Chapter 341
“Nah, I’ll pass.”
Denver smiled, though there was an apologetic edge to it. “Hadley’s pretty down about all this. I doubt she’s eaten.”
She needed someone to check on her, make sure she got something in her stomach, and let her know things might still work out.
Denver glanced at Barrie and gave him a nod. “Seriously, thanks again. I’m heading out.”
“Well…” Marshall watched him go, and then let out a sigh. “Man, he’s got it bad for Hadley.”
“I can’t blame him,” Barrie said with a knowing look. “Don’t you think Hadley’s changed a lot?”
Barrie had a point.
Marshall nodded. “Yeah. She’s really grown up.” The loud, reckless girl from before was gone. Now, Hadley carried herself with a calm confidence, her striking appearance only adding to the sense that she’d transformed into someone entirely new. No wonder Eric had taken an interest. Whether that would end up being good for her, though, was still up in the air.
Just then, the private lounge door swung open, and Eric walked in. Traffic had held him up, making him arrive a little later than planned. Marshall and Barrie exchanged an unspoken look, their smiles carrying the same hint of amusement.
Eric eyed them suspiciously as he leaned back against the couch. “What’s with you two? You look weird. Are you sick or something? Need a doctor?”
Barrie was the first to speak. “Yeah, sick over Hadley.”
Marshall added, “Classic case of jealousy syndrome.”
They exchanged glances, their amusement only half-hidden. “Eric, what kind of medicine do you recommend?”
Eric furrowed his brows, clearly puzzled.
“I’m being serious,” Barrie said, though he barely held back a chuckle. “Denver came by earlier looking for me.”
As a friend, Barrie felt Eric had a right to know what Hadley was going through. After laying out the situation, Barrie turned to him. “So, what are you planning to do about this?”
Eric hesitated for a moment before letting out a short, dismissive laugh. “What does this have to do with me? Denver’s already handling it.” He was the ex-husband now. That meant keeping his distance.
Barrie let out a sigh. “Even if my mom steps in, I wouldn’t hold my breath.”
Denver made his way back to West Twelfth Alley.
“Hadley…”
As the door swung open, Hadley couldn’t hide her surprise. What was Denver doing back here again?
“Don’t let this get you down.”
Standing under the soft hallway light, his sharp features were softened by a quiet concern. “I’m trying to find a way to fix this for you.” He brought up Barrie’s mother for a moment, touching on her connection to Blanche. “So perhaps there’s still a possibility.”
Hadley stood there, momentarily taken aback.
Denver had only been gone a short while, yet he had already done this much for her. Even if things didn’t work out in the end, there was no way she could turn him away again.