Hadley Marshall slipped on her shoes and immediately noticed that one heel was higher than the other, causing her to stumble sideways right into Coleson Reynolds' shoulder. Coleson remained calm and reached out to steady her.
Flustered by his touch, Hadley quickly regained her footing and pushed him away. "Can you just stay away from me? It's like bad luck follows you everywhere."
Coleson, confused, replied, "But I was the one who got hit earlier. Seems like I'm the unlucky one to have bumped into you."
"Then maybe keeping your distance would be wise," Hadley retorted, grabbing her bag from the ground and heading for the bus.
Coleson watched her hobble down the street, her broken heel making her walk awkwardly. Feeling a pang of sympathy, he quickly caught up with her, gently reaching for her hand.
"What are you doing?" Hadley asked, surprised.
"You look miserable trying to walk like that. I can't just stand by and watch, regardless of what anyone thinks," Coleson stated firmly.
Without waiting for her to argue, he led her to his car. Before she knew it, Hadley was settled into the passenger seat. As they drove, she kept a cautious eye on Coleson, remembering his penchant for speed. "You know, if you weren't breaking the speed limit, we'd get to the hospital a lot quicker," she mumbled.
As they sped down the highway, weaving through traffic, Hadley's heart pounded with anxiety.
"I don't need a hospital! Just drop me off at a nearby drugstore," she insisted, struggling with the overwhelming tension.
"It's too late to turn back now; the hospital is the nearest stop," Coleson replied.
With her head swirling and the wind buffeting her hair through the open window, Hadley felt nauseous. "Pull over! Now!" she cried, covering her mouth.
Sensing urgency, Coleson swiftly maneuvered to the side of the road. Hadley rushed out, bending over the barrier as nausea overtook her.
Coleson fetched some tissues from the car, feeling a pang of guilt. He hadn't considered that Hadley might not be well.
After she was finished, Hadley accepted the tissues, her voice filled with irritation. "I must be crazy to get into a car with you."
"It wasn't intentional," Coleson explained.
"Sure, that's what they all say," Hadley muttered.
Before he could respond further, a traffic officer approached, having seen the car pulled over illegally. He gave Coleson a stern look before starting to write a ticket. "You can't stop on the highway like this."
Coleson took the ticket with a smirk. "Think of this as a minor inconvenience. Now, let's get back in the car. I'll take you to the hospital."
Seeing Hadley shiver slightly, Coleson rolled his eyes and added, "I'll drive slower, I promise."
Once back in the car, Hadley's discomfort grew, her head heavy and her energy waning. Coleson slowed down, allowing Hadley to drift into sleep.
When Hadley woke, she felt a cool damp sensation on her hand, followed by a sharp sting that made her flinch. She opened her eyes to see a nurse inserting an IV into her arm. Her pupils widened with panic. "I don't want an injection!"
The nurse secured the IV with tape and smiled reassuringly, "It's already done. You'll feel much better after this."
Only then did Hadley realize she was lying in a hospital recliner. She glared at Coleson, who stood by with his arms crossed. "Coleson, I told you I only needed some medication."
Coleson was unperturbed. "Look at yourself. We're here, you might as well make use of it. Plus, the IV works quicker."
The nurse chimed in gently, "You've got more than just a fever; your blood sugar is low. You really need the IV."
After the nurse tidied up the medical equipment and left, Hadley Marshall glared at Coleson Reynolds. “Why didn’t you wake me up when we got to the hospital? How did I end up here?”
Coleson shrugged, “I tried waking you, but you wouldn’t budge. Honestly, I thought you were out cold. It wasn't until we got here that I found out you had low blood sugar.”
“Just my luck. I haven’t had any symptoms in months, and since meeting you, everything’s been going downhill.”
Acknowledging his part in the situation, Coleson nodded, “Alright, alright, it's my fault. I owe you a meal to make it up.”
Just then, Coleson's phone rang. As he answered, he glanced over at Hadley. When he hung up, Hadley asked softly, “Are you leaving?”
Coleson, hands in his pockets, replied, “I've got something to take care of, but if you want me to stay, I can.”
Hadley turned her head and scoffed, “No need.”
“You said it, not me. I’ll head out then.” He responded awkwardly, but paused before leaving, “Once your IV is done, give me a call, and I’ll drive you home.”
“Alright, go on.” Hadley adjusted the thin blanket around her and settled into a more comfortable position.
Once Coleson left, a chill settled over Hadley. She disliked hospitals, especially being alone on IV. With half the drip still to go, she fished out her phone and called Eloise.
“Hey, Eloise, what are you up to?”
“Just finished my concert, resting in the dressing room.”
Biting her lip, Hadley hesitated before speaking, “I have something to tell you…”
“Go ahead, I’m listening,” Eloise replied calmly, as if she already anticipated the conversation.
Taking a breath, Hadley continued, “Actually, I know Jay Hunter. We went to the same university. As your friend, I wanted to let you know, he... he might not be as perfect as he seems.”
On the other end, silence lingered briefly before Eloise spoke slowly, “Jay has been honest with me. I know you’re his ex. What I want to say is, everyone has a past, and while I can’t be certain Jay and I are meant to be, I believe in giving it a shot. We can’t control each other’s pasts, but I feel something worth exploring with Jay, so I want to give it a chance.”
Eloise’s words were heartfelt, and they comforted Hadley. “The knot in my chest is finally loosening. Since I met you, I've been burdened by this. If I didn’t tell you, I worried you might get hurt and I’d feel guilty. But I wasn’t sure how to bring it up.”
“Hadley, I appreciate your honesty, truly. It shows how much our friendship means to you.”
Playfully, Hadley added, “Or maybe I just hold a grudge against Jay and wanted to make him squirm.”
Eloise laughed, “You’re not that kind of person, I know. Besides, you were the one who broke up with him. You don’t get to play the victim.”
Surprised, Hadley asked, “He told you that too?”
“Yeah.”
Realizing she had misjudged Jay, Hadley sincerely wished her friend well, “Eloise, I hope everything works out beautifully for you.”
“It’s something I need to work on, just like you do. How’s it going with Emir?”
“Oh, don’t start that now.” Hadley muttered into the phone as a nurse quietly entered, checked the IV, and tapped the line.
With the nurse about to remove the needle, Hadley quickly said goodbye to Eloise, ending the call with a wince of apprehension. It wasn’t as painful as she’d imagined, and even the nurse chuckled at her expression. No wonder Coleson had laughed earlier. Hadley touched her face, wondering if it was really that amusing.
Exiting the hospital with a cotton swab pressed to her hand, she looked around for a cab but saw none. Running a hand through her hair, she couldn’t help but grumble, “Coleson really brought me all the way out here and just left…”
As if sensing her predicament, Coleson’s call came through.
Upon answering, his casual voice filled her ear, “Finished with the IV? Feeling better?”
“It was just a minor thing, but sitting in the hospital made it seem worse. You shouldn’t have brought me here. Now I have to find a cab home, and there’s not a single one in sight.”
“You stubborn woman. Didn’t we agree you’d call me after the IV so I could drive you? Why bother with a cab? Where are you?”
“Where do you think? Standing at the hospital entrance.”
“Hang tight, I’ll be there in two minutes.”
Not even two minutes later, Coleson’s car pulled up beside Hadley.
“Hop in.”
She hesitated, “You drive too fast. I’d rather wait for a cab.”
“Don’t be difficult. Just get in.” Coleson’s authoritative tone softened when he saw Hadley standing firm, “Fine, I’ll drive slower. I don’t want to have to turn around and bring you back here.”
Only then did Hadley step toward the passenger seat.
Coleson, not used to driving at such a leisurely pace, felt the impatience creeping in.
Hadley broke the silence, “It's not just you on these roads; you need to go with the flow. Being reckless isn’t worth it.”
Coleson scoffed, “In my car, it’s perfectly safe. Are you trying to spend more time with me?”
She rolled her eyes at his arrogance and turned to look out the window, ignoring his comment.
Passing by a bustling restaurant area, the aromas hit her hard and her stomach growled. Having only nibbled on breakfast and then been unwell, she hadn’t eaten a proper meal all day.
Noticing her distracted gaze, Coleson abruptly changed lanes.
“Hey, that’s the wrong direction.” Hadley pointed out.
“I know.” He eyed the shopfronts and added, “I owe you a meal, and I don’t want to forget. Let’s fix that now and grab something to eat.”
Her stomach agreeing, Hadley nodded without protest.
