Page 149 of What's Left of Us

The teenager leans against the counter with one expectant eyebrow popped up. Does she want me to eat one right now? “How did you get here?” I ask, peeling open the wrap and taking one of the cookies out. She’s eyeing them, so I grab another one and pass it to her with a knowing smile. “A cookie tax.”

Hannah grins, biting into the treat. “Mom had to go to one of the stores down the street, so I told her I’d drop off the cookies. Last time we went out, she wouldn’t stop talking to some old woman she ran into. I was bored out of my mind.”

“So you decided to make a cookie delivery?”

“It’s your birthday tomorrow,” is all she says.

My lips twitch. “It is,” I murmur.

It’s basically the anniversary of the night Lincoln and I met. He hasn’t said anything about it, so I haven’t either. Leani already tried making plans to host a party at their house, but I turned it down, knowing it would be another fight in the making with the man I married. With good reason, I guess. There’s no doubt in my mind that the people on the guest list would cause nothing but trouble.

Trying not to think about Lincoln’s parting words after he opened my legs on the breakfast table, I clear my throat. “Thank you, Hannah. This is very thoughtful.”

She finishes her cookie and brushes her hands off. “Are you and my brother going to get divorced?”

My eyes widen at the question. “What?”

“I heard my mom and dad talking about it. They said Lincoln spends a lot of time there now because something is wrong at home. He’s been coming over to fix random things at the house that aren’t even broken. He even offered to help me paint my room.”

I frown, and simultaneously, Hannah and I say, “He hates painting.”

She nods. “Exactly. So, are you breaking up or something?”

“Hannah…” What am I supposed to tell her? “No, we’re not breaking up. Things have been a little tough lately, that’s all.”

“So fix whatever the problem is.”

I force a smile. “I wish it were that easy.”

“What’s so hard about it?”

I’m not even going to try to explain the dynamic I have with my family. “It’s complicated. But everything will be okay.”

My wavering smile doesn’t seem to appease the teenager. “My parents like you. And they don’t like seeing either of you sad. Especially Lincoln. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t want to see you that way either.”

Something tugs on my heart. I’m fairly certain my father would be happy to see that. Then he’d be proven right about the life I’ve chosen for myself.

But I don’t tell Hannah that.

I swallow the truth.

Like always.

“For the record,” I tell her, “I don’t want Lincoln to be sad either.”

“Good.” She nods approval. “Me neither.”

I gesture toward the cookies. “Thank you for these. Tell your mother I appreciate them.”

She stuffs her hands in her pockets and glances at the door for a minute before looking back at me. “If it makes you feel better, I told Lincoln to pull his head out of his butt and make things better. And our parents said that if he loves you, he should try to fix things before they’re actually broken.”

All I do is stare at her.

Hannah shrugs. “Hopefully, he listens.”

Absentmindedly, I slowly move my head up and down. “Yeah,” I murmur. “Hopefully.”

After she leaves, I pull out my phone to call him, but I’m distracted by the voicemail left from the number I was told not to save.

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