“Can I try it with a drink now?”
“Oh, yeah,” I said with a smile, pushing off the bar.
I taught her how to mix every drink I could think of—sans the alcohol, of course—while she told me about her life in Salem. She’d just started her senior year of high school and was gunning for valedictorian. She was president of the student council, debate club, and Future Leaders of America. As she’d mentioned before, she held down a part-time job at a pet store and still did the occasional volunteer work on the side.
She was incredible. Sure, I’d only known her for twenty-four hours, but I was an excellent judge of character. Plus, she’d won over Raleigh and Angel in less than a day.
“Hannah, can I ask you something?”
She nodded, bright-eyed and eager as she took another sip of her virgin daiquiri.
I traced a ring of water on the bar from one of the glasses. “What did you need from this visit? I don’t mean to brush you off, it’s just kind of hard to decide what to do without knowing what you expect.”
“I don’t know either. I think I prepared for the worst: that you’d want nothing to do with me. I at least wanted to talk to you, but I was scared to get my hopes up. I wasn’t expecting…” She waved her hand over the glasses on the bar. “This.”
“Did your grandma tell you anything else about me?”
“Just that you left town one day and never looked back.”
I thought about all the things she could have said, all the trouble I’d gotten myself into over the years.
“Would…” She trailed off again, her gaze dropping to her lap. “Never mind.”
“What?”
“Nothing, it’s silly.”
“I’m not easily offended. You can ask me anything.”
She looked up at me again, nervous. “Would it be okay if wekept in touch? I wish I could stay longer, get to know you more. I’d still like that chance. If you want.”
There it was. My chest was getting that tight, squeezy feeling again. Only this time was different: I wasn’t scared. It was accompanied by a warmth spreading through my body. Before I had time to second guess myself, I opened my mouth.
“I’d really like that, Hannah.” I took a deep breath. “Provided your mom is also okay with it.”
She groaned. “I’m so not ready for that conversation.”
I gave her ponytail an affectionate tug as I moved to start cleaning up. “You don’t have to do it alone, kid.”
We fell silent, and for a while the only sounds in the room were glasses clinking and liquid pouring as we cleaned up. Well, and the sound of Hannah tossing an empty cocktail shaker over in her hand. It wasn’t long before Kian showed up to take her to the airport.
I walked them both out and hovered awkwardly by the door while they double-checked that they had everything.
“Be safe,” I said. “Let me know the second you make it home.”
Hannah gave me a smile. “We will.” Her silent boyfriend nodded once.
With nothing else to say, I moved to go back inside the building.
“Ryder.”
I froze with my hand on the doorknob.
“There’s one more thing.”
I turned to see Hannah walking back toward me, but her footsteps slowed a few feet away. “What is it?”
She bashfully looked at the ground. “Can I give you a hug?”
