Chapter 512

Yuna’s eyes went red, soft and vulnerable—a total contrast to how I’d ever dealt with feelings. With both Jace and Hayden, I’d always been upfront, no games, no second-guessing. But Yuna? She was cautious, showing just enough to hint at her feelings, then pulling back, like she was scared to give too much away.

Seeing her like this, I softened. “Did he say something that hurt you?”

She shook her head, barely. “He didn’t reject me outright, but ever since I told him… he hasn’t come back—not once.”

Ouch. That was still rejection. It was obvious Wade’s heart was still stuck on Narelle.

“How many days has it been?” I asked, drumming my fingers lightly on the table.

“Three,” she said, eyes misting up. “Honestly… I regret it. I regret telling him.”

I frowned. “Why? Are you unsure how you feel?”

“No.” Her nose turned pink as she held back tears. “I really like him. I just wish I hadn’t said it… because now he won’t even look at me.”

She dropped her gaze, nervously picking at the corner of her book. “If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have told him. I’d rather just have him as a friend. Even if he doesn’t like me, at least I’d still get to see him.”

Her words were so honest, it hit me just how deep her feelings really went. “These past three days… you’ve been waiting for him?” It finally clicked why she’d trekked through the rain just to sit here alone, hoping he’d show up.

“Mm-hmm.”

Oh, Yuna. I sighed internally. “You’ve been waiting all this time. Why not just call him?”

She bit her lip. “His phone’s off.”

I frowned. “Okay… what about texting?”

Her face crumpled. “He doesn’t reply.”

Phone off. No replies. That pretty much said it all. Thinking about Wade still hung up on Narelle, I tried to ease her down gently. “Yuna, you’ve read enough romance novels. You know what this means.”

Her eyes filled with tears. “But he was so kind to me. The way he looked at me… there was love in his eyes. His eyes don’t lie.”

She was clinging to every little sign he’d given her, even if they were leading her nowhere.

Chapter 512

“Maybe that’s just the kind of guy he is,” I said, trying to keep her grounded.

Yuna shook her head. “You don’t get it. You haven’t seen how he treats me. I told him about my heart surgery, and he was always so careful.”

“Every time we’d read together, he’d remind me to drink water, to rest, and when it was time to eat, he’d take me out.”

“He always made sure I got home safe. His care for me felt even more personal than Hayden’s.”

I frowned. If Wade was doing all that, then yeah, he’d definitely crossed some kind of line. But I still tried to keep her realistic. “Maybe he was just looking out for you, like a brother would. It doesn’t necessarily mean anything more.”

“No, it’s not like that,” Yuna insisted, unwilling to accept it. “There’s more… because he…”

She trailed off, clearly embarrassed.

I didn’t hold back. “More how? Did he do something?”

She pressed her lips together, cheeks flushing.

“Did he… touch you? Kiss you?” I asked straight-up.

Chapter 513