Page 2 of Love Me

“Attagirl. You okay?”

“Better now. You and me?”

“You and me.”

CHAPTER 1

liam

PRESENT DAY

The floodlights blurpast me before they disappear altogether in my rearview mirror as I drive out of the distillery property and pull onto the open country road. I grip the steering wheel of my Ford F-250 and focus on the empty road in front of me, the familiar flutter of anticipation stirring in my chest just as it has every Thursday for the last five years. It’s the one day a week that is guaranteed to be spent with my best friend, just the two of us, no interruptions.

My headlights barely cut through the pitch black of the night, the only light the glow from the moon above me, casting shadows from the tall Sitka spruce trees that line the long, winding road. I live for the quiet stillness of nights like these, when the sky is so dark it looks endless, when the world is asleep and there is only you and your thoughts. I was born and raised in Aspen Ridge, Washington and I would probably suffocate to death in a city.

Some people grow up in small country towns and count down the days until they jet off to bigger, brighter,and better, but not me. Aspen Ridge buried itself deep within my bones and is just as much a part of me as I am it.

I love our small community, but mostly, I love the location. Nestled on the coast of Washington State, it’s a secluded gem hidden under the watchful protection of the Olympic Mountains, with the Pacific Ocean at our back. There’s a sense of peace here that’s not found in the concrete jungle, as if everything moves slower, suspended in time while the rest of the world continues on at a rapid pace.

Snow falls lightly from the sky, hitting my windshield and immediately melting away as I take each bend in the road, just like I’ve done thousands of times. As I near the edge of Downtown Aspen Ridge, the tiny gold twinkling Christmas lights that stay wrapped around light poles year-round come into view, like a beacon leading me in.

Snow crunches under my tires as I slow my speed, taking the turn down an alley just big enough for one vehicle, barely wide enough for my big-ass truck. Parking behind the brick building, I eagerly climb out, grabbing the cold beer from the passenger seat that I know she’s looking forward to drinking with me. Pizza, beer, horror movies, no phones, no cancellations. It’s been our rule, and we’ve stuck with it, prioritizing detoxing together and not feeling the pressure of any of the responsibilities weighing on either of us.

Walking into Hannah’s after the long week I had, I’m ready for our weekly movie night. The door was left unlocked like usual, so after taking off my snow-caked boots, I step out of the cold Washington winter air and into the warmth of the little loft apartment, eyeing the pizza on the kitchen counter waiting for me. Her apartment sits above her family’s coffee shop and bakery—Bean Haven. It’s small and cozy, and just like Hannah has done with everything else she touches, she’s made it avibrant and happy home for her and her three-year-old daughter, Charlotte.

“Hey, beauty. You ready to argue over which horror movie we’re watching tonight?” I shout out, dropping the beer next to the pizza. When I don’t hear her reply, I leave the kitchen to find her, kicking myself in the ass because she’s probably putting Charlie to bed. As I round the corner, the door to her room is slightly ajar and I push it open a bit more, peering in at the little girl’s sleeping form. She’s cozied up in a bed I built her that looks like a little house. After watching her back rise and fall for a moment, I close the door, moving through the apartment to continue my search for Hannah.

Soft whimpers hit my ears before my eyes are on her, my heart squeezing painfully in my chest. There’s something about seeing Hannah cry that triggers me, like I’m fucking helpless, and it makes me feral. There’s not much I hate more than seeing her sad, but I’m willing to do anything to take her pain away.

Pushing through the bedroom door, I finally see her, rolled up into a ball on her bed, squeezing a pillow to drown out her cries. My heart constricts, that well-known ache in my chest a vise grip as my knees sink into the mattress, body on autopilot. I settle in behind her, pulling her by the hip until her back connects with my chest, cocooning her body with mine in comfort.

“I’m here, beauty. What happened?” I whisper, my lips against the back of her head as I do my best to console her.

She turns in my arms, burying her face into my chest and gripping my T-shirt with her fists. Ever since we were little kids, nothing could get me pissed off faster than seeing Hannah Haven cry. There’s nothing that can bring me to my knees faster than seeing her upset. I would gladly light the match thatsets the world up in flames if it meant she never had to feel an ounce of pain again.

“I hate him,” she whimpers, her tone thick with anger.

“What did he do this time?” It’s difficult to hold back the animosity I hold for her boyfriend, Charlotte’s deadbeat sperm donor. Hannah and Levi had a string of one-night stands four years ago that resulted in the creation of Charlie, who’s now almost four. He never wanted anything serious and has made that clear since the beginning. For some reason, Hannah has it in her pretty little head that since she shares a child with the douche-canoe-shit-bag, she’s stuck with him. He works in Seattle as a commercial fisherman and has used that as his excuse to never be around. I know she doesn’t love him, but she feels stuck with him, even though she owes him no loyalty.

“I’m tired of him making plans and never following through. He never calls Charlotte when he’s scheduled to, and I know she’s not even four yet, but she has no idea who he is. He promises to come into town when he’s not on the boat, but he never does. I thought we would make this work, be a family. That was the plan. My parents are expecting us to get married.”

“What?” I breathe the words incredulously. To say this comes as a complete shock would be an understatement.

She huffs a deep breath. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you until now. I’m just so lost. My mom doesn’t want to go back and forth anymore between California and Washington. She refuses to spend winters in AR as it is, they’re moving there permanently.” She sighs, her breath warm against my chest, my shirt wet with tears. “With my grandma getting older, and Harlow and Hailey doing mother knows what, they gave me an ultimatum—settle down with Levi here and prove to them that I’ve got my shit together, or they’ll sell Bean Haven, and I can move to California with them so they can help me withCharlie. They don’t think I’ll be able to handle it all long-term in Aspen Ridge unless I’m in a stable position, because apparently single moms can’t run a business and be a parent simultaneously. It’s bullshit. And outdated. And patriarchal. I’ve been working at and running this place since I was a teenager.”

I do my best to remain calm, knowing she doesn’t need me to come out swinging, raging like an out-of-control, hot-headed caveman like my two older brothers would. But I’m about to lose my shit, and it’s taking every ounce of self-control that I have not to blow. Like fuck is Hannah leaving me. Over my dead body will the two of them move to California because her parents can’t get their heads out of their asses and see that their daughter is already settled and stable. She’s doing the damn thing all on her own.

“Fuck,” I huff, flicking off my hat and running my hands through my hair. “I’m so sorry. They seriously put that on you? That’s such bullshit, Han, and you don’t deserve that. They’re not taking Bean Haven from you, and you’re definitely not moving to California, like hell will that be happening. Do they not see how happy you are here? You’re doing amazing things all on your own. We’ll figure this out.”Because we have to.

Hannah’s parents can be great, but they still look at her as that lost teenager who never quite fit in with anyone around her, who always pushed the boundaries and went through life to her own beat. She dropped out of college because she knew she wanted to run Bean Haven. That, plus the unplanned pregnancy, and they’ve never quite looked at her like she had the ability to be successful or stand on her own, even though that’s exactly what she’s doing.

It’s fucking bullshit and has put a strain on my relationship with her parents, who’ve known me my entire life. This just makes it all that much worse. Hannah is the strongest, hardest worker I’ve ever met. Not to mention the best mom, she givesher all to Charlotte. Hell, she gives her all to everything she does, and she does it with a smile on her face. Because that’s just who Hannah is. But, at some point, if someone gets knocked down enough, they start to expect it and just stay down. I’ll be damned if I let that happen to her.

“They feel so strongly about it, bear. Like, how could I possibly be a single mom, run a bakery, and survive in the world on my own? They’ll never believe in me. It’s fucked. I’m fucked. Apparently, I’ve been sucked through a time portal where I need to leave my father’s home and go directly to my husband’s, and if there is no husband, then I need to go back to my father’s.” Her voice cracks on the last word as the tears flow freely, not ashamed or worried about how she looks right now, or how vulnerable she is. I love that she is always one hundred percent herself with me—unashamed, honest, and raw. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Han, it’s their issue, because you’re not fucking leaving. We just need to figure out how you can keep the bakery, and it won’t be an issue. You and I both know you’re kicking ass in every area of your life. Your parents, Levi, anyone who doesn’t support you, is missing out on seeing you grow. I’m damn fucking proud of you.”

“I love you for saying that. The shit with Levi though, bear.” She continues to vent, and I listen to every word. “I really had it in my head that we would get married and be a family because we shared a baby and cared about each other. But I’m stupid and delusional, it’s been years. I actually hate him. Why the hell would I want to marry him? All I wanted was to give Charlotte a family, and I can’t even do that. Why aren’t we enough?”

---