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

Chapter 473

+25 BONUS

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.

what felt like forever, he finally broke the

to him, knowing my eyes were distant, glazed over

next to me. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have come to Houston. You wouldn't have

blood to save me... and Hayden wouldn't have misunderstood." I blinked, then lowered my eyes to the second button on his shirt. "There's no need to apologize.

did you do

a small, bitter smile. "Because if

what about your life? Why didn't you think about yourself? I know what happened-if

watched my blood fill the bag for him. I smiled again,

so much, might

it, what was the

the words left my 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

a bit, "Really? Even

I said, a little too quickly,

flash of disappointment in his eyes. I knew

#25 BONUS

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

your life-to help when you

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

curved into a sad smile. "Since we split up, you've built so many walls around yourself. You won't even give me a sliver of

now. If I let you hang on to hope,

punches. He needed to hear it. Only then could he