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

Chapter 618

1 brought Hayden back to Kahmark

One evening as the sun melted into the horizon,

of growing old together

I

But I couldn't leave not yet I stayed, keeping him company, pretending he was still there

When I was a kid, I overheard my mom talking about how a person's sou dont just vanish after they

I die. She said it lingers for a while, staying close to the people it loved-especially for the first the something days

I didn't know if it was true, but I clung to the thought. I didn't want Hayden's soul to feel alone so stayed Watched over him until I felt like he was truly gone. Only then did I let myself think about leaving During those days, I cut myself off from the world. My phone stayed off I lived like Yuna used to-reading books, picking wildflowers, brewing tea from petals, and painting

I painted Hayden, again and again. Every stroke reminded me of the portraits Wayne had made of me hidden in that house.

Moming and night, I talked to Hayden like he could still hear me

tonight, okay? Say the

hold you, but you're just gone. It hurts so bad sometimes, I wonder if I should follow you, just to make it stop." "Hayden, I found this little

"Hayden..."

to, hoping for an answer. But no one

felt like there

by his side, the wind would brush against my face. Soft, warm-just

by the quiet rhythm of sunrises and sunsets. On

it? Is today the last day you're here? Will you

too. I'll go back to work, back to normal life. And.... I'll face the people I need to face." I hesitated, then added. "And I'll come

lifting a strand of my hair and brushing it across my face. It even grazed my

before I could stop them. In the month since Hayden's death, I'd barely cried. Only in those quiet, unbearable moments when I missed him so much it felt like my chest might cave

for that strand of hair. "Hayden... is that you? You're

again, ready and

to leave When

soft

eyes flew open. The moment save him, I wrapped thy arms around fine herding in

him,

hair. "Don't stay here alone Go back be happy, Kik. Live for

-

more, but it blurred in my memory. I just held onto him like