Dead For Life by Stacy Claflin & Nolon King

Author:Stacy Claflin & Nolon King
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone

Chapter Twenty-One

Hadley checked her texts after adding the final touches on her makeup. It felt good to be putting effort into how she looked again. Almost made her feel normal.

She’d been ignoring virtual school, the idea of catching up in the summer sounding more and more appealing every time she considered the possibility. It wasn’t like she would be walking around the beach with Ellie and their other friends.

Nothing was ever going to be normal again. She might as well take the time to rest and recover — she needed it after spending what felt like months in the hospital, dealing with Nurse Ratched.

With any luck, that woman had been fired. Dr. Fallow and the others probably had no idea how horrible she was to the patients. If any good came from Hadley’s stay there, at least it was that. Dr. Fallow had walked in on that psychopath torturing her.

Her phone sounded with a text.

Rick was ready to meet.

Hadley let him know she would leave in a few minutes. Then she pulled up her favorite picture of Duke on her phone — she really needed to have some of these printed and framed.

She ran her finger over the image of his face and sighed. “It’s not a date, and I’m not replacing you. I just need a friend. Hopefully you understand. If you were still here, I’d obviously be going to you. Actually, if you were still here, none of this would’ve ever happened. Everything would be perfect still. Now it’s …”

Hadley sighed, unable to find the right word. Frustrated, she turned back to her mirror and double-checked her makeup before heading downstairs.

Mom was in the kitchen. Must be lunchtime already.

That had to be why Rick had wanted to meet at a restaurant. She’d thought it was for breakfast.

She had lost all sense of time since being in the mental hospital. Sleeping all kinds of weird hours.

“You’re up.” Mom smiled. “And wearing makeup.”

“I’m going to meet a friend for lunch.”

“What friend? Are you reconnecting with someone? Is it Ellie?”

She sighed. “Mom, no.”

Mom lifted a brow. “Who, then?”

“Just a friend.”

“Who is it? Have I met her?”

“No. I need to go. I’m going to be late.”

“Where are you going?”

“To lunch. Why the fifth degree?”

“Third,” Mom corrected. “And because I worry about you. I think I’ve earned that right ten times over.”

“It’s just lunch. I’d think you’d be happy I’m getting out.”

“I am. Just curious about the timing. Who are you meeting?”

“Gotta go, or I’ll be late. Bye, Mom.” Hadley blew her a kiss and hurried outside before she could question her any further. If Mom found out that Hadley was meeting Rick, she’d never allow Hadley to leave.

Her parents would see him as another Duke. Same age, and he even looked like Duke.

It was so dumb how society would be okay with the relationships once Hadley had her next birthday, but now it was taboo. Not that she had a relationship with Rick. She just wanted to properly thank him for helping after the accident.

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