Hadley chose not to interrupt, quietly retreating to her own room.
Around eight, nearly nine, a gentle knock came at the door.
She didn’t have to guess who it was—she already knew.
Rising, Hadley opened the door to find Eric standing there—tall, calm; his shirt a bit rumpled from the night’s vigil. He offered a small, tired smile. “May I come in?”
“Of course.” Hadley stepped aside, motioning him in. “Come on in.” He nodded and stepped inside.
Hadley closed the door behind him and followed, settling across from him on the sofa.
They faced one another, silence stretching between them.
For a long moment, neither said a word. Newest update provided by Find1Novel.net
Though only separated by the modest stretch of a coffee table, the space between them felt vast—an invisible chasm neither dared cross. Eric’s eyes lingered quietly on Hadley’s face, taking in every detail. Her makeup masked the truth beneath—the pallor and fatigue he knew she tried so hard to hide.
At home, she rarely wore any, preferring to face the world unadorned. But tonight, it was a shield, concealing the exhaustion etched into her features.
Sleepless nights and silent struggles left their marks, just as they had on him.
After only a few restless days, he found himself recoiling from his own reflection.
“Hadley.” His voice was low, steady, a breath drawn deep before he finally spoke her name.
“Yes?” She answered immediately, as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
Their eyes locked, an unspoken understanding passing between them—fragile but undeniable.
A gentle curve lifted her lips into a tentative smile. “What is it you want to say?” she asked softly. “Go ahead… I’m listening.”
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Eric nodded slowly, a tightness catching in his throat as emotions threatened to spill over.
When he finally spoke, his voice was rough, worn thin by days of silence. “I already know.”
“Okay.” Hadley’s breath hitched, surprised by his quiet acceptance. He’d been dodging this conversation for days, but tonight, the weight of it could no longer be ignored.
“Back then…” Eric’s eyes glistened, reddened and fragile, his pale face trembling as he struggled to find the words. “You must have been so scared…”
Hadley stiffened, a shiver running down her spine as she clenched her hands tightly in her lap.
His lashes were wet now, clinging together as he blinked hard to hold back tears.
“A young woman… barely out of her teens, all alone in a strange country, working in a restaurant with her newborn daughter… harassed by two men…”
Every word landed like a knife, carving pain straight through his chest. During those days when he stayed away, the image haunted him—shredding his heart again and again.
“Hadley…” His lips parted, but shame caught his voice, silencing the apology he longed to speak.
.
.
.