Hannah's Story

Chapter 45 - Hannah

When all of this pandemic stuff started, I thought I'd have plenty of time to write. Turns out working from home takes up more time than just going to work. Sorry this has taken so long. Thanks to those of you who are still reading. Hope you enjoy it.

********

Was I worried that Jesse would change his mind when he met with Rachel the day after prom? A little. I hoped that Jesse hadn't had a temporary mental breakdown when he'd admitted his feelings for me.  When he'd called and wanted to meet me at the park, I realized I'd been worried for nothing.  I could tell by his voice that he still felt the same as he had last night. 

I was sitting on a picnic table in Floral Acres Grove waiting for him.  This particular grove was a little more private than others.  There were tons of trees around and you had to walk into the actual grove to see anything. 

I heard him coming before I saw him.  The leaves that were left on the ground crunched under his feet as he approached.  I smiled in anticipation.

"Hey there, sexy," he said as he approached, lifting his eyebrows suggestively with a grin on his face. 

"Hi," I replied, smiling.

He came over and sat next to me, placing his left hand on my right.  He turned and looked at me, giving me little chills that ran throughout my body. 

"Everything went well with Rachel," he said, scooting closer to me. 

He pushed his knee against mine as our feet rested on the bench.  I leaned into the contact. 

"You didn't realize you made a big mistake leaving her for me?" I asked, joking, but still not completely sure I was in the clear.

"Hannah," he said. 

"I keep replaying last night in my mind and I am so thankful that I couldn't drive away.  You're the only girl I want to be with," he said, lacing his fingers through mine.

"Just checking," I explained.

"You know, I think Rachel is really hung up on Jonah.  You should see how she talked about him," he said.

"She told you?" I asked, surprised she'd admitted it.

"Not his name, but that she slept with someone.  And she was practically swooning when she talked about him," he said.

I laughed.  "Are you someone's grandma?" I asked.  "What kind of word is 'swooning'?"

His face turned red.  "I don't know what kind of words girls use when they're explaining someone who gets all embarrassed and red and smiley when they talk about the person they're into."

"Okay, Jess.  I'll let that one slide," I said.

"I think she likes him almost as much as I like you," he said.

"Cheesy," I said, lifting up our entwined hands and placing them on his leg as I moved closer to him.

"Cheesy, but true," he said.

We sat like that for awhile, just enjoying being close to one another.

Jesse's phone began to ring. "They can call back," he said.

"You can get it. I don't mind," I added.

He stood up then, using the hand that had been holding mine to answer.

"Hey. No, I'm not still at the hotel. Yeah, I'll be home soon.  Didn't Mom tell you?  She saw me this morning.  Oh.  Okay.  Not exactly.  I'll talk to you later," he said, his face red.