Chapter 308

Was that even a real question? No one likes being lied to.

I looked at him, feeling a little defensive. “So, are you planning to deceive me again, or have you already lied about something?”

He hesitated, then said, “…No.”

I couldn’t tell if he was being completely honest, but I made my stance clear. “Hayden, I won’t tolerate being lied to.”

He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “I understand.”

It was better to set boundaries upfront. I was making it clear: if he ever dared to lie to me, he couldn’t expect me to let it go.

The boarding announcement came over the loudspeaker, calling for a flight heading overseas. I couldn’t help but think of Jace, and sure enough, I spotted him wheeling his luggage toward the security checkpoint. What was he going abroad for? Business? Or something else?

“Kiki, we should head to security,” Hayden’s voice pulled me back to reality.

“Oh!” I snapped out of it and looked at him. Guilt washed over me. I was worried he’d notice I’d been watching Jace, even though my concern wasn’t about love anymore. But Hayden’s expression was neutral, giving nothing away. His lack of reaction made me feel even more uneasy. I squeezed his hand. “Let’s go.”

We passed through security and boarded the plane without incident. Right before I turned off my phone, I noticed an unread message. It was from Jace: [Safe travels.]

I stared at those two words, remembering how I used to send him the same message every time he went on a business trip. Until one day, he’d scoffed, “That’s so old-fashioned. Next time, try to be more creative. If you can’t, don’t bother.” After that, I stopped sending those messages.

“Safe travels”—those words may have seemed old-fashioned, but they carried my deepest hope. Ever since my parents’ car accident, I’ve dreaded every goodbye with the people I love. I was always scared it might be the last time. But Jace never understood that. He just found it annoying, so I stopped sending them. I never imagined that today, he would remember those words and send them to me.

I pretended not to see the message and turned off my phone. Hayden had already powered his off, staring into space. I rested my head on his shoulder. “Hayden, safe travels.”

He smiled and rubbed his cheek against my hair. “Safe travels.”

“There’s something I haven’t told you,” I said. I’m not the type to hide things, and this was something I didn’t want to keep to myself. If I don’t want him lying to me, I need to be honest with him first.

“You don’t have to say it if you’re not ready,” Hayden said softly, not wanting to push me.

I rolled my eyes. “But I want to say it now.”

“Then I’m all ears.”

I almost laughed in frustration. “Do you know what you’re like?”

“What?”

“You’re like a Weeble. No matter how hard I push, you never fall,” I teased, making him crack a small smile.

“If you really want me to fall, I’ll just have to listen and do as you say,” he replied, his eyes serious but with a playful glint.

The look he gave me suddenly reminded me of that night—the one that was not exactly PG-rated.