HANNAH
Luke proposing to me last night was like an out-of-body experience. Time stopped, my breathing stopped, everything went in slow motion. It was like a nightmare except that it was real life.
Now I was in bed the morning after and I felt numb inside.
I couldn’t get out of bed, and my mom had knocked on my door three times. I kept pretending to be asleep, but it was ten a.m. and the restaurant opened in an hour, so I’d have to figure something out.
Last night when Luke had proposed to me in front of the entire town, I just knew I couldn’t marry him and I would never be able to. Not after learning that Jack had shown up at my concert with flowers. Not after seeing Jack run down Main Street last night when he saw Luke propose.
I texted Jack three times with no response.
Hannah with two N’s: Jack, why didn’t you tell me you came to my concert?
Hannah with two N’s: Can we meet up and talk while you are in town?
Hannah with two N’s: Jack, are you there? I said no to Luke. I want to talk to you.
The messages were unread, so either Jack was purposely ignoring me or he’d blocked my number.
I was too saddened by breaking Luke’s heart to care about any of that right now. If Jack wanted to ignore me, then fine. I had bigger problems, like the entire town of Willow Harbor watching me turn down its most eligible bachelor.
“Honey, Jules is here.” My mom’s voice came from the other side of the door.
I sat up. “Come in,” I croaked.
My best friend stepped into my room carrying a bag from Peaches Café and a coffee, and I smiled weakly.
She shut the door and handed me the coffee and the bag without saying a word. I took a sip of the warm caffeine, and sighed as we sat in companionable silence for a full minute.
“I didn’t see that coming. I would have warned you if I’d thought you were going to say no,” Jules said.
I nodded. I hadn’t seen my refusing Luke Halston coming, either. He was my high school crush since I was fourteen. Marrying him had once been my dream.
I shrugged. “I think part of me wondered if he only saw me as wife material because I own a restaurant now and am a successful business owner.”
His comment about still being a waitress if Jack hadn’t bought me the restaurant bothered me.
She nodded. “Valid thought, especially after the way he broke up with you. But…what about…Jack?”
Hearing his name caused me to stiffen. Jack. Jack felt like a dream now. I’d seen very little of him since we first met. And I’d created some obsession with him in my head. Was India greater in my mind than it had been in real life?
“You think I said no to Luke because of Jack?” I asked her. I wanted her opinion because I thought part of me said no for that reason as well, but I didn’t want to admit it. At least not out loud.
“Did you?” she asked, compassion in her voice.
“I dunno.” Then I told her about bumping into Dennis right before and what he’d said about seeing Jack that day in the spring at my concert with flowers.
“Wow. That sounds romantic if he came in to surprise you.”
“I know!” I admitted.
“But then nine months goes by and he doesn’t really talk to you?” she offered.
“I think he might have heard what Luke said to me before.”
Jules nodded. “Have you prayed about it?”
Of course I had. A thousand times.
