Chapter 471

“Then you should go back, but not like this. You can’t go alone in your condition,” Jace said, glancing at Wayne. “You go with Rea.”

Wayne nodded. “Alright.”

I wanted to argue, but I knew better. In this state, they weren’t letting me go by myself.

“What about you?” I asked, eyeing the bandage on Jace’s head.

“I’m waiting for Steve. Once he’s out, we’ll head back together.” Jace’s answer made sense. Steve was stuck in a foreign country and had been through hell. If he walked out and no one was there for him, it would crush him. But seeing Jace like this? That would just make it worse.

“If Steve sees you like this, he’ll blame himself,” I warned.

“It’s fine. I’ll make up an excuse. I won’t mention the accident,” Jace said, still set on his plan.

There was no point arguing, so I asked, “Can Steve still compete when he’s out?”

We don’t know yet. It depends on his club and what Quartz Cue says, Wayne added.

Deep down, I knew Hayden could handle this. No one would know better than him. But Hayden wasn’t talking to me. He didn’t even want me.

The thought twisted in my chest, so I pulled out my phone and started booking a flight.

“Book mine too,” Wayne said out of nowhere.

I hadn’t even thought about booking with him, but now that he’d brought it up, I couldn’t exactly argue. “Send me your ID info,” I replied.

Wayne pulled out his phone, and I expected him to start typing. Instead, he said, “Already booked. Two tickets.”

I froze. He added, “Go pack. We leave for the airport in an hour.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but Wayne turned to Jace. “Even though the injury on your head isn’t serious anymore, you still need to take care of yourself. You’re more valuable now.”

Wayne’s words were sharp, but they also reminded me of the blood I’d given Jace. He was hinting that a part of me was in Jace now.

“I know,” Jace replied, his eyes locked on mine. His gaze was complicated, but I only held it for a second before I turned away. “I’m gonna pack.”

“I’ll help you,” Jace offered, stepping toward me.

Wayne grabbed his arm. “You should rest. I’ll help Rea pack.”

I didn’t want to be caught in their little brotherly standoff, and I definitely didn’t want to hear it. I wasn’t sure if Jace knew how Wayne felt about me, but the way Wayne acted so casual around him made me wonder. Either Wayne was a pro at hiding his feelings, or I really had let go of whatever tension there used to be.

But right now, I didn’t care what Wayne thought. All I wanted was to get back to Hayden and fix things.

When Wayne walked into the room, I hadn’t even started packing. I just sat there, lost in thought. Not that there was much to pack. I’d only brought a small bag.

“What’s wrong? Still thinking about Hayden?” Wayne asked.

I didn’t answer. Instead, I looked at him. “Did you always know he had golden blood?”

“Yeah,” Wayne said, giving a small, wry smile. “My parents were always worried because of his rare blood type. They made sure I kept an eye on him.”

It made sense. Ever since I’d moved in with the Johnstons, Wayne always let Jace have his way. I used to think Wayne was just being the good, patient older brother. Now I realized it wasn’t just kindness—it was because of Jace’s special blood.

“And what about me?” I asked, my voice steady. “Did you always know I had golden blood too?”

Wayne’s eyes flickered at the question.