Hearing his apology only made Hadley uneasy.
“Please don’t say that…” Hadley waved her hands, trying to reassure him. “You haven’t done anything wrong. There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”
He had shown nothing but respect.
“So then…” Zane managed a small smile and spoke in a lighter tone. “I’ll take that as you accepting my apology. Let’s just get things back to normal. We’ll keep being friends, and you shouldn’t feel any pressure around me. Is that all right?”
“Of course,” Hadley said while agreeing, still a bit out of sorts.
He made it sound so easy, as if none of it had happened. But some things, once they were spoken, left their mark—like footprints pressed into fresh snow.
Even after Hadley returned home, the whole thing lingered in her mind. If it had been anyone else, she might have turned down the offer to remain friends. But Zane wasn’t just anyone—he was Colleen’s cousin.
On top of that, he had gone out of his way for her more times than she could count. All she could do was hope they’d both be able to move past the awkwardness and hold on to their friendship.
They were both adults and mature—surely they could handle this, right?
A few days after her conversation with Lisa, Hadley received the script she had been waiting for.
Lisa called not long after. “Did you get the script?”
“Yes, Ms. Beckett, it just arrived,” Hadley replied, phone pressed to her ear.
“I want you to study it thoroughly. We’ll discuss everything once you’re finished.”
“Alright.”
For days, Hadley lost herself in the script, blocking out everything else.
Meanwhile, Elvin had shuffled her schedule, postponing whatever he could. With Hadley joining Lisa’s project, it was important to avoid too much media attention for now.
? ? .
While drying Joy’s hair after her bath one day, Hadley noticed her phone light up with Colleen’s name.
“What’s been keeping you busy these days?”
“I’ve just been at home, working through the script.”
“You should take a break. My birthday’s coming up soon. Hadley, would you do me the honor of showing up?”
Colleen had first returned to the country in secret, carefully concealing her arrival from even her own family. Since the Hayes family hadn’t hosted a welcome-back party, most relatives remained unaware of Colleen’s return.
Eventually, the Hayes family planned a lavish celebration for Colleen to mark both her birthday and her return home.
Hadley smiled warmly and nodded. “Of course, I’ll be there.”
When the day of Colleen’s birthday banquet arrived, Elissa went to Jewel Avenue to meet up with Hadley first.
“Huh?” Hadley blinked in surprise. “You’re not going with Ernest?”
“He’s tied up and couldn’t make it. He asked me to come in his place.” Elissa rolled her eyes with a grin. “Why should I stand in for him? I’m not his family. I’m Colleen’s friend—I’m here because she invited me, alright?”
“Exactly.” Hadley smiled and gave a small nod.
.
.
.