Page 87 of At First Catch

Another pause.

Hadley

Nolan.

Just my name again.

Soft even through text.

I lean forward, elbows on the desk, phone loose in my hand, while the marina lights shimmer beyond the windows.

Me

What?

Long silence.

Hadley

Today felt important.

The honesty in those four words nearly devastates me.

Me

It did to me too.

Three dots appear.

Hadley

Good.

I smile.

Me

That’s all I get?

Hadley

Don’t get greedy, Pierce.

Me

Little late for that.

God help me. I’m gone for her already.

Completely.

This should freak me out more. Instead it feels strangely inevitable.

Like every lonely road in my life led directly here: to a marina on Back Bay. To a loud, intrusive family. To a dark-haired woman who leaves coffee on my desk and looks at me like I belong somewhere

My chest tightens painfully.

Before I can think too hard about that, I type out another message.