why do we have to always end up here because you like to play hero and can’t stop being reckless?!” she hissed, trying to keep the volume of her voice low, blinking rapidly to prevent her tears from falling.
Jay sat back down on the edge of the bed. He understood where Hailey was coming from, but “It’s basically just a scratch, Hails, nothing happened.”
“This time!” she retorted back, waving her hands in exasperation. “How many times you’ve been shot? And how many times again do you think luck is gonna be on your side?” she huffed and took a step back when Jay tried to reach for her hands to pull her towards him.
“I’m tired of this,” she mumbled again, her gaze focused on the tennis shoes she was wearing she sniffled.
Jay’s heart immediately skipped a beat when her mouth pronounced those words once again, already assuming the worst.
He raised his brows at her, tilting his head, “What’s that supposed to mean?” his tone seemed a little annoyed, but it was just hiding his deep concern.
When he didn’t get an answer, “Hailey..?” he called her name, starting to feel a lump in his throat.
What did she mean with those words?
“Find a way to get home, I’m outta here,” Hailey mumbled, not looking at him.
Before he could even get the chance to protest, she rushed out of the room the same way she’d entered the hospital, leaving a speechless Jay trying to comprehend what had just happened.
When Jay got home, he expected to be greeted by his son Sebastian, or at least to find him playing with his toys in the living room, but instead, he was met by nothing but silence.
“Hails,” he called out, but go no response.
The house looked tidier than when he’d left it, signaling that Hailey had spent the morning cleaning up the house.
The doctors had told her to slow down and reduce physical efforts once she’d reach the twenty-seventh week, but the blonde was too stubborn to listen to them.
Jay sighed. He hated that they had gotten into an argument, and he hated, even more, the fact that it happened because of something he’d done.
He took his coat off and placed it on the couch, then walked through the corridor to see if Hailey and Sebastian were taking a nap in their bedroom, as it usually happened around that time of the day.
Jay started to grow worried. He went checking both of their rooms and found them empty.
He replayed the words Hailey had said when they were at the hospital… I’m tired of this.
His heart started beating faster in his chest as he took his phone from the pocket of his jeans and dialed Hailey’s number.
He heard it ring twice and then started to feel something vibrating inside the bed, searching through the covers and finding Hailey’s phone tossed between them.
Jay cursed under his breath and paced back in the kitchen, his nervousness growing bigger with every step he was taking.
When Jay arrived in the kitchen, his eyes immediately got caught by an object on the counter.
He walked closer and groaned loudly when he saw that was Hailey’s pair of keys.
Jay tried to think of where Hailey could’ve been and took his phone again, his hand shaking as he dialed Vanessa’s number.
It rang a couple of times and then went to voicemail.
He groaned in distress and slammed his phone on the counter out of frustration.
His eyes scanned the place around him as he took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
Jay took his phone once again and opened a text chat with Vanessa, he knew her phone wasn’t off because it didn’t immediately get to voicemail when he’d called her, it actually rang a few times.
to Rojas: I know you’re avoiding my calls, can you at least text me if they’re there with you?
He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair, sniffling. His heart seemed to have no intention of slowing down and steading its pace.
Jay huffed and sat on a stool, staring at his phone and hoping Vanessa would answer his text as soon as possible.
Vanessa sighed when she received the text from Jay, glancing at Hailey, who was staring in front of her with a tiny smile on her lips.
Sebastian was speaking with Pepper, Vanessa’s cat, softly caressing his fur as the animal purred, happy to be cuddled.
“Hailey, I’m telling him you’re here,” Vanessa warned her friend, scooting closer to her and resting her back to the couch to get in a more comfortable position.
The blonde looked at her friend, who was holding her phone in her direction to make her read Jay’s text.
She huffed, adjusting her posture.
She shrugged, “He can’t come here, though,” she declared stubbornly, biting her bottom lip.
When she’d stormed out of the hospital, she’d drove to get Sebastian from daycare, and when she’d arrived back home, Hailey’d realized she’d left both her phone and keys inside, so the first place to go to that came into mind was Vanessa’s.
“He’s worried sick,” Vanessa bumbled, offering the blonde some snacks to keep her busy.
“Not my fault,” Hailey feigned indifference, even though knowing that Jay was at home panicking obviously didn’t make her happy.
“Hailey Anne Upton!” the brunette hissed, shooting a glare her way. “I think he learned his lesson,” she added after a few seconds, boring into her blue eyes.
She saw tears started to fill them, and Hailey blinked rapidly to prevent them from falling.
Hailey bit her bottom lip, her trembling hands playing with a loose strand of her sweatshirt.
Vanessa immediately went in to hug her, allowing her to buy her face in the crook of her neck.
The brunette moved her hand up and down Hailey’s back, trying to comfort her.
“It’s alright,” she mumbled as Hailey pressed her lips together, not wanting to let a single sound escape from it — the last thing she wanted was for Sebastian to hear her and get worried.
They stayed in that position for a few minutes and then Hailey pulled back, her belly was kind of getting in the way.
She wiped her face with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and caressed her belly in comforting motions.
Vanessa’s eyes followed at her gestures and couldn’t help but smile, “How’s my little niece doing?” she asked.
The question immediately brought a smile to Hailey’s face, "She's been moving a lot."
They had found out the sex of the baby just a couple of days before and the sight of Jay’s face lighting up when the OB/GYN told them they were expecting a girl was something Hailey was never going to forget.
She believed part of that huge smile she’d made was because he was happy he’d been right the whole time.
“How do you think she’s gonna look like?” Vanessa asked out of curiosity, she already had a vague idea of how baby Halstead was going to be like — and she imagined a carbon copy of Hailey.
The blonde sighed, a smile still on her face. “No idea,” and it was true, the only thing she could undoubtedly envision were the freckles, but the rest was still a blur in her head.
She didn’t mind, though.
“Just like with this one, uh?” Vanessa tilted her head and smiled as she looked at Sebastian.
Hailey chuckled and nodded. “Yeah, something like that,” she agreed.
When she was pregnant with Sebastian, she didn’t know she was going to give birth to a mini version of Jay with blond hair and blue eyes, it was definitely a surprise for her — the both of them, actually.
“Sebby, are you happy you’re gonna be a big brother?” Vanessa asked him, and the toddler glanced at her quickly, his hands still caressing the cat’s fur.
He nodded and blushed heavily, getting back to his activities as quickly as he could.
Vanessa got her attention back to Hailey and bit her lips when she saw the conflicted expression her friend was wearing.
“Hey,” she placed her hand on the blonde’s shoulder.
Hailey lifted her to look at her and “It’s gonna be okay,” Vanessa asserted, adjusting her position by crossing her legs.
“Besides — a tiny smirk appeared on her face — am I ever wrong when it comes to Upstead?” she rhetorically asked and was not surprised to see Hailey roll her eyes at that name.
Vanessa was clearly referring to the fact that when Hailey and Jay were in the friend zone she would always tell that they would’ve ended up together.
Hailey shook her head, her lips curled in a tight-lipped smile, her face now seemed a little more relaxed. “You’re not,” she answered Vanessa's question, earning a wink in response.
She sighed, hoping her friend was right this time too.
It took Jay exactly three and a half seconds to get to the door and open it as soon as he heard the doorbell ring.
His angry expression shifted to a softer one when he saw Sebastian welcome him with a tired but wide smile.
"Daddy!" he screeched, making grabby hands at his father.
"Hi, buddy!" Jay took him in his arms and kissed his cheek, "I missed you," he mumbled against his skin, nuzzling his nose on his neck. The gesture tickled Sebastian, who started giggling like a mad man.
Jay didn't greet Hailey but just asked her if Sebastian had already had dinner. When she said yes, he simply nodded at her answer.
There clearly was tension between them, but Jay tried to keep his cool and force a smile on his face for the sake of their son.
"Say goodnight to mommy," he suggested, walking towards Hailey and keep Sebastian steady as the toddler leaned towards his mum to place a kiss on her cheek.
"Ninite," he muttered in a tired voice.
Hailey smiled at him and then watched the two walk towards the bathroom, Jay helping him wash his face and teeth and then change into his pajamas.
Once he was put into bed, Sebastian fell asleep pretty quickly — it had been an exhausting day for him too.
Jay exited the bedroom and mentally prepared himself for what (who) was waiting for him in the living room.
He went there and found that Hailey was in the kitchen taking the pills the doctor had recommended she should take every night, drinking some water to help her swallow.
The same pissed-off expression with which he had greeted her was now back on his face.
Jay carefully looked at her and saw that Hailey had noticed his presence and was blatantly ignoring it.
"So, is this how it's gonna be from now on? — he started, his jaw clenched as he glared at her — You get pissed so you decide to leave your phone and keys and disappear god knows where? And you take our son away from me, for what? That's how you wanna punish me?" Jay finally blurted out everything he'd held on his chest since Hailey did that stunt on him.
He could understand her being fed up with his behavior, but he couldn't accept her putting Sebastian in the middle of it.
Jay thought they were on the same page with that, they swore on it ever since they found out she was pregnant with Sebastian: whatever happened between them, their kid(s) were always going to be protected.
"I'm talking to you!" he exclaimed, his voice got louder when he waited a few seconds and noticed that Hailey still wasn't acknowledging his presence nor his words.
And that was all it took for Hailey to snap back and glare at him.
She turned towards him and "You're gonna lower your voice when you talk to me," she gritted her teeth and the tone she used was enough for Jay's guilt to kick in.
He knew how Hailey detested hearing people yell or raise their voices (even if not directly at her) because it triggered her, the last thing he wanted was to create the same effect on her.
But Jay didn't think, all he could see was that she did him wrong and involved their child, and therefore everything else seemed superfluous to him.
The blonde leaned her back against the kitchen counter and crossed her arms on her chest, "Wanna know why I left my phone and keys here?" she asked rhetorically, arching her brows.
"Think about your seven-months-pregnant fiancée rushing out of your house, getting into your car, and trying to arrive at the hospital in no time, all because she got a call telling her you got shot," Jay's hard features softened as he listened to her, understand what really went down.
He only wanted to bang his head against a wall for how stupid he felt.
"So if you wanna blame someone for that — she glanced at her phone and a pair of keys he'd methodically placed on the counter — then you should go in front of a mirror."
"And I don't even wanna comment the last crap you said because you must be sick in the head to even think I would do something like that to you or Sebastian," her voice started trembling but she gritted her teeth and inhaled deeply.
The fact that Jay even took into consideration the fact that she was capable of keeping him away from their son just because of an argument they had was disrespectful and it just hurt her feelings.
Jay closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, releasing a frustrated sigh.
When he opened his eyes again he found Hailey's back facing him, and he started torturing his lower lips, quickly thinking of what to do next.
“I’m sorry,” apologizing was the first thing that came into his mind. He approached her and touched her shoulder, but Hailey kept ignoring him, keeping herself busy by filling the teapot with some water.
She took a mug off the cupboard and placed it on the counter, “Hails…” she heard Jay’s low voice. She sniffled but didn’t utter a word, still not looking at him.
“Hey,” Hailey was about to take the tea pack but Jay stopped her in her tracks, taking her hand in his and that was enough for her to break down.
He cursed under his breath when he saw her starting to sob, his own eyes welling up at the sight.
“Please don’t cry,” he mumbled, wrapping his arms around her body, pulling her closer to him.
This time, Hailey didn’t protest. She followed his silent invitation, burying her head in his chest as her sobs continued to shake her body.
She didn’t know if she was crying because of the worry she’d felt earlier that morning, or because of his words and assumptions (plus, her hormones being all over the place wasn’t helping the situation, she just knew she needed to let it all out.
Jay slightly pulled away to turn off the teapot before it whistled — Sebastian was sleeping at the last thing they needed at that moment was for him to wake up and see them in that state.
“I’m sorry,” he repeated, resting his chin on her head and caressing her back, his hand going up and down in a soothing way.
“I just… — he shook his head, trying to find the right words — Coming home and seeing you two weren’t here… I got scared,” Jay confessed to her, sighing heavily. His heart was beating fast in his chest that it seemed like it was going to come out of it.
And Hailey returned the hug when he voiced his concerns, holding onto him as tight as she could, though her belly was getting in the way.
“How do you think I feel every time I get a call telling me you got shot?” she mumbled back against his chest, her voice more nasal and muffled.
Jay carefully listened to her and sighed, placing a kiss on the top of her head, “I know, I’m sorry.”
The blonde shook her head at his response. She lifted her head, now able to properly look at him.
His eyes were glossy, his expression hurt. Guilt was painted all over his frowny face.
Hailey didn’t want him to feel guilty, though — it wasn’t an I win, you lose situation. She just wanted Jay to understand her point of view and that it came out of worry and love.
“You don’t know, Jay,” she sniffled, boring into his green eyes. “The whole ride to the hospital all I kept thinking of was how am I gonna raise two kids alone? It was… — she closed her eyes — that’s not what I want,” she explained as she stared at him.
Jay was blinking rapidly, trying to not let the tears fall down his face.
His attempt ended up being a failure because Hailey saw a tear streaming down his face and caught it with her thumb, wiping it away.
She cleared her throat, “I know you love your job, I do too! But I need you to slow down just a little bit, I need you, we need you," she caressed her belly and Jay looked down, his eyes following the gesture.
“I’ll try, I will,” he nodded at her, and then inhaled sharply, “But please don’t ever disappear on me again, like, it really freaked me out,” he added, biting his lower lip.
Hailey brushed her finger along the nape of his neck, “I’m sorry I did.”
She watched him and saw a hesitant expression on his face, so she decided to take the lead and hugged him again, smiling as she smelled the familiar scent of his musky aftershave.
“I guess we’ve been kinda awful to each other today,” she commented, her lips curled in a pout while her cheek was still pressed on his chest.
Hailey felt him nod against her, “Definitely not our best day,” he agreed, keeping her close against him.
“But we got tomorrow to make up for it,” Hailey looked up to stare at him, a tiny smile crept its way on her face.
Jay leaned, his lips now softly brushing against hers, “We do,” he mumbled before kissing her.
Hailey hummed contentedly and, “Jay?” she muttered once they pulled away.
Jay glanced at her, slightly cocking his brows.
“Rub my feet, please?” she made puppy eyes at him, making him snort and playfully roll his eyes.
He kissed her forehead and tangled his fingers through her blond hair, “Your wish, my command.”