Page 84 of Love Like This

“Without a doubt.” Hadley touched her heart. “It got me righthere.” As everyone dried their eyes and posed for photos with the happy couple,Hadley knew that something had come unfastened inside her. She kissed Taylor’scheek, said a quick goodbye to all of her friends, and made a hasty exit. She’dbarely made it onto the sidewalk before the tears hit fast and heavy. Afterholding the emotion back for weeks, it assaulted her now with an intensity thatalmost brought her to her knees. She held a hand across her midsection andwalked directly to her apartment, stopping for no one. She choked on the ambushof sadness, twisting uncomfortably against the pain she’d avoided for so long.Once inside, she leaned against the closed door and slid to the floor. She’dyet to make a sound, but that first sob was upon her in a matter of moments andit racked her through and through. She cried for what was, she cried for whatshe’d lost and what she would likely never have. She’d done the right thing insending Spencer to Paris, hadn’t she? Why did it feel like such an awfuldecision now? She took out her phone and through blurry vision stared at thephotos she and Spencer had taken together over the months since they’d met. Itwas too much. She pressed the phone to her forehead. What had been the point ifthey weren’t meant to be together in the end? Why bring Spencer into her life?

There was a knock on the door behind her. She did her best to wipeher eyes but with the tears continuing to fall, she was less than successful.Better to just ignore it. They’d go away. Only they didn’t. Another knock.

“Had. Open the door. I’m not leaving.”

She closed her eyes. Gia. “Not a great time.” The words werestilted and her voice cracked when she said them.

“I know it’s not. That’s why I’m here.”

She couldn’t face Gia right now, not when she was so raw andripped apart. “I’ll call you later, G, okay?”

“No, not okay.” She heard Gia slide down the outside of the door,which left them sitting back to back, separated by just that slab of wood.Hadley turned her head to the side and rested it against the door. Knowing Giawas on the other side actually did bring an unexpected comfort. “If you don’twant to talk to me, just listen, okay?”

Hadley nodded, not that Gia would know.

“I’ve been where you’re at right now. It’s the worst place, andyou start to second-guess everything and yourself. Nothing that was importantto you before really matters, except that other person. Am I close?”

Hadley nodded again.

“I’m going to imagine that your silence means yes. If that’s whatyou’re going through, Had, and it’s hard to know because you’ve been so bottledup, you have a decision to make.”

“What decision?” she heard herself ask, eager for any kind oflifeline or guidance at this point. She was floundering and not sure how toright herself any longer.

“Whether to push through this pain to the other side or to dosomething the hell about it.”

She turned and faced the door, her emotions firing. “What am Isupposed to do?”

“That’s for you to decide.”

Hadley blinked and nodded. She pushed herself into a standingposition. She could continue her new sad existence or take back what it was shewanted. She opened the door to find Gia standing outside, waiting. “I have togo to Paris,” Hadley said, with calm determination. “If that’s where Spenceris, that’s where I have to be.”

Gia stared at her. “Well, you’ve always loved the city.”

Hadley practically fell into Gia’s waiting hug as the tears cameagain. She wasn’t so quick to let go either. “Thanks, G,” she mumbled. “I don’tknow what this means for my life here or how I’m going to make this work, but Ihave to try, right? Maybe we’re never going to ride off into the sunsettogether, but being with her for even a small amount of time is better than notat all.”

Gia nodded. “If Spencer is what you want, you definitely have totry.”

“I’m terrified.”

“I know.”

“But I have to do it, right?”

“You have to follow your heart. That’s exactly what you would tellme to do.”

Hadley took a deep breath, and noticed that, with a sense ofdirection on board, even a scary and less than ideal one, the tears began torecede. She could breathe again, if only a little bit. Now it was time to gether world in order for what could be a very big leap. This was either thesmartest or the most reckless thing she’d ever done. Didn’t matter. The gamblewas worth it.

“If I do move to Paris, will you and Elle visit me?”

“Please. Just try to keep us away from the wine and baguettes atyour place.”

Hadley grinned and geared up.

Here goesnothing…

Chapter Fifteen

Autumn held up Hadley’s black and white plaid coat. “This one isdefinitely going.”

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