Demi asked, “Keira, did you fall on purpose just now?”


    I couldn’t believe she’d even ask that. My waist was still throbbing, and it was definitely gonna


    bruise. I felt like lifting my shirt to show her. Sure, I might be into Hayden, but I wasn’t that


    desperate.


    I shot her a re, but she just kept going. “What did it feel like when he held you? Is his arm really


    strong? Did his embrace feel-”


    “Demi Young!” I cut her off. “Do you ever think about anything serious, like, ever?”


    Seeing I was genuinely upset, Demi stuck out her tongue and muttered something under her breath


    I couldn’t catch.


    I held my sore side and left the power distribution room. It hit me that Hayden had called me over


    but hadn’t asked me anything, making me embarrass myself and get hurt in the process.


    I decided I needed to keep my distance and stay clear–headed, treating him just like any other


    client. After all, what we had before was just a blind date, nothing more.


    Demi handed the documents to Hayden and quicki, followed me out. She saw me standing by and


    said, ” Keira, Mr. Hart wants us to go to the adjustment site first. He’ll join us shortly.”


    I nodded, and just as Demi and I were about to leave, my phone rang


    It was Steve. “Keira, Where are you? Why’d you just leave me behind?”


    I was taken aback. ‘He’s still here? Did he explore the whole amusement park?‘


    “I thought you’d left,” I admitted.


    “I didn’t. Where are you?”


    I told him where we were fixing the lighting. He said he’d find us. It took him nearly an hour to get


    there.


    “Were you lost?” I teased him.


    Steve was ying with a ball from the ball pit, showing off his obsession with anything round.


    “I’ve navigated mazes all over the world. This ce isn’t enough to get me lost,” he replied. Besides


    snooker and pool, he loved solving mazes.


    Jace had told me that Steve would explore every maze he could find, no matter where he was. He’d


    almost exhausted the known mazes and was nning to check out geological ones next.


    People have all sorts of hobbies,‘ I thought. ‘Some like facing cars, some love birdwatching, and


    others are into exploring or collecting things…”


    “No matter how confusing a maze is, there’s always a way home,” Steve said suddenly.


    I paused, then got it.


    He was telling me that getting lost wasn’t a big deal as long as I knew where I wanted to end up.


    He’d told me before to figure out what I wanted.


    I thought, He seems carefree, but he’s actually pretty perceptive.”


    Most importantly, he cared about me. I finally got why he came here: to encourage me. Not to push


    me to forgive Jace and give him another shot, but to tell me to move on and look ahead.


    Feeling touched, I said, “Thanks.”


    Steve handed me the ball. “I’m heading out. If you need anything, just call. No matter what happens


    with Jace, I’m your friend.”


    “Okay,” I nodded, taking the ball.


    A secondter, I felt a light pressure on my head as he patted it. “You’re such a good girl, you’ll find


    more.” someone who treasures un


    With that, he left.


    All text ? N?velD(r)a''ma.Org.


    Holding the ball he’d yed with, still warm from his hand, I watched him leave, feeling bittersweet.


    I thought breaking up with Jace would mean losing a lot, but it wasn’t like that. Some rtionships


    and


    ‘t have to end because of that person. feelings might begin because of someone, but they d


    Chapter