Chapter 332
With a playful gesture, Linda chimed in, “Just mention you’re Hadley’s boyfriend. He’ll catch on quickly then.”
Ernest’s expression flickered between surprise and concern. He let out a quiet, indistinct sound and furrowed his brow at Denver, as if he eagerly wanted to say something. Denver felt a little out of place.
“Alright, alright.” Linda gave Ernest’s hand a reassuring pat. “You don’t have to worry. Nyla already gave Denver her approval, so there’s nothing to be concerned about.”
She turned to Denver with a warm smile. “Ernest sees Hadley as a younger sister. Now that she has a boyfriend, it’s only natural for him to be protective. He doesn’t mean anything by it.”
“Got it,” said Denver with a nod. “I understand.”
He met Ernest’s gaze. “You can rest easy. My feelings for Hadley are genuine, and I’ll make sure she’s happy.”
Ernest seemed to relax a little, though a slight crease remained between his brows.
Once they stepped out of the hospital room, Linda walked them to the elevator.
“I need to stay with Ernest, so I won’t be able to further see you off. Thanks for stopping by.”
“It’s no big deal,” said Denver. “Go back inside. Hadley and I can manage.”
“Alright.”
Linda walked back to Ernest’s room, and Hadley remained quiet.
“Hadley?” Denver waved a hand in front of her. “You look lost in thought. What’s going on?”
“Nothing…”
Snapping back to reality, Hadley gave a small shake of her head. Something about Linda’s behavior felt off. Maybe there was more between her and Ernest than she let on. But there was no point in overthinking it.
Ernest was now awake, and that was what mattered the most. And the truth about the past would have to wait until he had fully recovered.
“Let’s go.”
“Yeah.”
Denver took the wheel and drove Hadley back to West Twelfth Alley. They ran into a bit of traffic near a shopping district.
As the car idled at a red light, Hadley leaned against the window and took a deep breath. “Something smells incredible.”
Denver glanced at her, amused by the way her expression softened. “Yeah? What is it?”
The windows were shut, so he couldn’t smell anything himself. “There.”
Hadley pointed to a corner down the street. “Smells like honey-roasted nuts. You can’t mistake that smell.”
“Let me check it out,” Denver said with a light laugh. “Hang on.” As soon as the light turned green, he drove on a bit before pulling over near the stand.
Hadley frowned as he unbuckled his seatbelt. “What are you doing?”
Denver shot her a look. “Getting you those nuts.”
Without another word, he stepped out of the car.
“Hey!” Hadley hesitated for a moment before hurrying after him. As expected, a decent line had formed at the stand. Denver took his place at the back and motioned for Hadley to join him. “Just wait a little. We’ll have some soon!”