جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 220

Yuna was so lonely, she practically begged me to stay.I only had two days off, but to spend more time with her, I asked Ron for an extra two.But all good things would come to an end, and eventually, I had to go.Before I left, Yuna packed me some flower tea brewed with morning dew and food steamed with flower pollen and petals. She was determined to give me everything she cherished most.I could tell she'd grown really attached to me, and that made me feel a kind of responsibility I couldn't quite explain."Keira, come visit me when you have time," Yuna said, avoiding my eyes.I could see the tears welling up, though she tried to hide them.She was this perfect mix of fragile but incredibly strong on the inside."Okay," I said quietly, not trusting myself to say much more.I felt the sting in my nose too, worried I might start crying before she did.Goodbyes are like the softest blades—they cut the deepest."I've already asked a friend to contact the doctor. Once it's all

Lena was always the level-headed one, but she had a habit of avoiding things she didn't want to deal with. Sometimes, she'd make up her mind without even giving it a shot.In that way, we were different. But hey, everyone has their own way of seeing things, their own way of handling life.There's this saying—no one can really interfere in someone else's life. Even with how close Lena and I were, that still rang true.I crashed at her place for the night before finally heading home. I still hadn't seen Hayden.When I got back, my downstairs neighbor stopped me, asking if I'd gone on vacation with my "boyfriend." Apparently, neither of us had been around for a while, and that's when it hit me—Hayden hadn't come back the entire time I was gone.Even though Demi told me he was busy, I knew the truth—Hayden only stayed here because of me.When I was around, he would be home every day. But the second I wasn't? He wouldn't even bother.Well, if he wasn't coming to me, I'd go to him.I

Hayden went totally stiff in my arms. After a few seconds, he mumbled, "Are you pitying me?""I feel bad for you," I corrected.He didn't say anything, and he definitely didn't hug me back, which made things way more awkward.Right when I was about to let go, I glanced up and saw Jace standing a few feet away.Wait, he was here?And of course, Demi didn't bother giving me the heads-up.I was about to drop Hayden's hand, but instead, I squeezed it tighter. He tried to pull away, but I held on. "Don't move."He stopped. I kept holding his hand as I asked, "You're working late again tonight?"Hayden gave a quiet, "Hmm?"I stood on my tiptoes, leaning in close to his ear. "I've been craving your cooking."I heard his Adam's apple move, followed by a soft, "Yeah." A tingle shot through me.My gaze flickered over to where Jace stood.In that quick glance, I saw him—fists clenched, face shifting from pale to dark, his eyes stormy before he finally turned and walked away.I let go

Hayden's hand tightened around mine.I glanced up at him, and for a split second, his soft gaze met mine before he turned back to Jace. His voice, low and steady, carried a weight that couldn't be ignored. "I'm not leaving until the final inspection's done."That's just how he was. The more someone tried to push him out, the more determined he became to stay. Just like always.I braced myself for whatever Jace would throw at him next, but then Hayden's grip tightened again, and he added, "This is something I promised Kiki."The way he said "Kiki," claiming it was all for me, sent my heart racing. It didn't help that Jace's face went an alarming shade of red, and Wayne didn't look much better.The silence hung in the air so thick, it felt like no one could even breathe.I took a steadying breath and decided to cut through it, locking eyes with Jace and Wayne. "Even though I'm no longer in charge and I've left the company, there's one rule I never forgot: the company's interests co

Steve didn't give me a choice. I knew what that meant.I clutched my phone, glancing over at Hayden. As I walked up to him, about to speak, he beat me to it. "I'm leaving the day after tomorrow."Leaving?I froze, thrown off. "Where are you going?"He kept walking. "Back."Back? Back to Chiverton?But he said he'd stay. He even rented an apartment here.Thinking about the apartment reminded me of the demolition notice and Ms. Brown's request. I hadn't even mentioned it to Hayden yet.I wanted to ask why he was suddenly leaving, but the distance between us made me hesitate. So instead, I just said, "I'll come by tomorrow night to check out the lights."Hayden looked at me. It was like his eyes were saying, 'You might have time, but I don't.'I thought he'd tell me no, but after a few seconds, he just said, "Okay."I knew he was forcing himself. He was upset, but he didn't want to make things harder for me.Once again, he was the one compromising. And that's when the guilt hi