Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right



That was a good question.

Honestly, I wanted to hear him say it, too.

Even though I knew he was Hayden, even though I was sure down to my core, 1 still longed for him to admit it out loud. Just one word from him would change everything

Xander glanced at me, his eyes locking onto mine for a beat before he replied to Cole. "I'm just myself. You should already have all the answers about my identity, shouldn't you?

Cole chuckled, twice. "Well, good luck with that."

Then the line went dead.

Xander went right back to his breakfast like nothing had happened. Meanwhile, I could barely touch mine.

"Why aren't you eating? It's going to get cold," he said casually, like the phone call hadn't just thrown a massive warning in his face.

"Cole was warning you," I said, my chest tightening. "He's trying to tell you you're in trouble."

Xander didn't even blink. "I know."

"And you're not scared?" I asked, anxiety creeping up my spine in his place.

He picked up a napkin, folding it neatly. "What good would fear do?"

That calm composure-it wasn't something a nightclub model should have.

I took a deep breath, my resolve hardening. I had to protect him. I wouldn't let anyone hurt him again.

"Xander," I said, my voice steady, repeating Cale's question, "I want to ask you the same thing. Are you Hayden?"

His hands froze mid-fold, and his eyes flicked back to mine. "What do you think?"

Still no direct answer.

I smiled faintly. "You are."

Xander smiled back but didn't say a word, his attention returning to the napkin he was folding between his hands.

I studied his face carefully. "But I still have questions."

"Like what?" he asked, not bothering to look up. Whatever he found so fascinating about a

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piece of napkin was beyond me.

"For one," I said, watching him fiddle with the napkin, "a lot about you has changed. For example, the mole on the back of your neck-where did it go?"

"Besides the mole, what else?" he deflected.

I didn't rush him, keeping my voice calm. "Your skin's different now, too. It's clearer, lighter."

He finally looked up, giving me a pointed glance. "What, you didn't like how it was before?"

"That's not it," I said, my tone softening. "I loved Hayden-everything about him. So, of course, I liked how he was before." I paused, letting out a small laugh. “But apart from your face, there are so many differences. For instance, your voice..."

I tilted my head, teasing. "It's soft. Too soft. I don't like it-it doesn't suit

you.

He didn't react to my comment, his focus still on the napkin in his hands. Only then did I notice that it was no longer just a napkin.

It had been folded into a small white rabbit.

He placed the rabbit in his palm and held it out to me. "For you. Do you like it?"

I took it, turning it over in my hands. A napkin turned into a rabbit-his skill with folding napkin was oddly impressive. "Did you make these all the time for Yuna?"

He ignored the question completely.

I shook the little bell charm on my bracelet in front of him. "This was a gift from Hayden. I love it. On countless nights when I missed him, I'd sit and ring this bell."

Xander's eyes flicked to the bracelet. "It's beautiful."

"Then can you give me a word?" I asked..

I wanted to punish him for lying to me, sure, was wearing me down.

but pretending I didn't know he was Hayden

Still, when I thought about the danger surrounding him, fear and regret crept in. I didn't want to waste a single moment of the time we had together.

He reached out, and for a moment, I thought he was going to embrace me. Instead, he took my left hand in his, gently running his fingers over the rings I wore. "Don't you think wearing two rings at once is a bit extravagant?"

His words sent my heart racing.