Chapter 266

Whoa. I froze. That came out of nowhere.

Hayden wasn't just bold—he was downright blunt.

My heart was hammering, and before I could even process it, I blurted, "Why?"

He swallowed, his throat bobbing. "I just don't want to be away from you."

It was so simple, almost too honest. I guess when you're into someone, it's like you can't stand to be apart, even for a minute.

"But I'm not the kind of girl who just casually does stuff like that," I said, not even thinking about it.

Hayden's face tightened, and his ears turned this cute shade of pink. It was kind of hilarious how he could be so straightforward yet blush so easily.

"I didn't mean it like that," he said, tripping over his words. "I just... I want to be with you."

I bit my lip, trying not to laugh. Seeing him all flustered made me want to mess with him more. "So, you're saying you want to stay over, sleep in the same bed, but, like, just talk under the covers?"

He cleared his throat. "Pretty much."

"Can you promise that?"