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Hannah
Driving on the dirt road up to Nicole and Coles house the land was so open. I had been here a handful of times in the last year. Each time it still made me marvel at its beauty. The road had trees lining each side. The most picturesque view was when her house was visible on the top of the hill.
Nicole was standing out on her wrap-around porch, her hands cradling two glasses of what I could only assume was her delicious sweet tea. Parking next to her car I got out and took a deep breath. The air was even different here. Fresh and full of possibility.
“Holy hell Hannah.”
“What?”
She walked down the steps to meet me, extending the drink toward me. She wasn’t even dressed up, and she still was the most beautiful person I had ever seen.
“Every time you come here you look even hotter than the time before. You lost more weight. You’re withering away! How’s your man? I thought he was coming this time.”
Peering over my shoulder as no one exited my vehicle I sighed. He broke up with me a week ago, but I didn't mention it. I knew the minute I said it she would have a drink in my hand telling me what a damn fool he was. I wanted to put it behind me.
“About that…”
“Don’t you dare tell me. Hannah seriously? What happened, sweetie?”Wrapping her arm around me she half hugged me.
“This week is about you Nicole. You’re getting married in seven days. That’s my focus. Now I need to see this dress on you in person. Cole isn’t home right?”
“Of course not. He’s out doing some appearance thing with…”
Stopping herself short she turned back to me as she made a sour face.“Some of the guys.”
“You can say his name. It’s not like I haven’t noticed he’s doing well. I’m happy for him. Really Nic. His new girlfriend, she’s gorgeous. They look really happy together.”Forcing the words out, I smiled. I had kicked myself every day for the last two years that I didn’t do more than leave him a note. Not that he ever tried to reach out. He could have gotten my number from Nic or Cole and called. He didn't, which validated my suspicion that he wasn’t interested.
I started dating a really great guy a few weeks after I got back from my little vacation. I was running errands for my dad and he, awkwardly, asked me out. It was one of those cute television show meetings. He stumbled over his words. Completely making a fool of himself and I fell head over heels for it.
The problem was Bryce was always in the back of my mind. Wondering if I had made a mistake leaving the way I did. It was easy to get my fix when I wanted to know how he was. He was on every magazine cover and every one of his rides were televised. Being that Cole would be on too, it was simple to always say I was supporting a friend.
Almost every single one of his rides he placed in the top five and Cole was right there mentoring him like Nicole promised he would. I was proud that Bryce took my advice and went for his dream. He looked so damn happy.
The day I got home I straightened up and enrolled in school. Working toward my associate's degree in agriculture. My father was shocked. When I brought Lucas home to meet my family, everyone assumed things were turning around for me. I wasn’t a party hungry girl dating the wrong guys anymore.
Lucas was perfect. He was an investment banker. Seven years older than me, so he already had his life on track. I wanted to do more with my life and he supported that. Telling everyone he could how proud he was of me. The problem was after almost a year together he was more invested in my role as a wife and mother than my goals.
He was insistent that although it was great I was educating myself, making sure I had dinner on the table and had a house full of kids mattered more. Of course, that wasn’t how he presented it to others around us. He still put on the show of a proud boyfriend. His girl with the amazing drive to better herself. He just subtly started saying to my parents that he thought I would make a great mom. That I shouldn’t worry so much about my grades when he could take care of me.
That was all I needed. Another man in my life looking to have me around for how I looked or behaved. It was like stepping into my mother’s shoes. She had no problem taking my fathers’ money and raising us kids. She had help from nannies but that didn’t matter. My mother was a shell of a person. A very nice dressed shell who projected her disappointments on her children.
Nicole’s voice snapped me back into the present.“I guess. I mean I never would have seen him going for her in all honesty. I was rooting for you two. Guess he never called?”
“No, but he didn’t have my number. I never left it.”
I shrugged while walking into her house that now resembled an explosion of wedding decor.
“That’s really weird. He asked me for it like a week after he started riding. Seemed like he really wanted to talk to you. According to Cole he asked all the time if he knew anything else about you.”
My gut sank further down. He may have shown an interest in me to everyone but me. It didn’t matter anymore. He was publicly dating Ms. Gigi Hilldale. They had been together for two months now and looked blissfully happy in all their photos.
“Well, he looks happy. I’m not going to mess that up for him. I’ll just keep my distance and I mean what else can I do right? It’s been two years. Let’s be honest, he probably doesn’t even remember me.”
Her eyes and words didn’t match as she looked back at me.“Sure. I mean that sounds like a brilliant plan.”
Going through the motions with her she showed me her dress. It was absolutely stunning. Not that I expected anything less. We grabbed a glass of wine and sat out on her back deck where I finally told her what really happened with Lucas and me. She agreed it was better I was on my own than with someone who didn’t want me to achieve my goals.
“So, Nic I had this crazy thought and I really need you to talk me out of it.”
