Love Me Like I Love You

by Willow Winters

  My phone rang in my pocket, and I pulled it out as I watched my heart crumbling in front of me. I answered it without thinking.

  “Hello.”

  “Hannah?”

  “Hey, Lottie.”

  “Hey. Where are you?”

  “Um—”

  “I swear I hear the music from the party through your phone?”

  “Uh. No. I, uh…” I spun on my heels, running back to my rental car. “It must just be some weird echo coming through on your end. You know how bad the service can be out there.”

  “Huh. Weird. Guess so. Hey, so I was just calling to see how you were doing. We hadn’t talked in a while and…well I know tonight…”

  Sliding into the driver’s seat, I choked on a sob. “I’m fine,” I lied, closing the door and starting the car.

  “Hannah?”

  God, this had been a stupid idea. I don’t know what I’d been thinking, believing somehow we could make this work. Why would he want to when he had Lauren—among others, I was sure of it—to keep his bed warm at night? I threw the car in reverse, peeling out as I flipped it around on the dirt road.

  “Hannah?” Lottie said my name again, the concern in her voice increasing. “Where did you say you were?”

  I swallowed hard, doing my best to sound normal. “Headed to the airport.”

  Chapter 18

  BILLY

  What the hell?

  “Holy! Fuck!”

  My eyes flew open and I shot upward with the shock of cold ice water hitting me, waking me with a start. I rubbed at my eyes, finding a pissed-off Leighton standing over me with one hand on her hip and an empty cup in the other.

  “What is your damn problem? And how the hell did you get in here?”

  “Tucker gave me the spare key. And don’t you dare start with me.” She glared, pointing the empty cup my direction.

  “It’s too early for your shit, Leighton. Get out of my house,” I demanded as I crawled out of my bed shucking the wet shirt—thanks to my bratty little sister—I’d fallen asleep in. My head was pounding. I’d drank way too much last night, hitting the liquor bottle when I’d tried repeatedly to call Hannah, with no luck. I must’ve passed out on the bed, still in my clothes.

  I wanted so badly to at least speak to her if we couldn’t be together last night. Maybe I was the only one who felt like the night had some sort of significance for us. I walked into my bathroom, opening the medicine cabinet in search of some kind of pain reliever for my headache. Leighton was hot on my heels, ignoring my demand for her to leave. Finding what I was looking for, I popped two pills in my mouth.

  “You’re an idiot.”

  “Shit, Leighton. Seriously. Leave. Whatever this is about can wait until later. I’m not in the mood.” I splashed water on my face before turning and forcing her out of the bathroom. I closed the door and locked it.

  “Fine. But at that point it may be too late. And all this will be your own damn fault. And don’t think I won’t be saying I told you so,” she yelled through the door as I took a piss.

  I washed my hands and flung open the door. “For Christ’s sake, Leighton. What the hell are you talking about?” I squeezed past her headed for my kitchen.

  “Hannah, you moron!”

  With my head halfway in the fridge, I pulled back to look at her. “Hannah? What about Hannah?”

  “Ugh!” she grumbled. “She was at the party last night.”

  “No, she wasn’t, Leighton. I’m pretty sure I would’ve known if she was.”

  “Maybe you would’ve, had you not spent the last half of the night dancing and having a jolly good time with Lauren,” she deadpanned.

  I slammed the fridge door shut, roughing my hands over my face. She’d better start making some damn sense. “Start talking.”

  “That’s what I’ve been trying to do,” she said, jutting out her chin, crossing her arms.

  I crossed my own as I waited.

  “Lottie called Hannah last night to check on her. After seeing how distraught you were acting…you know, the first part of the night, before you decided to traipse around the dance floor with Lauren—”

  I narrowed my eyes at her. She rolled hers.

  “She thought she better make sure Hannah was doing okay. She doesn’t know for sure, because Hannah wouldn’t say, but she thinks Hannah was at the party. She heard the band through the other end of the phone, a car door slamming, and an engine revving at the same time as she saw someone peeling out of there last night. All Hannah would tell her was she was headed for the airport, but she didn’t say which one.”

  I felt a tightness in my chest as Leighton kept talking, knowing everything she was saying was impossible. At the same time, I had the sinking feeling it might be true. If it were true, there was a good chance Hannah had seen me with Lauren and gotten the wrong idea. That would explain the unanswered phone calls and the lack of returned ones.

  Sprinting back to my room, Leighton followed behind me. I scanned the room, then started tossing the blankets and sheets from my bed, searching for my phone. It fell to the floor as I shook out the comforter. I picked it up immediately, calling her number. It went straight to voicemail. Pacing the room, I tried again. Nothing.

  I pounded at the letters on my phone.

  Billy: Where are you?

  I waited a moment for her to respond. When she didn’t, I tucked the phone into my pocket before flinging open my closet door. I yanked a shirt from the hanger, pulling it over my head, then grabbed a few more. Tossing them to the bed, I picked up my duffle. I emptied it, dumping everything inside onto the floor.

  “What are you doing?” Leighton asked as she watched me move frantically around the room, stuffing at least a week’s worth of clothes into the bag.

  “What does it look like I’m doing?”

  She smiled. “Finally getting smart.”

  “Yeah.” I smirked, looking back at my annoying sister—who damn well might have just saved my ass. “So, if you’re done throwing ice water on me, I’ve gotta go. I’ve got a plane to catch.”

  Chapter 19

  HANNAH

  I stared at Billy’s text again, and for a moment I considered answering it. Instead, I shut off my phone and handed the flight attendant my boarding pass.

  She smiled at me. Her life was probably seamlessly perfect, unlike mine. “Enjoy your flight,” she said, handing me back my boarding pass after scanning me through.

  “Thank you.”

  I forced a smile onto my face, stepping into the jet bridge that led to the plane. It was in that instant I swore I heard my name. I swore I heard him, calling my name in the distance, my wishful heart playing tricks on my mind. Keeping my eyes straight ahead and ignoring my heart, I trudged on, leaving Billingsley behind, once again.

  One Week Later…

  “Morning, Lottie,” I sighed, answering the phone that had been ringing like mad in my purse.

  I’d almost ignored it and sent it to voicemail but decided against it. I knew she meant well with her daily calls. I was surprised she hadn’t jumped on a plane already to make sure I wasn’t sitting in my bathroom ready to drown myself in a bottle of pills.

  I couldn’t lie and say I hadn’t spent some nights drowning my sorrows in a bottle of merlot. But I wasn’t suicidal, just heartbroken.

  “Where are you?”

  I sighed as I pulled open the door to my favorite coffee shop. It was on the corner, just up the road from my apartment, which worked out nicely for me. I stopped there every morning for my coffee and breakfast. The smell of fresh-brewed coffee filled the air, and I inhaled the beautiful scent.

  “Where else? Getting my morning fix.”

  “Coffee Haven?”

  “Yep. Why?”

  I heard the smile in her voice. “No reason…just living vicariously through you at the moment, I guess.”

  “Missing Seattle?”

  “Not especially, but there are a few things I miss…like my friend.”

/>   “Nu-uh, don’t try to make me feel guilty. You’re the one who left.”

  “Now who’s playing the guilt card?”

  I laughed. “Yeah, sorry. I promise I don’t blame you one bit for our separation,” I said, stepping into the long line of early morning caffeine addicts.

  “Sure,” she teased, and then sighed. “Damn. I gotta run. Mrs. Fitzgerald just walked in.”

  “Oooh… Have fun with that. And trust me when I say, keep her away from your junior’s clothing section.”

  “Noted. Later, lady.”

  “Bye.”

  I slipped the phone back into my purse and began to eye the display of baked goods for the day’s special pastry.

  “I hear they have one of the best blueberry lemon scones your mouth will ever have the pleasure of tasting.”

  My back stiffened with the wild pounding in my chest. It had to be a coincidence; someone else in the world had the same sexy voice he did. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I slowly turned. When I saw the man the voice belonged to, I couldn’t breathe.

  “Hey there, beautiful.” He grinned. “Not sure I’ve seen you here before.”

  My mouth slowly fell open as his smile grew. He brushed his hand over my cheek as if he’d been waiting a lifetime to do just that.

  “Billy? Wha…what are you doing here?”

  He shrugged, pulling his hand back and hiding them both in his front pockets.

  “Checking out the local coffee shop.”

  “Here? In Seattle?”

  “Yes,” he smiled again. “Here in Seattle.”

  “Next in line!”

  Billy nodded his head toward the register. “That’s you, Han.”

  With his hand at the small of my back, he gave me the little push I needed to get my feet to work, escorting me to the order counter. I placed my order in a dazed state, then Billy tacked on his and paid for both before my mind could catch up and object.

  He picked up our morning pastries and his black coffee, forcing me to follow him to a small table in the corner. As I took a seat, they called my name, and Billy left me alone to retrieve my latte.

  I watched him stroll up to the counter like he owned the place, garnering a few looks from women with flirty smiles. Billy hadn’t noticed a single one. On his way back to the table, his eyes were locked with mine the entire time, a gleam of happiness I didn’t understand shining in them.

  Had he not been as miserable as me lately? Had he come to tell me in person that he and Lauren were a couple and happy?

  He took a seat, setting my coffee down in front of me. I watched him as he took a sip of his.

  “Billy?”

  He smiled calmly, his brow lifting. “Yes, Hannah?”

  I lifted my own in question, tilting my head to the side as I sat back in my chair, arms crossed.

  He chuckled, leaning in on his forearms as he set his coffee down.

  “Okay,” he conceded. “I’m here for you. Obviously.”

  “Bil—”

  “And just hear me out before you say anything.”

  I bit my lip with a slow nod, curious and worried about what he was about to say.

  “I missed you, Hannah. I missed you so damn much. And I realized, probably months ago, we couldn’t keep doing what we were doing and both be happy. Phone calls just aren’t enough for me, especially when they were getting fewer and further between.”

  I felt a quiver on my lips as I prepared myself for him to tell me just what I expected. He wanted Lauren. He reached across the table, forcing my arms apart as he took one of my hands.

  “Hell, I can see the look on your face right now, Hannah, so I know this is coming out all wrong… I want to be with you, baby. I’m scared to death and probably in over my head, but I can’t let you walk away from me without giving us a real go.”

  He waited for me to say something, but I had no idea what to say.

  “But…Lauren. I thought…”

  He sat back like I’d slapped him in the face, but didn’t let go of my hand. “You were at the party then?”

  I nodded, the tears starting to puddle in my eyes. “I wanted to surprise you.”

  He smiled. “Well, if you hadn’t run off and let me explain, I would’ve told you that I was only dancing with Lauren as a friend and nothing more. She knew that, and I knew that. The only one who didn’t was you. The whole time we danced all I did was talk about you, Hannah. About us and what I wanted for us.”

  “And what is that exactly?” My heart slowed a little as I waited for his answer.

  “To be together. In the same city.”

  “Billy, I can’t—”

  He shook his head. “Not asking you to move, Han. That part is already taken care of. All you have to do is say you’ll give me a chance, give us a chance, and then the distance that separated us before will no longer exist.”

  “How?”

  “I’ve spent the last week working through it all. I have a job offer here in Seattle. It’s temporary, but will at least give us a chance to figure things out. An old college teammate of mine hooked me up with a coaching job for a Little League team at a sports complex he owns.”

  “I—I don’t know what to say.”

  “Say you want this, Hannah.”

  My eyes flicked around the coffee shop before dropping to our linked hands on the table. I had no idea what there was to think about. It was what I’d dreamed of having for months now. It was the only thing I truly wanted at this point.

  He saw the answer in my eyes before I’d even said it. He was already out of his seat, pulling me out of mine and kissing me like a madman in the middle of Coffee Haven.

  I laughed as we pulled apart. “Yes, cowboy. I want this.”

  With a never-ending smile on his lips he kissed me one more time before we both sat down to finish our coffees and muffins.

  “Where will you live?” I asked as I took a bite.

  “Not sure, yet. But I have a few places to look at later, after we have lunch with your parents.”

  “Lunch with my parents…?”

  “Yep, Adele and Phillip insisted when I spoke to them the other day.”

  “You spoke to my parents? But how?”

  “Lottie. She put me in contact with them. Also helped me figure out the best neighborhoods to look in for a place to live.”

  “Lottie… I suppose she also told you where to find me this morning.”

  He grinned, unashamed, and I couldn’t help it when I did too. Lottie was just repaying me the favor for my part in helping Tucker.

  “So, you’re serious about all this, living in Seattle, being with me?”

  “Hannah, it’s a dream come true. I knew I was serious about it the moment I chased after you in the airport the morning after the cookout.”

  My hand halted midway to my mouth. “You were there, calling my name.”

  “Yeah I was there. I’d bought a ticket for the next flight out just to get through security to find you. As soon as I saw you stepping into the jet bridge I tried yelling your name to stop you. I thought you hadn’t heard me, or maybe it was just my imagination that I saw you.”

  “I did. Oh my gosh, I did hear you.” I covered my mouth with a hand. “I’m sorry. I’d spent the night in the airport, and I just thought it was my heart and tired head playing tricks on me.”

  With a sad smile he picked up our linked hands, kissing the underside of my wrist. “I thought I might lose you forever when that plane took off with you on it.”

  I placed my other hand over the top of his, leaning in to kiss him. “I’m yours as long as you want me.”

  “That’s good, because I just might keep you forever.”

  Chapter 20

  HANNAH

  Nine Months later…

  I lifted the pot from the stove, pouring the spaghetti into the strainer at the sink. Steam rose in the air around me as the water filtered out of the noodles.

  “Now what?” I asked.

  “
Toss it with a little butter, so your pasta keeps from sticking,” my mom said, turning the spaghetti sauce to a low simmer for me after giving it another stir. “I’m setting the timer now. When it goes off, just turn the burner off for the sauce. It’ll stay warm for a while if you keep the lid on it.”

  “Got it.” I nodded as I dropped a little butter into the pasta.

  “What time does he get home?”

  “He should be home any minute now,” I said, glancing over my shoulder at the clock.

  “All right. I’ll get out of your hair then.”

  She removed her apron and laid it to the side. She took one last glance at everything—the set table, the already prepared salad, the unopened bottle of wine waiting to be popped open—before walking over to give me a hug.

  “I’m so proud of you, honey. And your father and I are truly happy and excited for you. You’re doing the right thing.”

  I really hoped so. And a giant part of me knew I was. It didn’t mean that I wasn’t still scared, that I wasn’t worried about what Billy’s reaction would be when he got home and I told him.

  She gave me a kiss on the cheek and squeezed my hand. I followed her as she walked toward the front door. “Thank you for everything, Mom.”

  “Of course, dear. Call me later and let me know how it went.”

  “I will. Love you.” I gave her one more hug before she disappeared behind the closed door of our apartment.

  I returned to the kitchen, doing my own double check of everything and turning off the burner to the pasta sauce. Timer or not, I wasn’t taking any chances this time. The last thing I wanted to do was start this conversation with burning our dinner. Again.

  Billy had been living with me since the day he showed up in my favorite coffee shop. After lunch with my parents, where they instantly fell in love with him the same way I had, we’d looked at a number of apartments and rentals for Billy. By the third one, I realized I didn’t want any distance between us, even a few miles. I insisted he just move in with me. He argued, not wanting me to rearrange my whole life for him, which was laughable considering he left his behind completely just to be with me.