[Modern Family] Ch: 14 [Long drive with Haley] (Patreon)

[Next Day] [12:30 PM]

Jason slowed the white Nissan 370Z to a stop in front of the Dunphy house and parked along the curb. He checked the time on his wristwatch, then pulled his phone from his pocket and called Haley.

She picked up after the second ring.

“I’m outside your house now,” Jason said as he leaned back against the driver’s seat.

“I’ll be there in a minute,” Haley replied, sounding a bit too excited. 

The call ended, and Jason stepped out of the car before resting against the driver’s door. He looked across the street, trying to ignore the fact that he felt slightly more nervous than he expected. Like he and Alex kissed last time, and now, he's taking out her sister on a long drive. And during their drive, the kissing incident will definitely come up at one point. So, he was preparing all types of replies in his head.

Still, he had spent longer than necessary choosing what to wear that morning because everything he owned was expensive. He decided to go with dark jeans, new Nike sneakers from his collection, a fitted charcoal shirt, and a somewhat expensive wrist watch. 

The front door opened a moment later.

Jason looked up and forgot what he had been thinking. 

Haley stepped outside wearing a blue sundress that moved lightly around her knees in the breeze. A small purse rested against her left shoulder, and her hair fell neatly around her face as she walked down the path toward him.

She looked beautiful.

Jason pushed away from the car before she reached the sidewalk, a smile appearing on his face without any effort.

“Okay,” he said as he looked her over openly. “You look really beautiful today, Haley. I’m starting to think I should’ve dressed better for this drive.”

Haley slowed slightly, and a pleased smile spread across her face despite her attempt to look casual.

“You think so?” she asked as she adjusted the strap of her purse. “I almost changed three times because I couldn’t decide what looked good.”

Jason opened the passenger-side door for her. “You definitely made the right choice. That dress looks perfect on you.”

Haley looked at him for another second before stepping closer to the car. 'He looks so handsome.'

“Thank you. You’re being really nice today,” she said, though she sounded more amused than suspicious.

“I can stop complimenting you if it’s making you uncomfortable,” Jason replied as he held the door open.

Haley gave him a look before sliding into the passenger seat. “No, you can keep going.” She loved the way he looked at her, and now the compliments only made her blush a little. 

Jason laughed quietly and closed the door after her. He walked to the other side, then got behind the wheel and started the engine.

A familiar low growl filled the street.

Haley rested one hand against the dashboard and smiled. “Okay, I still love this car.”

“I had a feeling you would,” Jason said as he pulled away from the curb.

The Dunphy house slowly disappeared behind them. Jason glanced toward the rearview mirror for a second and caught a faint movement behind one of the front curtains.

He shook his head slightly.

“Your family is watching us,” he said as he turned onto the next street.

Haley leaned back against the seat and smiled without looking surprised. “Obviously. My mom thinks you're a Playboy, my dad thinks this is a major emotional milestone, and Alex probably thinks I’m going to embarrass the family.”

Jason looked over briefly. “And what do you think this is?”

Haley turned her head toward him with a small smile. “A long drive with a cute guy who owes me an apology.”

Jason nodded like that answer made perfect sense. “That’s fair enough.”

For the first few minutes, the drive stayed easy. Jason took them through the quieter streets before joining the larger road toward Santa Monica. The city moved around them in steady waves of traffic, pedestrians, and cop cars. 

Haley adjusted the AC vent toward herself and looked around the interior. “You keep this car really clean.”

“I try to,” Jason replied. “It’s hard to enjoy a nice car when there are empty soda cans rolling under the seats.”

Haley laughed. “That sounds like something Luke would do.”

"Luke?" He asked. 

"My brother," She replied. "He's the youngest of us."

He changed lanes. The road ahead opened slightly, and the car picked up speed without feeling rushed.

Haley leaned back and looked toward him. “So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

Jason replied. “We’re heading toward the coast. I figured we could drive around for a while, grab lunch somewhere nice, and then see where the day goes.”

Haley turned toward him with a curious smile. “Why do I feel like you planned an actual date and decided to hide it inside an apology?”

Jason kept his attention on the road. “I planned a fun day with you because I wanted to make up for disappearing, and because you're kinda fun to talk to, and driving around without stopping anywhere would get boring after an hour.”

Haley studied him for another second, clearly enjoying the answer more than she wanted to admit. “You really thought this through, didn’t you?”

Jason glanced over as he changed lanes, then smiled when he saw her watching him. “I had a few days to think about it, and I didn’t want you to regret coming with me.”

Haley leaned against the door and looked out the window. "I don't regret coming. I wanted to go on a long drive with you. You're really handsome and polite. You opened the door for me, even though you said this isn't an official date. Plus, you've been complimenting me since I walked outside."

Jason raised an eyebrow. “That sounds like you already had a checklist before getting in.”

Haley smiled, completely unashamed. “I like having standards. It saves time.”

Jason laughed and reached toward the little music setup. “Then you’re in charge of music, because I’m not risking a bad first impression through my terrible playlist.”

Haley leaned toward the center console and started going through stations until she found a song she liked. She settled back into the seat with a satisfied expression, quietly moving one shoulder to the rhythm while sunlight moved across her blue dress through the windshield.

For several minutes, they drove without talking much. The traffic gradually thinned as they moved farther from the neighborhood, and the city began to feel less crowded around them. Palm trees lined sections of the road, storefronts passed by in bright clusters, and the sky looked clear enough that the afternoon had started to feel warmer through the windows.

Haley looked toward him again after a while. “So how many girls have you taken on long drives like this before?”

Jason almost laughed at how quickly she asked it. “You already know the answer to that question.”

Haley tilted her head. “I want to hear you say it anyway."

Jason kept one hand on the steering wheel and rested his other arm near the window. “You’re the first girl I’ve taken anywhere like this. The only other person who has been in this car for more than twenty minutes was Jay when his car broke down.”

Haley’s smile became brighter. “Seriously?”

Jason nodded once. “Seriously. You’re making me sound more experienced than I am.”

Haley looked ahead again, though she seemed pleased by the answer. “That’s kind of hard to believe after the date with Alex."

Jason knew exactly where the conversation was heading. He had been waiting for it since he parked outside the Dunphy house, and he had spent most of the drive preparing himself for whatever version of the question Haley decided to ask.

She finally turned toward him again and asked, “Alex kissed you, huh?”

Jason’s hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel before he forced himself to relax. “Yeah, she did.”

Haley’s expression barely changed, but he noticed the small pause before she spoke again. “And you kissed her back?”

Jason gave her the honest answer instead of trying to find a clever way around it. “Maybe, I did. It caught me off guard, and I didn’t really know what to say after it happened. It happened so fast.”

Haley looked out through the passenger-side window while the music continued softly between them. Her fingers tapped lightly against her purse for several seconds before she spoke again.

“She told everyone it was your first kiss,” Haley said, though her voice was quieter now. “I didn’t think she would actually do something like that.”

Jason glanced at her briefly. “I didn’t think anyone else would know that part.”

Haley gave him a small smile that carried more emotion than humor. “Alex looked way too proud when she came inside. She basically announced it without actually announcing it.”

Jason shook his head. “Really?”

Haley looked at him again, and this time there was no teasing in her expression. “Did you like it?”

Jason took a second before replying. He could have made a joke, shrugged it off, or changed the subject, but he knew that would only make the situation worse.

“Yeah,” he said. “I liked it. It was my first kiss, so... I was stunned for a moment when she kissed me. Besides, Alex is smart and easy to talk to and we had a fun lunch. So, if you're thinking if I like her, then yes, I started to like her."

Haley looked down at her hands, then nodded slowly. “Wow! Never expected you'd say that. But atleast you're honest.”

Jason turned onto a road that led closer toward the coast before speaking again. “I’m not going to pretend that I don’t like her, Haley. That would be unfair to both of you. I also didn’t agree to spend today with you because I felt guilty or pressured. I wanted to be here with you.”

'This is getting interesting,' Haley leaned back against the seat and looked at him for a long moment. “You really like both of us?”

Jason let out a slow breath. “Yeah, I do. I know that sounds messy, and I know it probably makes me look like I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Haley shook her head. “You definitely have no idea what you’re doing.”

Jason laughed. “That’s probably true."

Haley looked out the window again, watching the streets move past them. “I don’t want to feel like I’m competing with Alex every time you look at me.”

Jason nodded slowly. “You shouldn’t have to feel that way. I’m trying to figure things out, but I won’t lie to either of you just because the truth is complicated.”

Haley stayed quiet for a few more seconds before she finally looked at him again. “I like you, Jason. I don’t want to act like I don’t just because Alex got there first.”

Jason’s expression softened. “I like you too. You’re fun to be around, you make every conversation feel less boring, and you have this way of saying whatever you’re thinking before anyone can prepare for it.”

Haley’s smile returned, though she tried to hide it by adjusting her hair. “That was almost sweet.”

Jason glanced at her with a grin. “I’m having a good day. Give me some credit.”

Haley laughed and rested her head lightly against the seat. “Fine. You can have a little credit.”

The tension between them did not disappear completely, but it became easier to breathe around after that. Haley changed the music again and spent the next few minutes judging the songs in Jason’s collection with ruthless honesty. She called one of his favorite tracks depressing, another one boring, and a third one something that only a guy trying to look mysterious would listen to while driving at night.

Jason defended himself through every accusation, though he was laughing too much to sound convincing.

By the time they reached Santa Monica, the ocean had come into view beyond the buildings and palm trees. Haley straightened in her seat immediately, looking toward the water with a bright smile that made Jason understand why he had wanted to bring her there.

He found a parking spot near a small beachside strip with several restaurants and cafés. The area was busy without feeling overwhelming. Families walked along the sidewalks, tourists took pictures near the water, and the smell of grilled food drifted through the warm air.

Jason turned off the engine and looked toward Haley. “Are you hungry, or did the compliments fill you up?”

Haley opened the door and stepped out with a smile. “You should keep complimenting me just in case, but I’m definitely hungry.”

Jason walked around the front of the car and joined her on the sidewalk. “There’s a place nearby with fish tacos, burgers, and awesome crab risotto.”

Haley looked toward the restaurants, then back at him. “That sounds perfect.”

--

AN: I know what some might say. I'll continue that double-dating conversation in the next chapter.