Chapter 453 William and Hayden （54）
William was somewhat taken aback, but it all made sense at the same time.
He immediately found Michelle's number and dialed it.
On the other end of the phone, Michelle had just woken up and was about to freshen up.
Surprise flickered across her face at the sight of William's call, but as she contemplated it, anxiety started to creep in.
She couldn't just ignore the call.
Moreover, how could she be certain whether William was aware of her sending the photos to him if she didn't answer the call?
After hesitating for a while, Michelle finally answered the call.
"Michelle, it would be better if you used that cleverness for your studies. Otherwise, you're just going to end up hurting yourself," William said, skipping pleasantries and going straight into a stern warning as soon as she picked up the phone.
Attempting to sound composed despite her stammering, Michelle inquired, "William... what... what are you talking about? I don't quite understand."
On the other side, William wiped off his sweat with a towel, his breathing slightly uneven. " What am I talking about? Are you really confused about it in your heart?"
Michelle gripped her phone tightly, her body trembling, but her mind was exceptionally clear.
She was well aware that Hayden and William were living together, and now, hearing William's labored breaths, she couldn't help but picture their intimate moments earlier that morning.
"William, are you talking about the photos of Jasper and Hayden?" After a brief moment of panic, Michelle quickly regained her composure and responded with a deliberate excuse: "I just happened to mention it while hanging out with friends, and they snapped a picture. I was worried there was something going on between Hayden and Jasper that you didn't know about, so I wanted to give you a heads-up. That's all it was; no ulterior motives."
"Really?" William scoffed with a hint of cold laughter. "Then, from now on, you don't need to worry about me and Hayden's business. If there's a next time, I still have plenty of ways to deal with you."
With that, William hung up the phone.
As she listened to the continuous beeps of the disconnected call, Michelle's anger surged to the point where she felt like she might tremble all over.
Since William trusted Hayden so much, fine, next time, she'd give him something solid to chew on.
...
Michelle was a bit uneasy during the morning classes, afraid that William might have told Hayden about their conversation.
By now, Hayden had truly come to see her as a friend, and his demeanor toward her was much warmer than before.
However, her concerns proved to be unnecessary. When Hayden noticed her, he greeted her warmly with a smile. To her relief, when she gestured to the empty seat next to her, Hayden actually took a seat.
"Now, I can relax," thought Michelle.
"Hey Hayden, I heard Jasper's birthday is coming up. Is that true?" Michelle asked him in a hushed tone once he was seated next to her.
Is it Jasper's birthday?
Hayden thought back. There were a few times when Jasper had a birthday that Michelle organized quite lavishly, and his mother had always brought him along.
"Yeah, I think it's in about a week."
"Really?" Michelle's face lit up with excitement as she clung to Hayden. "Do you have time in the next few days to help me pick out a birthday present for Jasper? He's been so good to me, so caring; I need to get him something special."
Seeing her so enthusiastic and considering that the day after tomorrow was the weekend, Hayden naturally wouldn't refuse. After all, Michelle had saved her, and this was the first time she had asked him for a favor.
"So, let's do it the day after tomorrow. We'll decide on the exact time later."
"Great, it's a date."
"Sure."
...
William and Jasper also had morning classes and coincidentally were in the same academic building as Hayden and the others.
Thus, at noon, the four of them had lunch together.
They sat at the same dining table. William's behavior toward Michelle was the same as ever, best described as "turning a blind eye." It was as if the morning's events had never happened. In his eyes and heart, there was only room for Hayden.
Hayden was aware that Michelle hadn't entirely moved on from her feelings for William, but because of how William had consistently treated Michelle, Hayden felt very secure in their relationship. Therefore, sharing a meal together with the four of them didn't worry her at all.
Even though she and William were not the most talkative, with Jasper around, there was never an awkward silence.
"By the way, Jasper, isn't your birthday coming up soon? Michelle dragged me out shopping for your birthday gift. Are you going to throw a birthday bash or something?" Hayden suddenly asked halfway through the meal.
"Yeah, my birthday's coming up! How could I forget something so important?" Jasper slapped his thigh, striking upon the remembrance. "Absolutely, the party has to happen. Dude, I've been so stressed lately that I need to unwind."
"When is it?" asked William out of the blue.
Despite having known each other for over a year, William and Jasper were not familiar with each other's precise birth dates.
"It's this Sunday, the 13th", Hayden answered before Jasper could, turning toward William beside her.
"The 13th!" William frowned slightly. "I'll be in Magnolia this weekend."
"Oh, right. How could I forget? You have that trip," Hayden said, pursing her lips in frustration.
William smiled and tenderly took her hand from the dining table.
"No worries. When you come back, you can cook me a big meal to make it up to me. It's no big deal," Jasper casually remarked between mouthfuls of steak.
Michelle quietly ate her food, wisely choosing to remain silent, but a cunning glint flashed in her eyes.
