Chapter 163
“Alright,” I nodded, then turned to Lindey. “We’re heading out.”
She gave me a quick look, clearly sensing something was up. Her eyes flicked upstairs, probably wondering what had gone down between me and Matthew, but she didn’t push it. “Drive safe.”
Hayden and I slid into the car, and right as I was about to turn the key, he pressed his hand over mine, stopping me, “What’s up?” he asked, his tone all gentle but definitely not letting it go.
“Nothing, we talked about my parents,” I admitted, not even trying to dodge it.
“You asked about the accident, didn’t you?” He nailed it, like he always did.
I gave a dry laugh. “Yeah, looks like you’re rubbing off on me. I had to know.”
“And?” he pushed, not dropping it.
Remembering Matthew’s words, I started the car and hit the gas, giving Hayden the answer. “It was just an accident.”
As we pulled away from the Johnston residence, I added, “There are official reports and everything. Hayden didn’t push any further. We drove in silence, the quiet only broken by the hum of the city as we got closer. The streets were lit up, alive with people, and traffic was already building near the pedestrian
street.
At a red light, I broke the silence. “Have you eaten yet?”
“No,” Hayden answered honestly.
I glanced over at him. “You’ve worked hard today. Let me treat you to dinner.”
“Alright,” he agreed, no hesitation at all.
I found a spot and pulled over. As we stepped out, I looked around at the busy food trucks and pop–up stands lining the street.
With a dramatic sweep of my arm, I pointed at them. “Everything here’s on me–go grab whatever you
want!”
Just as I finished, someone bumped into me from behind, knocking me off balance. Without thinking. I grabbed onto the closest thing–Hayden.
When I finally regained my footing, I realized I had him by the collar.
The whole thing felt like something straight out of a cheesy rom–com. And the worst part? Hayden’s face was just inches from mine, our noses almost touching, and our lips barely a breath away.
Neither of us moved.
In the middle of the crowded street, the little mishap instantly turned into a spectacle. People around us started cheering, and I could hear whistles cutting through the noise.
A kid’s voice piped up, “They’re gonna kiss!”
Chapter 163
+25 BONUS
I felt my face heat up as more people stopped to watch. I quickly let go of Hayden and tried to push him away, but he didn’t move an inch.
That’s when I realized–he had an arm wrapped around my waist.
Not only did he not let go, but he pulled me even closer, leaning in to whisper in my ear, “If you’re embarrassed, stop squirming. I’ll get us out of here.”
For once, I actually listened. Instead of shoving him off, I let him steer me through the crowd.
B But of course, the onlookers weren’t going to let it go. They started chanting, “Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!”
Classic, right? People love stirring up drama just for fun.
Hayden and I had held hands, hugged–stuff like that–but a kiss? That was uncharted territory.
The more we tried to slip away, the louder the crowd got.
“Do something!” I hissed, pinching Hayden’s arm in frustration.
“There’s too many people. Kinda hard to get out,” he said, like this wasn’t a big deal.
Sweat started trickling down my back as anxiety kicked in. Then, Hayden leaned in close again. “How about we just kiss? I won’t even charge you.”
I blinked, completely caught off guard, momentarily forgetting about the chanting crowd. I looked up at him, wide–eyed.
