Chapter 101: Pinky Promise

Hannah

The bathroom was quiet when I stepped inside.

A few soft lights glowed above the mirrors, reflecting pale gold against the marble counters. The air smelled faintly of soap and perfume.

I walked straight to the sink and braced my hands against the counter.

Then I looked up at my reflection.

For a few seconds I just stared.

My cheeks were still a little flushed. My hair had fallen slightly out of place from the movie seat. My lips were parted like I’d just run a mile.

“Get it together,” I muttered under my breath.

I turned on the tap and splashed cool water onto my face.

The cold helped.

A little.

I dried my hands slowly and leaned closer to the mirror.

What was wrong with me?

First Timothy.

Now Nate.

My mind replayed the moment in the theater again, the way Nate had looked at me. The brief flicker of heat in his eyes before the lights came on.

My stomach twisted slightly.

I sighed and rubbed my temples.

“This is ridiculous.”

Because the truth was painfully obvious.

I liked Timothy.

That wasn’t some harmless little crush anymore. That much had been proven the night before.

The kiss had made that brutally clear.

And yet I’d just had another moment like that with someone else.

I groaned softly and dropped my head forward.

Both men were complicated in entirely different ways.

Timothy was my husband.

Fake husband.

But still.

The world didn’t see it that way. Neither did our families. And somewhere along the way the lines had blurred in a way I didn’t know how to fix.

And Nate…

I straightened again slowly.

Nate had a child.

Natalie.

The sweet little girl who hugged my legs like we’d known each other forever.

But Natalie’s mother wasn’t completely out of the picture either. I knew that much from the brief conversation we’d had at the shelter when they adopted the rabbit.

Another messy situation.

Another complication.

“So what exactly are you doing, Hannah?” I whispered to my reflection.

No answer came.

Just my own tired expression staring back.

After a moment I straightened my shoulders and smoothed down my shirt.

Enough spiraling.

I fixed my hair, adjusted my bag, and forced a small smile onto my face.

Then I walked out of the bathroom.

The hallway outside the theater was quieter now.

Most people had already left.

Sienna and Nate were standing near one of the lobby pillars.

The moment Nate saw me, his posture shifted slightly.

His eyes moved to mine.

I instinctively looked away.

“Bathroom line long?” Sienna asked casually when I approached.

“Not really,” I said.

My voice sounded normal.

Good.

We stood there for a second in awkward silence.

Nate looked like he wanted to say something.

Before he could, Sienna suddenly clapped her hands lightly.

“Oh! I forgot something at the reception counter.”

She turned toward us with a suspiciously innocent smile.

“I’ll be right back.”

Then she walked away.

Just like that.

Leaving me alone with Nate.

I shot her retreating back a betrayed look.

Traitor.

Silence settled between us.

I shifted my weight slightly, staring at the movie posters on the wall.

Then Nate cleared his throat.

“Hannah.”

I glanced at him briefly.

“Yes?”

He rubbed the back of his neck, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“I wanted to apologize.”

My eyebrows lifted.

“For what?”

“For earlier.”

I frowned.

“You don’t have to…”

“I do,” he interrupted gently.

His tone was firm now.

“I know you’re married.”

My stomach dropped a little.

“And whatever happened back there…” he continued. “That look… the moment… that was my fault.”

I shook my head immediately.

“It wasn’t.”

But he kept going.

“I crossed a line. Even if nothing actually happened.”

He exhaled slowly.

“And I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

I stared at him for a moment.

Then the words slipped out before I could stop them.

“My marriage isn’t like that.”

The second the sentence left my mouth, I wanted to grab it out of the air and shove it back inside.

Nate blinked.

“What do you mean?”

I immediately looked away.

“Nothing.”

“Hannah.”

His voice was softer now.

“You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to,” he said carefully. “But that sounded like there’s more to the story.”

I kept my lips pressed together.

There was absolutely no way I was explaining my bizarre fake marriage situation in the middle of a movie theater lobby.

So I simply shook my head.

“It’s complicated.”

He studied my face for a moment.

Then he nodded slowly.

“Fair enough.”

A small silence passed between us.

Then he sighed.

“Either way… I’m sorry for imposing today.”

“You didn’t impose,” I said.

“And the moment earlier…”

“You didn’t do anything wrong,” I cut in gently.

He hesitated.

“Still,” he said. “I’ll take the hint.”

My brows knit slightly.

“What hint?”

He gave a small wry smile.

“The running away to the bathroom one.”

I sighed.

Okay… fair.

“I wasn’t running away from you,” I said.

His eyebrow lifted slightly.

“Are you sure about that?”

I hesitated.

Then I sighed again.

“Okay maybe a little.”

He chuckled softly.

The tension eased slightly between us.

After a moment we both smiled a little.

Then Sienna’s voice suddenly cut in from behind us.

“Well look who I found!”

We both turned.

Natalie came running across the lobby toward us.

“Hannah!”

Before I could react she crashed into my legs and wrapped her little arms around me.

I laughed and crouched down.

“Hi sweetheart.”

Her cheeks were flushed with excitement.

“The movie was so fun!”

“I’m glad,” I said, pinching her rosy cheeks playfully.

Her nanny stood behind her smiling politely.

Then Natalie suddenly gasped.

“Oh! Hannah!”

“What?”

“You have to come to my birthday party next week!”

I blinked.

“Your birthday party?”

She nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes!”

Nate immediately stepped forward.

“Natalie…”

But she kept going.

“You have to come. Please!”

Nate rubbed his forehead.

“Hannah might be busy…”

But Natalie’s bottom lip began to tremble dramatically.

“Please?”

I sighed softly.

How was I supposed to say no to that face?

“I’ll come,” I said.

Natalie gasped happily.

“Really?!”

“Really.”

“Promise?”

I held up my hand.

“Pinky promise.”

Her tiny finger wrapped around mine instantly.

“Pinky promise!”

She beamed.

Then she skipped back toward her nanny happily.

Nate looked exhausted.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said quietly.

I shrugged.

“I don’t mind.”

Then I smiled softly.

“I love Natalie. Of course I’ll come.”

He looked at me for a moment.

Then he nodded slowly.

“Thank you.”

We stood there in a small silence again.

Just looking at each other.

Then he gave a short nod.

“Well… we should get going.”

He glanced at Sienna.

“Nice meeting you.”

“You too,” she said cheerfully.

Then he turned back to me.

“See you next week.”

“See you.”

He walked toward the exit with Natalie and her nanny.

The glass door closed behind them with a quiet click.