But now, what had triggered this devastating regression in her behavior?
And more troubling still…
His tortured thoughts were interrupted as the rhythmic flow of water suddenly stopped.
Eric jolted from his reverie and rapped gently against the wooden barrier. “Hadley? Please respond—are you alright in there? Could you unlock the door for me?”
He remembered the emergency key they kept for situations exactly like this.
“I’m going to retrieve the spare key,” he announced, hoping his voice carried reassurance rather than threat.
Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken anguish. With reluctant resignation, Eric pivoted toward the hall closet where they stored emergency keys.
Before he could take two steps, the bathroom door suddenly creaked open with deliberate slowness.
“Hadley!” Relief flooded through Eric as he spun around, hope brightening his features.
The elation died immediately, replaced by cold dread.
Hadley stood in the doorway like a ghost, her complexion drained of all color. Water dripped from her features, suggesting frantic attempts to wash away tears or compose herself.
Her damp hair clung to her scalp, moisture cascading from the ends in steady rivulets that betrayed her distressed state.
Hadley stood rigid, fists clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned white, tremors wracking her small frame.
“Hadley,” Eric murmured, concern overriding caution as he instinctively extended his hand toward her.
The moment his fingers moved in her direction, Hadley recoiled violently, stumbling backward until her spine collided with the doorframe in a hollow impact.
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A sharp intake of breath escaped her lips as pain shot through her back.
“I swear I won’t lay a finger on you!” Eric’s eyes widened with dawning comprehension as he snatched his hand back as though burned.
“Please don’t be afraid— I promise I won’t come near you!” This content belongs to find?novel.net
He retreated several paces, hands raised in surrender. “I give you my word.”
Hadley’s frightened gaze remained fixed upon him, her rigid posture gradually softening as his retreat registered.
“Hadley.” Eric’s voice cracked slightly as he swallowed hard, struggling to find words that wouldn’t shatter her fragile composure.
“I’ll maintain this distance while we talk—I won’t move any closer. But please, tell me…”
His question emerged with painful hesitancy, eyes searching her face for any sign of what tormented her.
“What’s happening to you? Do you despise my touch this much?”
Hadley remained mute, fists still knotted at her sides, eyelids squeezed shut against whatever demons plagued her thoughts.
That suffocating silence confirmed his worst fears more eloquently than any spoken confession ever could.
.
.
.