Not washing my hands—that was directed at both Wayne and me.I was cool with it, but Wayne looked a little awkward."I won't get sick from a little dirt," I said, trying to lighten the mood.Hayden walked over, holding a pack of wet wipes.Wayne reached out to grab it, but Hayden kept his grip tight. So, I just took the pack myself and handed Wayne a wipe before grabbing one for me."Rea, who's this?" Wayne asked, eyeing Hayden, clearly wondering why this guy with such a strong vibe wasn't exactly being friendly."This is Hayden Hart, our lighting engineer," I introduced him, feeling the weight of Hayden's intense gaze on me. It pushed me to add, "And this is... my friend, Wayne.""Nice to meet you," Wayne said, extending his hand to Hayden.But Hayden just gave a nod, and before things could get more awkward, Demi jumped in, "Mr. Hart's got a bit of a germaphobia."Wayne smiled faintly, withdrawing his hand and turning to me. "Let's sit down and eat before the food gets cold.
I just smiled. "In my next life, I'll be born as their daughter. Then we can actually be real siblings."Wayne's smile wavered, but he quickly nodded toward the gnocchi. "Eat a little more. You've been losing weight.""Okay," I replied, digging into the gnocchi in front of me.Wayne kept watching me the whole time. I finally had to stop when I was too full, so I sipped on some soup instead."Jace still cares about you," Wayne said, trying to sound casual. "He even made cucumber soup for you, pretending it was from my mom."I forced a small smile. "Better late than never... but barely."The sore inside my mouth made eating a struggle, so I packed up the leftover gnocchi and soup. "Thanks for coming, Wayne. Let your parents know I'll visit them once this project's wrapped up."I gestured around the amusement park. "We're supposed to finish in less than a month, but the lighting hasn't even been tested yet. It's insane.""Jace mentioned it, but don't forget to take care of yoursel
When Hayden stepped in from the balcony, he caught sight of me, asleep at my desk. The soft, warm glow from the lamp spilled over my face, and I could feel his eyes on me.I could sense him nearby, but I couldn't bring myself to wake up.After what felt like forever, I heard his voice—low and gentle—whispering, "Kiki..."Kiki?!Was he talking to me?Yeah, he was.Before I moved in with the Johnstons, my parents called me Kiki, not Rea. But it had been forever since anyone used that name."Hey, I'm Kiki."In my dream, I saw a little girl with two buns and a chubby face, calling out to an older boy.The boy didn't say much, just kind of kept to himself.Suddenly, I was that little girl, and Hayden was the boy. I was riding on his back."Haddy, you smell nice..." I said, "There's a little black bean on the back of your neck. I'll get it for you.""Don't pinch it, Kiki. That hurts," said the boy. "Kiki, I'm tired. Can we stop running?"..."Mommy, I like Haddy. I want to marr
I knew Lena wouldn't reply right away, not at this hour. So, I closed the chat and scrolled through my social media feed.The first thing that popped up was a post from Steve—candid shots from last night, everyone clinking glasses and laughing.But what caught my eye wasn't the celebration. It was a hand in the corner of the photo. Jace's hand. I recognized it instantly because of the ring. The one I gave him.A weird mix of embarrassment and regret hit me hard. That ring was part of a matching set. I still had the other one. I'd bought them for $99.90 with my first paycheck when I turned eighteen.I'd worn the women's version and gave him the men's. He teased me back then, saying I was trying to lock him down or something. But after that, he never wore it again.When I hinted at it, he just brushed it off, saying wearing something like that would only invite ridicule.It was too cheap.I got it. A guy like Jace couldn't be caught dead with a cheap ring.But that ring meant som
Ugh, so awkward!I could practically feel the secondhand embarrassment radiating from Demi.She was definitely flustered, but she covered it with a laugh. "Sure thing, Mr. Hart, thanks a ton!"Demi set my bag down and rushed over to me, practically dragging me along as we sped away. Under her breath, she muttered, "Did Mr. Hart wake up on the wrong side of the bed or something? He's so moody today."I stayed quiet, but while Demi picked up on Hayden's harsh tone, I caught something different... Maybe he told her to get her own breakfast so she wouldn't trouble me.'Was he concerned about me?' The thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I started worrying I was overthinking things, turning something small into a big deal."Let's sit separately," I suggested once we had our food, trying to avoid any more awkward encounters with Hayden after last night."Why? Wouldn't it be better to sit together? We can go over today's plans," Demi countered, using work as the perfect excuse I co
"You probably don't know this, but I've never been in a relationship before. I'm as pure as they come. Not like you, with your complicated love life—an ex-fiancé, that guy who keeps messing with your hair, and let's not forget Wayne." Hayden's voice was so calm it almost drove me crazy.I opened my mouth to snap back, but before I could get a word out, he dropped his gaze. "So, really, I should be the one worrying. If people find out we shared a room last night, they might think I'm not so innocent anymore.""Are you saying I ruined your precious purity?" I shot back, feeling my temper flare up."Not at all. You were very well-behaved last night—no improper advances toward me whatsoever," Hayden said, his tone dripping with fake innocence, like he was some damsel in distress and I was the sleazy villain who'd taken advantage of him.'Unbelievable. This guy is so full of it!' I fumed silently, too angry to even find the right words.I took my frustration out on the custard roll in
I stormed over to Hayden and demanded an explanation. "What's the deal? Why are we suddenly taking a break?""Two days off a week are government-mandated," Hayden replied, annoyingly calm. "Considering how tight our schedule is, one day off shouldn't be a big deal, right?"His calmness only made me more frustrated. "I get it, but we're up against a serious deadline here. I've already told you we have to meet it. Can't we just push the break back? I'll even pay you extra."Hayden didn't break eye contact, his gaze unwavering. "It's not about the money, Ms. Kay. We're not machines. People need rest if you want them to do good work."Ugh, he wasn't wrong, but this wasn't just any project.I exhaled slowly, trying to steady my nerves. "So you really need to rest today?""Yes," Hayden said, his tone leaving no room for argument. Knowing there was no winning this one, I turned to walk away."And you all need to rest too," he added.I spun around, my anger bubbling over as I shot him
"What's your deal? Are you seriously using our acquaintance and last night's incident to blackmail me?" I confronted Hayden."No," he said, but his eyes didn't quite meet mine.His guilty expression was all I needed to see. I clenched my fists, resisting the urge to punch him."I'm unfamiliar with this place. What's wrong with asking for your help? I've helped you before too," Hayden added, his tone softening, almost like he was trying to guilt-trip me.He was right. Debts had to be repaid, whether it was money or favors.I let out a sigh. "Okay, Mr. Hart, where do you want to go today? What do you need to buy? Just tell me, and I'll take you.""I want to check out some apartments," he said, catching me totally off guard.I blinked at him. "Looking for an apartment? Aren't you heading back once your work here is done?""I might not be going back, so I'm planning ahead," Hayden's words hit me like a sudden jolt.I couldn't explain it, but something about that felt off, unsettli