by Amber Lynn
Hannah had initially tried to remember Curtis asking her out, but Nina made it hard to concentrate on anything other than her. The question of whether he was an idiot seemed a bit much, but Hannah had to wonder if what he said was true. Why in the world would he ask her out?
“What? Are you afraid someone is going to take away your little errand monkey? I’m pretty sure Hannah is allowed to have a life.”
Curtis had almost made it to the door, but instead of walking through it, he spun around to face the angry woman still working to keep pace with him. Hannah let her focus on him turn to her friend.
Nina’s face was blotchy, a state Hannah had never seen. It wasn’t obvious whether it was the exertion it took to follow Curtis or something else that caused it, but Hannah wanted to guide Nina to a bathroom as soon as possible so she could fix the problem. If anyone saw her without a perfectly painted face, Nina was bound to go on a killing spree.
“You are such a fucking idiot.”
The power behind Nina’s words surprised even Hannah, who had heard the woman’s longest, most cursed-filled rants. Nina could strip skin off with words, but it was rare she sent bullets flying with the words. Hannah felt like one of those bullets punctured the skin of her right arm.
“What was your goal here? Come in and pick on the most vulnerable, easy to score girl and get your rocks off on watching her bend under your touch. Did you roofie her? Is that why she passed out and now looks half out of it? I’m going to call the cops.”
Nina quickly reached into the small clutch she’d kept close to her all night and fished out her phone. It was almost the size of a tablet, which made it a miracle that it fit in the cute sequin-covered accessory.
“Screw you, Nina. If anyone roofied her it was you. You’ve got to be giving her some kind of drugs to keep her believing the world revolves around Princess Nina.”
Curtis’ words didn’t have the same bite, but he didn’t need to filet someone to make sure his point got across. Since Hannah was still in his arms with her head against his chest, each word vibrated from within him through her ear.
Hannah had never been more confused. Nina’s side of things were typical of her general look on life, something Hannah had long ago come to accept. She had no idea where Curtis was coming from. He’d never shown interest, and yet, apparently, he was asking her out and fighting with Nina about how she was treated.
It made absolutely no sense. At least Nina saw that and backed up the thoughts in Hannah’s mind.
“Maybe you should put me down.”
The response should’ve come the moment Hannah realized she wasn’t dreaming. It was hard to get a word in with the two strong personalities battling it out, but righting herself should’ve been a priority.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea. You obviously didn’t see yourself buckle, but I’d prefer to never see that again and I’m not sure you’re ready to be on your feet yet.”
“Look who’s trying to decide her life for her now. I told you back in high school to stay away from her, so I don’t know why you think a decade would change that. She’s still off limits to you.”
Hannah didn’t know what to be more shocked about – the fact the words came out of Nina’s mouth or that Curtis didn’t immediately correct them. It was bad enough that they were talking about her like she wasn’t in the room and both trying to make decisions for her. Hearing that she’d been a topic they’d discussed before was sort of surreal.
“She has a right to make that decision herself.”
Curtis didn’t fight as Hannah moved her legs out of his hold and about fell on her face as she tried to right herself. He kept his hands supporting her throughout the move, his warmth sending a shiver up her spine.
“I don’t know what you two are talking about, but I think I’m going to see myself home and try to get some sleep.”
Before Nina or Curtis could force their opinions on her, Hannah darted around the arms working to steady her and pushed through the doors leading to the parking lot. She hadn’t thought herself as anyone particularly speedy, but in her opinion, she made the move so effortless it left her companions in shock. At least that’s what she told herself when it took Curtis a few seconds to run after her.
“Wait,” he called.
Hannah hadn’t parked close enough to the door to make it to the car before he could catch up with her. She didn’t slow down even after the word. Her head was drifting from thought to thought, not really sure whether the whole interaction was a dream or real life.
So much of what she heard didn’t make sense. The only thing that did was the hatred she remembered from high school between Nina and Curtis was as strong as ever. She’d forgotten how turbulent it seemed to be.
Hannah found the key to her car in her black clutch and quickly hit the button to unlock the doors. Curtis didn’t try to stop her from opening the door and sliding in, even though he had caught up to her.
“Are you sure you’re okay to drive? I caught you before you could hit your head or anything, but I’m worried something will trigger another faint while you’re driving.”
Rather than answer with words, Hannah nodded her head. It had taken a second for the cold air outside to hit her, but sitting with the car door open, it finally reminded her that she wasn’t dressed for the temperatures. It was still technically summer, but the temperature at nights had been dipping down in the fifties.
“I think I need some time to think. I have no idea what was going on in there and how much of what was said is true. I just know I need to be alone right now.”
“Yeah, okay.” Curtis moved to put a hand on the door, like he would close it for her. “If it’s okay, I’m going to follow you home, just to make sure you get there safely.”
Hannah didn’t think she could stop him from doing whatever he wanted in his own car, so she shrugged while she put the key in the ignition and started the car. He could take the action however he wanted.
“Also, if you don’t mind,” he said as he ran his fingers through his short brown hair. “When you do want to talk, call me before her. I need to explain things and if you let her go first, I don’t think you’ll give me a chance.”
The words didn’t make a lot of sense, but Hannah found her head nodding up and down. Since she didn’t have his phone number, and doubted it was something widely published, there wasn’t much hope for her following through with the promise.
“Great, I’ll text you so you have my number and talk to you later.”
Curtis shut the door and ran off, presumably to his car. After living a life where everything made sense and her days were planned out pretty perfectly, just an hour or so had thrown a big wrench in Hannah’s equilibrium.
Chapter 4
Curtis closed his eyes and let the sounds around him try to help get his head where it needed to be. He’d spent all night worrying about Hannah, even after he made sure she got to her apartment without passing out. There had been too many things said without context that were easily misconstrued.
Nina was to blame for the majority of those things said. Thinking back, she was of course to blame for everything. Bitch wasn’t really strong enough a word, as it was a put down to female dogs to be compared to Nina. The woman was toxic, and Curtis hated that Hannah was stuck in her gravitational pull.
“That look is telling me that you either had the hottest sex of your life last night or the plan to ask your high school crush out blew up in your face. Since you keep describing her as shy, I’m guessing she didn’t jump in bed with you.”
Curtis raised his eyebrows as he considered Brady’s words. There was no way his face could convey both of those things at once. The difference between satisfaction and frustration should have been clear.
Brady was the teammate who dared him to go to the reunion, so he knew what was at stake. Curtis had probably poured his heart out a few too many times over beers with the guy.
Opening his eyes, Curtis shifted his weight on his skates and tried to
focus on the practice going on around him. The minutes were winding down, so most of the guys were taking their last shots and talking about their plans for the day. It wasn’t a mandatory practice, but everyone was trying to get in as many hours as they could as preseason went on.
“I’m pretty sure the sex would’ve put me in a better mood. In fact, if it was as good as I envision it being, I wouldn’t have made it in today.”
It had been a while since anyone on the team saw Curtis in what could be considered a good mood. Sure, when they won he smiled and cheered, even went out from time to time to grab a beer. His moods tended to lean towards the dark side, though, and he’d never been mistaken for the chipper guy on the team.
Curtis had to fight to make it on a professional team, even though he was pretty good in high school. He wasn’t drafted, so his work ethic was a little different from the guys like Brady who hadn’t had to wonder if they would make it to the big stage.
“Yeah, can’t deny that. Did she even show up? I know you said she was supposed to, but you were worried about how flighty she is.”
It was clear he really had been oversharing. Sometimes it felt good to let it all out, but he had to remember to expect the snickers Brady tried his best to hide. The guy was on the record as saying he’d be a lifelong bachelor.
“I asked her out, she fainted and then I went to battle with the shrew. Not exactly how I planned things out, but I guess I can’t be surprised.”
Curtis hadn’t made any plans. If anything, he’d planned on chickening out. Brady didn’t understand his logic as far as that went. Frankly, Curtis didn’t understand it either. Any time he saw Hannah, whether in real life or just her name popped up on social media, some crazy chemical reaction fired off in his body.
After thirteen years of having that crazy reaction, one would think he’d get over it. It wasn’t like he spent all those years sitting at home pining. He went on dates, even had a couple girlfriends the world considered serious. There was just something about the one who got away that kept him coming back to Hannah.
The bad part was that she had no clue that’s what she was to him. Nina had opened her big mouth and hinted about her threats in high school, but Hannah couldn’t know exactly what her friend meant.
“The dreaded shrew.”
Brady sighed and patted Curtis on the shoulder. When they spoke about Hannah, it was hard not to mention Nina and the roadblock she played in Hannah’s life. Curtis hadn’t shared all the details, but Brady knew enough to know his feelings about everyone involved.
“Was she as hot as that picture you showed me?”
Curtis glared out the corner of his eye to try to get a handle on which woman he wanted to know about. Pictures of both had been shared. They seemed to be on the topic of Nina, and Curtis sure as hell didn’t consider anything hot about the woman. He figured he might as well describe both women just to make sure he wasn’t putting his foot in his mouth.
His mind was on Hannah, so he was more than ready to go into details about her, but at the same time, it was something he didn’t want another guy picturing. Even in describing her, Curtis felt the need to protect her.
“Hannah looked amazing, especially in my arms when I carried her out of the gym. Nina,” he had to pause to think of the best way to describe her looks. “Well, she. God, I don’t know. She had an audience around her all night, so I suspect people thought she looked okay.”
“Wow, dude, you really hate that woman.”
A grunted reply was all Brady got as Curtis moved over to the opening closest to him on the bench and stepped off the ice to go get dressed. All morning before practice he’d stared at his phone, willing it to ring. He’d texted his number to Hannah like he promised, not expecting her to get back to him right away, but hopeful she’d give him a chance to explain. Waiting on the important call without having his phone around made him even grumpier than usual.
Curtis quickly took his jersey off and tossed it in his stall once he was in the locker room. Brady wasted no time following behind him.
“I don’t know how you got that from me saying she looked okay, but you know what she did to me. The devious bitch was pissed that I didn’t want her so she blackmailed me to make sure I didn’t hook up with her friend. It doesn’t matter what she looks like on the outside. I’ve seen what’s inside.”
Grabbing his phone, Curtis saw there were two missed calls. His hope only kicked up a notch for a second before seeing it was his mom and a number not in his phone. There was a chance the unknown number was Hannah, but he had her cell and work phones programmed in.
The work phone was easy to procure doing a simple internet search for her. The cell phone took a little more work, which could’ve been easier by spending a little money if he hadn’t been able to find it trolling her mom’s social media accounts. Someone had been nice enough to mention needing to get in touch with Hannah, and Mrs. Williams was all too eager to help out.
Yes, Curtis could be considered a creepy stalker. He knew that and had long ago come to terms with watching Hannah live her life without his interference. He didn’t spend every second of his free time figuring out where she was and what she was doing. Maybe once or twice a week he took a peek to see if she’d posted anything new in her life. Since she infrequently posted anything, he couldn’t be considered a full-on creep.
He wasn’t even up to date on the boyfriend situation. He’d asked her out not knowing if there was anyone serious, hoping there wasn’t and at the same time hoping she’d give him a chance even if there was. It was foolish and arrogant on his part, but he felt it was something he had to do. For once, he had to know whether he’d put her on a pedestal that no one could reach, or if he was right and there was a chance they were meant to be together.
“I know all about the staged pictures, but in high school I would’ve just banged the hot chick for a while so she’d erase the photos, lock my bedroom window at night so she couldn’t take more, then get on with my life.”
While they spoke, Curtis had stripped down to nothing and was ready to jump in the showers. The usual tension in his shoulders had managed to tighten even more after the disaster the night before. He needed at least ten minutes of high-powered water jetting into his knots. It never seemed to relieve the kinks for long, but sometimes it helped clear his head.
Brady was only a few seconds behind Curtis, so the conversation didn’t stop with Brady telling him he should’ve abandoned his principles and bent to Nina’s demands instead of checking out of the situation. If Brady knew Nina at all, Curtis hoped he would’ve seen how foolish the idea of playing along was.
“You don’t get it,” Curtis said as he hung his towel up and got to work washing the sweat off him. “Even if I did pretend to be her boyfriend for a while, she’d never let me go. There would always be something. If not photos, she’d get knocked up on purpose and tell everyone it was mine just to make sure my life was a living hell. I’m sure that’s what she’s doing today. She probably still has those pics and is making up some sordid story about them.”
The pictures kind of spoke for themselves. Curtis topless in his bed with his sheets pulled up to his waist and Nina naked in the bed next to him with hickies on her neck and breasts was bad enough. That alone spelled a night he’d be hard up to explain away.
It wasn’t enough to stop him from pursuing Hannah. Every guy in school probably screwed Nina at some point, so it was doubtful Hannah would care too much about the thought that he did. He didn’t want anyone to think he had, though, so it was easier to keep quiet. Plus, the picture threatened his hockey career more than anything.
The sex wasn’t the only thing Nina staged. She’d tied some kind of rubber band around his arm and littered drug paraphernalia on the table beside his bed. Not having ever touched drugs in his life, he had no idea what the stuff was, but if the pictures got out, his career would have been in serious trouble. He had no idea whether she’d actually shot something in him, so it wasn’
t like he could just take a drug test and prove the photos were staged.
There was no question how much he hated Nina. She didn’t know it, but everything she did to drive a wedge between him and Hannah only made him want Hannah more. The simple fact that Hannah was so pure and was stuck following blindly behind a heinous bitch was enough to keep Curtis up at nights, even years later.
“So what? Do you really believe this Hannah chick has no clue at all what her friend is capable of? Let her show the pictures off and tell her story. It’s not like she can do any more than show it to her friend at this point. If she went public with them, it’d hurt her just as much as you. Naked sex pics from high school can’t be good for her CEO image.”
Curtis rinsed the shampoo from his hair and shook his head rapidly to try to loosen his neck some. Talking about stuff didn’t help. It only made him think of all the places he screwed up.
“That woman would cut off her own nose and blame me if she thought it would work, so I don’t think for a second she’d hold back if she thought something would help her get her way. And trust me, that is all that matters to her. It doesn’t matter who gets hurt or what price she has to pay. It’s Nina’s way or no way.”
More of their teammates started to file into the showers, so the conversation was put on hold. Oversharing with others around wasn’t uncommon, but Brady was kind enough to keep Curtis’ personal life away from locker room gossip. The guys already made jokes about his lack of a love life. Hearing that he hadn’t moved on from a crush from high school would keep the guys laughing for days.
Curtis thought about how he’d explain things to Hannah as he finished up his shower. From her side of things, his interest came out of the blue, whether he had to explain the photos or not. She probably thought he was a total dolt for how he’d handle things. The whole fainting thing was something he was still trying to figure out.
He wasn’t about to take back his request for a date, but he should’ve gone about it differently. He knew where she worked and where she lived. He could’ve staged a chance run in and painted things in a better light. Instead, he was stuck dealing with Nina blurting out the usual garbage that flowed from her mouth.