Chapter 164

Holding hands, hugging, and kissing—each came with a price. That was the deal I made with Pete, that creep, during our first meeting at the coffee shop.

So when Hayden mentioned "charging" for a kiss, he definitely knew about that.

That night, after he gave Pete a serious beating, I had a feeling there was more to the story—something Hayden never bothered to fill me in on.

Honestly, I had no idea what to even say to him at this point.

But instead of kissing me, Hayden just grabbed my hand and pulled me, dragging me out of the crowd as we bolted—sprinting through the bustling streets.

It was the first time I'd ever run through a place that packed. People stared in confusion, not sure why we were running, but still stepping aside like we were parting the sea or something.

So there we were, in the middle of the busy street, the crowd parting for us as Hayden led the way. He held my hand tight, glancing back every now and then. The whole thing felt surreal, like some scene straight o