I Stopped Waiting And Traveled Alone Chapter 07

I Stopped Waiting And Traveled Alone Chapter 07

I didn’t know what to say. I opened my arms and gave him a soft, brief hug.

Jesse froze for a moment before carefully hugging me back.

For days after, Hayes camped out outside our office building, determined to catch me.

HR pulled me aside, speaking cautiously. “Jenna, who is that man out front? This constant loitering… it doesn’t look good for the office.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll sort this out as soon as I can.”

Rain still poured down outside. Hayes stood stubbornly in the downpour, soaked and disheveled. When I finally paused in front of him, his eyes lit up with desperate hope.

“Aren’t you going to work? What will it take for you to leave me alone?”

His voice was hoarse. “Jenna, just have one meal with me. Let’s talk this out.”

Inside the restaurant, Hayes painstakingly peeled and deveined shrimp, carefully placing them on my plate- a level of thoughtfulness I had never seen from him before.

He rambled about recent events: new movie releases, the restaurant near our old apartment that had closed

down.

I stayed quiet.

When we were together, I had always been the one talking nonstop. Deep down, I had been afraid of losing

him.

I cut him off. “What exactly are you trying to say? You wanted to talk.”

Hayes wet his lips, and the light in his eyes slowly dimmed.

After a long pause, he spoke bitterly. “Jenna. I know I was an asshole. I got so used to your company and everything you gave me, I took it all for granted. I forgot you needed that same care in return.”

“I’ve always had to come first in everything. My pride runs deep, and I treated love like another competition” He paused, voice trembling. “Hit me, yell at me. Just don’t shut me out.”

“Hayes…”

Afraid of what I might say, he cut me off urgently. “Let me finish.”

“I know you can’t stand how close I am with Hannah. I swear I’ll set clear boundaries with her I’ll even quit my job. I can move to Hightown. Jenna, I’ll do anything-just don’t leave me.”

“Please, Jenna. I truly cannot live without you…” His eyes reddened.

I stared, astonished. This proud man was begging right in front of me.

Hayes pulled out his phone. “I bought two plane tickets for Salvinton. Say the word, and we can leave

anytime!”

“I’ll make up for every wrong I’ve done to you, bit by bit, step by step.”

I watched him calmly, even feeling a flicker of sorrow for the state he was in. “Hayes, you know this won’t fix

anything.”

He slammed his fist on the table, breaking down. “Why won’t it work!”

“Jenna, you weren’t like this before. You used to ask where I was. You got upset when I spent time with

Hannah. You checked my call logs and questioned every unknown number.”

“How can you not care anymore? Get mad at me! Hit me!” He seized my hand and forced it toward his own

face.

“Hannah had a cat. Security cameras in her apartment! Go check! Nothing ever happened between us!”

Tears dripped from his face onto my palm.

I lowered my gaze. When had it all turned into this? He was unraveling, while I felt nothing. My calm made him look like the irrational, over-emotional one-exactly like the old me.

“Hayes, for the last time. There is nothing left between us.”