Chapter 144

There was no response on the other end, just the sound of the call disconnecting.

Even though the door in front of me hadn't opened yet, I knew I'd guessed right.

A moment later, the door swung open, and there stood Hayden, dressed in gray loungewear.

So, my new neighbor was Hayden.

So, the past few days, it wasn't like he hadn't been around—he was literally living right across from me.

He wasn't pulling late shifts anymore; instead, he was coming here early, staying in that apartment, quietly watching over me. But even though he was just across the hall, he hadn't said a single word to me.

And now it all clicked—he must've decided to rent this place when he was fixing my pipes.

When I saw him, everything finally made sense.

"Come in," Hayden said calmly, not even a hint of embarrassment for getting caught.

Honestly, there was nothing wrong with him renting the place; I was the one making a big deal out of it. But still, I couldn't bring myself to just say, "Hey."

Instead of