The Purest of Hearts: Part One

Chapter Nine

HannahxNora

I'm an hour early. She said seven and I don't want to be weird and sit at our usual table for god knows how long without her.

I take a seat on the bench outside the restaurant instead. This has been our usual place twice a week. We'd go out on dates here to honestly catch up on our week but it usually involves me writing my thesis papers and helping grade other papers as a teacher aide.

I remember one night she was trying to tell me something. Or she was already talking and I was too busy typing my paper. Something about a program abroad the doctor school was offering their elite students and she was one of them thanks to my tutoring. I don't remember the rest but I remember telling her to talk to me about it later and maybe she didn't remind me about it because of my workload but maybe she was telling the truth this morning.

Maybe I am too harsh on her. I talk over her a lot and I push her away when she tries touching me. Even kissing I've almost made off limits and yet she still pursues me. But then there's the age gap and not seeing her enough. That's the bulk of why I broke up with her.

And tonight, we'll talk like civil adults and see where it takes us. But if I start feeling too emotional, I'm done and leaving. I stare at my phone. It's been thirty minutes. She should be here at seven. Then we can square this away and figure out where the hell we are in our relationship.

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An hour and a half later ...

I knew it. She stood me up. It's already ten after eight o'clock. I know if I had showed up on time and waited it would have been only an hour that I'd wait but standing someone up is standing someone up and I can take a hint.

It's starting to drizzle a little. I need to hurry. Hurry where? I hurried here and that got me nowhere. I'll just wander until I get somewhere.

What a chump I was to think she'd actually show. Nora doesn't want me. I made it clear why. Maybe she came to her senses and decided it for us by not showing up.

I get to my car and tears form in my eyes. Damn I'm such an idiot!

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Nora's POV

Damn it I'm so late! It's already after eight but I don't see her anywhere. I look around once more and think where she could have gone. I doubt she'd go home. That's the first place I'd look for her. The school. She must have gone to the school.

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Hannah's POV

"Damn, Hannah, you're a mess! Let me get you a towel to dry your hair off. Are you ok?" Dean asks and I just look down and feel his warm hands sit me down on his desk chair. "Wait right there."

He leaves the door open and hurries somewhere to get a towel. I stare at my shaking hands and feel my eyes water. I didn't want to really break up with Nora. I wanted some sort of apology for leaving like she did. For coming back thinking I'd have open arms. For not showing any signs of sadness for disappearing. I mean, I'd never admit it, but I love her to death. I love her so much it hurts.

"Here we are." Dean puts a towel over my hair and gently rubs out the water. "You know, all that frowning isn't going to look good on you when you're old."

"Huh?" I look up at him, tear stained and he stops his gentle motion. He frowns now at my face. The irony.

"Who the hell made you cry?" He demands and I look away. He takes the towel off and lifts my chin up with his thumb and index finger. "I would never make you cry, Hannah."