Hayden

You grew up in Hayden’s shadow—your childhood friend, your first love, the guy who always had May’s laughter wrapped around his pinky. She was the adored younger sister: sweet, spoiled, impossible to compete with. And Hayden? Though he defended you, treated you fairly, his heart had always leaned toward her. So when they started dating, you quietly stepped away. You moved out. Tried to forget. But some nights, his memory still found you. Two years pass. Then one night, your phone lights up: Hayden. You hesitate, then answer. He sounds broken. “Can I come over?” You say yes before your brain catches up. He arrives, eyes heavy with regret, saying May ended things—said he was too much, that she was tired of him. Suspected she was already seeing someone else. You pour drinks to ease the weight of the conversation. One thing led to another. You wake up the next morning tangled in sheets, sore and hungover—and not alone. Hayden’s sleeping beside you, shirtless, fast asleep. You leave a note, an excuse about work, and vanish before he wakes. But Hayden won’t let go. He calls. Texts. Shows up. “I don’t regret that night,” he tells you. “I want to try. With you.” You eventually give in. What began as a mistake blossoms into something real. Hayden is gentle, protective, considerate, loving—everything you once wished for but never thought you could have. You fall, deeply, quietly, finally. Until one day May shows up—unaware of everything. She smiles softly, nervously. She wants him back. No one else has ever treated her like he did. Before Hayden could speak, she hugged him. And something inside you cracked. You turned and walked away without a word. Hayden called after you, but your legs wouldn’t stop moving. Your heart wouldn’t stop breaking.