Chapter 377

Even though I knew I was wrong, why did I feel so wronged, crying like that? Hayden turned and saw my meltdown. He sighed, pulling me into his arms. "It's my fault. I said something too harsh. I won't do that again."

The more he comforted me, the worse I felt. I smacked his chest. "You're not wrong! Why are you blaming yourself? It's clearly my fault."

"No, you did nothing wrong. I let my stupid thoughts take over, and I wasn't satisfied, so I said something dumb," Hayden replied, taking the blame.

That only made me feel more guilty, so I lightly—but persistently—hit him. Finally, frustrated, I bit him.

"Ow, that hurts," Hayden whispered.

It was the first time I'd heard him admit pain. I let go, staring at him through tear-filled eyes. He gently wiped away my tears. "You've bitten me now, so no more crying, okay? You won't look pretty with swollen eyes tomorrow."

"It's your fault," I pouted.

"Mm, it's my fault," he repeated, still gently brushing away my tears.

But the truth? He wasn't at fault at all. I hugged him, my face buried in his chest. "I've been so spoiled by you."

"Exactly, my bad. And then I had the nerve to scold you! I deserve punishment. Want to bite me again?" he teased.

I smacked him lightly, and he pulled me closer. Our little argument, huge at the time, lasted only about five minutes. After all the crying and fussing, some awkwardness remained. So, I offered an easy escape. "I want some milk."

"Alright, I'll warm some up for you. You go take a shower first," Hayden said, gently nudging me toward the bathroom and closing the door behind me.

"Hayden, it was my fault. I'll be better, okay?" I admitted through the door, feeling guilty.

"You're never wrong," he called back as he walked away.

Hearing that, I stared at myself in the mirror, tears welling up again. With Jace, I was always so careful. Forget acting out—I read his moods daily, worried a single frown meant I'd done something wrong. But with Hayden? He spoiled me, indulged me, and yet, I still acted up.

"Keira, get it together," I told myself.

When I finished showering, Hayden had warmed the milk. He lounged on the couch in comfy clothes, tapping on his laptop. As soon as I approached, he set it aside and took the towel to dry my hair.

I sipped the warm milk, my mind drifting back to dinner. "Hayden, do you know I've been mad at you the last couple of days?"

"Why?" he asked, his hands gently massaging my scalp. It felt so good.

"I was mad because you lied to me. You didn't tell me the truth."

"Hm?" He sounded genuinely confused.

I bit the rim of the cup. "I thought you were the big boss behind Ron. I thought you were keeping your identity secret from me."

"Why'd you think that?" Hayden asked, amused.

I recalled overhearing his phone calls with Ron. If I mentioned them, he'd probably figure it out. "Because your last name is Hart, and Ron was trying to impress you. It made me suspicious," I explained.

"Now that you know it wasn't me, you're not mad anymore, right? Good." Hayden shrugged, nonchalant.

"Hayden," I said, smiling. Like at dinner, I hooked my arms around his neck and pulled him down for a kiss—sweet with the taste of milk.

But this time, Hayden didn't hold back. He deepened the kiss. As things heated up, my phone rang. It was Lena. With Yuna still in the hospital, I couldn't ignore it. I pulled away, breathing hard, and answered. "Lena? Wait, what? Say that again?"