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

Chapter 189

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Since my parents passed away, I had never complained about the bitterness of medicine again. After all, there was no one left to give me sugar-free candies, and I hadn't tasted one since. "It's really sweet," Hayden coaxed, lifting the candy to my lips again, almost teasingly.

I finally opened my mouth. But the moment the candy touched my tongue, tears welled up in my eyes, spilling over before I could stop them.

"Why are you crying?" His hand was on my face, gently wiping the tears away

But the more he asked, the more I felt a tightness in my chest, and the harder it was to hold back the flood of emotions. My tears kept falling, faster than Hayden could wipe them.

In the end, he took the cup from my hands and gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. "If you hate the medicine that much, we won't take it."

He stepped away, and I buried my face in my hands.

After crying for a bit, I felt lighter, like some of the weight on my chest had lifted. The thermometer under my arm beeped, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I glanced at the number: 100.8°F. Yep, definitely a fever.

with a towel wrapped around something. "We'll use some ice to bring your fever down. Drink more water too. If it drops, you won't need

moments later, I heard the flick of a

my palm as Hayden rubbed it, and I flinched, but he spoke quietly, "It's an old

do it when I was younger-but

my left hand, then my right. Just when I thought he was done, his

jerked it back. "You don't need to

enough to say you want to undress me, but now you're scared of me touching your foot?" Hayden teased,

remember anything. But Hayden knew exactly what I'd said, and

felt like my best defense. I shut my eyes again and let

me. It tickled, but in a way that

+25 BONUS Chapter 189

it also made my heart ache. Before I realized it, tears started slipping down my cheeks again. "Rest. I made some pumpkin soup. You can have it when you wake Hayden murmured, his

stood up

I called quietly, watching him walk away. "Did we

he was channeling the care my parents

and I thought he might answer, but whatever he said was too quiet for