Hayden had been popping up in my life a lottely, but this was the first time he’d actually shown up


    at my doorstep. “What do you want this time?”


    “I agreed,” he said, throwing me off for a second.


    Agreed to what?


    “To pretend to be your boyfriend. To be your temporary boyfriend,” Hayden rified.


    I was taken aback, especially since he’d turned me down before. “Why did you change your mind?”


    “If I didn’t, you’d just keep going on ridiculous dates and end up being stalked again like today,


    wouldn’t you?” Hayden’s tone started off resigned, but by the end, there was a sharp edge to it.


    I couldn’t help but notice the mix of frustration and concern on his face, barely visible in the dim


    light. It was almost… amusing.


    “Aren’t you going to be miserable, doing something you don’t even want to do?”


    He caught the teasing in my voice and took a step closer. Instinctively, I stepped back, only to bump


    into the railing behind me–no escape.


    He leaned in, his arm trapping me between the railing and his chest. My breath hitched. “Hayden…”


    “How could you be so reckless, going on a blind date like that?” His voice was right next to my ear.


    I felt a tingle in my ear, and my heart started racing like crazy.


    He was totally scolding me, but there was something almost… caring in his tone.


    I stayed quiet, frozen in ce.


    The silence between us stretched, but it felt different this time. I was practically melting into his


    chest, and I could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong.


    After what felt like forever, he finally let me go. “Coming home alone thiste? Don’t do it again.”


    “Okay,” I murmured, way too obedient.


    N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    A thought hit me, and I hesitated. “Thanks.”


    Thanks for showing up and saving me today. And thanks for agreeing to be my fake boyfriend, so I


    could deal with the whole Johnston family mess–and Jace.


    He didn’t say anything, which left me kinda unsure about what he was thinking. I pointed toward the


    stairs. “I’m heading home.”


    But as soon as I took a step, his voice stopped me. “That guy already followed you here once. What


    if hees back?”


    Yeah, what if hees back?


    “I’m not leaving tonight,” Hayden said, then reached out his hand to me.


    “For what?” I asked,pletely confused,


    “Your keys,” he replied.


    My eyes went wide. “Wait, you’re staying at my ce?”


    “What else? You want me to camp out in the hallway?” Hayden’s question left me speechless.


    He had a point. And then he added, “It’s not like we haven’t shared a room before.”


    Toe. We’d already spent a night in the same room, and it had been totally chill.


    I handed him the keys, and we headed upstairs together. He unlocked the door and stepped inside.


    As the door clicked shut, he said, “I’ll crash on the couch.”


    I nced at my couch–an ancient thing that was barely five feet long. No way Hayden, with his tall


    frame, would fit on that thing


    Actually, there was another room in the apartment, but it was my parents‘ room. I couldn’t let him


    stay


    “You should take my room. I’ll sleep in my parents‘ room,” I said, dropping my bag and rummaging


    through the closet for an old pair of my dad’s slippers,


    It had been ten years since anyone touched those slippers. Who knows if they were still any good?


    Especially after the pipes burst back then.


    Hayden didn’t argue. He took the slippers from me, and I headed to my bedroom to grab my


    pajamas. I double checked the room to make sure there wasn’t anything embarrassing lying around


    before stepping out to let him have the room,


    Bytes was doout to slip into my parents‘ room, Hayden called out, “Hold up a second.”


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