Chapter 388
But he hadn’t expected…
“Hadley.” He clasped his hands together, fingers twisting as he fought to steady himself. “Do you… know everything?”
“Yes.” Her gaze was steady as she nodded. “You know, you don’t have to do any of this. Why didn’t you just tell your parents there’s nothing between us?”
“Hadley!” Denver’s voice sharpened, almost desperate. “Don’t say that.” His voice was unsteady. “Hearing you say that hurts more than losing my home.”
She exhaled softly, her tone gentler now.
“Denver, don’t walk away from your parents. Go back and talk to them. They’re merely acting in your best interest.”
“Hadley…”
A heavy weight pressed against his chest. The past few days had been a nightmare, but through it all, he had refused to break.
He had planned to find Hadley once things were better—once he wasn’t just barely scraping by.
“You care about me, don’t you?”
Denver shook his head quickly. “I’m fine, really,” he said, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “This is just a rough patch. With my degree, I’ll land a job soon, and—”
“No.” Hadley’s throat tightened. The words caught, but she pushed them out anyway. She couldn’t let him brush this off like it was nothing. “You’re your family’s only son. You shouldn’t have to go through this.”
“Hadley…”
“Hear me out.” She took a slow, steady breath. “A real relationship should help both people grow. It shouldn’t feel like a weight dragging you down.”
Hadley met his gaze, her voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside her. “Denver, I don’t want to drag you down. You’re my only friend in Srixby—I can’t be the reason you lose everything.”
“Hadley…”
She was already on her feet, her vision blurring at the edges. “Just go home. I’m not worth the trouble. And from now on… we won’t be seeing each other again.”
Before he could say another word, she turned and ran.
“Hadley!”
Hadley pushed forward without hesitation, her heartbeat hammering in her ears. Behind her, Denver’s footsteps pounded against the pavement.
“Hadley!”
Inside the car, Eric spun his phone absently between his fingers. When he finally glanced up, his brows lifted in mild surprise—Hadley and Denver were sprinting straight toward him.
What the hell was going on?
Before Eric could fully process it, Hadley yanked open the passenger door and scrambled inside.
“Hadley—”