Chapter 53

I gulped down over half the glass. "He left Chiverton a while ago."

"Hmm?" Lena sat cross-legged across from me, her face curious.

"I turned him down, so he left. Apparently, he had work to do," I said, making Lena pause.

"He left? Didn't he try harder?" Lena shook her head. "This guy lacks persistence."

"He knows when to back off; he's not the clingy type," I said, thinking about Hayden's rugged and sturdy demeanor.

Lena tilted her head, looking at me. "If he had tried a bit harder, would you have—"

"No," I cut her off. "I won't use one person to heal the wounds another man caused."

"So, no one can easily replace Jace," Lena concluded.

I gave a faint smile. "Jace agreed to break up with me."

Lena was stunned.

I put down my glass. "I'm just here to shower and change before heading to the Johnstons. I need to clear things up with Matthew and Lindey. Jace and I... we're done."

As I said it, I lowered my head.

It wasn't that I didn't want to let go, or that I felt relieved. It