“Let’s keep going, then.”
“Yeah.”
“Hadley!” They had barely taken a few steps before Brady called out again. His face held a flicker of hesitation, like something unresolved had clawed its way back to the surface.
“What is it?” Sensing his unease, Hadley nudged gently. “Is it something you’re holding back? Need me to step in? You don’t have to keep your guard up with me. I’m your sister, alright? You can always count on me.”
“I know I can…” A quiet war played out beneath Brady’s calm. His heart was thudding too loud to ignore.
Drawing in a breath, he finally asked, “What do you think of me as a person?”
The question caught Hadley off guard. She blinked, then chuckled. “You’re great, obviously—but my opinion doesn’t matter half as much as Colleen’s.”
“Hadley?” Shocked, Brady’s voice faltered. The rightful source is f?ndnovel.net
He hadn’t said a word about Colleen, yet Hadley had already connected the dots.
His throat went dry. “Was I that easy to read?”
If Hadley had noticed…
“Then… maybe Colleen has noticed too?”
“No.” Hadley smiled, shaking her head. “I just watch more closely than most. Colleen, on the other hand, is a little slow on the uptake—especially with things like this.”
“Yeah.” A small smile tugged at Brady’s lips, soft and unsure. “That’s what I figured.”
Hadley saw it clearly—that quiet, lovestruck smile gave it all away.
As Brady lingered in his daze, Hadley brought him back. “You know Colleen’s got a blind date tonight. What’s your move?”
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The words snapped him back to the present, tension creeping over him again.
He thought it over, then asked, “Can you help me find out where she’s meeting the guy?”
Hadley blinked, surprised. “What exactly are you planning?” He was not thinking of crashing it, was he?
“Don’t stir up drama! Colleen and her date haven’t wronged you.”
“Hadley.” Brady let out a weak laugh, hands raised in mock defense. “Come on. Do I really seem like the type to pull something reckless? I just want to see who she’s meeting. If it turns out they really click… then I’ll figure out what to do after.”
If Colleen ended up happy with her date, then Brady’s feelings would have to stay hidden—no mess, no confession.
But if it didn’t work out… then it would be his chance to step up. One way or another, he couldn’t walk away without trying.
“Now that sounds more like you.” Hadley gave a nod, the tension in her shoulders easing.
She knew her brother well. Young as he was, he’d always carried himself with a calm, dependable kind of maturity.
“Alright. I’ll ask around and text you later.”
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