Saying nothing, Declan turned to leave. He was ignoring her again. Hailey blocked his path, handing him some medication. "This is for you," she said.

"Huh?" Declan was confused. Hailey pointed to his red shoulder. "You carried so many cement bags today. Your shoulder's all red."

"Apply this once in the morning and at night. It'll help relieve the soreness."

Declan simply stared at her. Seeing this, Hailey urged, "Take it."

Only then did Declan take the medication. However, he also took her hand, giving it a slight tug that pulled her into his arms.

Hailey looked up, admiring Declan's handsome face, so close to hers. His hair was still damp from his shower, making him seem less cold, more boyish.

Blinking, she asked, "W-what's wrong with you?"

Declan studied her pretty face, thinking she was cute in her confusion. "What do you want?" he asked softly.

Hailey didn't understand. "What do I want?"

Suddenly, her vision went dark. Declan had lowered his head and kissed her.

A buzzing sound filled Hailey's mind. She'd never been kissed before. It was her first kiss, and Declan had just taken it. He pulled away after a light kiss, asking, "Is this what you want?"

Utterly perplexed, Hailey asked, "What are you doing?"

Staring at her, Declan said, "Thank you for what you did today. I don't like owing favors. Will this do?"

Hailey was speechless. She understood—he'd kissed her to repay her. That realization angered her slightly. Does he need to be so calculative? He'd rather make things clear this way than actually interact with me? she thought.

Glaring at him, she asked, "Declan, is that all you've got?"

This time, Declan was confused. "What?"

Raising an eyebrow, Hailey asked softly, "Do you know how to kiss someone?"

Declan was stunned, wondering if she was demanding another kiss.

"Why are you looking at me like that? You want to repay me, don't you? Well, you saw how much I helped you today. Surely you weren't planning on settling with just a brief kiss? Declan, I want more!"

After Hailey flirtatiously uttered those last four words, she noticed Declan's ears turning red. Her words had made him blush.

Hailey was usually shy, but his reaction emboldened her. She hadn't expected such an indifferent person to blush. She lifted her hands, wrapping her fingers around his neck, causing him to tense.

His lack of rejection gave Hailey the courage to act. Since he'd dared to kiss her, she would do the same. Tiptoeing, she planted a kiss on his lips.