"Thanks for loving my brother, for accepting him!"Yuna's voice was soft but full of emotion as she handed me the tea with this careful, almost formal gesture. Her eyes shimmered like she was holding back tears.My chest tightened a bit, but I still grinned. "You act like Hayden's unlovable or something."Yuna gave a little pout, and I took the tea from her, sipping it. The taste hit me—sweet, light, and almost magical. Way better than anything I'd had before."Keira, Hayden doesn't look for girlfriends because of me," Yuna said, her voice quieter now. "He's scared that whoever he marries might not like me... might hate me for being sick."I could tell she hesitated, unsure if Hayden had even told me. She was probably worried that knowing about her illness might change how I saw him—like it'd be too much baggage or something.I took another sip, letting the warmth settle inside me. "Do I seem like the kind of person who'd judge someone for being sick? Especially someone as sweet
Yuna looked at me with bright, hopeful eyes. "Keira, do you have a plan?"I hesitated.There were options, sure, but could I really take a chance even Hayden wasn't willing to? If the surgery worked, everything would be great.But if it didn't... the thought of Hayden never forgiving me was the least of my worries. The real fear was breaking his heart in a way that couldn't be fixed.Yuna must've picked up on my hesitation because her face fell. "You don't have a way, do you? Hayden's too scared to try 'cause it's too risky. I get it. No one can be sure it'll work with how bad things are for me."She sighed, but then gave me this weak smile, like she was trying to shake off her own sadness.It wasn't that she was great at hiding her feelings—it's just that she didn't want to drag me down with her."It's fine. I'm happy with my life as it is. However long I live, I'm gonna make the most of it. Who knows? Maybe I'll surprise everyone and live to be a hundred," she joked, though he
Yuna's face changed completely. She looked panicked and grabbed my hand, shaking her head like crazy."Keira, no! It's not like that... Hayden's never liked any other girl. You're the first!"Seeing her so freaked out, her lips turning pale, I realized I'd probably gone too far. I couldn't scare her like this—her heart wouldn't take it.I gently tapped her on the nose, trying to lighten the mood. "Relax, okay? I know. Hayden already told me he's never had a girlfriend."Yuna nodded, still looking a little anxious, and added, "He's never liked any other girl either."She was so sincere, so pure, like she couldn't even lie if she tried. It made me wonder, 'When she does fall for someone, will she be able to handle it if the guy isn't as honest as she is?'The world isn't as simple as Yuna. Relationships, with all their messy emotions and complications, might be tough for her to figure out.I couldn't help but feel a little protective of her, even though I knew I was jumping the gu
Yuna was Hayden's little sister, but honestly, she was more like his kid since he pretty much raised her.Their bond was so strong, it made sense why someone as tough as Hayden got all protective and worried when it came to her.Yuna shared a bunch of stories about them, like how Hayden built this courtyard himself, brick by brick.She also mentioned how he used to take her fishing and grill the fish, always bragging that his cooking was top-tier—he'd perfected it just to make sure she ate well.As Yuna shared more stories, I started to understand Hayden better—like, in a way that really tugged at my heart.All his little quirks came from carrying the weight of responsibility and loneliness for so long.Yuna eventually drifted off mid-conversation. Watching her sleep, I suddenly had the urge to call Hayden, to tell him that from now on, I'd take care of him for a change, instead of him always looking out for everyone else.But the feeling passed, and I didn't follow through.In
Yuna was so lonely, she practically begged me to stay.I only had two days off, but to spend more time with her, I asked Ron for an extra two.But all good things would come to an end, and eventually, I had to go.Before I left, Yuna packed me some flower tea brewed with morning dew and food steamed with flower pollen and petals. She was determined to give me everything she cherished most.I could tell she'd grown really attached to me, and that made me feel a kind of responsibility I couldn't quite explain."Keira, come visit me when you have time," Yuna said, avoiding my eyes.I could see the tears welling up, though she tried to hide them.She was this perfect mix of fragile but incredibly strong on the inside."Okay," I said quietly, not trusting myself to say much more.I felt the sting in my nose too, worried I might start crying before she did.Goodbyes are like the softest blades—they cut the deepest."I've already asked a friend to contact the doctor. Once it's all
I had no clue what Jace was after, so I kept quiet, letting the silence stretch. But of course, he didn't wait."My parents can't stand Tanya, especially my mom. Do you think... maybe you could say something nice about her to help out?"Seriously?Was he for real? Asking me to talk up Tanya? Either he'd lost it or he thought I was a total doormat."If you really want me to say something, it's not gonna be anything good," I shot back, not even pretending to be calm."Rea, I—""Jace, I'm not a saint. I'm definitely not the bigger person here. And Tanya? She means nothing to me. So why would I go out of my way to say something nice about her?" I snapped.Jace's voice cut through the silence again, "Are you acting like this because you're jealous?"I let out a dry laugh. "Oh, so that's what this is about? You're fishing to see if I'm jealous? Well, let me save you the trouble—I'm not. Actually, I'm kinda relieved. Relieved I figured you out sooner rather than later."Jace sighed o
Lena was always the level-headed one, but she had a habit of avoiding things she didn't want to deal with. Sometimes, she'd make up her mind without even giving it a shot.In that way, we were different. But hey, everyone has their own way of seeing things, their own way of handling life.There's this saying—no one can really interfere in someone else's life. Even with how close Lena and I were, that still rang true.I crashed at her place for the night before finally heading home. I still hadn't seen Hayden.When I got back, my downstairs neighbor stopped me, asking if I'd gone on vacation with my "boyfriend." Apparently, neither of us had been around for a while, and that's when it hit me—Hayden hadn't come back the entire time I was gone.Even though Demi told me he was busy, I knew the truth—Hayden only stayed here because of me.When I was around, he would be home every day. But the second I wasn't? He wouldn't even bother.Well, if he wasn't coming to me, I'd go to him.I
After visiting his place, I was pretty sure Yuna had spilled everything to Hayden."If you like it there, in the future..." Hayden started, then trailed off, leaving me hanging.I gave him a look. "In the future, what?"He swallowed hard before speaking again. "In the future... we could retire there.""By myself?" I blurted out, not even thinking."I'd come with you—if you wanted me to," he said, totally straightforward.And just like that, I started pulling away again. The future? Seriously? Especially something as far off as, like, growing old together."I found a specialist for Yuna. You should get me her medical records," I said, switching the topic fast.Last night, I was silently judging Lena for dodging the truth, but wasn't I doing the exact same thing?I was burying my head in the sand too, but I had my reasons. I wanted to keep Hayden on his toes, not let him in too easily.Lena once told me that the reason Jace always brushed me off and never took me seriously was