Something familiar about it.
Like I’d heard it before.
When I woke, my head was resting on his shoulder, leaving damp marks on his black cashmere coat.
1 jerked awake, looking at him apologetically. “Sorry…
He didn’t seem to mind, his dark eyes calm as he said, “We’ve reached.”
“Oh, already?”
Looking out the window, I realized we’d stopped outside the Jefferson estate.
Davis tapped the glass.
The driver understood, quickly getting in to drive through the gates.
My mother rushed out at the sound, beaming when she saw me. “Davis mentioned he had business near the airport today and could pick you up, so I didn’t want to get in the way!”
“Mom…”
I touched my nose, embarrassed. “Let’s go inside, it’s cold,”
“Oh, yes, yes.”
She turned to Davis. “Come in for some tea, Davis. Your uncle just brought back some premium tea leaves yesterday.”
Davis handled it gracefully. “Thank you, Mrs. Jefferson, but I have matters to attend to. You and Hannah should catch up.”
Hearing him call me “Hannah” felt surprisingly natural.
As if he’d always called me that.
Mom didn’t insist, just gave him the tea to take to his father.
He accepted graciously.
After he left, Mom gave me a questioning look. “Where were you two? Didn’t you land at 9:30? Why are you just getting home?”
I couldn’t blame her curiosity.
The airport was only forty minutes from home.
But it was already 1 PM
Davis…
Had walted in his car for two hours.
2/4
Yet never mentioned it when I woke
1 suddenly thought of Nathan.
He would’ve made sure I knew about anything he did for me.
–“Hannah, I took two buses to get your favorite pastries, try them.”
“Hannah, I waited downstairs for half an hour to avoid walking you, thankfully breakfast isn’t too cold,”
But even that “kindness” was meant for someone else.
The thought made me smile bitterly.
Mom handed me hot tea. “What are you smiling about? I asked you a question.”
“We arrived earlier.”
I told the truth: “But I fell asleep in the car, and Davis never woke me.”
Mom looked surprised. “That boy’s just like his father, seems so rigid, but he’s quite thoughtful.”
She went to cook my favorite dishes.
After I’d eaten most of it, she spoke seriously: “What happened with that boy from Brookshire? Your father wanted to wait for
you, but I sent him to the office, thinking you might not want to talk about everything with him here.”
did he d
“It’s just us girls now. Tell me, did he do something to hurt you?”
Originally, I thought I was fine.
Didn’t feel particularly hurt.
None of that heart–wrenching pain you see in dramas.
Just felt like I’d wasted my love on someone who didn’t deserve it.
A lost cause.
It didn’t matter.
Life goes on.
But hearing Mom’s question, my vision suddenly blurred.
I kept eating, head down. “No.”
“Hannah, I’m your mother.”
She poured me a hot drink. “I carried you. You think I can’t tell when something’s wrong?”
1 sighed. “We just broke up.”
“He had someone
else?”
