Chapter 98 Breakfast with sienna
Hannah
I stood there for a few moments after Timothy left.
The front door had barely closed behind him when a long breath slipped out of my lungs.
My shoulders sagged.
Only then did I realize how tense I had been the entire time we were talking.
“Well,” I muttered softly to myself.
That could have gone worse.
A lot worse.
I rubbed my hands together slowly before turning back toward the house.
Momo came trotting down the hallway immediately, tail wagging so hard his entire body swayed with it.
“Hi, baby,” I murmured, crouching down to scratch behind his ears.
He barked happily and jumped up against my legs.
“Okay, okay,” I laughed weakly. “Let’s get you fed.”
I walked into the kitchen and filled his bowl while he spun excited circles beside me.
The simple routine helped calm my racing thoughts.
A little.
But not much.
Because Timothy’s voice kept replaying in my head.
The kiss was a mistake.
I stared down at Momo while he happily ate his breakfast.
Mistake.
Boundaries.
Respecting them.
My chest tightened slightly.
Logically, I knew it was the right thing to say.
The sensible thing.
The mature thing.
Our situation was already complicated enough without adding emotions to it.
Still…
Something about hearing him say it felt strange.
Like something inside me had quietly deflated.
I leaned against the counter and folded my arms.
And then my mind drifted back to something else.
Friends.
I groaned softly and covered my face.
Why did I say that?
The moment the word had left my mouth, regret had followed right behind it.
But it was too late to take it back.
Friends.
My brain helpfully replayed the memory of that kiss again.
Yeah.
Definitely not very friendly.
I shook my head quickly.
“Stop,” I muttered.
Momo finished eating and trotted over to me happily.
“Right,” I said, forcing my thoughts away from Timothy. “We’re going out today.”
I clipped his collar onto him and grabbed my bag from the counter.
Within a few minutes, Ace appeared near the door.
“Car’s ready,” he said.
I nodded.
“Thanks.”
We headed outside together.
The morning air was cool and bright as I climbed into the back seat with Momo.
He immediately climbed into my lap, settling there like he owned the place.
I scratched behind his ears absentmindedly as the car pulled away from the driveway.
My thoughts drifted again almost instantly.
Mistake.
Boundaries.
Friends.
The words looped through my head like a broken record.
I stared out the window, watching the city blur past.
I was so deep in my thoughts that I didn’t even notice when the car slowed.
Or when it stopped.
“Hannah?”
Ace’s voice pulled me back to reality.
I blinked and looked around.
We were parked in front of Sienna’s house.
“Oh,” I said.
When did we get here?
I climbed out of the car with Momo and walked up to the front door.
The doorbell echoed inside the house.
A moment later, Sienna yanked the door open.
Her hair was half pinned up and she was still adjusting an earring.
“You’re early,” she said.
“I’m exactly on time.”
“Details.”
She stepped aside to let me in.
“Give me one minute,” she added, already turning back toward the hallway.
I laughed softly and sat down on the couch.
Momo hopped up beside me and curled into a fluffy ball.
A few minutes later Sienna returned, grabbing her purse.
“Alright. Let’s go.”
We headed outside together and climbed into the car.
The moment we started driving, Sienna launched into conversation.
“So listen, the funniest thing happened yesterday—”
She talked nonstop.
About work.
About some ridiculous customer she had dealt with.
About a movie she watched last night.
She even started dragging Ace and the guards into the conversation at one point.
“Tell her I’m right,” she insisted to Ace.
Ace chuckled lightly from the front seat.
“I’m staying out of it.”
Normally I would have laughed along.
Today my brain kept drifting away from the conversation.
I tried to listen.
Really.
But every few minutes I found myself staring out the window again.
Lost in my own thoughts.
Eventually the car stopped outside a cozy little café.
Sienna practically bounced out of the car.
“Come on.”
Inside, the place smelled like fresh coffee and warm pastries.
We found a table near the window and sat down.
A waiter handed us menus.
I scanned the breakfast section even though I wasn’t really hungry.
“What are you getting?” Sienna asked.
“I just had breakfast,” I admitted.
“With Timothy?”
“Yes.”
Her eyebrows shot up.
“Interesting.”
“I’m just getting something light,” I added quickly.
I ordered a small plate of fruit and tea while Sienna ordered enough food for three people.
Once the waiter walked away, she leaned forward across the table.
“Alright,” she said.
I groaned.
“No.”
“Spill.”
“There’s nothing to spill.”
“Hannah.”
“It was fine.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“I don’t believe you.”
I sighed and leaned back in my chair.
“Okay, it was a little awkward.”
“How awkward?”
“More hesitant than usual.”
“Explain.”
So I did.
I told her about breakfast.
The careful conversation.
And finally the talk in the hallway.
How Timothy had apologized.
How he had said the kiss was a mistake.
How he promised it wouldn’t happen again.
By the time I finished, a small grimace had settled on my face.
Sienna made a quiet clicking sound with her tongue.
“Hmm.”
The table fell silent for a moment.
Then she asked gently, “How do you feel about that?”
I shrugged quickly.
“I’m fine.”
She gave me a look.
The kind that said she knew I was lying.
I sighed again.
“I’m still figuring it out,” I admitted quietly.
Sienna reached across the table and took my hand.
Her grip was warm and comforting.
“Oh, Hannah,” she said softly.
I shrugged again, trying to play it off.
But my lips trembled slightly.
“It’s just…” I hesitated.
Then the words slipped out in a quiet whisper.
“It feels so wrong.”
Sienna didn’t interrupt.
“The moments I’ve felt the most alive lately,” I continued softly, “the moments that felt electric… they’ve all been with him.”
My throat tightened.
“With my sister’s ex-boyfriend.”
The words tasted bitter.
“The man I was forced to marry.”
I looked down at the table. “What kind of person does that make me?”
Sienna squeezed my hand immediately.
“Hey. Stop that.”
“But…”
“No,” she said firmly.
She leaned closer.
“You didn’t choose this situation. None of it.”
I swallowed hard.
“You’re not a bad person for having feelings.”
I blinked back sudden tears.
Sienna kept talking, her voice steady and encouraging.
“You’ve been through a lot this year. Anyone would feel confused.”
I nodded slowly.
Eventually I wiped my eyes with a napkin just as the waiter returned with our food.
Sienna’s plate looked enormous.
Mine looked small enough that I couldn’t use it as an excuse not to eat.
Sienna still looked at me with something close to pity in her eyes.
I pretended not to notice.
Instead I lowered my head and quietly started eating.