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

Chapter 503

"You can't change the past; just hold onto the people you've got now."

I knew what he was getting at, and it hit a nerve. If this report on my parents' accident pointed to someone still around... he was basically telling me not to let it mess things up with the people who'd actually been good to me. "Yeah, I get it," I nodded. "I've thought about it a lot, especially over the past few months."

It wasn't just talk. I'd spent so much time with that contract I found in my dad's notebook, going over every theory, every suspicion, struggling to make sense of it. And somehow, I'd finally started to accept some of it. "Looks like making you wait wasn't for nothing," Cedric said, like he'd been expecting this. Now! understood why he'd been so cryptic, dropping hints but never giving me the full story.

He reached into his pocket, pulling out an envelope, but he didn't hand it over just yet. "You know Hayden Hart, right?"

My heart skipped. Hayden and I had dug into his dad's death too, searching for answers. "Did he come to you, too?"

"Yeah. He wanted this report as much as you do."

My breath caught. "So... does he already know?"

Cedric shook his head, his hand still wrapped around the envelope. "Are you hoping I'll tell you both at the same time?"

Before I could say anything, footsteps sounded on the steps behind us.

umbrella, and in that moment,

tangled between us, but

an accident. Or maybe... it

me, his eyes flicking up to meet mine-just for a second-before

Hayden stepped closer, looking at my

there in silence, the rain falling softly over the headstones, each of us

own thoughts.

my parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Kay, I'm sorry. It's been ten years, but I'm finally here to bring you the justice you deserve." His words hit me

wanted to stop him from saying

of wind shook my umbrella, bumping it against Hayden's. I glanced up, and he was looking

+25 BONUS

Chapter 503

his eyes shadowed, heavier than the rain around

Hart. Miss Kay," Cedric

held out a worn envelope. "The answers you're looking for are right

I both stared at it,