by L. B. Reyes
I tilted her face up, and though it was dark, I could see her shining eyes. “I want a second date, and a third…many, many more.”
She smiled, kissing me before I felt her breathing even out and she was asleep. It seemed like things were finally looking up for us, and for once, I was ready for whatever the future held.
Chapter 22
Hannah
“You’re all smiles today.”
I sure as hell was.
After my night with Derek, the world seemed brighter. The colors more beautiful, the weather perfect, and the future full of happiness. Truthfully, I didn’t think I’d ever smiled so much in my life. And as sappy as it seemed, I didn’t feel nothing could dull it.
“I suppose that means your date with Derek went well,” Nathan commented, opening the fridge with a grin.
I didn’t say anything. I simply shrugged and took a sip of my coffee.
“I always knew.” He smiled, leaning back against the counter. “You were actually not a pain in the ass while you were with him.”
I gasped, feigning shock at his statement. It didn’t surprise me, whatsoever, but it was funny that he stated it just like that. It was a sign of the progress we had made.
“Well, I did like myself for that time. He was a good influence.”
“And you’re a good influence on him,” Nathan said. “He deserves to be happy, Hannah. You’re good for him. I wish nothing but the best for you two.”
Nathan always did have a good heart. I never thought I’d be able to wish him the same, but I did. I wanted what was best for him and Evie and their growing family.
“Listen…I wanted to ask you a favor,” he said, with an unsure expression.
“Sure. What’s going on?”
He sat near the island, running a hand over his face. “I’m taking Evie to Paris.”
My eyes widened. “You’re what? That’s amazing, Nathan. When are you leaving?”
“A couple of weeks, actually. And Tom is taking care of the gallery, but I wanted to see if you could help him out a bit? You don’t have to, if you don’t want, but it would be good for you, I think. I’ll pay you.”
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t need payment. The fact Nathan even trusted me enough to ask for help was enough. It meant I was doing a good job, and it was more than I could ever ask for.
“Of course I’ll help. You don’t have to worry about paying me, though.”
To my surprise, Nathan stood, squeezing my shoulder. “I want to. Actually, I want you go be the official accountant for the gallery because numbers give me a fucking headache.”
Stunned, I blinked at him. I must have heard wrong. “What?”
“Yeah. Tom and I are busy all the time, and I hate the time it takes away from being with Evie and Lily. Most to blame are the finances. Tom works as a professor at NYU also and doesn’t have much time, so I’d appreciate the help.”
“It’s been years, though, Nathan. I’m not sure—”
“I’m not really taking no for an answer,” Nathan interrupted. “I’ve been thinking, and it’s a way for you to start going back toward the career you like, because you’ve always liked serious shit like business,” he teased. “I don’t mind. It can be part-time, and that way, you’ll build confidence and start clearing up your name.”
“Did Evie put you up to this?” I asked.
“Nope,” Evie chimed in from the living room. “He just told me last night while you were out with Derek. And for the record, I agree.” She kissed Nathan before walking over to the fridge and taking out a whole gallon of orange juice. “I think you should do it, Hannah. Get your foot back in the door.”
I finished my coffee, staring them down. They were accomplices in everything they did.
“Fine,” I said, not without my own conditions, though. “You tell me if I fuck up, and don’t avoid it. I don’t mind. I want to get shit right, and if you ever have any questions at all about how I’m handling things, tell me. I don’t want misunderstandings.”
Evie smiled. She was proud; I could tell by the way she looked at me.
***
For the following days, a lot of my time was spent divided between Evie, Derek, and the gallery.
Nathan took it upon himself to teach me all about the finances of the gallery, along with different paintings and things that I actually knew nothing about. I never knew he was so passionate about it, and part of me regretted holding him back for so long. My comfort was knowing that at least he was now with someone who understood him.
My relationship with Derek remained a secret from my coworkers. I didn’t want anyone to know about it. I didn’t want them to think I received special treatment. The last thing I wanted was to have issues with any of them; I considered them my friends.
But that didn’t mean Derek wasn’t all over me.
We’d sneak into his office every now and then, like teenagers, just to mess around and kiss. Things were always heating up between us, despite having to hide our affections. We went out on a couple dates, though a lot of our time was limited, due to my being with Nathan during the day and working nights at the restaurant.
After a few days of the insanity, though, I offered to babysit Lily for Nathan and Evie while they took a very well-deserved night out.
I sat on the sofa, reviewing paperwork Nathan allowed me to keep, while Lily scribbled on a piece of paper. She was “working” also. She knitted her eyebrows together in concentration as she kept writing, giving the construction paper her full attention. I was getting tired, my head beginning to hurt, as all the numbers merged together. I massaged my temples with my fingers, sighing, before I closed my eyes for a few seconds.
“Aunt Hannah?”
“Hm?”
“Do you want to take a nap? You look tired.”
I smiled, opening my arms to her. I heard her giggling as she climbed onto me so I could carry her. Lily wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her head on my chest.
I couldn’t find this kind of comfort anywhere besides Lily’s embraces. I couldn’t remember my mother ever hugging me like that. My grandmother used to when I was young…and when I would let her. The love Nana gave was without limits.
“I love being your aunt,” I whispered, placing a kiss on her head.
She didn’t reply. Lily had fallen asleep in my arms.
***
A tender kiss on my forehead woke me up. My eyes fluttered open, startled by the sudden sensation, until I saw Derek smiling down at me. He cupped my cheek, and I leaned into his touch. I loved waking up that way.
“Let me take her to bed, hm?” I nodded, letting him take Lily from my arms and carry her upstairs to her bedroom.
I followed behind him after gathering the financial papers and throwing away our trash from the various snacks we’d eaten. I brushed my teeth and got ready for bed, changing into my nightgown and letting down my hair while I waited for Derek.
He didn’t take long. After a few minutes, he walked into my bedroom with a bag in his hands that I recognized immediately. I beamed at him, patting the side of my bed.
“You remembered?”
“Of course I do,” he murmured, pecking my lips. “You always loved Gabriella’s cannoli. I don’t know why, but French cuisine is better.”
It was a playful banter between us; Derek preferred French cuisine, but I loved Italian food. We would find a reason for both of us to get the food we liked and ended up mixing it up, just to eat together.
“I didn’t know you’d be here today.”
“Evie called. She told me you’d be alone with Lily. I figured you could use some company, but you were snoring when I got here.”
I nudged him with my elbow before I took a bite of the cannoli, moaning at the deliciousness in my mouth. I didn’t eat out as much anymore, so treats like that one were appreciated.
“You had your mouth open and you were drooling. Kind of shocking, actually.”
Pressing my lips together, I tried to sup
press my laughter but failed miserably when I met the thorough amusement in his eyes.
When I’d first returned, he appeared to be tortured even being near me, like all the memories of the past kept replaying in his head, reminding him of the chaos we’d been. It wasn’t there anymore. I reached up, placing a soft kiss on his cheek.
“You look exhausted,” he murmured, kissing my forehead. “But how are you liking getting back to business-y shit and all that boring stuff you like?”
I scoffed. Derek always did think things business-related, especially with finances, were incredibly boring. Somehow, he’d seen past the boring me for who I really was, and that was something I’d always be thankful for.
“I love it,” I replied. “I’m exhausted because waitressing is tiring, but I think I may finally be able to get my own car, be a bit more independent. I’m excited.”
“That’s good,” he whispered, pulling me close to him as he lay down on the bed. He ran his fingers down my arm, nuzzling my neck. “Get some rest. We’ll have new hires at the restaurant tomorrow.”
“Mm, new hires,” I replied, closing my eyes. The last thing I heard before falling asleep was his warm chuckle…and it was one of the most peaceful nights I’d ever had.
Chapter 23
Hannah
There were two new hires that week, and it was quite an experience. Their names were Alyssa and Catelyn, or Cat for short. All the people Derek hired were in need of help or getting their life together. It was what he did: helped get them back on their feet, provided them with a job so they could reach financial stability and stay off the streets.
I’d experienced it first hand when he’d hired me, but I’d never realized the extent of help he’d provided. Lisa helped them get used to the job and interacting with others, while Derek gathered information on what they needed to get out of whatever situation in which they found themselves. From rehab to therapy, he did everything he could. He wasn’t rich, but he knew people who were always willing to help. It was a beautiful thing. All of them helped each other without asking for a single thing in return, just because they’d suffered the same things or been in their shoes. I admired each of the people working with Derek even more.
I was one of the chosen ones to train one of the girls, Cat. She was timid, almost too quiet, but she seemed to be growing comfortable around me, more so than around the others because of the time we spent together.
Alyssa was the complete opposite. She was a chatterbox and a total flirt. She flirted with Derek. She flirted with Blake. She flirted with me. I’d been annoyed, but after watching her interact with everyone, it was safe to say her flirting was just who she was. Alyssa was a flirting machine that couldn’t be shut off. And it was annoying as hell.
All in all, everything was going great.
Until it wasn’t.
My third day training Cat, Nathan’s mother, Ms. Debora Maxwell, along with her husband Frank, arrived at the restaurant. Her eyes widened considerably when she saw me, as if not expecting to see me there. She immediately changed her shocked expression, though it returned when I ended up as her waitress.
Frank was as courteous as ever. He greeted me with a smile, and although Deborah did the same, it didn’t meet her eyes. Cat and I took their orders back to the kitchen, from where I eyed the Maxwells’ table carefully.
“Can you do that?”
Cat’s hushed tone took me by surprise. “Do what?” I asked, still spying on the couple.
“Spy on the customers? Isn’t that kind of stalkerish?”
I snorted, turning to face her. She tried to hide her amusement but couldn’t. “They’re my former in-laws, who are now kind of…still my in-laws. It’s a long story, trust me.”
“Sounds like it.” She smiled. “Hey…thank you for being patient while training me. I know I’m not the easiest to deal with because I’m awkward and stuff…but thanks.”
“No problem,” I replied. I didn’t mind. Every passing day, I became more and more comfortable with the direction my life was taking, and to be honest, it was all a humbling experience.
We helped a few other tables while the Maxwells ate, and after that, I took a quick break. To my disappointment, Derek wasn’t there that day. He’d been working for the past days without stopping, so after my insistence, he agreed to take the day off.
I went to the restroom, and for the longest time, I thought I was alone. But while I washed my hands, there was coughing, a lot of it. The type of coughing that accompanies an ill person.
I would have given anything to not know who the person was. Yet when she came out of the restroom and her gray, dimmed eyes met mine…I knew.
***
“How bad is it?” I asked Deborah.
The woman smiled sadly. “Stage three. It’s pretty bad…worse than the first time.”
I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat, and tried to ignore the sting. The burn. Because it hurt. We’d never been close, never spoke much at all, but the news set off a whirlwind of emotions I couldn’t comprehend.
“Do they know?”
She didn’t have to ask who I meant by “they.” Her eyes lost the little bit of hope they’d held at the mention of Nathan and Evie. “No. They don’t. And I want to keep it that way.”
“Does your husband know?”
“I’m sure he does,” she replied, the answer vague.
I ran a hand over my face to try to control what I was feeling. I couldn’t even begin to describe it, though. She was ill, possibly dying, and out of all people, I was the only one who knew. This was the type of news I never learned how to deal with.
“I can’t keep your secret,” I said finally. “I can’t hide this from them, they deserve—”
“Happiness. They deserve happiness.” The conviction in her voice shattered me. Deborah was right and yet wrong in so many ways. “Hannah, you will not say anything. I will go on this vacation with them, they will have fun with a healthy me, and when we return, depending on what’s going on, I will be the one to tell them. I won’t ruin this for them.”
I swallowed, lowering my gaze. “I can’t lie to them.”
“You are not lying to them. You’re protecting them. Please, don’t say anything. Evie is pregnant. She doesn’t deserve this worry. And Nathan…my son is finally happy. I don’t want to be the one who ruins it. Lily, she’s a child. She’s innocent and pure. She doesn’t need to know the destruction cancer can cause. Please.”
Stay calm.
Breathe.
“Are you undergoing treatment while you’re in France?”
“Yes. My doctor has set it up already.” She glanced at the door, then to the watch around her wrist. “Listen, if you’d like, we can go out for dinner tomorrow and talk about this more in-depth. I had some things I wanted to say to you, anyway. Does that sound good?”
I agreed, and after a quick goodbye, Deborah walked out the door.
The night dragged on after that. No matter how much I tried to keep my mind off the situation, I couldn’t. Every possible scenario crossed through my mind: that she was probably going to tell me off during dinner, that Nathan and Evie would be pissed I didn’t say anything, or that she may die and they wouldn’t be able to say goodbye to her.
If there was one thing I’d learned with my mother’s death, it was that people don’t get to choose when someone passes on. Deborah had an illness, but even then, it didn’t mean we’d be ready to lose her. It didn’t mean it wasn’t terrifying. Dealing with emotions was always terrifying.
I didn’t think the day could get any worse, but for me, it did. As I walked with Cat, ready to give a customer their food, I bumped into someone, dropping every single item in my hands.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I started apologizing. I was upset enough, but to add this, the embarrassment was even more frustrating. What I didn’t expect was for the person to laugh at me.
My heart dropped.
Eugene grinned, wide enough to look terrifying and ma
licious. He raised an eyebrow with pride at Cat, who quickly picked up what she could from the floor, as if the mere act of humiliating us caused him joy. When his gaze returned to me, I raised my chin, showing him I wasn’t going to back down this time.
“Seems like you’re going to run this business down,” he said, his gaze traveling down my face, to my body, and lingering far too long on my chest. “I know a few other things you could do better.”
“You’re a pig,” I hissed, attempting to walk past him. Eugene held me back, taking hold of my arm. A shiver ran down my spine, and it wasn’t a good one. It was chilling to know so many people were watching, and yet no one said a single word. “Let me go, Eugene. Now.”
“Mm, just trying to help.” He smiled, looking around the restaurant. Everyone loved their gossip, so their eyes were glued on us. “You corrupting little girls now too?”
I flushed. It was just like him to manipulate a situation into something that would have repercussions on me without caring who else he dragged down. His life had been ruined, so he had to ruin everyone else’s.
“Can’t defend yourself?” he asked, seemingly amused.
“You know what?” I said, tilting my head to the side. “Whatever you have shoved up your ass is clearly clouding your judgment.” Eugene opened his mouth to say whatever other nonsense he’d thought of, but I stopped him, continuing my rant. “Yes, I made mistakes, but you made your own. The fact that you can’t get your shit together, and your company up and running, again shows exactly why you resorted to me in the first place. You can’t get shit done on your own. Fuck you, Eugene. Figure out another way to spend your time and stop wasting mine.”
I turned on my heel and walked away, though I took absolutely no satisfaction from saying what I felt. In fact, the anger, coupled with Deborah’s situation, overwhelmed me. I went to the restroom, splashed my face with water, and tried to breathe through the emotions before going out there and pretending to be okay.
