?


    The rest of my words caught in my throat as Hayden pulled me into his arms.


    His cheek brushed mine, his voice low and steady. "Lena''s fine. I didn''t hurt her. She''s safe, I swear."


    His scent, his warmth, his words—they worked slowly easing the panic wing at my


    chest.


    "You''re not lying?" I asked, my voice trembling


    "I''m not lying. Aaron''s with her. He''ll bring her back," he murmured, his lips brushing my


    hair.


    "Then why are you here?" I wasn''t ready to let this go so easily.


    His breath tickled against my skin. "Because I missed you. I missed you too much."


    Missed me? Really?


    One minute he was cold and unreadable, and the next, he was this warm, familiar version of himself again. It was whish, and it messed with my head.


    He must''ve seen the doubt in my eyes because he loosened his hold, his hand grazing my cheek. "Hit me, yell at me-do whatever you need. Just... ask me what you want."


    "Are you really Hayden?" I asked quietly, skipping the yelling and hitting.N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    A faint smile yed on his lips. "Don''t believe me? Test me."


    He grabbed my hand and pressed it against his chest. But I pulled my hand back, needing space. I walked into the apartment and sat on the couch, eyeing the fruit tter on the coffee table and the smell of fresh food in the air.


    Looking over at the dining table, I froze. It was set with all my favorite dishes.


    Hayden followed and sat beside me, lightly holding my hand. "Kiki, I know you''re upset. I''ll exin everything, I promise. Just... give me some time." He still knew me too well-too well for my liking. I pulled my hand back. "Then save the sweet talk until you''ve actually exined."


    237


    It wasn''t about being cold. I cared-God, I cared too much. But the version of Hayden who''d taken Lena? He was a stranger. Unfamiliar. Terrifying. Until Lena came back, I couldn''t let my guard down. Not with the memory of what he''d done still fresh in my head.


    Hayden studied me, then nodded softly. "Let''s eat first," he said.


    1/2


    475 BONUS


    I nced at the table again. My appetite was nonexistent, but the baby growing inside me had other ns. I sat down, and Hayden filled my te, just like he used to.


    "It''s been a while since you''ve had a proper meal. Taste it and see if it''s still the same," Hayden said.


    The food tasted exactly how I remembered. His cooking hadn''t changed.


    But I had.


    Still, I ate more than I expected. When I looked up, I realized he hadn''t touched his te. "Why aren''t you eating? Did you poison the food?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Heughed. "A littlete to worry about that, don''t you think?"


    Fair point I''d already cleared my te.


    "I''m not hungry," he said. "Watching you eat is enough."


    Hayden wasn''t just being honest-he wasying on the rizz.


    After dinner, we moved to the couch. The silence between us wasn''t exactlyfortable; it was heavy, awkward, like we were tiptoeing around something neither of us wanted to touch.


    "Want some fruit?" he asked after a while.


    "No, I''m stuffed.''


    11


    "Then ask me whatever you want to know," he said. He could sense the weight of the questions hovering between us.


    I stared at him, my mind racing buting up nk. Where did I even start? He seemed to catch on and gave me a small, knowing smile. "Alright," he said softly. "I''ll go first. You can jump in if I miss anything."


    That worked for me. I pulled my knees up to my chest, curling into the couch, and Hayden began to speak.


    37.37.