Page 87 of Blue Line

Empty.

I set the to-go bag on the counter.

“Hadley?” I call as I peek into the living room and then into her bedroom, not that she’s been sleeping in there since we got together, but still, I consider it to be her bedroom.

For now.

As I’m turning to walk back toward the living room, the front door opens. My steps falter when she comes into view.

I rush to her side. “What happened?” My gaze goes from the scrape on her knee to her tear-stained face.

“I fell while trying to fucking rollerblade, Weston Reynolds. That’s what happened,” she snaps, and I startle, pulling back.

She doesn’t wait for me to reply, instead pushing past me further into the apartment and dropping her skates onto the floor.

“Let me help you get cleaned up.”

“I can do it myself. I’m a grown woman, Weston,” she snaps as she makes her way to the guest bathroom.

“I didn’t say you weren’t capable. I was trying to help since you’re hurt.”

What’s really the matter? I look around as if the answer will appear out of thin air. It won’t, but I can tell by the tone of her voice that Hadley will not be receptive to my question.

I try a different approach. “I brought tacos home for dinner.”

She pauses, glancing over her shoulder at me. “I’m not hungry, but you go ahead and eat. Put mine in the fridge.”

I take a half step toward her and then think better of it.

I ball my hands into fists so I don’t reach for her because clearly, she needs space.

“There’s a first aid kit under the sink in the primary bathroom if you need it.”

She goes into my bedroom, and a few minutes later, I hear the water turn on. I run a hand through my hair.

My stomach rumbles, so I go into the kitchen, pull out my dinner, and proceed to eat. Alone. In silence. It’s fine. It’s fine. Everything is fine. Maybe if I tell myself that enough, I’ll genuinely believe it.

I’m finishing up when Hadley walks in.

“Hi,” she whispers.

I turn in my seat to face her. “Hey.”

I run my eyes over her, checking for other injuries, but the only one I can see is the one on her knee, which she’s covered with a Band-Aid.

“I’m sorry.” She wraps her arms around herself, staring at the floor.

I scramble out of my seat and over to her.

“Come here,” I whisper, holding my arms open and hoping she’ll let me hug her.

She does, and I feel her relax against me. “Want to tell me what’s going on?” I rub a hand down her back.

She keeps her chest pressed against my shirt. “I didn’t get the job. The one I interviewed with. They sent a fucking rejection email earlier today. Decided before the second round. And I got form rejections today from a few of the others I’d applied for. It’s been one hell no after another, and I snapped.”

“Shit, that sucks, Hadley.”

My heart breaks hearing the sadness in her voice. I want to make it better. Fix it for her. Even if fixing it for her means that she would have had to leave to travel for a year. We could have figured it out. I would do anything for her. Brody and Aubrey did a year of long-distance, and they turned out fine. I know Hadley and I could have done the same.