Had Eric been the reason behind her rejection? Well…
Hadley weighed her words carefully before responding, “To be completely honest, Eric and I haven’t officially reconciled… However, certain circumstances require us to maintain contact for now.”
Given these circumstances, allowing Zane to continue nurturing hope or investing his emotions in her would be nothing short of cruel.
“Certain circumstances?” Zane caught the deliberate vagueness in her phrasing.
“Would it be appropriate for me to ask what those might be?”
“Zane…” A frown creased Hadley’s forehead as she shook her head with genuine regret. “I’m sorry, but I truly wish I could explain.”
The matter touched on Eric’s safety, and she believed that even the most trusted friends deserved protection through ignorance.
“Alright.” The response caught Zane off guard, but he recovered quickly without pushing for more information. “I understand completely… I won’t pry any further.”
Sincere gratitude colored Hadley’s voice. “Thank you for being so understanding.”
“Think nothing of it.” A faint smile touched Zane’s lips as his gaze drifted to Tamara, who stood several steps away. “I should be going now.”
“Of course,” Hadley responded.
“Oh, one more thing.” He pivoted back toward her, his smile brightening as he added, “Since we’ve established that everything remains as it was, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything. Don’t let this friendship go unused, right?”
“Absolutely.” Hadley’s soft chuckle accompanied her nod. “I promise not to hold back. Goodbye, Zane.”
“Goodbye.” Zane lifted his hand in farewell before sliding into his car.
Hadley remained rooted to her spot, watching as his engine came to life and the car pulled away from the curb. A soft sigh escaped her lips as she reflected on how genuinely wonderful Zane was as a person.
Every journey starts at gα?ησν?s?c?
Though she had endured considerable pain, she had also been blessed to encounter truly remarkable people along the way.
The moment Zane’s car disappeared around the corner, Hadley turned back to face Tamara. “Where is he?”
The question required no elaboration—they both knew exactly who she meant. Earlier, she had requested that Eric give them space, and he had complied by leaving. Given his temperamental nature, there was no telling where he had retreated to brood.
“Mr. Scott is…” Before Tamara could complete her response, Hadley spotted the answer herself.
Eric’s familiar car emerged from around the corner, moving at a deliberate pace as it returned to its previous parking spot.
A frown etched itself across Hadley’s features as she descended the steps. The car door swung open, and Eric emerged with his hands buried deep in his pockets, displeasure written clearly across his face.
His eyes swept the area before a sarcastic smirk twisted his lips. “So, where has the illustrious lawyer Mr. Hayes disappeared to?”
Hadley’s eyes rolled skyward in exasperation. “Didn’t you return precisely because you knew he had already left?”
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