Page 158 of Promise Me Nothing
Believe what I said.
What I promised.
There are so many unanswered questions moving forward. So many problems and issues, drama and pain, things on the horizon that I have to deal with because… well, because that’s life.
But knowing that she decided to stay?
That she decided we are worth taking a risk on?
It makes all of the shit that makes life complicated seem a lot more manageable.
Hannah is, by far, the most amazing thing to ever happen to me. The best gift life has ever been kind enough to throw my way. And I know I need to work to continue to deserve her.
To deserve her time.
To deserve her smiles.
To deserve her love.
Luckily, she makes me want to be the best version of me.
So working my ass off every damn day to make sure I continue to deserve her doesn’t sound like too much of a hardship.
Hannah scoots just a little bit closer, sticks her hand out and gives me a little smile that I know is just for me. “I’m Hannah Morrison. I’m Lucas’ sister. And Ivy’s sister. And maybe I have some other siblings out there somewhere in this town, but I’ll deal with that if it happens.”
I grin, unable to keep my love for her off my face.
“I’m Wyatt Calloway,” I say, slipping my hand into hers and gently pulling her towards me, into me, so I can press a kiss to the inside of her wrist. I love the way her nose wiggles and her cheeks flush. “It’s really,reallygood to meet you, Hannah Morrison.”
EPILOGUE
Hannah
A few days later, I sit between Wyatt’s legs on the rooftop at Lucas’ house…myhouse… as we wait for the 4th of July fireworks to shoot into the sky. But this time, I’ll actually bewatchingthe fireworks. There are a handful of other people up here with us, too.
So I already told Wyatt. No funny business.
He gave me this furrowed brow and told me he wouldnevertry ‘funny business’ when we haven’t gone on a real date yet.
He wasn’t joking when he told me he wants to start over.
Be honest.
About everything.
And I do meaneverything.
It meant we had a hard conversation the other day.
I talked to him about what happened to me in foster care. All of the horrible shit, from Rob’s assault to the year I lived at the shelter, and everything in between.
He cried. Partly because he feels responsible. I don’t know if that’s ever a weight he’ll be able to let go of, even though it isn’t something I would ever hold over his head. I took his face in my hands and told him that whatever guilt he feels about it, that I wanted to absolve him of it.
He countered with telling me that he wanted to absolve me of the guilt I feel about how Joshua passed away.
It had been a hard thing to hear. I guess we’re both going to have to work on letting things from our past go. Because really, we can’t move forward together completely if we’re still holding on to past pain.
Talking about Ivy and the transplant and why Lucas brought me to Hermosa in the first place was also a painful conversation. Learning that things were orchestrated around me – like Lucas finding a way for me to ‘win’ a free MatchLink kit, or the bike getting stolen, and the night at the sand dune – made me feel manipulated and maneuvered in a way that’s hard to explain. And hard to get over.
