Bye-Bye Jerk, Hello Mr. Right

“Got any wet wipes? Hayden asked. “Or another towel? I need to clean up.” Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

He was clutching my towel, but it was pretty obvious he wasn’t about to use it on his dirty clothes.

“I’ve got some face towels,” I offered, digging out a couple. “You can wet them and use them the same way.”

He hesitated, staring at the face towels like they were alien tech or something.

I couldn’t help but laugh. “Seriously? You’ve never seen these before?”

“Yeah, first time,” he admitted, which somehow made him even more likable.

It kinda made sense, though. He hadn’t been in a relationship and didn’t have any women in his life. And honestly, face towels were a pretty recent trend anyway.

“They’re disposable face towels, mostly for women,” I explained, wetting one and handing it to him. Hayden nodded, finally getting it, and started wiping the dirt off his clothes. As he did, I noticed a smudge on his shoulder, so I grabbed another towel and reached out to clean it off.

The second I touched him, he tensed up a little. I acted like I didn’t notice and just kept wiping.

Then, I noticed a small black mole on the back of his neck, and my mind instantly flashed to that dream- the one where a boy was carrying me on his back, with a tiny black mole in the exact same spot as Hayden’s.

I got totally lost in the thought, trying to figure out if it could mean something, until Hayden called my name, snapping me back to reality.

That was when I realized the damp towel had soaked his shirt. “Uh, all done,” I mumbled, quickly pulling my hand away.

I couldn’t stop staring at that mole on his neck. “That mole… have you had it since you were a kid?”

Her

He reached up, touching the spot. “Yeah, I’ve had it since I was little.”

My heart skipped a beat. Could “Haddy” from my dream really be Hayden?

It felt surreal. I hadn’t known Hayden for long, so how could I have dreamed about him as a kid, carrying me on his back?

I know dreams were just random bits of imagination, full of weird, unexplainable stuff, but this one–it felt way too real. I was completely puzzled.

Especially since I hadn’t even known about the mole on Hayden’s neck until today.

“I’m ready. Let’s go,” Hayden said, turning to face me, which thankfully jolted me out of my chaotic thoughts.

We headed down the stairs together and ran into one of the old ladies from the building on her way up. She flashed Hayden a warm smile and said, “You’re a good man. Come by often and help tidy up when

you can.”

I couldn’t help but think, “Wow, she’s really not shy about asking for favors.”

But Hayden just smiled back, totally unfazed, “Sure.”

A true soldier, always ready to lend a hand..

Even though I knew he was just being polite, I couldn’t imagine him actually coming back here on the regular.

As we stepped outside, Hayden glanced around. “Your neighborhood might be a bit old, but it’s still in decent shape.*

“It used to be better,” I replied. “But now it’s mostly renters, so it’s not as well kept.”

He nodded and followed me to the car. As I started the engine, he asked, “Is the rent here expensive?”

I turned to him, caught off guard. “Hmm?”

He buckled his seatbelt. “Just curious about the rates. Might help when I’m looking to rent.”

There was nothing wrong w

his question, but it left me with this weird feeling I couldn’t shake. Before I could dwell on it, Hayden switched topics. “So what are you planning to treat me to?” “What about you? What do you feel like eating?” I asked as we drove out of the neighborhood. “I’m not picky. Whatever you want is fine,” he said, sounding genuinely easygoing.

Considering everything he’d done for me today, I decided to treat him to a nice meal. But the second we walked into the restaurant, I spotted someone I really didn’t want to see.

And, of course, she noticed me too. Her eyes widened for a split second before she started making a beeline straight for me.

Chapter 18: