Chapter 12
Once the misunderstanding was gone, my life with Xander became absurdly smooth.
Too smooth.
So smooth that sometimes I would stare at him and feel offended.
Because apparently this man had been in love with me the entire time.
Which meant I had spent months living in unnecessary fear.
One evening, I couldn’t hold it in anymore.
While he was drying my hair after a shower, I turned around in the chair and glared at him.
“So when I made you wear glasses and study with me and stop going to internet cafés…”
He hummed.
“You really didn’t hate it?”
He took a strand of my hair between his fingers and dried it carefully. “No.”
“You never thought I was annoying?”
“No.”
“You never wanted to break up with me?”
This time he actually laughed.
“Harper, you could’ve stood on the table and declared war on the entire school, and I still would’ve stayed.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Then why were you always making those faces?”
He looked innocent. “That was just my face.”
I was so mad I almost hit him with the towel.
Then he caught my wrist, pulled me into his lap, and kissed the side of my neck until I stopped pretending to be angry.
I had to admit, once I understood the truth, a lot of things from the past suddenly started making sense.
Like the fact that no matter how much I bossed him around, he always did what I said.
Like the fact that every time I threw a fit, he looked tired but still stayed.
Like the fact that when I demanded goodnight kisses, he never once actually refused.
Like the fact that after we broke up, he still quietly appeared everywhere I did.
The more I thought about it, the more ridiculous I felt.
Eventually I buried my face in his shoulder and groaned, “I was so stupid.”
Xander ran a hand down my back and said lazily, “A little.”
I bit him.
He laughed into my hair.
Because his mother had approached me once, I still felt a little uneasy about the Hale family.
But Xander handled everything fast.
Cleanly.
Thoroughly.
He told me I would never have to see anyone I didn’t want to see.
He kept that promise.
As for the system, it officially wrapped up the mission and prepared to leave.
Before going, it said to me in a deeply emotional tone, “Host, I’ve overseen a lot of missions, but this is the first time I’ve seen someone nearly lose a hundred-percent target because of a labeling error.”
I said coldly, “Get out.”
It paused, then said, “Still, I’m happy for you.”
That unexpectedly softened me.
So in the end, I told it, “Thanks. Even though you were useless.”
“It was an honor,” the system said gravely.
Then it disappeared.
Just like that, the voice that had lived in my head for so long was gone.
The world became very quiet.
And in that quiet, Xander leaned close and asked, “Who are you talking to?”
I blinked.
Then I looked at his face and smiled.
“My future.”
He stared at me.
Then his ears turned red again.
I still found that unbelievably entertaining.
“Xander Hale,” I said slowly, cupping his face. “You’re really easy to embarrass for someone with your reputation.”
His eyes lowered. “Only with you.”
Then he kissed me until I forgot the rest of the conversation.