Chapter 404

Wait—she was on the phone with Hayden? His phone was finally on? That was my first thought, but I stayed put, listening as Yuna continued.

“Hayden, Keira’s ex was looking at her kinda weird. I’m pretty sure he still has feelings for her. Did you two have a fight or something? Keira seems…off. Why haven’t you been answering? Your phone’s been off, and you’re not replying to messages. What’s going on?”

“I’m telling you, if you mess this up and lose Keira, I’m not gonna forgive you. Hayden, come on, answer your messages, pick up your phone…”

I couldn’t help but smile. It was obvious now—Yuna wasn’t on the phone with Hayden; she was leaving him voice messages. Still, where was he? Why wasn’t he answering or calling back?

Not wanting Yuna to feel awkward if she realized I’d overheard her, I made sure to open the door a little louder this time as I stepped back inside.

“Keira!” Yuna called out when she heard me.

I walked over, noticing how she quickly tucked her phone away, flashing me an innocent, playful grin.

“Don’t overthink things,” I said, sitting on the edge of her bed. “Yeah, the guy you saw is my ex, but that’s ancient history. We’re just friends now—or, more like siblings.”

Yuna’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Could you tell me your story with him?”

I blinked. She scooted closer, practically radiating excitement. “Just wanna know—how did you guys start dating? And what happened that made you break up?”

Her curiosity was so sweet, like she was trying to peek into a world she didn’t fully understand yet. I could tell she’d filled her head with romantic tales from all those novels she devoured, but she hadn’t experienced the real thing. She was probably trying to figure out where the line between fantasy and reality blurred when it came to love.

Funny how that works—when people don’t know something, they just have to find out. And honestly, if I didn’t spill the truth, she’d probably come up with all sorts of wild theories on her own. Better to just set the record straight.

Besides, there wasn’t anything unspeakable about my past with Jace. It would just mean digging up old wounds.

“Alright, I’ll give you the full scoop.” I kicked off my shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed, facing Yuna, ready to tell her everything about Jace and me.

Ever since we broke up, I hadn’t really let myself dwell on the past. But now, walking through the memories out loud, I realized how much there actually was—so many moments, both good and bad.

Chapter 404

And yeah, at certain points, it still hurt. I guess that’s what they mean when they talk about the scars left by a broken heart.

“Keira,” Yuna said softly, her eyes wide with wonder. “Forget about Hayden for a second—your relationship with Jace was so intense. It’s like something straight out of a novel.”

I almost laughed. If only she knew the messy parts I’d left out—the kind of stuff that’s too deep for her to handle.

Yuna gripped my hand like she was holding on for dear life. “Now I’m kind of scared.”

I smiled. “Scared I’ll run back to him?”

Yuna nodded.

I chuckled. “Relax. I’m not into reruns. I’m way too selfish for that—if someone else gets their hands on what’s mine, I’d rather throw it out than take it back.”

“Same,” Yuna said, echoing my sentiment.

“Wait, you’re not worried I’ll spill all this to Hayden and make him jealous, are you?” she asked cautiously.

I laughed. “Not even a little. If he gets jealous, it just proves he’s into me.”

“But he’s never been in a relationship before,” Yuna pouted, like that was some tragic flaw Hayden couldn’t recover from.

“Aww, you feeling bad for him?” I teased. “Maybe we can—”

“No way!” Yuna cut me off, shaking her head so fast I thought she might give herself whiplash. “I just think it’s kinda sad. He’s not your first. I guess I like the idea of that perfect love story where both people are each other’s first, you know?”

Of course. She’s that girl—totally in love with romance novel clichés.

“Those stories exist, sure, but they’re rare,” I said, trying to keep it real.

Yuna squeezed my hand, her expression suddenly serious again. “Keira, if—just if—one day you found out Jace had some secret reason for what he did, like he didn’t really betray you…would you forgive him?”