Here goes my Hail Mary. “Have dinner with me.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to take you out to dinner. You have to eat,don’t you? I think we can manage to share a meal?”
“But…we have a meeting tomorrow.”
“Yes, but I’m hungry and I’d like to just talk.”
Her pause gives me hope. “One meal. No sex.”
Victory is mine.
“I will do my best to keep you from mauling me.”
“Yeah, I’m sure that’ll be the issue,” she says with asmile. “So, where are you taking me?”
“Come on, let’s find out.”
We head to the subway and go a few stops toward the theaterdistrict. “You’re taking me to a show?”
“I said dinner, but if I was planning a show, it would beWicked.”
“Oh, because you identify with Elphaba?” she asks.
“I am totally the good witch here.”
Hadley snorts. “Please. Did you know my cousin is onBroadway?”
“What?”
She nods. “Sebastian, Melanie’s brother. He has a pretty bigrole and, not to sound biased, but he’s amazing and has always had a flare forthe dramatics.”
“A family trait considering your uncle is a big Hollywoodstar. Must be hard growing up in the Arrowood family, with everyone around youalways in the spotlight.”
Her whole family is pretty fucking amazing. Her dad was aNavy SEAL, Declan is some mogul in business, Sean just retired from being a majorleague star who hit a walk off in the World Series, and then Jacob Arrowoodis…well, Jacob Arrowood.
Hadley grins before bumping my arm with her shoulder. “Ithas its challenges. Our family worked really hard to protect us though. Wespent a lot of time on the farm to avoid the spotlight. It’s crazy becausewe’re all pretty grounded. Deep family values with strict parents.”
I laugh at that one. “I know it all too well. My parentsweren’t really strict, they just have very high expectations of us. I neverwanted to disappoint my mom, she’d been through hell after my dad’s suicide.”
I don’t talk about it a lot. There’s really not much to say,but I want to be open with Hadley. I want her to see this isn’t just somefuckfest, I want more.
“I remember you mentioned it.”
I nod. “I was ten. I remember everything from that day. Mymother’s face, the lights outside my house, and then learning he was dead. Ididn’t know how he died, just that he was gone. Mom protected us from the truthfor a long time.”
“I’m so sorry, Cayden,” Hadley takes my hand in hers and Iwrap my fingers around it, not wanting to let go.
She looks at our joined hands as we walk down 44th Street. Italk so she doesn’t try to remove hers. “We all survived. I’m more upset at allthe things he missed. He loved watching Logan play ball, and he’ll never seehim in front of thousands of Yankee fans screaming his name. He’ll never see usget married or have kids. I was angry for a really long time. Now, I’m more sadthan anything.”
“It’s difficult to forgive, I’m sure.”
I nod. “You understand that.”
I know about Hadley’s past as well. During a lecture onprotective orders and the issues the legal system needs reformed most, Hadleybecame very, very angry. She and our professor went toe-to-toe until shefinally screamed that unless he’d been a little girl screaming as she ran toget help as her mother was being beaten within an inch of her life, he couldkeep his opinion to himself.
“I do. Kevin, my mother’s ex-husband who I thought was myfather for years, did things that I can’t really ever understand. I’m…luckythough. My mother was brave and my real dad found us. However, Daddy isincredibly protective of his girls. Bethanne and I never discussed boys aroundhim. It was better for everyone.”
