His remarkably quick return made it obvious he hadn’t ventured far—most likely, he had been lurking nearby, keeping watch from some hidden vantage point.
Rather than engage in another pointless argument, Hadley strode directly toward the car. “Are we leaving or not? Wasn’t the entire purpose of your visit to pick me up?”
“Exactly!” Eric quickened his pace to match hers, and then darted forward to pull open the car door, his hand automatically moving to shield the frame above her head.
The moment they were both settled inside, the car pulled away from the curb.
Eric’s eyes kept drifting toward Hadley throughout the ride until she finally turned to meet his gaze with patient resignation. “Whatever you’re dying to say, just say it.”
Eric’s confidence wavered as he posed the question that had been eating at him. “I was wondering… what stopped you from leaving with Zane?”
“Don’t you already know the answer?” Hadley’s eyebrows drew together in a delicate frown. “I made you a promise just this morning.”
The realization hit Eric like a physical blow. “So it’s… because of me?”
“Yes.” Hadley’s nod was firm and resolute. “Until you’ve finished everything you need to do and undergone successful surgery, I’ll be here watching over you… and working alongside you.”
The doctor’s grave warning replayed in her mind like a broken record. “He’s literally working himself to death.”
She blinked rapidly, desperate to conceal the panic that threatened to surface in her eyes.
Turning her attention to Phillips in the passenger seat, she inquired, “How did he behave today? Did he remember his medication? Were there any outbursts?”
“Mr…”
“Scott conducted himself exceptionally well today…” Phillips responded with genuine warmth, proceeding to recount the day’s events in careful detail.
L?tｅst ch?pt?rs in glnovels.ο
“Hmm…” Hadley absorbed every word with focused attention, offering occasional nods of acknowledgment.
As Eric studied her profile, the truth became unmistakably clear—Hadley was far from happy.
No matter how hard she tried to mask it, waves of sadness radiated from her very being.
The depth of her distress was painfully obvious.
Had Zane been the source of her current anguish?
She could have allowed her relationship with Zane to blossom into something meaningful.
Instead, because of his presence in her life, that possibility had been extinguished.
“Hadley.” Eric’s throat worked visibly as he abruptly interrupted her conversation with Phillips.
“Hmm?” Confusion flickered across Hadley’s features as she turned toward him. “What’s wrong?”
Reluctance weighed heavily on Eric’s tongue before the words tumbled out in a rush. “Maybe you should go to Zane instead. I’m… I’ll be perfectly fine… haha.”
.
.
.