Semua Bab Love's Redemption: Bab 131 - Bab 140

Was Hayden actually stunned by how I looked?I'd always seen him as this guy with an unshakable inner strength, like nothing superficial could get to him. But I guess even the toughest guys have a weak spot when it comes to beauty.Maybe there was some truth to that saying, "Men are creatures of sight."Seeing that I had Hayden's full attention, I decided to push it a little further. I tossed my wavy hair back, all flirty-like, and noticed his gaze deepening. His face even seemed to grow colder.The sudden shift in his expression was hard to read, and I wasn't about to waste time trying to figure it out. I got straight to the point. "Are you going to agree to it or not?""Agree to what?" he asked, his eyes already shifting away from me.I smiled.Wasn't he the one who hung up on me last night, saying we'd talk when I sobered up? And now he's acting like he didn't know what I meant?I could tell he wasn't being serious—just teasing me."To be my boyfriend, temporarily," I repea

"In a few days, it'll be Matthew's birthday. You're coming, right?"Lindey's words caught me off guard, reminding me that Matthew's birthday was indeed coming up.Even if she hadn't brought it up, I wouldn't have forgotten. I had reminders set for everyone's birthdays in the Johnston family. Living with them, I always tried to make sure everything was perfect, just to keep everyone happy.I wasn't exactly treated like an outsider, but I still walked on eggshells, always worried that one wrong move might make them think less of me or, worse, dislike me.Lost in thought, I didn't answer right away, so Lindey added, "Rea, you know we've always thought of you as our daughter. Every year, we've appreciated your gifts and well wishes on our birthdays. If you don't come this year, Matthew will be really disappointed."I hadn't planned on going, but I'd already arranged for a gift to be delivered.Now that she was asking directly, it was hard to say no, especially with Jace acting like a

Later that evening, I was halfway through my second cup of coffee at a café when my blind date, Pete Bundy, finally showed up.Pete wasn't overweight or balding. His light blue shirt was clean, and he looked pretty much like his profile had described.I wasn't catfished, but Pete's tardiness definitely knocked down my first impression of him. Luckily, I wasn't actually interested in dating him. I'd only hired him to deal with Jace."Sorry I'm late," Pete apologized."No problem. I'm not really here for a date anyway. I'm looking to hire a guy to pretend to be my boyfriend," I said bluntly.Pete froze. "Hire a boyfriend?""Yes. I'm not interested in a real relationship, but I urgently need a boyfriend for my current situation," I explained, laying it all out for him.Pete remained silent, and I thought he might be upset. So I added, "I'll pay you.""Seems like you have money," Pete said, squinting slightly as he looked into my eyes.That reaction, the kind that showed excitemen

No answer. A chill crept down my spine.But now wasn't the time to chicken out. I forced myself to sound braver than I felt. "Who the hell are you?""It's me, Pete!"Footsteps followed, and then he added, "Your date from the café earlier."Wait, what?Of all people, Pete? After just one coffee date, he was out here creeping on me? That made this whole thing even creepier.The hallway was pitch black because the lights were out. I could barely see a thing, just some vague shapes barely lit by the moonlight sneaking in through the window.He wasn't close enough for me to see his face yet.I gripped my key tight, ready to defend myself if I had to. "Why are you following me?""Don't freak out, okay? I'm not here to hurt you. I just wanted to make sure you got home safe. It's late, and it's not exactly safe for a girl to walk alone at this hour," he said as he finally stepped into view.I almost laughed at that.Like, seriously? Stalking me in the dark was supposed to make me fe

I turned to look at Hayden, and he was staring right back at me. With just the two of us alone in that quiet room, the air felt thick.It was crazy, though. We'd stayed in the same hotel room before without any issues.But now, in this two-bedroom apartment, it was like the walls were closing in, and the space between us was shrinking, making it hard to even breathe.After a few moments of this intense staring contest, Hayden finally broke the silence. "Maybe I should just crash on the couch."I blinked, completely thrown."Only your real boyfriend should be sleeping in your room. I... the couch is fine," Hayden added, sounding like he was trying to convince himself as much as me. His words hit me, making me feel like I was somehow being unfair to him.I knew what he was up to—he was laying on the pressure, subtly hinting that he wanted to be more than just a friend.Guess it's true what they say: honest guys can be the most cunning.But I wasn't going to fall for it. I just sh