Eric’s chest tightened at the request. His breath came unevenly, ragged with emotion.
Trying to hold it together, he gave a sharp nod and muttered, “Fine. I’m going.” Without another word, Eric turned on his heel and walked off at a quick pace.
Hadley watched him go, caught off guard and unsure how to react.
In her mind, she quietly blamed his short fuse for how much worse things had gotten on his end. Rather than chase after him, she chose to let it go for now.
With her attention shifting, she faced Zane and offered a small smile. “About the other day, Zane… I owe you an apology. But—”
“Let me guess,” Zane said, a playful curve on his lips. “You’re about to tell me there was some confusion and it had nothing to do with Mr. Scott, am I right?”
Hadley’s brows lifted in surprise. “That’s exactly it. But how did you figure that out?”
“If he was to blame, you wouldn’t be standing here calmly speaking to him.” Zane gave a glance toward Eric.
Still a bit unsure, Hadley tilted her head. “And you’re not worried I might be hiding something?”
“Not even a little,” Zane replied with a confident shake of his head. “I just wouldn’t fall for someone I didn’t trust completely.”
That caught her off guard. Hadley’s eyes widened, not expecting such firm faith from him.
With a shrug and a gentle smile, Zane added, “Chances to really show you who I am might be running low, huh?”
Words escaped Hadley completely.
Zane had voiced every thought that had been weighing on her mind.
All that remained now was an apology.
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She pressed her lips together, guilt threading through her voice as she began, “I’m sorry, Zane.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for.” Zane’s warm smile spread across his face—a gentle gesture meant to ease her tension. “You never made me any promises. This was all my one-sided pursuit. No need to be nervous.”
His shoulders lifted in a casual shrug. “We never actually began anything, so doesn’t that mean everything remains exactly as it was?”
Could everything truly return to how it had been before?
Hadley found no issue with this arrangement. Her only concern centered on whether he might harbor any discomfort.
“Don’t worry.” Reading her expression perfectly, Zane offered another reassuring smile. “I’m mature enough to handle this. Minor disappointments like these won’t shake me.”
He paused for a moment before adding with gentle humor, “You never led me on or used my feelings against me, so I’m hardly devastated.”
“That’s true…” His lighthearted approach amused Hadley, and she felt the knots in her shoulders begin to loosen.
The heavy guilt that had been pressing down on her chest dissolved, making room for deep gratitude and genuine admiration for Zane’s grace. “Thank you, Zane.”
“Not at all.” Zane’s head shook gently, another soft smile playing at his lips. Though he accepted the conclusion of something that had never truly started, disappointment and regret still lingered beneath his composed exterior. After a moment’s hesitation, curiosity won over discretion. “May I ask if you and Eric have reconciled?”
.
.
.