Page 121 of Fauxmance

I almost felt bad for the girl, but then I glanced at Hayden's face. There was obviously something going on that I didn't understand. But I immediately wanted to shield him from anyone who put that painful look in his eyes.

"It's a free country," the girl said, crossing her arms. "I can go anywhere I like. You can't tell me what to do."

Her stare went to Hayden.

"You always liked it when I came to your shows. Remember, Hayden?"

"I remember everything," he said, and I'd never heard his voice sound like that before.

His tone was cold and dead, and I wanted nothing more than to take him away from this place. The girl seemed to wince in response.

"They're right," he said. "You shouldn't be here, Rachel."

Rachel?

My mind remembered that name. His cousins had been talking about her at Phillipa's wedding.

"Ah Hayden, don't be like that," she said. "I just wanted to see you. It's been such a long time."

"God," Santino said as the guy beside me chuckled darkly. "He's moved on. Can't you seethat? He wants nothing more to do with yourskanky self."

Ryker and Elliot nodded in agreement, but instead of getting mad at them, her focus shifted to me. Looking me up and down, she took note of how closeHayden and I were standing and shot me a sweet smile.

"Hi, I'm Rachel," she said. "And you are?"

"I'm Magnolia," I said. "Hayden's girlfriend."

She laughed at that.

"Something funny?"

"No, no," Rachel said, "it's just you said that like it means something."

I shrugged. "It does to me."

She shook her head in a oh-aren't-you-sweet way.

"Are you one of Hayden's exes?" I asked.

"No, honey," she said. "I'mtheex."

"Rachel," Hayden said in warning, but she held up a hand.

"She needs to know." Rachel looked at me then. "I'm the girl he fell in lovewith inhigh school. The one he couldn't live without. The only girl who's ever had Hayden's heart."

"Broke it, you mean," Ryker murmured, and right then it was confirmed.

This person in front of me had done Hayden wrong. I didn't know the details, and I didn't have to. She'd crushed him. She'd put that sadness in his eyes. And there was no way I was going to let her diminish him—or me—any further.

Wrapping my arm around Hayden's, I smiled and looked her straight in the eye.

"I guess I should be thanking you then," I said.

Her brows scrunched. "Huh?"

"If it wasn't for you, I might've never met Hayden."

"What are you talking about?"

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