?Chapter 129:


    Returning from the bathroom, Hadley shook off their brief interaction and turned her attention to preparing for her show.


    Once finished, she wiped off her makeup, changed out of her costume, and got ready to head home.


    “Hey!”


    Just as she was leaving Gnt, someone called out.


    Uncertain if the call was for her, Hadley turned and saw Denver sprinting toward her with a bag in hand. She halted, waiting to see what he wanted.


    “What’s going on?”


    Huffing slightly from his jog, Denver approached Hadley with a slightly red face, handing her the bag with a restrained grin. “I brought this for you.”


    Curious, Hadley eyed the bag warily. “What’s inside?”


    Denver, pressed for time, knew his cousin and Barrie were expecting him. They would tease him endlessly if they knew he’d been out searching for S.


    “Please, just take it,” he insisted.


    In his rush, Denver pushed the bag into her hands.


    Hadley’s brow furrowed as their hands briefly touched before he quickly withdrew his.


    “Got to go!”


    With a smile, Denver turned and dashed away.


    “Wait, what’s inside this?” Hadley called after him.


    Over his shoulder, Denver called back with a wave, “Pumpkin soup!” before sprinting off.


    Pumpkin soup? Perplexed, Hadley peered into the bag. Indeed, the soup was still warm.


    She’d mentioned it offhand, and he’d actually gone and gotten it?


    Did he have feelings for her?


    Stay connected at g?lnσν????s?c?m


    Exhaling deeply, Hadley shook her head in disbelief.


    Was he just a spoiled rich kid chasing a whim, or a clueless one caught up in his first crush? Either way, she didn’t care.


    For now, a new rtionship was off the table for her.


    Still, she was grateful for the pumpkin soup.


    With the bag in tow, Hadley returned to her apartment on West Twelfth Alley.


    In her building, where elevators were unheard of, the stairwell was dark; the lights were faulty across multiple floors, hers included. Reaching into her pocket, she retrieved her phone and activated the shlight feature.


    The beam cut through the darkness when, suddenly…


    Startled by the figure looming at her doorstep, Hadley nearly lost her grip on her phone.


    “You’ve finally returned.”


    A voice emerged from the shadows.


    What?


    The familiarity of the voice sent a buzz through Hadley’s mind. Could it be…?


    Could it be someone she knew?


    Hesitantly, she aimed her phone’s light once more. “Hey!”


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