Chapter
Chapter
My breath caught in my throat, and I couldn’t move.
Hayden stayed put too, his eyes locked on mine.
We were staring straight into each other’s eyes, totally frozen.
Neither of us budged–no stepping closer, no pulling away.
It was like I could feel our hearts racing together…
Until some old lady’s voice outside shattered the moment: “That new tenant’s boyfriend sure knows how to clean. Look at that staircase!”
Reality crashed down on me. I shoved Hayden away and bolted for the living room.
But once I got there, I just stood around, totally clueless about what to do next. My mind was a total
mess.
Hayden followed me, breaking the silence with a casual, “Is this your parents‘ old place?”
I paused, confused about how he knew that, until I noticed him standing by the wall where all our family photos were hung.
“You still look a lot like you did as a kid, he said, almost like he was stating the obvious.
The wall was covered with my childhood awards and family portraits. In one of the photos, I had on this bright red scarf, my parents on either side of me, both smiling like they couldn’t be prouder.
But now, looking at those smiles felt like a punch to the gut.
“You were an excellent student,” Hayden said, glancing at the awards–each one for being top of the class, a model student, or some other overachiever title.
“I still am,” I shot back, not even pretending to be humble.
Hayden turned to me, his gaze steady. “No doubt.”
He paused for a moment before adding, “In
every way.
His words and the way he looked at me made me squirm a little. This guy was way too direct–for real, both with what he said and how he looked at me.
Not wanting to get tangled up in whatever this was, I quickly changed the subject. “You’ve been working hard today. How about I treat you to a meal? Then we can check out some apartments.”
Funny how I’d gone from being hesitant to taking charge.
But I did owe him one, after all.
“Alright,” Hayden agreed without a second thought, then added, “But I need to wash my face first. Got a
towel?”
I glanced at him and realized his face and clothes were pretty grimy.
“Hold on, I’ll run out and grab you a change of clothes, offered, thinking about the small, cheap
+25 BONUS
Chapter 86
supermarket nearby, even though the area was kind of out of the way.
“No need,” Hayden shook his head. Just a towel will do. I’ll be fine with a quick wash.”
I was ready to argue, but the look in his eyes made it clear he wasn’t up for any back–and–forth. So, I headed to the bathroom and handed him my towel. “Here, use this. I don’t have a fresh one.”
“Thanks,” he said, turning on the faucet and splashing water onto his face.
For some reason, I couldn’t walk away. Instead, I stood there, watching him scrub his face in that rough way, splashing water over his skin like he didn’t care that it was practically freezing. He even ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back with the cold water dripping down his neck.
It wasn’t exactly cold in the room, but that water had to be ice. Just as I opened my mouth to say something, he grabbed a towel and started drying off, his movements quick and efficient.
When he lifted his head, our eyes met in the mirror.
I felt my cheeks heat up, totally caught in the act. God, how many times had I felt all flustered and out of my depth around him? It was like being a shy girl with a massive crush all over again.
Jace and I had talked about marriage, sure, but we’d never had those moments that made your heart race, the kind you read about in books.
It was like Steve had pointed out–Jace and I were more like best friends. There was love, yeah, but not that wild, electric spark you feel when someone’s a total mystery to you.
“Doesn’t the cold water bother you?” I asked, trying to play it cool.
“I’ve been washing my face with cold water for years. Old habit from the military,” he said, and for a second, I couldn’t help but feel a weird mix of awe and concern.
Do soldiers really have to deal with freezing cold water?
