Reckless (The Hartleys) by Valeria Heights

Author:Valeria Heights [Heights, Valeria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-07-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Hannah

Tyler flew back to Boston the next day, just like he said he would. I stayed in California three more days. Three days and I still felt the pressure of Tyler’s fingers on my waist, the hardness of his body against mine. The taste of him on my tongue.

Nick was busy as always and didn’t have much time for phone calls. I told him he should come to my apartment on Sunday for a serious talk. I kept it vague, but he probably sensed something was wrong, because his phone calls and texts became even more sparse. It was a good thing. I definitely had no desire to explain what happened over the phone. It was the cowardly way out.

Sunday finally came. An unexpected sadness overwhelmed me while Dad and I waited at the airport. I enjoyed being back home. Close to Clem and my mother.

“Is it good?” My father pointed at the paperback currently squeezed between my arm and my ribcage.

“I haven’t started it yet.”

“Oh.”

That was his third attempt to start a conversation with me. It was a torture for the both of us. I didn’t know why he insisted on waiting with me. I would talk with him under normal circumstances, but I felt guilty about what I did with Tyler, sad about leaving California and at the same time eager to go back home and come clean with Nick.

“Listen,” he touched my elbow. “About what happened at the engagement party.” My blood ran cold. He was doing this now? I couldn’t deal with this now. “I saw how you reacted.”

“How did I react?” I pretended I had no idea what he was talking about. He saw right through it.

“Don’t do that.” His face was serious but his tone was gentle. “You didn’t have a healthy, grown-up reaction. It’s been years. I thought you got over it.” I closed my mouth shut and tried to suppress the anger building up inside me. “You have to let it go.”

He wasn’t wrong about that. I hadn’t forgotten about my almost breakdown at the engagement party, but it was overshadowed by Tyler’s behavior afterwards. It wasn’t just about the kiss. He helped me. Stayed with me until I felt better.

I shook my head, chasing away the image of Tyler leaning over me while I sat on that bathroom counter, and answered my father.

“I’m fine. It just surprised me.”

“You are not a good liar, Hannah.”

“See? I told you I could never be a lawyer.” Dad closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. I exhaled loudly. “I have to go. I will call you when I land.” I meant I would call mom and we both knew it, but he didn’t say anything.

“We will talk about this,” he warned me. “When you come for the wedding.”

I wanted to ask him why he didn’t talk about it for the past three days, while we were both under the same roof, but I bit my tongue and smiled.

“Sure,” I stood on the tips of my toes and planted a kiss on his cheek.

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