Chapter 453

“Silly girl,” he whispered, wiping away my tears. I buried my face in his chest. He was the one who promised he’d always be there to catch my tears, after all.

“Hayden, are you sure you won’t get jealous, letting me meet up with Jace? We’ll have to talk, you know,” I asked, wanting to hear him say it again.

He chuckled, that signature confidence shining through. “You already left him. What’s there to be jealous about? And honestly, after me, I doubt any other guy’s even on your radar.”

Classic Hayden. But I had to admit, I kinda loved how sure he was. It made me feel like no one else could ever compare.

He insisted on driving me to the airport, waiting until I was completely out of sight before leaving.

By the time I landed in Houston, it was already dark. I pulled out my phone to text Jace and let him know I was here, but to my surprise, there was already a message waiting from him: [I’m at the exit.]

I blinked. I hadn’t told him I was coming, so how did he know? Only one person could’ve given him the heads-up—Hayden.

I rolled my eyes. My ridiculously confident boyfriend actually let my ex-fiancé pick me up. Unreal.

I didn’t bother replying to Jace’s text. I’d see him in a few minutes anyway. Instead, I called Hayden.

“Did you land?” His voice was warm.

“Yeah, and guess who’s already here? My ex,” I teased.

He laughed softly. “Well, with him around, I don’t have to worry about you being alone in a strange city.”

“Leaving me with my ex and calling that ‘safe’? You’ve got too much faith in yourself,” I joked, half-serious.

“You’re safe, and that’s what matters,” he said, his tone softening. “Besides, I trust you, Kiki.”

How could I even think of betraying this guy?

“I’m just checking on Steve. If there’s nothing I can do, I’ll come back as soon as I can,” I reassured him, wanting to ease any concerns.

“No rush. Since you’re there, stay a few days. I’ve asked around—someone might reach out to you soon,” he added, catching me off guard.

I raised an eyebrow. “You’ve got connections in Houston too?”

He went quiet for a moment. “Yeah, I do.”

I paused, realizing what he meant. “Hayden, I didn’t mean it like that—”

He laughed lightly. “Relax. I didn’t take it the wrong way. You don’t have to tiptoe around me. I’m not fragile.”

“I’m just being petty. Clearly, my boyfriend’s way more mature than me,” I joked, giving him credit.

Chapter 453

“Have you seen Jace yet?” Hayden asked as I spotted Jace by the exit, awkwardly waving.

“Yeah, I see him now,” I said, starting to walk toward him, still holding the phone.

“Alright. I’ll hang up. Be safe,” Hayden said, sounding more at ease.

“I’ll be back soon, promise!”

“Okay!”

Hayden hung up, and I pocketed my phone. Jace was standing there, looking tense, like overhearing my conversation with Hayden had put him in a weird mood.

Honestly, Jace could never compete with Hayden when it came to handling stuff like this. Love’s the same emotion, but Jace’s love had always felt way more selfish.

“Thanks for picking me up,” I said politely.

His jaw tightened. “Do you really have to be so formal with me? Are you just trying to remind me how distant we are now?”