Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right by Rosie Steppe

Chapter 84

"You'll never get it to turn!"

"It's been rusted shut for years."

"The ground's so hard now, the valve's practically buried."

People were whispering among themselves, but I couldn't take my eyes off Hayden.

I definitely didn't expect him to go full-on flat on the ground like that. His veins were popping out of his temples and arms as he pushed with everything he had, muscles straining under the effort.

But even with all that, the valve wouldn't budge. His face started turning red from the strain.

"Young man, save your energy. A few strong guys already tried, and they couldn't get it," an older neighbor said, noticing how hard Hayden was pushing himself.

I started feeling worried. "Hayden, maybe we should just leave it and call someone else to handle it."

Just as I said that, Hayden suddenly relaxed, and with a calm tone, he said, "It's done."

Then, in one quick move, he got up, casually brushing off the dirt and grime. "Let's head upstairs and check."

stairs, and stepping up

we should wait until the water

glanced at my shoes, then back at me. "I'll carry you

widened instantly. "No, no, that's

the moment those words left my mouth, I felt my cheeks heat up, especially since the

face like he was picking up on something. Then, he said, "I'll go up and take care of it.

I could respond, he reached out and took the

flinched without thinking. The sensation... It was like a jolt of

I had never

hugging had always been easy. familiar. But there was never that spark, that electric jolt people talk about when they were really in love. At that moment, I started to get what Jace meant when he was talking to Steve about his feelings. Hayden walked up the

lost in the moment, watching him until an old lady's voice brought me back

+25 BONUS

lying down on the ground like that," another old lady added. There aren't many young men like that anymore. You're really

hotter, and I felt this weird flutter in my

the water slowed down, I made my way upstairs.

and waded

me, he explained, "This section snapped off. It was probably corroded from years

pipes hadn't been touched in over a