Who knew I was the needy type? The thought makes me laugh out loud.
The Bluetooth connects as I merge onto the road, and my phone rings almost immediately.
Guess I’m not the only needy one.
I hit accept, my voice light and teasing. “Hey! Miss me already?”
“Hey.” The response is subdued, almost hesitant, and it’s not the deep, rumbling tone I was expecting.
I blink. “Hannah?”
“Yeah, I’m sorry to call, but... You haven’t answered any of my texts in days. I thought maybe you were upset with me for some reason.”
The phone. Shit.
I’d only just transferred everything to the new device yesterday after Finn removed all the malware.
“Oh crap! I’m so sorry. Something happened with my phone, and I didn’t have access to it for a few days. I just reloaded all my stuff yesterday—I didn’t see your texts.”
“Oh.”
There’s a sad, almost deflated note in her voice, one that tugs at me. Hannah’s usually so upbeat. This isn’t like her.
A faint unease prickles at the back of my mind. “Are you okay?”
“Of course. I’m just...” A heavy sigh crackles through the speakers, followed by a sniffle that sounds suspiciously like she’s holding back tears. “Actually, I’m kind of freaking out a little bit.”
Tension coils in my stomach. I know her ex, Chad, still lurks in the background. Has something happened?
“Is it Chad? Are you safe? Do you need help?”
“No, I haven’t heard from him since that night. It’s just all this wedding shit.”
I feel like smacking my forehead. This weekend is her sister’s wedding. With the family pressure and questions about her own love life, she’s been dreading it for weeks. I can’t believe I forgot.
“It’s been a nonstop love fest around here, and between that and my aunts and mom hassling me about why I broke up with Chad... I’m overwhelmed.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell them how he treated you? It would get them off your back,” I ask carefully.
“Maybe. But I can’t do it now and ruin my sister’s wedding.” She huffs a sad laugh. “I guess I’m just feeling sorry for myself. Everyone around me is so happy and in love, and I’m... alone.”
Guilt twists in my chest. I haven’t told her about Liev yet or about our marriage. I grimace, glad she can’t see me. Nowdefinitely isn’t the time. The last thing she needs is me gushing about my happiness.
“God, I hate being this girl,” she mutters, her voice cracking a little.
“What girl?”
“The one who falls apart because her little sister is getting married first.”
“You’re allowed to fall apart whenever you want. You’ve seen me do it.”
“I know it’s kind of early, but... do you want to meet and have a drink? Or ten?”
I bite my lip, glancing at the clock on the dash. I don’t want to let her down, especially when she sounds like she needs a friend, but I have no interest in going out and getting drunk. I’m much more interested in Liev’s naked plans.
Still... I can’t just bail on her. Not when she’s reaching out like this.
“I’m actually on my way to spar,” I tell her, calculating the time. “Give me an hour? Maybe a little more. I can’t have a bunch of drinks, but I can definitely do a cocktail.”
