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

Chapter 473

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I'd only really taken a good look around this hospital room twice-once when I was searching for Hayden, and now, while trying to figure out what to pack.

Wayne crouched in front of me, his voice soft. "Rea, how are you feeling? Any discomfort?"

I was about to shake my head when a knock interrupted us. Jace walked in with the doctor.

"Let the doctor check you over. If anything happens on the plane, it'll be hard to deal with," Jace said, hist gaze briefly flicking to Wayne. I noticed the slight crease in his brow.

As the doctor moved closer, Wayne stood up and stepped aside, naturally giving him room.

The doctor listened to my heartbeat, took my blood pressure, and ran through a full exam. "You're recovering well," he finally said. "Everything looks normal."

"Thank you, doctor," Jace said, sounding genuinely grateful.

Wayne chimed in, "I'll walk the doctor out. I need to pack, too. Jace, stay and talk to Rea."

The door clicked shut behind them, and just like that, it was me and Jace. Alone.

Neither of us said a word. We just sat there, wrapped in silence. I stared into space, lost in thought, while Jace's eyes stayed fixed on me.

forever, he finally broke the

knowing my eyes were distant, glazed over with everything

to me. "If it weren't for me, you

I blinked, then lowered my eyes to the second button on his shirt. "There's no need to apologize. Isn't there that saying?

you do it? Risk your life to save

up, just gave a small, bitter smile. "Because if I

you think about yourself? I know what happened-if you hadn't given that

I smiled again, but it didn't reach my eyes. "If you're gonna help someone, you

you so much, might as well

didn't make it, what was the point

mouth, a thought crept in I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his. "Don't overthink it. Even if it hadn't been you that day-if it was a stranger-I would've done the same."

a bit,

I said, a little too

disappointment in his eyes. I

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guilty," I said, hoping to stop whatever spiral he was about to fall into. "I saved you because we share the

I'm in your life-to

together, shared meals, lived under the same roof. How could I just let

"Since we split up, you've built so many walls around yourself. You won't even give me

hang on to hope, I'd be just

then could he understand that the hurt