hapter 361
+25 BONUS
Lena’s face went stone cold. “I’ve already told you–keep this up, and it’s harassment. I’ll call the cops.”
“Dr. Lane, it’s not harassment! I just… I like you. I wanna be with you…”
I cringed so hard I could barely stand it. It reminded me of the guy who sent her flowers signed “Sancho.” Was this him? I didn’t care–he was Sancho now.
“Dr. Lane, I swear, it was love at first sight…” Sancho even raised his hand like he was making some grand, heartfelt vow.
“But she hated you at first sight,” I shot back, sliding next to Lena.
Hayden stood up too, looking like he’d be ready to step in if things got any worse.
Sancho glanced at me. “Who are you? I’m talking to Dr. Lane. Could you, like, not?”
If I’d eaten more earlier, I probably would’ve puked just from his voice.
“And who are you to think just ‘cause you say you like her, she has to care?” No way was I letting this go. “Yeah, I like her! It’s a pure, sacred kind of love. My feelings are noble!” He actually sounded serious, but he was looking at me like I was too dumb to get it.
I glanced at him, head to toe. His Nike shirt, Under Armour pants, and, and Skechers sneakers–yeah, all knockoffs, like super obvious ones.
Look, you don’t need money to be decent, but at least own up to who you are. Don’t fake it.
When I first met Hayden, he was just in a plain tee and work pants–nothing flashy, but it was real, you
know?
Meanwhile, Sancho here, strutting around in his bootleg brands like he’s some big deal, was straight–up
cringe.
Then my eyes landed on his watch–a phony Rolex Submariner. I almost laughed. “You like Dr. Lane? And what’s your qualification? Got the cash to back up those big feelings of yours?”
L
Sancho’s mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. I couldn’t tell if he had no idea what to say or just couldn’t think fast enough.
Before he could even try, I jumped in. “Dude, you’re the type to cry over a five–cent hike in iced tea, and you think you’re gonna win over Dr. Lane? Do yourself a favor–go home, and take a long look in the mirror.
”
The small crowd that had gathered around us broke into laughter at that.
Sancho’s face flushed deep red, and he jabbed a finger at me. “Don’t look down on people!”
Before I could fire back, Hayden’s arm shot out, grabbing Sancho by the wrist. The guy’s hand dropped instantly, his expression shifting from anger to straight–up panic as he stared at Hayden.
“Let’s take this outside,” Hayden said, his tone leaving zero room for debate. With a firm grip on Sancho’s shoulder, he guided him toward the door, not giving the guy a chance to argue.
Chapter 36*
+25 BONUS
Sancho went totally quiet, letting himself get dragged out like he’d just lost the ability to speak. But I knew better–Hayden’s grip probably hurt so much he couldn’t get a word out if he tried.
Through the glass window, I watched as Hayden let go once they were outside. Sancho immediately clutched his shoulder, his face twisted in pain.
Lena saw it too, and with a little smirk, she muttered, “No wonder Jace bailed. He never stood a chance against Hayden.”
I nudged her with my elbow. “You’re so cold, cracking jokes right now.”
Lena chuckled, eyes still locked on the scene outside. We watched as Sancho, now looking thoroughly humiliated, nodded frantically at Hayden like he’d learned his lesson.
“I doubt he’ll be back,” Lena said.
I nodded, feeling pretty proud of how we handled it. “Nate totally owes us dinner for dealing with his wannabe competition.”
“If that guy counts as competition, Nate’s standards must be seriously low,” Lena teased, throwing Nate a subtle compliment.
Her earlier mention of Jace made me think of something, though. “Wait, did Tanya ever go through with the abortion?”
Lena’s face tightened. “Don’t even get me started.”
“What? Why?” Now I was dying to
