Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right
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Chapter 167 Chapter 167

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I didn't even bother asking who she was. With that tight dress and way too much makeup, it was obvious she wasn't his real girlfriend-just some fling for the night.

Once Steve was gone, I glanced back at my coffee jelly, only to realize Hayden had eaten the rest.

"Let's grab something else," Hayden said, not the least bit apologetic.

I clenched my jaw. "Sure, whatever."

He dragged me over to a food truck selling some kind of soup, and this time, he ordered two bowls. At least he didn't steal from mine again-probably because it was not cold food.

So, it wasn't even about him liking the coffee jelly. He just didn't want me to eat too much of it..

This guy could be so annoying, but I had to admit-he was weirdly thoughtful.

After we finished the soup, we kept walking, passing stalls selling vintage clothes, handmade crafts, and potted plants.

At some point, I ended up grabbing two flower pots for Hayden, "Your place is seriously dead. Thought these might liven it up a bit."

"Oh, so you think I'm not lively enough?"

"Fine, fine. Maybe the flowers will just add a little fragrance to your space. Who knows, could even help with your love life," I teased.

Hayden smirked, and there was something in that look like he was about to say something flirty. I immediately threw my hand up. "Don't. Just don't."

He stayed quiet, like a good boy.

With Hayden carrying the plants, we kept wandering around the market. It was almost midnight, but the streets were still buzzing with energy. Knowing he had work in the morning, I finally said, "We should probably head back."

"You sure? You don't wanna walk around a bit longer?" he asked.

"Nah, I'm getting tired," I said, throwing in a fake yawn.

We started walking back, but Hayden was unusually quiet. I didn't really notice, though-I was too distracted by all the food stands and random trinkets.

At one point, I spotted a stall with these cute floral headpieces. Feeling silly, I grabbed one and popped it on my head. How do I look?"

Silence. I turned around to see Hayden staring, looking a little... off.

He gave a slow nod and, after a beat, mumbled, "Uh... It looks nice."

1 frowned and stepped closer. "You don't look nice. What's going on? Are you okay?"

That's when I saw it-the beads of sweat all over his forehead. Like, a lot. My heart skipped a beat as I

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Chapter 167

grabbed his wrist. "Hayden, are you sick?"

"My stomach's acting up a bit," he admitted, not even trying to hide it.

My mind flashed back to earlier-Hayden scarfing down that coffee jelly. "It's the coffee jelly, isn't it?" I asked.

He hesitated, not answering right away, so I tightened my grip on his wrist. He finally gave me a small, guilty, "Mm."

I felt frustration bubble up. "How long has it been hurting?"

"Since we started walking..."

I raised my hand, fully prepared to smack some sense into him, but when I saw his face-pale and sweaty - I stopped myself. Instead, I grabbed his arm. "Alright, we're going to the hospital. Now."

But Hayden didn't move. Instead, he gently pulled me back, then casually paid for the flower headpiece I'd thrown on earlier as a joke.

I wasn't even planning on buying it. But now, thanks to him, I guess I was stuck with it.

I didn't bother arguing. He was looking worse by the second, so I dragged him toward the nearest hospital

It was late, and I wasn't sure if we'd even find the right doctor at this hour, so I tried calling Lena.

No luck. She didn't pick up.

With no other options, I rushed Hayden straight to the ER. After a quick check-up and some tests, the doctor said he had acute gastroenteritis-most likely from that contaminated coffee jelly. Weirdly enough, I was totally fine. Maybe he had more of it than I did. The solution? Hook him up to an IV drip and let it run its course.

Since Hayden got sick because of me, there was no way I was leaving him alone.

I sat with him in the infusion room, watching as the usually tough, unshakable Hayden looked surprisingly vulnerable. The pain had softened him-he seemed weak, but in a weirdly endearing way. It was kind of funny, but also a little sad.

I couldn't resist. Pulling out my phone, I snapped a quick picture of him in this rare, helpless state. Hayden- noticed right away, reaching out to stop me. "Hey, stop messing around."

"You're the one messing around," I teased, dodging his hand.

What started as him trying to grab my phone turned into a playful little scuffle. Even with the IV in his arm, we were laughing and joking like a couple of kids-until someone else walked into the room. We both froze instantly.

When I saw who it was, the smile on my face tightened

Chapter 168