Chapter 310

By the time the plane touched down, the sky was already turning a deep orange and pink.

“Wow, Hayden, this is the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen,” I said, practically glued to the window.

“It is,” he agreed, sounding casual, as always. He was a man of few words, but I’d gotten used to it.

It wasn’t until we were in the car and I scrolled through my phone that I saw his latest post. He’d snapped a picture of that very sunset and captioned it: "[Because you’re here with me.]"

My heart did a little flip. It didn't connect at first, but then I realized: I'd said, “This is the most beautiful sunset I’ve ever seen,” and he was saying, “It is,” because you’re with me.

Well, alright then! If anyone said Hayden didn’t know how to show affection, I’d be the first to call them out. He was far too good at it.

“Hayden, are you back this time to finally tie the knot?” teased the man driving us, one of Hayden’s friends who’d been waiting at the airport.

“No, not this time,” Hayden answered with his perfectly cool vibe.

Wait, so… next time?

“Your girlfriend is gorgeous,” the man said, stealing quick glances at me.

“Yeah,” Hayden said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. One had no problem stating it; the other had no problem agreeing, leaving me feeling slightly awkward.

“Hi, I’m Zach Dutton,” the man said, flashing a friendly smile.

I smiled back, trying to be equally composed. “Keira Kay.”

“I know, I know,” Zach said. “Yuna talks about you all the time. Everyone in town knows your name.”

Great, now I was blushing again. I let out an awkward laugh. “Really? Guess that saves me the trouble of introducing myself, then.”

“No need, no need. A beautiful lady like you? People remembered you from the last time you were here,” Zach continued, each compliment making me squirm a little more. Silence seemed like the best option.

But then Hayden leaned in and whispered, “Looks like your bold move paid off.” I couldn’t exactly retort with Zach present, so I lightly pinched Hayden, silently telling him to cut it out.

While I remained quiet, Zach proved to be a total chatterbox, filling the car ride with gossip: who had a cat that looked like a bizarre science experiment, who caught a huge fish, which boy was crushing on which girl, and which widow had just moved in with some man…

The last time I’d been here, trailing behind Yuna, this place seemed a peaceful haven, untouched by the outside world. Listening to Zach, however, I realized even this “paradise” had its share of drama.

“Alright, enough with the gossip,” Hayden finally interrupted, giving Zach a pointed look. “Even if it’s true, it’s not your place to spread it. Remember what happened the last time you got carried away?”

Zach scratched his head awkwardly. “I just got excited seeing you guys and couldn’t wait to share everything. I’d never say any of this to anyone else.” It was clear Zach looked up to Hayden.

But since Hayden’s reprimand left him looking embarrassed, I decided to be kind. “Zach, with how charming you are, I bet you have a girlfriend, right?”

“No, no,” Zach shook his head quickly. “But with you being so pretty, I’m sure your friends are too. You could set me up, right?”

Wow, he really didn’t hold back.

I just laughed and said, “Sure, why not?”

Hayden leaned in, his voice low and teasing. “You know he’s serious, right? Next time he sees you, he’s going to be all over you, asking about it.”

Really? I glanced at Zach’s back. Was he actually that serious?

“You didn’t tell Yuna we were coming, did you?” Hayden asked as we drove into the village.

“Nope, I kept quiet just like you said,” Zach replied, glancing at me with a smile.