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

Chapter 265

Hayden let me turn his face any way I wanted and kept going, "Do you know what you said back then?"

"I don't know, and you're totally making this up," I protested, refusing to believe I'd been that shameless as a kid.

"You said it was like stamping a seal on me. That after you kissed me, I was yours. And when you grew up. you'd marry me. You even made me promise not to marry anyone else." He paused for dramatic effect, then suddenly leaned down, bringing his face closer to mine.

"Kiki, I've followed your orders. I'm in my thirties now, and I've never been in a relationship. Never liked another girl, never even held another girl's hand. I've waited for you all this time, so you've got to take responsibility for me," he said, sounding so earnest and pitiful that I felt guilty just hearing him.

I always thought Jace was my childhood friend, but now I realized I was wrong.

Hayden was my real childhood sweetheart-the one who, despite the little time we'd had together, managed to leave a mark on both our lives.

But I was too young back then, so all those sweet memories only stuck with Hayden,

"Alright, I'll take responsibility," I said, tilting my head up and standing on tiptoe to lightly bite his jawline.

He let out a soft grunt, and I teased, "I'm leaving a deeper stamp this time, so any girl who thinks about liking you will know to back off."

lips. "Still as bossy as you

Bossy? Was I really?

something I really cared about, I usually just went along with what everyone else wanted. Hayden had given me a whole new glimpse of my childhood. Even if I wasn't sure how much of it was true, I felt genuinely

actually

were little," Hayden said so casually that I knew everything he'd told me before had to be true. Because I did love fish, especially Mediterranean baked fish-just like the kind my mom used to

my parents had their accident, my mom had promised to make

they never

Matthew, Lindey, even Jace and Wayne thought I just

Hayden knew

"Okay!" I agreed.

+25 BONUS

Chapter 265

moment, I felt a strange sense

signature dish, a taste of her love and a way for me to remember

over me.

exactly

mom. His mom had grown up by a lake and knew all