I had said that, but I didn't think he'd take it this seriously—like, doing that during a work trip?Noticing my confusion, Hayden leaned back in his chair. "I talked to Mr. Shane about it.""Oh," I replied, not feeling that there was anything wrong, and took another spoonful of oatmeal.But after a few bites, I paused. "Wait, so are you guys, like, super close or something? You asked for time off for me, and he just agreed? And then he personally let me know?"Hayden kept eating his breakfast, completely unfazed. "Not really."I laughed. "Not really? It's like he treats you... like you're royalty or something."I meant more like his dad, honestly. It was like, whatever Hayden asked for, Ron just had to go along with it."Close enough," Hayden said with a smirk. "He needs me to develop new products and make money for him. So if I ask for something, he's not gonna say no."Wow, okay. I gave him a mental double thumbs-up, totally speechless.People who know they've got skills ju
"Yes, this is Keira. Who's calling?" I asked, my eyes drifting back to Jace.He didn't seem to notice me, heading over to a nearby seat on his own."I'm from Amour Eternel Assurance, agent number A8338. Four years ago, you and Mr. Johnston purchased a love insurance policy from us. The policy term has expired, and we need to verify some information with you."A chill ran down my spine. I glanced instinctively at Hayden.He had been holding me close, but the moment I took the call, he stepped back, giving me space.Hayden was always so considerate, always making sure I felt safe and supported, but never stifled."Could you please confirm if you and Mr. Johnston are currently in a relationship or married?" the agent asked.My eyes flicked back to Jace. He was on his own call, a deep frown creasing his forehead."Ms. Kay, are you still there?" the agent pressed, probably wondering why I'd gone silent.I swallowed hard. "Yes, I'm here. We..."'We've already broken up.' I was just
"This is an airport terminal. There are people everywhere, including kids," I reminded Hayden.He just hummed. "I know.""Then why are you still..." My face turned red."Please," he said softly but firmly.I figured he'd noticed Jace too and was probably acting out of jealousy. Maybe he just wanted to send a message, make sure Jace knew to back off for good.Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, bracing myself for Hayden's kiss right there in the bustling terminal.But instead of feeling his lips, I felt something heavy slip into my hand.I opened my eyes and looked at Hayden, then down at my hand, now holding a small pouch."What's this?" I asked, totally confused.Hayden nodded toward the pouch, urging me to take a look.Still confused, I opened it and found two bank cards, along with a couple of documents.One was his discharge certificate from the army, and the other was a certificate showing his record of blood donations."What does this mean?" I asked, still not get
Was that even a real question? No one likes being lied to.I looked at him, feeling a little defensive. "So, are you planning to deceive me in the future, or have you already lied about something?"He hesitated, then said, "...No."I couldn't tell if he was being completely honest, but I made my stance clear. "Hayden, I won't put up with being lied to."He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I understand."It was better to set boundaries upfront. I was making it clear now: if he ever dared to lie to me, he couldn't expect me to just let it go.The boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker, calling for a flight heading overseas.I couldn't help but think of Jace, and sure enough, I spotted him wheeling his luggage toward the security checkpoint.What was he going abroad for? Business? Or... something else?"Kiki, we should head to security," Hayden's voice pulled me back to reality."Oh!" I snapped out of it and looked at him.Guilt washed over me. I was worried
Was he seriously teasing me with that straight face?But he was always so principled! It made me wonder if he was serious or if I was just overthinking it."Don't believe me? Try it," Hayden said, his eyes warm and steady, making my cheeks flush even more.I playfully pinched his arm, pretending to be annoyed. "Do you actually want to hear what I have to say or not? Because if not, I'll just keep it to myself.""I'm listening!" he said quickly.I glanced out the window and told him what Wayne had shared with me the other day. After I finished, Hayden nodded, his expression thoughtful. "So, are you worried?""Yeah, but I'm not worried about Jace. I'm concerned about RiverwaveCorp," I clarified quickly."I know," Hayden said, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. "You feel like this whole situation is way more complicated than it seems, right?"He understood me so well."You're not wrong to be concerned. It's possible everything, starting with Wayne's return, was part of
By the time the plane touched down, the sky was already turning a deep shade of orange and pink."Wow, Hayden, this is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen, " I said, practically glued to the window."It is," he agreed, sounding casual, as always.He was like that—a man of few words—but I'd gotten used to it.It wasn't until we got into the car and I scrolled through my phone that I saw his latest post. He'd snapped a pic of that very sunset and captioned it: [Because you're here with me.]My heart did this weird little flip.It didn't seem to connect at first, but then I got it: I'd said, "This is the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen." And he was saying, "It is, 'because you're here with me.'"Well, alright then!If anyone said Hayden didn't know how to show affection, I'd be the first to call them out.He was way too good at it."Hayden, are you back this time to finally tie the knot?" teased the guy driving us. One of Hayden's friends, he'd been waiting for us at t
As Hayden and I got out of the car, Yuna was chilling in the yard, rocking in a chair, totally absorbed in her book.The breeze played with her dress, making the scene almost unreal, like something out of a movie.She was so deep in her book, she didn't even notice we'd pulled up until Zach yelled, "Yuna, guess who's here!"Without even looking up, Yuna fired back, "Zach, your car sounds like a lawnmower. I knew it was you."I laughed as Zach scratched his neck, embarrassed. "Yeah, well, it's not just me. I brought someone."Yuna just flipped another page, still not looking up.Zach was about to say more, but I waved him off and walked over to her. Standing behind her, I peeked at the book. "Still reading this? Thought you'd finished it."I remembered seeing it on her nightstand last time I was here—one of those sappy romance novels.She froze for a second, then turned. Her face lit up when she saw me. "Keira!"I laughed as Yuna jumped up, but the second she spotted Hayden beh
"What is it?" I asked, still smiling.Yuna bit her lip, hesitating. "Is my surgery going to cost a lot?"My heart sank. I'd been worried she'd ask that. "Not at all," I said quickly. "It's really affordable. Plus, Hayden just landed a great gig as chief engineer, so we're good."She didn't respond, so I slid closer. There's this thing called the "proximity effect"—sometimes trust isn't about words, just being there.I gently ran my fingers through Yuna's hair. "The doctor handling your surgery is my bestie's friend. He's the best. All you need to do is focus on getting better. You're going to be fine."Tears welled up in Yuna's eyes. "Keira, you're too kind."I smiled. "Well, if I wasn't, Hayden wouldn't have stuck around."Yuna giggled. "You and Hayden are like a storybook couple."Thinking of all the romance novels she devoured, I teased, "Once you're better, you'll have your own love story."Her face turned red, and I could tell she'd thought about it.What girl hasn't? It