Page 55 of Heart So Hollow

My eyes round, shots fired…

Hannah lowers her voice, “What?”

The silence between them is thick and contentious, lasting longer than I expect. I wait, holding my breath, to see what happens next.

Finally, his voice cuts through the air like a hot knife through butter, “Either stay away from him or we’re done here.”

This guy must feel some kind of threatened if he just pulled out an ultimatum like that.

I see Hannah plant her hands on her hips and look at the floor. A moment later, she raises her head with nothing but indignant silence.

“You know what?” He throws his arm in the air, “Find your own ride home.”

Hannah’s date turns on his heel and storms down the hallway, leaving her in front of the coat check. I stand just on the other side of the shade, watching her from the darkness. I know Bowen is waiting for me at the entrance, but I can’t move until she does. I glance down at my hands, relieved when I realize I didn’t bring my clutch, I left it with Bowen. The last thing I need is my phone to go off and Hannah realize I’ve been spying on her domestic drama from the shadows of a coat closet.

Finally, she starts back down the hall toward the entrance, her date long gone by now.

I never actually saw Hannah’s date. I never learned his name. He’s a phantom that blended in with every other face at the wedding. I only heard his angry voice through the wooden shades, a silent witness to their discord, and I won’t see him outside after he disappears into the blackness of the night.

I wait another couple of minutes before emerging from the coat check into the deserted hallway. When I make it back out onto the front porch, Bowen’s leaning against the railing, my beige clutch at his side and his other hand in his pocket, looking more comfortable carrying it than I ever did.

Moments later, Hannah appears in front of him, “Can you drop me off at my apartment?” I hear her say as I arrive at his side.

The audacity.

He casts her a blasé look, “Where’s your man?”

“He left.” She’s curt and to the point. “It doesn’t matter.”

“Can’t.” He’s also curt and to the point.

She scowls at him, “Why?”

In her effort to ignore me, Hannah doesn’t notice my head and eyebrow movements as they volley back and forth between her and Bowen, making a mockery of her plight. But Bowen sees it, evident by the twitch in the corner of his mouth as he tries not to laugh.

“Did you ask Hildy?” he asks, glancing around for his sister.

“No.” Hannah mumbles as she gazes off into the distance.

Right then, Hildy and Jay appear on the porch with Bowen’s parents, Leona and Rick. Leona looks like she’s ready to hit the next party in her black strappy heels and tight, pink maxi dress. Rick looks like he just wants to go home and sleep.

Hildy stops in front of Bowen, “Are you ready to go?”

He reaches for my hand and starts down the brick steps, “Yep.”

All of us descend into the parking lot and head toward the back corner where Bowen’s truck is parked. I remember Hildy and Jay’s SUV is parked in the same direction. As my heels click against the asphalt, all I can think about is how amazing it’s going to feel when I take them off.

Bowen turns to me, “Why don’t you drive?”

At first, I don’t register his question. But when I do, a sense of dread washes over me.

My head falls back in exasperation, “Please don’t do this.”

“Why?” He sounds mildly insulted.

“I don’t want to drive your truck,” I whine forlornly.

I assume Bowen’s implying he’s had too much to drink. Not only do I not want to drive his tank of a truck after a night of partying, but it catches me off-guard that he would even suggest it. He never lets anyone drive his truck. I’ve only driven it twice; once when Bowen dared me that I was too scared to drive it, and the other time I moved it when it was blocking someone else in the driveway. And when he came out to leave for work the next morning, it looked like someone ran it off the gravel driveway in a drunken stupor and ditched it in the yard.

---