Chapter 162

Chapter 162
Sienna's POV

After dinner, Hayes suggested I try to rest, and I agreed, desperate to escape the churning thoughts in my head. But lying in our bed, even with Hayes's arms around me, sleep remained elusive. My mind raced in endless circles, replaying every moment from the hospital, every word my mother had spoken.

At eleven o'clock, I felt Hayes shift beside me.

"Can't sleep?" His voice was soft in the darkness.

I nodded against his chest. "My brain won't stop. Every time I close my eyes, I see today."

"Come on." He was already sitting up, reaching for the bedside lamp. "Let's go for a walk. The night air might help clear your head."

"It's so late..."

"Perfect timing to walk Buddy. He's been on my schedule lately, which means his sleep pattern is completely shot." As if summoned by his name, Buddy appeared at the foot of the bed, tail wagging hopefully. The sight of his eager face, so ready for adventure despite the hour, drew a small laugh from me.

"Okay," I conceded. "But just a short one."

Hayes was already moving, pulling on clothes and locating Buddy's leash. The dog practically vibrated with excitement, dancing in circles as Hayes clipped the leash to his collar.

"Someone's happy," I observed, feeling some of my tension ease at Buddy's infectious enthusiasm.

"He's been worried about you too," Hayes said, scratching behind the dog's ears. "Haven't you, boy?"

Buddy barked twice as if he understood.

I actually laughed.

---

The Silver Pine Valley community park was deserted at this hour, streetlights casting pools of amber light along the winding paths. The air carried the fresh scent of grass and earth, a welcome change from the antiseptic hospital smell that seemed to cling to my clothes.

Buddy trotted ahead of us, investigating interesting scents and chasing the occasional night insect. Hayes and I walked side by side, our footsteps muffled on the soft pathway.

After several minutes of comfortable silence, I stopped abruptly and tilted my head back to look at the sky. The city's light pollution dimmed most stars, but a few bright ones managed to shine through.

"Hayes," I said quietly, "do you think I did the right thing today?"

"What do you mean?"

I touched the silver star necklace at my throat, feeling its delicate weight. "Putting this on. Telling her I'd try to... see her again when she gets out. Because right now, I'm terrified."

"Of what?"

The question I'd been avoiding all evening finally spilled out. "That she'll leave again. That I'll let myself trust her, and she'll disappear. That I'll think this time is different, and it won't be."

Hayes stopped walking and turned to face me fully, his hands coming up to frame my face. "Listen to me, Sienna. What you did today was brave. You gave her a chance, and you gave yourself one too."

"But what if she disappoints me again? What if she later... stops calling? I don't know if I can survive that twice."

His thumbs brushed away tears I hadn't realized were falling. "Then at least you'll know you tried everything. You won't spend years wondering 'what if I'd given her a chance.' And besides..." He pulled me against his chest, his voice dropping to a fierce whisper. "Even if she leaves, you won't be alone anymore. You have me."

I pressed my face against his shoulder, breathing in his familiar scent. "Thank you for coming with me today. I couldn't have done it without you."

"You don't have to face anything alone." His arms tightened around me. "That's what this means." He touched my wedding ring with gentle fingers.

"I used to think I didn't deserve to be loved like this," I whispered.

Hayes pulled back to look at me, his expression serious in the streetlight's glow. "That's because the people in your life before me weren't good enough. But I'm going to spend every day showing you that you deserve everything good in this world."

Fresh tears spilled over, but these felt different—lighter somehow. "You always know exactly what to say."

"Because I love you," he said simply. "When you love someone, you learn their language."

I stood on my toes to kiss him softly, tasting the promise in his words. "I love you too."

"Then let me keep loving you," he murmured against my lips. "Let me take care of you when you're falling apart, and celebrate with you when you're strong. Let me be your partner in all of it."

The walk back to our house felt different—less heavy, more hopeful. Buddy trotted contentedly between us, occasionally looking back as if checking that we were both still there.

---

Back home, we went through our nighttime routine with quiet efficiency. I brushed my teeth while Hayes let Buddy out one final time, then we settled into bed together.

"Still can't sleep?" Hayes asked, his arm tightening around me.

"Not that quickly."

"Want to hear a story about me and Buddy?"

I turned in his arms to look at him, surprised. "Your story?"

He showed a mischievous smile in the dim light from our bedside lamp.

As Hayes began to speak, his voice took on a gentle, rhythmic quality that immediately began to soothe my frayed nerves. "When I first brought him home, he was so small he could barely make it up the front steps. But he was determined—kept trying over and over until he figured it out."

"Stubborn, like someone else I know," I murmured, earning a quiet chuckle.

"When he grew up, he was chasing a tennis ball in the backyard and ran straight into my father's legs. Knocked the old man right over into the rose bushes."

I found myself smiling. "Was your dad angry?"

"Just his pride hurt. But he was furious—threatened to get rid of Buddy immediately. Said he was a menace and had no business in a civilized household."

"But you didn't let him."

Hayes's hand stroked through my hair, his touch gentle and repetitive, his voice gradually slowing. "I had him stay with Bobby first. I visited him every day after school, brought him treats, played with him. I told him that once dad cooled down, I'd bring him home."

"And then?"

"Then Buddy grew up and became the silly boy he is now. But he's always stayed with me..." Hayes paused, his voice becoming even more tender, "just like I'll always stay with you."

I was already half asleep, murmuring, "...Thank you...Hayes..."

He continued stroking my hair, whispering softly as I drifted completely into sleep, "Sleep, baby. I'm here watching over you."