Page 101 of The Scientist
“Is that all you’ve missed?” he asked, his blue eyes showing his devastation. I hated this feeling. I hated this, but I nodded, because it was the truth.
“You didn’t even give us a chance. We could have made it work. I still think we can.”
I stopped him before he went any further. “I’m sorry you came all this way, but there’s nothing you can say to change my mind. I don’t want to be with you anymore.”
He still seemed determined. “You’re going to come back to New York eventually. What then?”
I paused for a beat, knowing what I was about to say next was going to sting. “We still won’t be getting back together.”
He stared at me blankly for a few moments before his chin dipped. “Jesus, Hadley. Was I really that horrible?”
“Of course not,” I said quickly. “You’re a great guy, and you’re going to make some other lucky woman really happy one day.”
He looked crestfallen.“Some other woman, huh?”
I wanted to look away from the hurt I saw plainly on his face, but I made myself meet his stare. “I’m sorry, Garrett.”
He nodded like he finally understood. “At least I got to see your face one more time.” His eyes softened as he looked over at me. “I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t seen you in so long, but you look… different,” he said softly. “You were always beautiful, Hadley, but now… I can’t explain it. You just lookradiant.” I didn’t know what to say, so I stood there and let him take me in. He stepped closer, lifting his hand to my face. “It makes it even harder to look at you… seeing what I lost.”
His fingertips barely skimmed my cheek before I registered what he was trying to do. Discomfort prickled at my skin, and I jerked back, but the movement halted as the front door suddenly swung open. Lex stood in the doorway, his expression cold and unreadable, but the quiet menace in his eyes was unmistakable.
His gaze went straight to Garrett’s outstretched hand, sharp and unyielding, as though calculating exactly how to remove it.
“Take your hand off of her,” Lex said, his voice dark and measured. “Now.”
Garrett dropped his hand quickly as if it had been burned, confusion pulling his brows together.
“Lex, nothing happened,” I said, knowing how bad this looked. “And nothing was going to happen, I swear,” I added quickly.
Lex’s expression shifted for a moment, softening as his eyes met mine. “I know that,” he said, his voice steady. But as his gaze shifted to Garrett, his features hardened once more. “Does he?”
“Hadley, who the hell is this guy?” Garrett demanded.
I moved to stand between the two men, feeling like I’d willingly trapped myself inside a thundercloud.
“Garrett, this is Alexsander Strovinski. He’s a researcher here at the university.” I paused, unsure if I was ready for the fallout of my next admission, but I had to be honest with him. “And he’s the man I’ve been seeing.”
Garrett peered at me with a look of betrayal. “Are you serious? You’re seeing someone else?”
I nodded. “Yes. And I’m sorry you had to find out like this, but we aren’t together anymore, Garrett. We’ve been apart for almost as long as we were together. It’s over. It’s been over.”
His frustration mounted, his hand raking through his hair in an agitated motion. “Unbelievable. I told you Ilovedyou.”
The words tugged at something in me, but I couldn’t shake the suspicion that it was an attempt to manipulate my emotions. It felt eerily familiar, the same uneasy feeling I had the first time he said it.
“And I told you that I didn’t feel the same,” I said with a calmness I didn’t feel. “I’m sorry, but this was never going to work.”
He stepped forward, desperation creeping into his movements as he grabbed my arm, fingers digging into my skin. “How can you say that? We were so good together, Hadley,” he said urgently. “You never gave us a real chance.”
“Garrett, don’t,” I said, trying to pull my arm out of his grasp.
In an instant, Lex was between us, forcing Garrett back without so much as a push. He didn’t raise his voice, didn’t snarl. Instead, he leaned closer to Garrett, his voice quiet but deliberate.
“I’m only going to say this one more time,” Lex said, his tone so devoid of emotion, it sent an icy chill down my spine. “Keep your hand off her, or I’ll make sure you never use it again.”
Garrett appeared visibly rattled, but he stood his ground. “I would never hurt her.”
Lex scoffed. “You’ve made it clear there are very few lines you aren’t willing to cross,” he said, low but cutting. “You showed up to her house without bothering to ask if she even wanted you here. You refused to listen when she’s told you multiple times that it’s over. And twice you’ve laid a hand on her without permission. Forgive me if I’m not inclined to take your word for it.”