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

Chapter 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 of me in 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" came off, and it drove me insane.

I was ready to snap at him again, but then he spoke, his voice low and soft. "It won't happen again."

That shut me up.

I pulled out my keys, turning to unlock my door. Just as the key slid into the lock, his voice came again, 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.

a split second

think of something to say, it was

wasn't agreeing to

keep doing this. I didn't want

had I ever

attached. No, the

a girlfriend before, and I'd used him like a freaking prop. His first hug, first

felt like the

stepped into my apartment, guilt gnawing at me like a bad case of

Every time I turned around, there he was, looking lost. "Why'd you kiss me?" he'd ask, over

even though it was still stupidly early-pitch black

grabbed my phone.

+25 BONUS

Chapter 172

up. If I had my timing right, he'd be on his morning run by

was my chance to avoid

bed, threw on some clothes, and

grown, living in my own place, and yet I was sneaking around like some kind of fugitive. I started leaving earlier and coming home later, managing to

every night, like clockwork, there was always a cold breakfast sitting by

thought about texting Hayden a bunch of times, telling him to stop with the breakfast