Chapter 439
I woke up the next morning as soon as Hayden slipped out of bed. I wandered to the balcony, just in time to spot Nate getting into his car. He was holding Lena’s hand—not in a full-on PDA way, but there was definitely something there. Like, they clearly had a night…
Then, right on cue, Retta appeared, looking effortlessly chic in her beige blouse and white pants. Honestly, without her lab coat, she could have been straight out of a fashion magazine. She was obviously trying to catch Nate’s eye, probably hoping to throw Lena off her game.
“Nate, good morning!” Retta called out, flashing her most charming smile, acting like it didn’t faze her that Lena had totally stayed over.
Nate barely glanced her way, just nodded. “We’re all waiting on you.”
I had to grin. He wasn’t giving her anything. He definitely knew about her little stunt last night.
Retta’s smile slipped for a second, and she shot Lena this look, like, ‘How dare you tell him what I said.’ Lena? Totally unbothered. She just smiled right back. “Yep, told him if he’s late, you guys aren’t waiting.” Retta’s face tightened, but Nate cut her off before she could say anything. He turned to Lena, taking her hands, his voice all soft, “You should head back. We’ll chat later, and once I’m settled, you can join me.” The way he looked at her was so full of affection, it was almost too much for me, even from up here. Can’t imagine how Retta felt, having to watch that.
After a few more seconds, Retta got into the car with a huff and slammed the door. Classic.
Lena wrapped her arms around Nate, whispered something in his ear, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. I was hit with secondhand PDA so hard I almost felt bad for Retta. Almost.
Once Nate drove off, Lena stood there looking a little bummed, and it tugged at my heart. I was about to head downstairs to give her a hug when she suddenly looked up and pointed right at me.
I couldn’t help but laugh. I wiggled my fingers at her, beckoning. “Come on up.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. As she headed upstairs, I spotted Hayden still in his robe and casually called, “Lena’s coming up.”
He nodded and headed to the bedroom. “I’ll get dressed.”
I opened the door for Lena, and as soon as she walked in, I gave her a thumbs-up. “Handled that like a boss. No wonder you’re my best friend.”
Lena smirked, “Were you just next door to eavesdrop, or were you backing me up?”
I tugged on my robe, pretending to think. “Maybe I just wanted to switch up the view. Add a little spice.”
She glanced at my neck with a smirk. “You’re definitely living it up these days.”
I took a step closer, pretending to peek down her shirt. “And you finally gave up your innocence, huh?”
Lena swatted my hand away, fixing her collar. “Should I have saved it for a bigger payout?”
I laughed so hard I almost doubled over. We started to head to the living room, but she hesitated, eyeing the bedroom. “Hayden’s still here. Is this cool?”
Right then, Hayden walked out, fully dressed. He nodded at Lena. “You two talk. I’m heading out.”
Then he turned to me, all casual. “There’s tea on the table, and I ordered breakfast. Take the day off, don’t worry about the office.”
Before I could answer, Lena jumped in. “Hayden, you practically live at the office now.”
“Just a very flexible workplace,” he said with a smile, and then he was gone.
As soon as the door closed, Lena hooked her arm around mine. “I swear, Hayden is way more than he seems. That vibe? Total CEO energy. Are you seriously telling me he’s just some regular guy?”
“Who knows, maybe he’s secretly a billionaire,” I teased, pulling her into the living room.
She thought I was about to undress her and immediately crossed her arms, all defensive. I rolled my eyes, “Relax, we’ve got the same parts.”
Laughing, I grabbed the cup of tea Hayden left and held it up. “Want half?”
“You drink it,” she said, flopping onto the couch and resting her head on my shoulder.
I put the glass down, looking at her. “What’s up?” Something was clearly bothering her.