Chapter 339
A dull ache settled in her head. Not that it mattered now. Even if she uncovered the truth, what difference would it make? This time, she had no one to blame but herself.
Hadley barely left her apartment that day, sinking into the quiet weight of her thoughts. By evening, her phone rang.
Denver’s voice came through, casual as ever. “Hadley, I’m outside the studio. When are you getting out?”
She shifted in bed, her tone flat with exhaustion. “I’m not there.”
“What?” Denver sounded caught off guard. “You already left? Did rehearsals wrap up early today?”
He knew how hard she had been working. In just a few days, she was supposed to take center stage.
“Yeah,” she muttered. Her voice lacked its usual spark. “Listen, if that’s all, I’m hanging up.” Without waiting for a reply, she ended the call.
Denver stared at his phone, frowning. Something was off. Hadley sounded distant, almost defeated. That wasn’t like her.
A nagging feeling crept in, and before he could think twice, he turned the car toward West Twelfth Alley.
Hadley remained in bed, sinking deeper into her thoughts. The more she dwelled on her dismissal, the worse she felt.
A sudden knock at the door pulled her from her haze. She hesitated. “Who is it?”
Dragging herself up, she shuffled to the door. When she opened it, she froze in surprise.
“Denver?”
“Hadley.”
It was his first time at her place. He had even gotten lost trying to find the right floor, and the sweat glistening on his forehead made that clear.
But the second he saw her face, his suspicions were confirmed. “You sounded off on the phone. What happened?”
Hadley hadn’t expected him to show up just because of a call.
“Denver…”
A flicker of warmth stirred in her chest, but it quickly faded as reality sank in. She let out a slow breath and admitted, “I messed up. Ms. Nicolson kicked me out of the troupe.”
Denver’s mind stalled for a second. “What?”
The shock hit him hard. This wasn’t just bad news; it was devastating. Lightning Dance Studio was one of the most prestigious platforms for contemporary dancers. Hadley had been right on the verge of making her mark. But now she was kicked out?
“I’m sorry, Denver.” Her voice was quiet, as if she didn’t want pity—just acknowledgment. Sharing the truth was hard enough. Nothing could lift the weight pressing down on her.
“I don’t have the strength for anything right now. I just want to be alone. But… thanks for checking in. I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
Denver shook his head and waved a hand dismissively. “I get it.”
Hadley hesitated for a second but didn’t step aside to let him in. “Well… Guess I’ll see you around then.”