Page 78 of Love Me

Once I’m back in my truck, I pull out my phone and bring up Hannah’s chat, sending her a quick text before driving home to my empty house.

Me: This changes nothing

Beauty: It changes everything you jackass

Me: You’re my wife now, Hannah. And I’m seeing this through. You want out after Bean Haven is yours? We’ll deal with it then. But I’m not bailing on you just because you don’t want to face what you’ve always known

Three little dots appear and disappear several times before she leaves me on read. Fine, so be it. She can have a little space, but I meant what I said. This changes nothing. Hannah is going to get everything she wants in this life, and I’m not going to allow her to push me away because she refuses to see what’s right in front of her.

Hannah is mine, and I’m going to prove it to her.

CHAPTER 24

hannah

“Didyou seriously fuck up the best thing that’s ever happened to you?”

I shoot my sister an evil glare from where I’m currently kneading dough. I had to come clean to someone about Liam and me. The one person I wanted to talk to was the other party in this fucked-up situation we’ve found ourselves in.

Yesterday was the most emotionally draining day I’ve had in a very long time. It made every tear shed over Levi look like child’s play. It was difficult to mask my emotions in front of Charlie, but after she went to bed, I spent the night crying. Walking away from Liam was challenging when all I want to do when he’s around is be close to his warm, strong body. But I need time to think away from him. Finding out that he’s been in love with me this entire time rattled a foundation that I thought was unshakable.

“Charlie is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, asshole. Don’t you have a job now you need to get to?”

“Okay, she’s obvious. But Liam is right up there with her. You really didn’t know that boy was actually in love withyou? We are absolutely not done talking about the fact that you eloped by the way. Sorry, Lo kinda soured you telling me.”

When I think about Liam, my heart flutters in my chest, but there’s also a gnawing sensation in the pit of my stomach. Liam is comfort, safety, fun, he’s my peace. But he’s also exhilarating and charming, and hell, he knows exactly how to touch me to light my body on fire. He’s been the single constant thing in my life for as long as I can remember, never abandoning me, no matter how hard it gets. Was I naive to think it was all because of our deep friendship?

“Yeah, dummy, you were.”

My head shoots to Hailey, suddenly realizing that I said the last part out loud. I drop my head back to moan at the ceiling.

“Ugh! What have I gotten myself into?”

“Sounds like Liam is what’s gotten into you. How’s the sex by the way? He’s always looked like he knows his way around a woman’s body.”

My body heats thinking about how Liam touches me, the way he speaks to me as he does it, and the look of pure need on his gorgeous face.

“Oh my god! It’s amazing, isn’t it! You should totally see your face right now, Han. Damn, way to go. You’re finally getting dicked down the way you deserve!” Hailey throws her head back as she laughs.

“Why the hell are you laughing right now, you little hussy? This isn’t fucking funny! My life is literally crumbling around me.”

“Because it’s about damn time, Hannah! Wake up! The two of you have been acting like an old married couple since the very beginning. It’s actually mildly exhausting to even witness.”

“That is so not true. How can you even say that? We’rebest friends, Hails. We’ve seen each other through everything, why does everyone assume that there’s more there?”

“Look, I know that this must be strange for you because I’m the younger sister and I’m the one giving you advice, but you’ve got to seriously be blind, or stupid, which I haven’t ruled out yet. That man has been in love with you for years. You can’t tell me you don’t see it, because everyone else does. It’s so dang obvious to everyone who has ever seen the two of you together; when either of you are in the room, nobody else exists. I guess we’ve all just been waiting for the two of you to catch up. Or rather, foryouto catch up. He lives and breathes for you and Charlie, Hannah. So, are you blind or just stupid?”

I let out an exasperated sigh, defeat weighing heavily on my shoulders. Unable to look her straight in the eye, I continue to work the dough with my hands, attempting to let my mind relax through the movements.

“That’s the thing though. I feel it, Hails. Once he no longer held back, it was instantaneous. Like a light switch flicking on, and suddenly everything was so clear. I’ve never felt like I do when I’m with Liam, but that’s also confusing as fuck. I’m struggling to separate my bear from my Liam.

“He’s the same person, Han. Both sides of him have only ever operated because he loves you.”

“But that’s just it. Knowing that he’s been in love with me all this time makes me rethink every interaction we’ve had prior to knowing. Even before all this madness between us, Hail, he’s seen me in nothing but my underwear and bra, for fuck’s sake, I’ve peed in front of him before, granted I was drunk, but still!”

“Which is no different than a swimsuit!” she interjects. “And as far as peeing goes, whatever. Maybe he’s into that. But didn’t your water break on him? Why are you worried about peeing in front of him if he’s literally had birth juice all over him?”

“Whatever, stop focusing on me peeing. My point is, that while I was behaving as I would with my lifelong best friend, he was behaving that way because he’s in love with me. I don’t know how to let that go.”

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