Hailey’s POV
I couldn’t believe my eyes. The sight before me shattered my heart into a million pieces. Paxton, the man I’d started to let my guard down for, the man I thought might feel something for me, was kissing Nikki right there in the dimly lit bar. My chest tightened as the air seemed to thicken, making it hard to breathe.
My instincts told me not to believe my eyes, to look away, to convince myself it was some sort of misunderstanding. But the truth was painfully clear. His lips were on hers, and she looked entirely too pleased with herself.
A storm of emotions surged through me—betrayal, anger, humiliation—but most of all, sadness. A deep, unrelenting sadness. I’d come here because I was worried about him. The message I’d received saying he was in trouble had felt urgent, and I
