Semua Bab Love's Redemption: Bab 161 - Bab 170

Matthew froze in his tracks, and I could feel him sway, just a little.I instinctively reached out to steady him. "Matthew!"He turned to face me, his expression tense. "Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"I thought about what Hayden had said, but I couldn't bring myself to tell Matthew the truth. So, I played it off with a casual shrug. "I was just curious. No big deal."The smile vanished from his face, and the way he looked at me sent a cold chill down my spine."Rea, your parents' car accident was exactly that—an accident. I went to the scene myself. The police were there, and there's a full investigation report," Matthew said, his voice serious.I hadn't been at the scene back then. I didn't know the details firsthand.Matthew had kept me away, told me not to come. He didn't want me to see something so awful, and I knew he was trying to protect me. But still, it left me with this lingering regret that never really went away."If you have doubts or don't believe me, y

Holding hands, hugging, and kissing—each came with a price. That was the deal I made with Pete, that creep, during our first meeting at the coffee shop.So when Hayden mentioned "charging" for a kiss, he definitely knew about that.That night, after he gave Pete a serious beating, I had a feeling there was more to the story—something Hayden never bothered to fill me in on.Honestly, I had no idea what to even say to him at this point.But instead of kissing me, Hayden just grabbed my hand and pulled me, dragging me out of the crowd as we bolted—sprinting through the bustling streets.It was the first time I'd ever run through a place that packed. People stared in confusion, not sure why we were running, but still stepping aside like we were parting the sea or something.So there we were, in the middle of the busy street, the crowd parting for us as Hayden led the way. He held my hand tight, glancing back every now and then. The whole thing felt surreal, like some scene straight o

I spotted a dessert truck and made a beeline for it, ordering my go-to—iced coffee jelly.Hayden glanced at my cup, frowning."What? You don't like it?" I asked, smirking."Too much cold stuff's bad for your stomach," he said, all serious.I laughed. "Wow, look at you being all considerate. Are you sure you've never had a girlfriend before?""Nope," he said, totally confident.I shot him a look, totally not buying it."I've got a little sister to take care, so I know some things," he added, and I paused mid-bite.Wait, what? He has a sister?He'd never mentioned her before.Suddenly, these lyrics popped into my head—'Talkin' all that, but I know you're caught.'Every girl's just "like a sis"?'Boy, you ain't slick, can't play me like this.'It was like Hayden could read my mind because he quickly said, "My actual sister. Same mom, same dad."I turned my attention back to my coffee jelly, taking another bite. "You've never mentioned her.""I just never found the right m

Jace's expression mirrored mine—totally frozen.Ever since we broke up, it seemed like every time we crossed paths, it was some messy, dramatic scene that left us both pissed.And now, here I was, laughing and messing around with Hayden, while he had Tanya glued to his side.This was the same Jace who swore up and down he was done with her. Honestly, the whole "guys and their lying tongues" thing? Never felt more real.I only hesitated for a second before forcing myself to look away. Some people are just better off not seen. Out of sight, out of mind, right?Hayden, on the other hand, acted like Jace wasn't even in the room. He gently took my hand—not to grab my phone this time, but to say, "If you wanna take pics, just ask. I'll make sure I look good."His voice had that teasing vibe, the kind that made you wonder if there was something more going on. For a second, it almost felt like we were couple.That must've set Jace off because he stormed forward. "Rea, come outside with

Hayden's body went rigid when I kissed him. Clearly, he hadn't expected me to be that bold, but within seconds, his hand found my waist, pulling me closer.I pulled back, smirking up at him. "That's your reward for being such a good patient."As soon as the words left my mouth, a memory of Jace hit me—back when he was sick and had to get an injection. He'd always been terrified of needles, so much that he'd rather suffer through the illness than set foot in a hospital.For Jace, getting a shot was like facing his worst nightmare. He'd practically throw a fit, almost crying at the idea of it. Every time, I had to coax him for what felt like forever, treating him like a kid—covering his eyes, distracting him with random stories, even letting him bite my arm once just to get through it.After every hospital trip, it felt like I'd just survived some epic battle. And, of course, Jace would expect a reward afterward—whether it was a dance, a song, or some kind of gift.Whenever he was s