Chapter 267

The way Hayden looked at me made my whole body feel like it was on fire.

I thought back to teasing him last time, the way he'd tried to keep his cool. Lena's words echoed in my mind.

"Hayden, have you ever done it with anyone else?" He'd told me he'd never even had a girlfriend, but I needed to hear it again.

His gaze darkened. "...No."

That word made my heart skip a beat. "But do you want to?"

His jaw clenched, and then suddenly, everything went dark as his lips crashed into mine.

When Hayden's breath turned ragged, I already knew his answer.

But he didn't push further. Instead, he rested his forehead against mine. "How long are you gonna keep testing me, or are you just trying to torture me?"

Seeing his restraint, the way his desire fought with self-control, I reached up to touch his face. "Do you really want this? Is it just me?"

Jace's casual rejection still haunted me, and I realized how deeply it had scarred me.

"Yeah," he panted, "only you."

I closed my eyes, feeling