Her voice tightened with frustration.

“Have you forgotten you spent years unconscious from that injury? And now you think it’s fine to drink like this? What about Elissa? What about Locke? Is this how you honor them?”

“No.” Ernest lowered his head, looking like a scolded child.

“I know… I messed up.”

She wasn’t wrong. He missed Elissa so badly that the only thing that dulled the ache was drinking.

From across the room, a quiet laugh escaped Eric. He was watching from the other sofa, unable to stop himself. Ernest’s sheepish expression reminded him too much of Locke.

Hadley snapped her head toward him.

“What’s so funny?”

Eric froze.

“You seriously think this is a joke?” Her glare shifted straight to him.

“At least Ernest drank because he was upset. What about you? What’s your reason? Brain damage?”

The words came fast and sharp.

“You just had major surgery. Your head’s still healing. And you decide to drown yourself in alcohol? Are you trying to kill what’s left of your common sense?”

Eric felt the heat drain from his face.

“Alright! I get it—I was wrong!”

“Exactly!” Ernest chimed in, pointing at him.

“He was worse than me!”

Hadley looked between the two of them and shook her head, exasperated.

“Hadley,” Kira said as she stepped forward, holding two steaming towels, “here. Wipe Mr. Scott’s face.” She handed one to Hadley and brought the other to Ernest.

Lɑtτ cнαρτ?rs ιn glov?ls.

With a tired sigh, Hadley took the towel and walked over to Eric.

“Here. Clean yourself up.”

“Okay.” He took it from her hand, unfolded it, and laid it across his face.

Almost instantly, he flinched and cried out.

Hadley stepped back, startled.

“What happened?”

Eric pulled the towel away, staring at her as if something had just clicked. A flash of memory broke through the haze. He was drunk—too drunk. A girl had stood in front of him, furious.

“I was wrong!” he had pleaded, but she hadn’t said a word.

In a panic, he had dropped to his knees.

“I was wrong. I’ll never do it again.”

And this time, he saw her face clearly.

“Eric?” Hadley waved a hand in front of his face.

“What’s wrong?”

She glanced down at the towel in his hand.

“Did it burn you?”

Frowning, she muttered, “You should’ve waited. Let it cool down a bit first.”

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