Hadley hooked her fingers gently around his. Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Promise you’ll stay?”
Eric nodded, reassuring her at once. “I’m not going anywhere. I’ll be right here.”
That promise seemed to put her at ease. Her eyes drifted shut, and she fell asleep within minutes, worn out from everything that had happened.
Eric listened for the slow, even rhythm of her breathing before quietly freeing his hand and slipping out into the outer room.
Phillips and Tamara were both waiting in the suite. Eric closed the door softly behind him, his brow furrowed with worry.
Now that he had a moment to reflect, he realized this wasn’t the first time Hadley had been startled. Something similar had happened a few days earlier during their visit to Elissa.
This made twice now.
He turned to Tamara. “You’re with her all the time. Has she ever been frightened like this before?”
Tamara hesitated, thinking back, and finally shook her head. “No… but…” She paused, then continued, “Hadley hasn’t really been scared much before this, but lately, she’s been unusually tired.”
Tamara sounded unsure. “Maybe I’m reading too much into it. Maybe she’s just been working herself to the bone on set these days.”
“No, I don’t think so…” Eric shook his head. Tamara’s words struck a chord with him. A thoughtful look crossed his face. “She really has seemed more worn out than usual lately.”
He remembered several recent moments when Hadley had complained about feeling drained.
Now, after these two unsettling incidents—first, when she thought she saw something floating through the bushes, and now when she felt someone behind her but saw no one—it couldn’t be dismissed.
“Mr. Scott,” Phillips spoke up, his voice hesitant. “Did Hadley ever have PTSD in the past?”
Your next chapter awaits g?lnσνls?c?m
Recovering entirely from PTSD was nearly impossible.
Phillips mentioned it because the issues affecting Hadley seemed to be rooted in her mind, not her body.
Eric immediately caught on to what Phillips meant. His brows furrowed as realization struck him. He took a moment to process it and then gave a small nod. This explanation made a lot of sense.
“Hadley had been seeing a therapist before,” Eric pointed out.
“Yes,” Phillips confirmed. “She used to see Dr. Hamza Perkins.”
“Right.” Eric remembered Hamza as well. He gave instructions. “Contact him. When Hadley wakes, I’ll bring her to see him.”
“Right away.”
By the time Hadley regained consciousness, the clock had already passed ten. She became aware of a gentle pressure on her waist. Looking down, she saw an arm resting there.
.
.
.