Chapter 391

Jace's face was colder than I'd ever seen it. The man beside him blinked, utterly confused. "Mistaken? No way, your fiancée is gorgeous, how could I—"

"My fiancée is at home with my parents," Jace interrupted, already walking away, his pace suggesting an urgent need to escape.

"What? But…" The man's eyes darted between us, bewildered. "They look so alike… practically the same person."

I stood frozen. He hadn't lied to embarrass me, a fact I hadn't anticipated. Jace, of all people, could have called me out, making things excruciatingly awkward for Hayden and me. But he didn't. He walked past as if I were invisible, unrecognized.

This Jace was unlike the one I knew. Gone was the fiery temper over trivial matters. Now, he could walk by emotionless, as though I were a stranger. Since his return, aside from that one time he appeared outside my Willow Residences apartment, he hadn't attempted to see me.

He's over me… right?

I was still reeling when Hayden ushered me into the elevator. I glanced up; his expression was unreadable, but after what had just transpired, I sensed it bothered him too. I reached for his hand, but before I could speak, he playfully messed up my hair. "It's nothing," he murmured. "We'll probably run into things like this again."

He wasn't wrong. Awkward encounters like this were almost inevitable, whether here or back in Seavora. We could have avoided this one, though. I should have remembered Steve booked this hotel—of course Jace wouldn't miss his friend's event. But here we were; switching hotels would have been too obvious.

Jace's appearance left Hayden and me in an awkward silence all the way to our room. Inside, I stepped in first, but Hayden pulled me back, his lips crashing onto mine. I had teased him earlier, hinted at this, but this kiss felt different—more intense, laced with jealousy, perhaps.

He kissed me until breathless, finally pulling back, his forehead resting against mine. I watched his chest rise and fall, still feeling his heartbeat against me.

"Hayden, you care about my past with Jace, don't you?" I asked softly.

His throat tightened. "I care that he had you first."

I froze. I couldn't argue; it was true.

+25 BONUS

I had loved Jace for ten years. We'd even been engaged. That fact wasn't going anywhere.

"If it's going to be an issue for you, then…" I trailed off.

"Then what?" Hayden's eyes snapped up, dark and intense as they met mine.

My breath hitched. The way he was looking at me—hungry, almost dangerous—made my pulse race.

"Hm?" He leaned in, his warmth enveloping me. "You're going to leave me, is that it?"

I couldn't meet his gaze, staring instead at his chest, the rise and fall of his breath quickening. "I can't change what happened, so…"

"Keira Kay," he growled, using my full name, his voice sharp. He was angry.

"Don't even think about it," he whispered, his breath hot against my neck. "You're not leaving me."

My lips trembled, my heart twisting. "But you're jealous. You care… What am I supposed to do?"

"That's on me." His voice softened, rough and husky. "I should have found you first. Should have never let you slip away."

His words hit me hard. I grabbed his face, then leaned in… Actions spoke louder than words in moments like this.

We tumbled onto the bed, our hands desperate, searching as if we'd been waiting for this forever. His touch was relentless, every move fueled by something deeper, perhaps even the memory of seeing Jace. It only intensified his touch, made him more demanding. He didn't stop, even as my phone buzzed incessantly. He wouldn't let go.