All Chapters of Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

'But why would he ask that?' I wondered.I couldn't figure it out, so I just replied with a quick [? ].Hayden didn't respond. By the time I got to the restaurant, he'd already had breakfast and headed out to the amusement park.Overnight, they'd fixed up the park's electrical circuits, and Hayden had jumped right into testing the lights. I was pretty much his QC, checking the lights as he adjusted them. If something wasn't right, he'd tweak it until it was.It hit me that he was dead serious about not letting my health get in the way of work. He was like a machine, barely taking a break, which meant I had to keep up with him like I was on some crazy hamster wheel.I could barely get a few sips of water in, and I was scared to drink too much since that meant bathroom trips. If I took too long, he might finish adjusting a set of lights. Every time I missed an inspection, he'd have to wait, dragging out the process even more.After three days of this grind, I had ulcers in my mouth

It was time to let Jace know exactly where I stood."Jace, what you're calling a 'small mistake' is something I just can't brush off. You know me well enough to understand that I don't tolerate any kind of betrayal," I said, stepping back to put some distance between us."My love doesn't need to be a whole soap opera, but my guy can't be out here sending mixed signals to another girl—not even a little. If I'm in, I'm all in," I added, glancing sideways to see how Jace was reacting.As I did, I caught Hayden's gaze a few steps away. It seemed like he'd overheard at least part of our conversation.Our eyes locked for a second before I refocused on Jace.Jace's expression was a mix of impatience and annoyance, like he thought I was being totally unreasonable. "You should know by now that in today's world, no one stays faithful forever. You need to stop living in a fantasy."He wasn't wrong—temptation was everywhere, and the days of slow, deliberate love, where you only had eyes for

I decided to shut down Demi's persistent matchmaking with a blunt statement. "I'm all about the money. If he doesn't have it, even if he's drop-dead gorgeous, it's pointless."As soon as the words left my mouth, I caught Hayden glancing over.Perfect. He heard me.I didn't dodge his gaze. There was zero chance between us anyway, so it was better if he got the message loud and clear.I wasn't clueless. His casual touches, and even spraying the ulcer relief spray on me today—those small gestures made it obvious he had feelings for me."Keira, you're so shallow. Too shallow," Demi huffed, clearly annoyed.I didn't bother responding or looking at Hayden.Demi's phone rang, and after a quick glance at the screen, she said, "It's Mr. Lawson."Gavin?!"Yes... I'm in the family area of Section A at the amusement park. Do you need something? Okay, see you soon," Demi finished the call and shot me a look. "Mr. Lawson says he's coming to see you."Gavin's looking for me? I wondered what

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

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