NovelEnglishChapter 172 "It's me!" A familiar voice echoed down the hallway.
I grabbed the railing, coming to a sudden stop. All the tension drained out ofin an instant.
A second later, I turned around and saw Hayden standing there, half-hidden in the shadows.
The awkwardness from earlier still hung in the air, thick and uncomfortable. I didn't know what to say, so I went with annoyed-always a safe move. "Do you even realize how creepy you look just standing there like that?" He just grunted. That one sound.
God, it was frustrating. He had no idea how cold and dismissive that little "mm" coff, and it droveinsane.
I was ready to snap at him again, but then he spoke, his voice low and soft. "It won't happen again." That shutup.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtI pulled out my keys, turning to unlock my door. Just as the key slid into the lock, his voice cagain, low and quiet. "I had the wrong idea tonight. It won't happen again." Wait, what? I froze, glancing back, but he was already slipping into his half-open door.
Our eyes met for a split second before he shut it. "Goodnight," he said.
I opened my mouth, but before I could even think of something to say, it was too late. "What do you mean again"?" I knew exactly what he meant. He wasn't agreeing to end whatever this fake thing between us was.
But I couldn't keep doing this. I didn't want to.
Regret hithard. Why had I ever asked Hayden to pretend to be my boyfriend? It wasn't like I was worried he'd get too attached. No, the problem was me. I didn't want to hurt him.
He'd never had a girlfriend before, and I'd used him like a freaking prop. His first hug, first hand-hold, even his first kiss. All with me.
I felt like the worst person alive.
Cursing under my breath, I stepped into my apartment, guilt gnawing atlike a bad case of heartburn. No way I was getting any sleep tonight.
And when I finally did, my dreams were filled with Hayden. Every tI turned around, there he was, looking lost. "Why'd you kiss me?" he'd ask, over and over. "That was my first kiss." I woke up suffocating in guilt, even though it was still stupidly early-pitch black outside.
I grabbed my phone. 4:30 a.m.
+25 BONUS Chapter 172 Hayden would already be up. If I had my timing right, he'd be on his morning run by now..
This was my chance to avoid him.
I jumped out of bed, threw on sclothes, and bolted out the door.
Driving through the empty streets as the sky barely started to lighten, I couldn't help but feel like a total loser. Here I was, grown, living in my own place, and yet I was sneaking around like skind of fugitive. I started leaving earlier and coming hlater, managing to dodge him day after day.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmBut every night, like clockwork, there was always a cold breakfast sitting by my door. And with every passing day, the guilt just got worse.
I thought about texting Hayden a bunch of times, telling him to stop with the breakfast thing.
But every tI tried, I'd freeze. What if he askedsomething I wasn't ready to deal with? So instead, I just ignored it and left the food untouched. I figured he'd get the hint.
Sure enough, by day three, I chome, and the breakfast was gone.
I let out a long breath, feeling relieved. But somehow, a tiny part offelt... empty.
That feeling annoyed the hell out of me, and I couldn't help but mutter a few choice words under my breath.
They say when your love life's a train wreck, your career blows up, right? Turns out, that's pretty spot on.
Work was killing it. I even locked down a huge contract contract over the m phone. Just had to meet the client in E person to seal the deal.
"Ms. Kay, is it true you've been rolling in at six every morning?" Ron asked, smirking as he bumped intoin the break room.
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