Chapter 53
Hannah and Noah were silent for a long moment, his expression unreadable in the dim parking lot light. When he finally spoke, his voice was low and even. “We don’t need to talk about love right now, Hannah.”
I laughed bitterly, shaking my head. Of course, he would reduce it to that; to nothing. “No? Then when, Noah?” I demanded, stepping closer. “When are we going to talk about the fact that you clearly still have feelings for your ex-girlfriend? That you’ve felt this way…forever?”
“Hannah…” Noah pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing wearily.
“You’re a coward,” I spat, the words escaping before I could stop them. “You’re too afraid to face your own emotions, and it’ll cost you everything.”
Noah’s head snapped up, his eyes flashing with hurt and anger. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he retorted.
“Don’t I?” I challenged, crossing my arms. “If you don’t get your act together and be honest with yourself, Drake will steal Zoe away for good. And then where will you be? Because I won’t be here much longer. You won’t have me to fall back on.”
Noah’s jaw clenched, his fists tightening. For a long moment, he stared at me, his chest rising and falling heavily. Then, without a word, he opened the car door and slid into the driver’s seat. “Get in,” he said.
I stood frozen, unsure what to do. Part of me wanted to apologize, to retract my harsh words. But another part, seething with resentment and jealousy, refused to yield.
The car engine rumbled to life, and Noah rolled down the window, staring intently. “Get in the car, Hannah,” he repeated, his tone brooking no argument.
Biting back a retort, I opened the passenger door and slid inside, slamming it shut harder than necessary.
The drive back to Nightcrest was tense and silent, punctuated only by the engine’s hum and occasional radio static. I stared out the window, arms tightly crossed.
As we pulled up to the mansion, Noah parked and turned to me. “Go inside,” he said, his voice flat. “I have some business to attend to.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but his expression silenced me. With a curt nod, I stepped out onto the gravel driveway, watching as Noah drove away without a backward glance.
The next evening found me outside the community center, palms sweating, heart racing. Beside me, Viona offered an encouraging smile, squeezing my arm gently.
“You’ve got this, Hannah,” she murmured. “It’ll be okay.”
I nodded, managing a shaky smile. “Thanks, Viona. See you later?”
“Of course. We’ll grab nachos, and you can tell me everything,” she replied, giving my hand a final squeeze before returning to her car.
Taking a deep breath, I entered the center, following muted voices down a hallway. At the end, an open doorway spilled warm light into the dimly lit hall; I heard women’s laughter and conversation.
I hesitated in the doorway, my heart pounding, taking in the scene. A circle of chairs sat in the center of the room, occupied by women of various ages and backgrounds.