Chapter 320

For the next few days, I crashed in Yuna's room. Hayden, who could remain calm even after holding me all night, handled it well. However, I wondered how he'd manage once we returned to Emberholm, where Yuna would be living with us.

We ended up staying in Pencetown for four days, surprising me. I expected Hayden to rush Yuna's surgery, but he took his time. We spent our days fishing, and every evening, he cooked incredible meals. Yuna and I felt like princesses, completely immersed in this magical escape from reality. If we stayed longer, I'm not sure I'd ever want to leave.

"Hayden, when we're old, we should retire here," I said. "I swear, I could live to be 150 in a place like this." Hayden laughed. "Alright."

"And me! I want to live to 150 too!" Yuna added, grinning with newfound excitement.

Lena had arranged everything for Yuna's hospital stay, but she wanted to see our apartment first. Hayden was about to mention the apartment he'd rented across from mine—barely used since he'd been living with me—but I stopped him. I didn't want Yuna to feel like a burden because her brother hadn't settled into a permanent home.

"This apartment was my parents'," I said, trying to make it sound better than it was. "It's old, but cozy and perfect for us."

Yuna turned to Hayden with a sly grin. "So, you've been living at Keira's this whole time? Does that mean you two have been secretly shacking up?"

The girl was quick with her teasing. I caught Hayden's silent plea for help and suppressed a laugh.

"Keira, I really like your apartment," Yuna said sincerely, as if I were already family. "Once I'm out of the hospital, can I stay there for a bit? Is that okay?"

"Of course! Stay as long as you like," I replied automatically, then remembered the building's impending demolition. Awkward.

"But I'm not staying tonight," Yuna added, surprising Hayden and me.

"Where do you want to go?" Hayden asked.

A faint blush colored Yuna's cheeks. "I've never been to a big city before." She meant Seavora.

Her meaning was clear, and Hayden and I exchanged a look. Yuna linked her arm through mine. "Keira, it's not that I don't like your place. I just really want to see a big city, you know? The kind I've only ever seen on TV."

It hit me then—the peaceful life I'd always envied in Yuna was actually her prison. Hayden, in trying to protect her, had unintentionally isolated her from the world. Her excitement about the city reminded me of the saying: The grass is always greener on the other side.

Hayden and I exchanged a look before he tapped her head lightly. "Why didn't you say something sooner? You should have told me you wanted to visit the city."

"I did, but every time I asked, you shut me down," Yuna grumbled.

I laughed. "That's because he didn't meet me soon enough. If he had, you'd have been here ages ago."

"Exactly! So, you're my lucky charm," Yuna said, resting her head on my shoulder. She playfully looked at Hayden. "You better treat Keira like gold, Hayden. Seriously. If you don't, I won't forgive you."

Most girls would be wary of marrying a guy with a clingy sister, but not me. I had the rare privilege of being adored by my future sister-in-law, and honestly, I loved it.

That evening, Hayden and I took Yuna to the city. We showed her everything, a little worried about her overexerting herself, but she was too enthralled to notice.

As we strolled through the neon-lit streets, Yuna licked her ice cream cone, her face lit up in a way that made me smile, even as tears glistened in her eyes.

"Keira, I could die happy just having a day like this," Yuna said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

Her words struck me. It wasn't the city's sparkle she craved—it was the feeling of being alive. She wasn't just uncertain about her future; she was terrified of missing out on truly living it.