?Chapter 284:


    So, that was the exnation. He had been wrong about her.


    What was he thinking? Eric should have realized the truth sooner, rather than directly leaping to usatory conclusions andshing out.


    “Hadley…”


    Disinterested in his realizations, Hadley pivoted sharply and exited the room.


    “Hadley!”


    Eric grabbed the shirt, which suddenly seemed far less offensive than before. He quickly donned the shirt. To his surprise, it was a perfect fit. Hadley, paying him no attention, made it clear she was done for the night.


    “It’ste. I’m going to bed.”


    Eric gave a nod, but didn’t look her way. As he finished buttoning the shirt, he finally moved closer to her, his voice carrying a hint of hope.


    “Hadley, look—it fits perfectly. What a coincidence, right? My exact size.”


    Hadley remained uninterested. “Are you leaving or not?”


    Observing her face, Eric could tell she was genuinely upset this time. He thought he should give her space and just leave.


    “I’ll go.” He finally agreed.


    Hadley led him to the door. Yet, at the doorway, Eric hesitated, not quite ready to leave.


    “Hadley,” he said gently. “From now on… I’ll be good to you.”


    For a moment, Hadley paused. She had noticed a change in his behavior recently; he was indeed different from before. Yet, so what if he was being nice now?


    Did his recent kindness mean she was supposed to forgive his past mistakes and just ept him? If that were the criteria, there were many others she should have weed back into her life long before Eric.


    Hadley shook her head. “I appreciate what you did tonight, but like I’ve said before—”


    “Listen, Hadley,” Eric interjected with a rare seriousness, his tone touched by self-deprecation. “I admit I’ve not been great to you, or to myself, to be honest.”


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    He had never really lived for himself. His life had been dictated by familial obligations, always putting his brother, the Flynn family, and their collective interests first. Yet, he couldn’ty all this bare to Hadley.


    With a light chuckle, as if to shake off the weight of his confessions, he added, “Trust me, I’ll show you.”


    Before she could argue, he continued, “It’s gettingte. Head inside. Goodnight.”


    He hesitated, then seemed to recall something trivial yet personal. “One more thing—your shampoo, what’s the scent?”


    Caught off guard by such an unexpected question, Hadley responded almost reflexively, “White tea.”


    “Perfect,” Eric said with a slight, knowing smile. “Now close the door. I’m heading out.”


    He vanished into the shadowy stairwell.


    Hadley lingered in the doorway, pondering Eric’s parting words. That phrase lingered in her mind.


    He just said he hadn’t really been good to himself either. What could he possibly mean by that?


    Her grandmother and N had been acquaintances for many years, yet Hadley hadn’t really known Eric until she was fifteen, after she came to live with them.


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