Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

Chapter 490

What?!

I blinked, totally thrown. Pregnant?! Where on earth did that come from?

He was so close I could catch that clean, familiar scent of his. It made my breath catch, and this dull ache bloomed in my chest.

Only now did I realize just how much his absence had hit me. The breakup had been like a slow-brewing cocktail-quietly simmering, only to knock me flat when I least expected it.

fo

But no way was I letting him see that. I forced a smirk, trying to play it off. "Mr. Hart, did you wake up from some wild dream or something?"

His jaw tightened. "Just answer me."

He wasn't playing around.

Of course, the answer was no.

I'd definitely know if I were. But why did he even think this? Did he hear some wild rumor? Or maybe he was worried a baby would make things messy?

The more I thought about it, the more it ticked me off. Part of me wanted to watch him squirm.

"And what if I said yes?" I shot back, letting the words hang in the air as I watched his face.

Hayden's eyes narrowed, and before I could even process it, he stepped closer. "You're not lying to me, are you?"

I didn't say a word, but his hand clamped down on my shoulder. "If you're pregnant, why the hell are you drinking? Why didn't you tell me?"

I ignored that first question, too caught up in everything he'd put me through. He'd avoided me the whole time he was in Houston, left without even letting me explain, jumped to all the wrong conclusions, then broke up with me anyway-even after I tried to clear things up. A bitter laugh slipped out. "Did I even get the chance to tell you?"

His expression darkened, his grip on my shoulder tightening painfully. "We're going to the hospital. Now."

The weight in my chest felt like it was dragging me under. My words caught, lost in a mix of frustration and hurt.

"Keira." His tone was firm, almost demanding.

He used to call me Kiki. Now, "Keira" sounded cold, like I was just someone he used to know.

When he loved, he'd give everything. Now, he'd shut that part of him off, like the guy who once cared for me didn't even exist.

I took a shaky breath, trying to steady myself. "You want to go to the hospital? So I can get rid of it?"

His brow creased. "What?"

Chapter 450

+25 BONUS

if I were

I shoved him back. "Hayden, let's get something straight. Even pregnant, that baby would be mine. No one else gets to decide what happens to it."

As I said it, tears slipped out before I could stop them.

His face flickered with so many emotions before he finally asked, "So you're not pregnant?"

Thinking about all the roundabout ways he'd been checking on me lately, a fresh wave of frustration washed over me. "Pregnant or not, what does it even matter to you? Hayden, you're the one who said we're done."

"And another thing-if we're broken up, stop with the games. The supplements, the breakfasts-what's your deal? Trying to patch me up after you ripped me apart? Like, 'Here's some medicine to fix the wound I gave you." Hayden stayed silent, his face like a storm about to break.

"We're done, Hayden. From now on, I'm me, and you're you. My life has nothing to do with you anymore." The last part came out in a shout, and as soon as I said it, it felt like I'd carved out a piece of my own heart.

It was unreal how he could still hurt me this much after only a few months. The pain wasn't any less than what I'd felt with Jace. Turns out, love doesn't need years to do damage. When you give your heart away fully, it can wreck you, fast. I yanked the door open, stepped inside, and slammed it shut.

Sliding down to the floor, I let the tears spill out.

Up until tonight, even though we'd broken up, I'd been holding on to this stupid hope that maybe it was just a fight, that we'd find our way back to each other.

But now? I knew the truth.

We were done. Totally done.