Chapter 516

But I couldn’t keep hiding forever. The tougher things got, the less I could afford to run.

I let go of the blanket, and Wayne pulled it back just a little, studying my face. “I heard you got swept into the water. You scared the hell out of me.” That was his way of explaining why he was here.

I managed a weak smile. “What, did I make the news?” I mean, it’s the internet age—of course, someone filmed the whole thing instead of helping.

“Yeah, looking like a poor little thing,” Wayne replied, lifting his hand.

Instinctively, I leaned back, but he just gave me a gentle smile. “Relax, I was just going to fix your hair. Look how jumpy you are.”

I stayed quiet as he sat down on the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. They already checked me over.”

“Doesn’t look like it went too well. You even cried, huh?” he said, noticing my red, puffy eyes.

Wayne probably knew it wasn’t fear that had me crying, but he phrased it that way to give me an easy out.

I forced a smile. “Look at you, Mr. Emotional Intelligence, even lying to make me feel better.”

He nodded. “Yep. Otherwise, you’d keep drifting further away.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. Wayne just chuckled softly. “Rea, I know you’ve been avoiding me lately. It’s because I confessed my feelings, isn’t it?”

Since he’d brought it up directly, I didn’t bother pretending. “Yeah… I just feel kinda uneasy around you now.”

“To be honest, I regret it too,” he said quietly. “I regret messing up the simple, sibling-like bond we had. But I couldn’t keep it in anymore. I really had feelings for you. I thought maybe, just maybe, if I told you, I’d have a chance.”

He was being so open, so honest, that I couldn’t bring myself to shut him down harshly. “Since the day I met you, I’ve only ever seen you as an older brother—just like family. You know, when we were kids, if Jace upset me, you were always the one I’d run to.”

He nodded, eyes a little distant. “Yeah. Lately, I’ve been wondering how I ended up losing that little girl who used to depend on me. After thinking about it, I realized… it’s my own fault—I pushed you away. Can we just pretend I never said anything? Go back to how things were?”

His request genuinely threw me. Once words are out, there’s no stuffing them back in, there’s no way to just rewind.

“Rea, I know you don’t see me that way, so I’ve made myself move on,” Wayne said, lifting his hand in a mock pledge. “From now on, I’m just your brother—nothing more, nothing less. I swear,”

His sincerity made me feel that if I kept holding onto the awkwardness, I’d be the one being petty.

I nodded, holding out my fist, a gesture we used to do as kids. Anytime Jace, Wayne, and I got into trouble and had to keep it quiet, we’d bump fists before facing the adults.

Wayne grinned, bumping his fist gently against mine.

“What mischief are you two plotting now?” Jace’s voice came from the doorway, his gaze fixed on our joined fists.

Wayne pulled his hand back smoothly. “If it’s mischief, of course we’re not letting you in on it.”

Jace walked over, his gaze landing on my face. He immediately spotted the scrape on my forehead—the one Hayden hadn’t even noticed earlier. Back when he actually cared, Hayden would worry if I so much as sneezed. Now I was bruised and battered, and he couldn’t even look at me. People say guys can be heartless; guess they’re right.

“Did they check your head?” Jace asked.

“They did. I’m fine,” I replied, pulling the blanket up a little as a chill set in.

“Are you cold? Running a fever?” He reached out, touching my forehead.

This time, it wasn’t that I didn’t pull away—I just… forgot to. Or maybe it was years of being so used to his touch that it still felt natural.