She stepped closer, her eyes searching Ernest’s face, pleading for some understanding. “Ernest, please…”
“Hadley.” Ernest’s reply came cool and measured. “I know you and Elissa are good friends and you care about her. I won’t blame you this time, but I don’t want a repeat of what happened today.”
A short pause hung in the air before his tone deepened. “Elissa’s acting rashly. I hope you won’t encourage it.”
Turning to Eric, Ernest gave a short nod. “You take Hadley home. I’ll handle things from here.”
“Alright.”
“Hadley…” Tears welled up in Elissa’s eyes as she reached out from Ernest’s arms, lips quivering with things left unsaid.
“Ernest!” Hadley’s heart clenched at the sight, reading Elissa’s silent plea for help.
“Hadley.” Ernest’s eyes hardened, a cold warning in his gaze. “This is between me and Elissa. I need you to stay out of it.”
With that, he tightened his hold on Elissa and strode off down the hall. Hadley made a move to follow, only to have Quentin and several others block her path.
“Please, Miss Pearson. You need to stay here.”
Helpless, Hadley stood there and watched as Ernest carried Elissa out to the waiting car.
Once Quentin stepped aside, frustration boiled over. She spun around, glaring at Eric. “This is all your fault!”
Stunned, Eric gaped at her, feeling completely blindsided.
Hadley let out a shaky breath, suddenly aware of how unfair she was being. Regret filled her voice as she said, “I shouldn’t have snapped at you. I’m sorry.”
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“It’s fine.” Eric’s demeanor softened right away. He lifted a bag toward her. “By the way, you dropped this.”
Inside the bag was the ice cream Hadley had dropped during her frantic dash, which Eric had managed to retrieve.
Hadley took it, then murmured, “Did you know pregnant women sometimes get the strangest cravings? It can bring on the oddest tastes. They might start wanting foods they never cared for before. Sometimes, if they don’t get exactly what they want, they end up heartbroken. Years can pass, but that one missed taste stays with them forever.”
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Hadley spoke as if her words weren’t meant for anyone in particular. Her eyes drifted to the far wall, never once settling on Eric.
Eric’s brow creased. There was a quiet worry in how he said, “Hadley?”
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