Chapter 108

A lollipop as a reward? What, does he think I'm five?

I was just about to call Hayden out on how childish that was, but before I could say anything, he plopped the candy into my hand and grabbed some water, even bringing my water bottle over.

He sat down on the bench and patted the spot next to him. "Take a break."

Did I really need a break? I hadn't done much except deal with drama. But since Hayden had already parked himself, I gave in and sat down too. Without him, I couldn't get anything done anyway.

It hit me then—he was subtly taking charge.

"You were really fierce just now," Hayden commented.

I took a sip of water. "Was I?"

"Yeah, kinda scary," he said, making me turn my head to look at him.

He nodded. "Really."

For some reason, seeing him like this—a tall, strong, no-nonsense military guy—reacting that way caught me off guard. It was so out of character that before I knew it, I blurted out, "How old are you?"

I meant it as a tease, like, 'You're acting like a kid.'

B