Hayden and I stood by the river, listening to the water while the wind whipped through the trees.


    After a while, my legs started giving out. I was exhausted.


    “What’s wrong?” Hayden asked.


    “I need to sit. My legs are sore,” I admitted.


    Without missing a beat, he scooped me up by the waist, carrying me over to a big rock like I


    weighed nothing. Even though he did stuff like this all the time, I still acted shy. “I can walk, you


    know.”


    He raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you just say your legs were sore? How’re you gonna walk?”


    I stuck out my tongue and let him win that one.


    He set me down, then sat beside me, but b I could scoot closer, his arm hooked around my waist


    and pulled me right into hisp. What was he up to now?


    Before I could ask, he whispered in my ear, “The rock’s cold.”


    Seriously, was there a more thoughtful boyfriend than Hayden?


    “Thanks, boyfriend,” I said, giving him a quick kiss. But the second my lips touched his, something


    felt off. There was this faint trace of tobo. 1 froze.


    Had he been smoking?


    So, he came to the river by himself to smoke.


    Realizing why I pulled back, Hayden sighed, “I won’t smoke anymore. Today was thest time.”


    I shook my head. “You don’t have to quit for me.”


    He looked at me, his eyes locking with mine.


    I brushed my fingers over his brow. “Just don’t overdo it. It’s bad for you.” As I said it, a weird


    sadness crept in. My chest tightened, and I felt that familiar sting of tears. “Hayden, you’re the


    closest person I have now. Please… take care of yourself. I need you around for a long time.”


    The idea of forever used to feel so distant, but suddenly, I couldn’t wait for it.


    He swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he held me tighter.


    My mind drifted to the ident report I still hadn’t finished. I’d stopped reading halfway through,


    unable to bring myself to see the conclusion.


    “Hayden, did you read the report about my parents‘ ident?” I asked, resting my head against his


    chest.


    He held me a little closer before answering in a low voice, “It’s over now. Let’s not dig it up.”


    I knew he was worried I’d break down again. “I’m not scared like before.”


    Even though I said that, the thought of those pictures made me shudder. So instead, I asked him,


    “Can you just tell me?”


    “Tell you what?” he asked softly.


    “What did the report say? How did it end?”


    Hayden went quiet, and my heart dropped. I pulled back, looking up at him. “Why aren’t you saying


    anything? Was something wrong?”


    His gaze fell, his eyes clouding over.


    I swallowed hard. “Hayden.”


    After a beat, he said, “It was a problem with the car.”


    Belongs ? to N?velDrama.Org.


    I frowned. “What kind of problem?”


    Hayden opened his mouth, but no words came out. Suddenly, Lindey’s words from before shed in


    my mind. “Was it the brakes?” I asked directly.