I pounded at the letters on my phone.
Billy: Where are you?
I waited a moment for her to respond. When she didn’t, I tucked the phone into my pocket before flinging open my closet door. I yanked a shirt from the hanger, pulling it over my head, then grabbed a few more. Tossing them to the bed, I picked up my duffle. I emptied it, dumping everything inside onto the floor.
“What are you doing?” Leighton asked as she watched me move frantically around the room, stuffing at least a week’s worth of clothes into the bag.
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
She smiled. “Finally getting smart.”
“Yeah.” I smirked, looking back at my annoying sister—who damn well might have just saved my ass. “So, if you’re done throwing ice water on me, I’ve gotta go. I’ve got a plane to catch.”
Chapter 19
HANNAH
I stared at Billy’s text again, and for a moment I considered answering it. Instead, I shut off my phone and handed the flight attendant my boarding pass.
She smiled at me. Her life was probably seamlessly perfect, unlike mine. “Enjoy your flight,” she said, handing me back my boarding pass after scanning me through.
“Thank you.”
I forced a smile onto my face, stepping into the jet bridge that led to the plane. It was in that instant I swore I heard my name. I swore I heard him, calling my name in the distance, my wishful heart playing tricks on my mind. Keeping my eyes straight ahead and ignoring my heart, I trudged on, leaving Billingsley behind, once again.
One Week Later…
“Morning, Lottie,” I sighed, answering the phone that had been ringing like mad in my purse.
I’d almost ignored it and sent it to voicemail but decided against it. I knew she meant well with her daily calls. I was surprised she hadn’t jumped on a plane already to make sure I wasn’t sitting in my bathroom ready to drown myself in a bottle of pills.
I couldn’t lie and say I hadn’t spent some nights drowning my sorrows in a bottle of merlot. But I wasn’t suicidal, just heartbroken.
“Where are you?”
I sighed as I pulled open the door to my favorite coffee shop. It was on the corner, just up the road from my apartment, which worked out nicely for me. I stopped there every morning for my coffee and breakfast. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee filled the air, and I inhaled the beautiful scent.
“Where else? Getting my morning fix.”
“Coffee Haven?”
“Yep. Why?”
I heard the smile in her voice. “No reason…just living vicariously through you at the moment, I guess.”
“Missing Seattle?”
“Not especially, but there are a few things I miss…like my friend.”
“Nu-uh, don’t try to make me feel guilty. You’re the one who left.”
“Now who’s playing the guilt card?”
I laughed. “Yeah, sorry. I promise I don’t blame you one bit for our separation,” I said, stepping into the long line of early morning caffeine addicts.
“Sure,” she teased, and then sighed. “Damn. I gotta run. Mrs. Fitzgerald just walked in.”
“Oooh… Have fun with that. And trust me when I say, keep her away from your junior’s clothing section.”
“Noted. Later, lady.”
“Bye.”
I slipped the phone back into my purse and began to eye the display of baked goods for the day’s special pastry.
“I hear they have one of the best blueberry lemon scones your mouth will ever have the pleasure of tasting.”
My back stiffened with the wild pounding in my chest. It had to be a coincidence; someone else in the world had the same sexy voice he did. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I slowly turned. When I saw the man the voice belonged to, I couldn’t breathe.
“Hey there, beautiful.” He grinned. “Not sure I’ve seen you here before.”
My mouth slowly fell open as his smile grew. He brushed his hand over my cheek as if he’d been waiting a lifetime to do just that.
“Billy? Wha…what are you doing here?”
He shrugged, pulling his hand back and hiding them both in his front pockets.
“Checking out the local coffee shop.”
“Here? In Seattle?”
“Yes,” he smiled again. “Here in Seattle.”
“Next in line!”
Billy nodded his head toward the register. “That’s you, Han.”
With his hand at the small of my back, he gave me the little push I needed to get my feet to work, escorting me to the order counter. I placed my order in a dazed state, then Billy tacked on his and paid for both before my mind could catch up and object.
He picked up our morning pastries and his black coffee, forcing me to follow him to a small table in the corner. As I took a seat, they called my name, and Billy left me alone to retrieve my latte.
I watched him stroll up to the counter like he owned the place, garnering a few looks from women with flirty smiles. Billy hadn’t noticed a single one. On his way back to the table, his eyes were locked with mine the entire time, a gleam of happiness I didn’t understand shining in them.
Had he not been as miserable as me lately? Had he come to tell me in person that he and Lauren were a couple and happy?
He took a seat, setting my coffee down in front of me. I watched him as he took a sip of his.
“Billy?”
He smiled calmly, his brow lifting. “Yes, Hannah?”
I lifted my own in question, tilting my head to the side as I sat back in my chair, arms crossed.
He chuckled, leaning in on his forearms as he set his coffee down.
“Okay,” he conceded. “I’m here for you. Obviously.”
“Bil—”
“And just hear me out before you say anything.”
I bit my lip with a slow nod, curious and worried about what he was about to say.
“I missed you, Hannah. I missed you so damn much. And I realized, probably months ago, we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing and both be happy. Phone calls just aren’t enough for me, especially when they were getting fewer and further between.”
I felt a quiver on my lips as I prepared myself for him to tell me just what I expected. He wanted Lauren. He reached across the table, forcing my arms apart as he took one of my hands.
“Hell, I can see the look on your face right now, Hannah, so I know this is coming out all wrong… I want to be with you, baby. I’m scared to death and probably in over my head, but I can’t let you walk away from me without giving us a real go.”
He waited for me to say something, but I had no idea what to say.
“But…Lauren. I thought…”
He sat back like I’d slapped him in the face, but didn’t let go of my hand. “You were at the party then?”
I nodded, the tears starting to puddle in my eyes. “I wanted to surprise you.”
He smiled. “Well, if you hadn’t run off and let me explain, I would’ve told you that I was only dancing with Lauren as a friend and nothing more. She knew that, and I knew that. The only one who didn’t was you. The whole time we danced all I did was talk about you, Hannah. About us and what I wanted for us.”