Chapter 143

Just as Lena and I were enjoying a great conversation, I heard a door open and close across the hall. Ms. Brown had mentioned a new tenant was moving in today, so I assumed my new neighbor had arrived.

“Do you think I should introduce myself? You know, in case something like last night happens again. It might be easier to ask for help,” I asked Lena.

“If your new neighbor’s a guy and you go knocking on his door right after he moves in, he might think you’re either way too friendly or, worse, a total creep,” Lena said, making me laugh.

“Really?” I asked.

“Really,” she confirmed.

Alright, I guess I’ll just wait for a chance encounter.

You’d think I’d bump into someone living right across the hall, but no. For the next two days, I didn’t see the new neighbor once, and Hayden didn’t appear either.

So, the hero saved the day once and then vanished, unconcerned about whether that blind date guy might return? Yeah, that definitely lowered Hayden in my estimation.

By the weekend, I still hadn’t received a call to cancel my job, so it seemed I was starting tomorrow after all. As I chose my outfit for my first day, Demi called. “Keira, why don’t you care about the amusement park anymore?”

“That’s not my problem now,” I teased.

But honestly, how could I not care? Hayden had left me a note saying everything was going smoothly, so there wasn’t much to worry about. That’s when I realized just how much I trusted him.

Demi scoffed, “Keira, Mr. Hart’s been acting super weird lately. He doesn’t make us work late anymore.”

“Huh?” I was confused. We usually conducted initial lighting tests during the day, but the final checks were always at night. How could we skip the night shifts?

“Mr. Hart said we should just do the adjustments for now and save the final checks for later,” Demi explained, making me frown.

How was that supposed to work? If something went wrong during the final checks, it could ruin everything we’d already adjusted. Hayden and I had agreed on this process—testing as we adjusted—so why would he change it?

Even though I’d just said it wasn’t my responsibility anymore, the moment I hung up with Demi, I called Hayden. I get anxious easily, and even my room felt too cramped, so I moved to the balcony while waiting for him to answer.

As soon as I stepped outside, I noticed a tall figure on the neighboring balcony. I turned for a better look, but they quickly retreated inside, leaving me only a glimpse of their profile. Even so, I was stunned. Was that Hayden? Did I seriously just see him? But then I thought, no, that couldn’t be right.

Just as I was pondering this, Hayden’s familiar voice answered, “Hello—”

“Where are you?” I didn’t bother asking about the amusement park; I went straight to the question bothering me. Because I was pretty sure I hadn’t imagined it. My eyes weren’t deceiving me. That person just now definitely looked like him.

He didn’t answer immediately, instead asking, “What’s up?”

I hesitated, then made up my mind. I left the balcony, my apartment, and headed straight to the door across the hall. I said into the phone, “Open the door.”

Chapter 144