Chapter 120

When I woke that morning, the dream was still vivid. It was the second time Hayden had appeared, and I wondered if we’d met before. I tried to dismiss it, but the dream—of a boy carrying me, with a mole on his shoulder—persisted. Hayden has a mole in the exact same spot. And yesterday, he called me Kiki. I'm certain of it.

Lost in thought, Demi's voice startled me. "Keira, when did you sneak back?" It was unusual for the queen of sleep to be awake before her alarm.

I knew what she meant and glared. "What do you mean, 'sneak back'?"

"Hehe," Demi giggled mischievously, "I thought maybe you spent the night with Mr. Hart."

"What are you thinking?" I snapped. "Why is your mind always in the gutter?"

"Come on, you're both adults and single. Isn't it normal for men and women to… you know?" Her logic was undeniable.

"But you can't just fall in love with anyone, can you? What would that even be?" I retorted.

Demi hugged her pillow, inching closer. "Keira, I'd love to see Mr. Hart, that serious guy, loosen up a bit."

"Hmm?" I was unsure.

"I want to see how that serious, straight-laced guy acts when he's all lovey-dovey," Demi explained, making me laugh.

"If you really want to see that, you'd have to experience it yourself," I said, sitting up.

Demi followed suit. "Well, you could always tell me all about it afterward."

I rolled my eyes. "Why not just record a video while I'm at it?"

"Yes, please!" she replied instantly.

I threw a pillow; she caught it, propping it under her chin. "So, did something happen between you and Mr. Hart last night?"

Her question brought back the memory of Hayden leaning close to help me find a document—and the moment he grabbed my wrist while I draped a blanket over him…

"You two did have something going on, didn't you?" Demi seized on my silence, jumping onto my bed, buzzing with gossip.

"No, stop jumping to conclusions," I said, attempting to get up.

Demi grabbed my arm. "Come on, just tell me!"

"There's nothing to tell. And quit trying to pair me up with Hayden. It's not going to happen—I don't even like his type," I insisted, hoping to end it.

I slipped out of bed and went to the bathroom. Behind me, Demi sighed dramatically. "Yeah, I guess after being with Mr. Johnston for so long, it's hard to move on to someone new, huh?"

I smirked but remained silent.

After washing up, Demi and I were about to have breakfast when we ran into Hayden as we left. He wore camouflage pants and a black T-shirt, looking tough. Unexpectedly, I felt a little sweat behind my ears.

"Mr. Hart, how come you didn't go to work early today?" Demi blurted out.

Hayden glanced at me. "Didn't feel like it."

Demi was momentarily stunned but quickly recovered with a nervous laugh. "Well, in that case, why don't we all grab breakfast together and head out afterward?"

Hayden didn't respond; the second-hand embarrassment was palpable. Demi, ever the extrovert, looped her arm through mine. "Keira, after breakfast, don't just drop Mr. Hart and me off at the amusement park. You can stick around and help us out."

I chuckled. "You're paying me for that, right?"