Page 137 of The Hallows Queen

He laughs. “Well, I was a little busy falling for my teacher.”

My eyelids flutter, before they roll. “You learn about animals in elementary school.”

Chuckling, he runs his hand through his hair. “Anyways, the bus finally turns around, and it took three other volunteers to get me back into the bus so they could take me to the medical center.”

I smile at him. “Well, I’m glad you didn’t get eaten by azebra.”

He laughs, his chest shaking. “Yeah, I got really lucky.”

I can only stare at him, before words I shouldn’t say fall from my lips. “I love your laugh.”

He smiles at me as his gaze connects with mine, and a thick layer of tension falls over us, making me shift in my seat and clear my throat. Standing, I brush my hands down the front of my jeans. “I should probably get back to the restaurant.”

Standing up as well, he puts a hand on mine. “Come back tonight?”

I start to shake my head, and he squeezes my hand.

“Don’t say no, just think about it.”

“Okay, I’ll think about it,” I whisper, meeting his eyes. “Thanks for lunch.”

* * *

I spendthe rest of my workday thinking about Hayden, imagining him in Zambia with kids around him. The vision in my head looks so out of place. I never knew a version of Hayden that did anything like that. The closest he ever got to volunteering when we were together was writing a check.

It isn’t something I can see him doing, and the thoughts swirl around in my mind, making me feel like I’m on a rollercoaster.

When I get off work, the sun is long gone and the rain has dried up, and I decide not to go back to the hotel. I need to get some clarity, some distance from the image of Hayden I’ve created in my head, because right now, there’s a large part of me that’s aching for him. I feel like my mind is fighting me, telling me it’s okay to believe the pretty words he says to me, even though once upon a time, he destroyed me so easily.

Do people ever really change? Deep fucking down? Can theyreallygo from being villains to heroes? Or is that bad person they were always at the base of their personality? And when is it the right time to take the risk and leave it all to chance?

I’ve started to give myself a headache by the time I’m getting into bed, so I turn on the TV to drown out the burning thoughts inside my mind.

It barely helps, though. Every time I try to focus, I end up zoning out and seeing Hayden in the shadows of my vision, clouding everything and making me feel even more confused.

All the bad parts are blurring at the edges, merging with the good he’s showing me now, and it feels unfair. But maybe what’s truly unfair is the fact I’m holding him to the label I gave him over four years ago?

Chapter48

Penelope

It’sfive days before Hayden contacts me again, and the second I see him walk through the front doors of my restaurant, I feel a weight lift off my shoulders.

He smiles when he sees me at the host stand, and I do my best not to show him I’m happy to see him.

“Hi,” he breathes, tapping his fingers on top of the counter.

“Hey,” I say, keeping my tone casual. “Want a table?”

“Sure.” He grins, and as I grab and menu, his eyes are on me, making me feel exposed. I lead him through the restaurant, and seat him at a small table in the corner. “Thanks.”

When he turns his head to look at the menu, I notice there’s something new tattooed on his neck. It takes me a minute to put it together in my mind, but when I do, I gasp and grab his face. “What did you do!?”

I twist his head to the side so I can see the tattoo clearer. Where he originally had a smallPtattooed on his neck, he’s extended it intoPENELOPE

He chuckles. “You like?”

Dropping my hold on his face, I put my fingers to my mouth. “What. Did. You.Do.”

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