Chapter 407
A wave of sadness hit me, my nose tingling like I was about to cry. “Seriously, Hayden? I didn’t think you’d be this petty. You won’t even hear me out?”
“I’m not ignoring you,” he shot back. “I called you, but you didn’t pick up.”
I could totally picture him losing it, scrolling through security footage, finding out I’d left with Jace. Jace had already told me Hayden was looking for me. I grabbed Hayden’s hand. “I wasn’t ignoring you on purpose. I was in the ICU.”
“I know,” he said, a small smile tugging at his lips. “That’s why I’m not mad. And as for why you couldn’t reach me, you’ll see soon.”
His eyes flicked to the apartment building. “I haven’t slept or even had water since you left last night. I’m exhausted and thirsty.”
His words made my heart ache. I walked ahead, scolding him. “You knew I had to leave for something serious. Why didn’t you rest? And what’s this about not drinking water?”
He didn’t answer, so I dropped it and hurried us inside. As soon as we got through the door, Hayden set his suitcase and a bag of fruit down, then suddenly had me pinned against the shoe cabinet, his eyes locked on mine.
The way he was looking at me? My breath hitched. I swallowed. “I’ll get you some water.”
“I was jealous,” he admitted, freezing me in place.
I thought we’d cleared this up already. He’d sounded so understanding outside. Guess not.
“I didn’t have a choice, I—”
Before I could finish, he shut me up with a kiss, pulling me in, his lips pressing hard against mine. He wasn’t kidding when he said he was thirsty—his lips were dry, rough, and yet somehow, it only made my pulse race harder.
“I get it,” he whispered against my lips when he finally pulled away, breathless. “But I was still jealous.” That hit me right in the chest. I knew that feeling all too well. When Jace hurt me, he always had his reasons. I understood them, but it didn’t make it hurt any less.
“It won’t happen again,” I whispered, wrapping my arms around his neck, trying to calm him down. He nuzzled my nose in that soft, sweet way that made me smile. “So, where’s the water? I really am thirsty.”
I led him to the living room and handed him a glass of water. “Here. I’ll wash the fruit.”
But instead, he grabbed my hand, pulling out his phone and mine—and handed them to me. “Hmm?” I asked, confused.
“The explanation for why you couldn’t reach me,” he said, motioning for me to unlock his phone.
“Did your phone break?” I teased, unlocking it. A video popped up.
I glanced between the screen and Hayden.
“I went to watch your friend’s competition,” he explained. “This is the full video. He crushed it—got first place.”
My throat tightened, and tears pricked at my eyes as I watched the footage. He got me. He knew how much I wanted to be there, and he knew I’d regret missing it. So, he went for me, ensuring I didn’t miss out. And to avoid distractions, he put his phone on Do Not Disturb. That’s why I couldn’t reach him.
“Hayden,” I whispered, dropping the phone and wrapping my arms around him.
He understood the hug. He rubbed his chin against the top of my head. “Were you overthinking everything?”
“Yeah,” I admitted, sniffling.
“Kiki,” he said softly, his voice warm. “No matter what happens, I’m not leaving you behind.”
“Yeah,” I echoed, pressing a kiss to the side of his neck, leaving a playful mark as a little thank-you.
Hayden hadn’t eaten, but aside from breakfast with Yuna, neither had I. The kitchen was totally empty since I had just moved in. Takeout seemed like the obvious choice, but Hayden vetoed that idea, saying the first meal in a new place should always be homemade.
So, we hit up the grocery store to grab some veggies and seasonings. But as we were about to check out, I spotted someone unexpected—Tanya. It wasn’t weird for her to be grocery shopping, but seeing her here, in our complex? That was definitely a twist. And even weirder—after buying her stuff, she didn’t leave. Instead, she turned back and walked deeper into the complex.