Chapter 4

After Hayden moved in, the apartment stopped being quiet.

Sticky notes in his handwriting started appearing on the fridge. A pair of his slippers showed up by the door, and there was suddenly another cup beside the sink.

Before long, he'd taken it upon himself to manage my meals too. Every morning he made sure I ate breakfast, and every evening he asked what time I'd be home.

I complained that he was annoying, but apparently my instincts hadn't gotten the message. One cough from him and I was getting him water. One frown and I was asking what hurt.

That evening, I had just closed the door behind me when someone started pounding on it.

I haven't even had to chance to change my shoes for my slippers before the pounding on the door came again.

"Babe."

Hayden glanced at me, then disappeared into the bedroom, visibly shaking. A second later, I heard the faint click of the closet door.

Three broad-shouldered men were waiting outside.

The one in front unfolded a rough sketch and held it up in front of me.

"You seen this guy?"

The drawing wasn't very good, but there was no mistaking those eyes or those features.

It was Hayden.

"What do you want with him?"

The man gave me a cold, unsettling look, and despite myself, my nerves kicked in.

"How did you even find this place?"

"That's none of your business."

My stomach sank. Whatever this was, it wasn't simple.

"Where is he?"

"He left."

The man's expression hardened. "Give me a break. Don't take me for an idiot."

He jerked his chin toward the apartment.

"Search it."

I stepped in front of them. "What gives you the right to barge into my home?"

They did it anyway.

Within minutes, they'd gone through the entire apartment. One of them headed into the bedroom, opening drawers and checking everywhere he could think of.

When he opened the closet, all he saw were rows of clothes and a large storage bag stuffed full on the floor.

He gave it a cursory glance and shut the door again.

"I already told you, he's gone," I said. "You're gonna have to try looking for him somewhere else."

The leader folded up the sketch.

"Let's go."

I waited until they were out, then shut the door and locked it. By then, sweat had broken out across my back.

I hurried into the bedroom and yanked open the closet.

Hayden was curled up inside the storage bag.

"They were looking for you."

He didn't answer. He climbed out, and the second I turned away, his arms came around me from behind.

He rested his face against my shoulder, his breath brushing my ear.

"If it had been someone else you found that day, would you have helped them too?"

"Yes."

I didn't even have to think about it.

Hayden went quiet for two seconds, then laughed softly.

"Good. I made the right bet."

My stomach dropped.

"What bet?"

He let go of me and straightened the collar that had gotten twisted during the search. His fingertips moved slowly across my collarbone.

"That you'd go soft on me. That you'd take me home. That once you did, you wouldn't have the heart to throw me out."

My breathing tightened. I tried to step back, but his hand closed around my wrist.

"Then tell me what's going on. Why are those men looking for you?"

Hayden thought about it for a moment.

"I'll tell you when the time is right."

His eyes were still red, and his voice was every bit as soft as before.

"Babe, you think you're the one who took me in."

A smile curved through his eyes as he looped both arms around my neck and leaned close to my lips.

"But that's not true."

His voice dropped.

"I picked you."