Page 71 of Whispers and Wildfire
“Good.”
“Good.”
“You have a nice evening,” I said, not meaning it. At all.
“You too.”
I could hear his footsteps behind me as I made my way back to my table. Hank smiled as I sat down. I had to digdeep to smile back, hoping it looked natural and not like a grimace.
“Is everything okay?” he asked. “Sorry if that’s an awkward question.”
“Oh no, I’m fine. I actually ran into a friend in the restroom, so we chatted for a minute. Sorry about that.”
The concern on his face softened, and he smiled again. “Oh, good. That’s very cool.”
“Yeah. Girl time in the restroom. It’s a thing.”
“Totally. So, I paid the bill while you were in there, but if you want dessert, we can still order.”
I didn’t think I could force another bite of anything down my throat. “No, I’m too full. And thanks for dinner. That was really sweet of you.”
“You’re welcome. Ready to go?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
I stood and forcibly kept my eyes away from Luke’s table. I didn’t want to see him or Jenna again. If I did, there was a very real possibility I might make a horror-movie-esque scene right in the middle of the restaurant. Minus my head spinning around backward. But still.
Hank led me outside, and the fresh air helped. As did the distance once we got in his car and drove away. The farther we got from the restaurant—and Luke and Jenna—the calmer I felt.
We were quiet on the drive to my house, which meant I couldn’t ignore the truth. I wasn’t going to see Hank again.
It wasn’t about Luke. Seeing Luke with a date actually made me want to go out with Hank again, just so I wasn’t the one not dating while he had someone.
But that wouldn’t have been fair to Hank. He and I didn’t have a future, and even after only two dates, I knew it.
He parked in front of my house. We both got out, and he walked me to the front door. I took a deep breath, steeling myself to disappoint him.
“Listen, Melanie, this has been fun.” He glanced away for a second. “But I don’t think we should keep seeing each other.”
For a moment, I was frozen, staring at him with my mouth hanging open. I’d been about to say the same thing, but for some reason, it was still like getting punched in the stomach. He wasn’t supposed to break up with me. I was supposed to break up with him. At least I could have maintained a little bit of my dignity that way while Luke was off doing who knows what with Jenna.
“Yeah,” I said when I finally regained the use of words. But what else was I supposed to say? I agree? You’re right, but for the record, it was my idea. You just spoke before me? “That’s fine, I think you’re right.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “Yeah. It’s okay.”
“Good. That’s a relief. I had a nice time with you. It’s just…”
I had a feeling I didn’t want to hear what he’d been about to say. But apparently, I was going to dive in and be a glutton for punishment. “It’s just what?”
“You’re great, so don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re… kind of a lot.”
Icy-cold numbness swept through me, and when I spoke, my tone was almost robotic. “Yeah. I know I am.”
“That’s not a bad thing. You have a lot of spark. That’s great. I just think it’s more than I can handle.”
“That’s fair.” My voice was still monotone. “I wouldn’t want to get you into something that’s more than you’re up for.”
