Luke leaned into my ear, brushing his lips against it and sending a chill down my spine. “I’m in love with you.”
I gasped a little as his hand slipped into mine and butterflies took flight in my stomach.
Jules winked at me and stepped away with our friends, Melanie and Chris, leaving Luke and me alone.
We’d said I love you before, hundreds of times, but we were teenagers then.
Luke faced me, taking my chin in his fingers. “I know you might not be ready to say that back yet and that’s okay. But the truth is, Hannah, I never stopped loving you,” he told me as people walked past us.
I blushed at his adorable words as I gazed into his blue eyes. Luke was the typical pretty boy. Messy blond hair, blue eyes, fair skin. He was…perfect. Yet I wasn’t ready to say those words back to him. The layer of hurt he’d placed over my heart when we were younger was still there—faint, but there. I just needed more time and I think he knew that.
“I’m glad you moved back to town,” I told him, squeezing his hand. “So we could start over.”
He nodded, seemingly unfazed by the fact that I hadn’t saidI love youback. “Me too. You want something to drink? I’m thirsty,” he asked as we walked past the concession stand where there was a huge line.
“Grab me a bottle of water? I’m going to use the restroom,” I told him.
He leaned in and kissed my cheek. “You got it.”
He stepped into the long line as I maneuvered the crowd in search of the bathroom. I had to lift the hem of my long, blue satin dress so that I didn’t trip over it. There had been no time to hem it, and I’d borrowed it from Jules. She had about two inches taller than me. We’d wanted to dress fancy for the event, and fancy wasn’t in my normal attire, so Jules had delivered.
I turned the corner and smacked into the back of someone.
“Oof.” The wind rushed out of me. “I’m so sorr—” The words died in my throat when the man turned around and I saw that it was Jack.
His mouth opened in surprise, and we just stood there, staring at each other in shock. Jack’s gaze ran the length of mydress as I drank him in as well. He looked so handsome. He wore a full tuxedo, and he had a bit of a beard going on, which I loved. Where Luke was angelic in his looks, Jack was dark and mysterious. And I knew I shouldn’t have been comparing the two—or thinking of how handsome Jack was right now.
A gentleman next to him about his age cleared his throat, snapping us both out of our trance.
Jack swallowed hard. “Hannah?”
“Jack,” I breathed, and it was almost like a prayer on my lips.
Why did my heart hurt to see him? Why did it feel like I wanted to cry? Why did I want to hug him right now and never let go? I was with Luke. These thoughts weren’t right, yet I was having them.
“Hannah, who you bought the restaurant for, Hannah?” his friend asked, and Jack elbowed him in the ribs, which caused me to smirk.
“Restaurant Hannah with two N’s.” I extended my hand to the guy.
“Jason with one S,” he responded, which made me laugh.
“Oh, you’re Jack’s business partner?” I asked.
He nodded. “I am. This guy would be nothing without me,” he joked.
Jack gave Jason a look, and the friend nodded.
“I’m…needed elsewhere. Nice to meet you, Hannah.”
“You too,” I told him.
“So, you’re in Seattle.” Jack shifted nervously on the balls of his feet and put his hands in his pockets. It was just last week that he’d ignored my text about my mom being cancer-free and sent flowers instead.
I nodded. “I would have texted, but you don’t respond anymore anyway.” I hated how that came out, but it was the truth.
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the motion. “I’ve been busy,” he muttered.
“Me too,” I countered.
