18. Expect the Unexpected
18
EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED
Well-rested and deliriously happy after spending another flight with Noah, Hanna sat in the backseat of their rideshare as the car weaved through Los Angeles traffic.
During the flight, Hanna and Noah made plans for the few days she was taking off before starting work again.
She joked that Noah’s work was going to replace him if he took more time off, but he replied seriously that it was worth it if it meant he got to spend more time with her.
That led to a heated makeout session that was interrupted by a flight attendant.
Their ride pulled up to Sarah’s house, the native flowers showing off California’s recent rainshower by displaying their brightly colored blooms. Hanna smiled as the cheery sight of the bright blue door greeted her.
This may not be her home, but Hanna admired how Sarah created a welcoming atmosphere from the matching blue shutters to the smattering of windchimes and hummingbird feeders hung along the trim.
Apparently, it was so welcoming that there was a short, balding man standing on the doormat, running his fingers over a manila envelope nervously.
Hanna frowned as they pulled to the curb.
The man visibly relaxed as he saw the car, shoulders coming away from his ears as he started walking down the driveway.
“Do you know him?” Noah paused with his hand on the door handle.
Shaking her head, Hanna pushed down her apprehension.
“No. He’s probably a salesman, or looking for Sarah.”
Protective to a fault, Noah stepped out of the car and smoothed the wrinkles in his clothes, standing to his full height to intimidate the approaching stranger.
Rolling her eyes behind his back, Hanna climbed out of the car and stepped beside Noah just as the man reached them.
Honestly, it was broad daylight and their driver was still sitting in the car, waiting for them to get their bags.
What danger did Noah think this man possessed?
Once she knew, Hanna realized she should have been more worried.
The man barely glanced at Noah, focusing his attention on Hanna, causing the hairs on her arms to rise.
“Are you Hannah Poole?” His voice had a slight rasp as he mispronounced her name.
“Yes, I’m Hanna. Why are you here?” She crossed her arms over her chest.
Intrusive thoughts prodded at her and Hanna tried to control her breathing to calm her racing heart.
Reminding herself that someone would have called if one of her family members were hurt and that only people trying to sell something came to your address instead of calling.
After hours of travel, all Hanna wanted was to get settled in her room, not deal with a solicitor.
Noah wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing gently in support.
The envelope hovered in the open air between them.
“I was sent on behalf of Trips Ahoy. These are summons for you to appear in court. You have 60 days to answer the complaint within. If you do not, you will get a default judgment against you.”
Ice slid through her veins, chilling Hanna despite the balmy Southern California weather.
She heard the word “summons” like it was a foreign language and she briefly wondered if maybe the jetlag scrambled something in her brain that rendered her useless at translating it.
The envelope remained suspended in the air, insubstantial until she grabbed hold of it with shaking fingers.
How could something with such life-altering contents feel so mundane?
The dry paper was coarse, abrasive against her skin when Hanna thought it should feel biting.
There should be some visible sign of the damage this envelope was causing her, like bloody fingerprints.
Hanna stared mutely as her body trembled, barely registering that the man was raising his hands in a harmless gesture at something Noah asked him, backing away as if leaving the scene of a crime.
How could this have happened?
Hanna paid her taxes on time, followed the law, even flossed twice a day.
She was a good person, treating people with respect and compassion.
Why would anyone have cause to sue her?
Noah bent down to stare into her eyes, holding her face between his hands as he asked her how she was.
It sounded like he was speaking to her underwater, the rushing in Hanna’s ears drowning out the nuances of language so that she only understood the meaning, if not the actual words, of what Noah was saying.
Behind them, the driver rolled down their window and said something.
Noah snapped back a reply.
Hanna still could not understand exactly what was being said.
Murmuring something that was probably meant to reassure her, Noah kissed her and then stepped around to get their bags from the trunk.
Gripping her own version of Pandora’s box, Hanna tore at the flap, ripping off several small pieces before she could slide the folded papers out.
Despite wanting to burn them and pretend none of this was happening, Hanna knew that, “Ignorance is bliss, Your Honor,” would not go over well in court.
A burst of hysterical laughter left Hanna’s lips at the thought of saying that to someone as stern-faced as Judge Judy.
It took Hanna four attempts to read through the paragraphs detailing the lawsuit.
Phrases like ‘ignoring our previous attempts at contact,’ and ‘cease and desist’ jumped out at her.
Laden with legalese, Hanna was nonetheless able to make out the finer point of the lawsuit.
She was being sued for allegedly stealing clients from the new owners of Trips Ahoy.
They claimed that Hanna used the knowledge gained from her time with the company to use undue influence on clients that rightfully belonged to the large corporation.
When her eyes landed on the price they were suing her for, Hanna’s head swam.
There was no reality in which Hanna could afford what they were asking.
The majority of her funds were sunk into the business and her meager savings was a drop in the bucket of what they were asking for.
Damn it! Did she even stand a chance against them?
Hanna was unsure how much lawyers cost, but she imagined it was more than she could afford.
Dizzy and out of breath, Hanna felt her knees crumple.
Like she was watching herself from above, Hanna slowly descended to the ground.
Her heart was beating too fast in her chest and sweat began beading on her back.
“Hanna!” Noah caught her from behind, scooping his elbows under her arms. “Talk to me. What do you need?”
“Just want…to sit down…for a minute.” Her limbs tingled and Hanna suddenly felt so tired.
“Okay. Okay,” Noah repeated.
“Let’s sit down.”
Avoiding the drought-tolerant landscaping of pebbles and prickly plants, Noah lowered them to the cement driveway.
Noah sat Hanna sideways on his lap, bending his knees to better support her body.
Cupping her head against his chest, Noah pressed his face into her hair.
Hanna struggled to suck in air.
“Being…sued…” she tried to explain, the papers crumpled in her tight grip.
The tight constriction of her throat and inability to get out a full sentence just made it worse.
This had never happened before and Hanna hated that Noah was seeing her like this.
“We can deal with that later, okay? Let’s just focus on your breathing right now. Take a deep breath with me.” Noah slowly inhaled, his chest expanding against Hanna’s side.
She attempted to pull in enough air to match Noah, but Hanna’s lungs were too tight to expand fully.
At Noah’s direction, they held their breath, then slowly released it.
Hanna let herself fall into the hypnotic pattern, unevenly matching Noah’s inhales and exhales.
An indeterminable amount of time passed as they sat in the driveway and when Hanna’s heartbeat began to calm, enough oxygen reached her brain to give clarity to her thoughts.
Hanna was surprised to look around and see that the world still looked the same even though her worldview had shifted significantly.
“Thank you.” Hanna wiped a sleeve under her eyes.
She probably looked like a racoon.
“That’s never happened to me before.”
Noah was still rubbing circles around her back.
“Panic attacks are fairly common, especially considering the news you just received. Do you feel steady enough to get up? You will probably still feel drained and shaky for a while, so let’s take it easy, okay?”
“Yeah, I am ready to get off the ground.” She prayed that her neighbors were all at work or busy in their houses.
The last thing she needed was someone staring at them in what was certainly one of the most humiliating moments of her life.
“That could not have been comfortable for you.”
Her legs were a little unsteady beneath her, but with Noah’s warning, Hanna was able to safely get up.
Noah watched her closely and when he was certain she was not going to fall back down, grabbed their bags and followed Hanna up the walkway.
“I am more concerned about you right now.”
Entering her code into the smartlock on the door (technology made having rotating renters safer for Sarah) Hanna entered the empty house.
Having kept in contact with Sarah throughout the trip regarding her housing needs, Hanna knew that she was the only renter currently in the house and was staying in the same room as before.
Turning down the narrow hallway, Hanna led Noah into the small bedroom.
An unmade queen bed was tucked into one corner with a side table and lamp.
A desk and dresser made up the only other furniture in the room, a sparse reach-in closet taking up the remaining wall.
It was hardly more personal than her hotel room in Paris, and Hanna wondered what Noah thought as he looked around.
No artwork or personal touches, Hanna’s three photos of her family were stored in a box in Sarah’s garage along with her basic linens.
This was her life, impermanent, always on the move.
And now, getting sued.
It was all such a mess, and Hanna did not want Noah to see any of it.
This was her lowest point.
How could Noah want any part of it?
They had only known each other for a few months, and been a couple for even less.
There was no way she could drag Noah down into this shit.
Besides, who would want to tie themselves to a sinking ship?
Noah was better off cutting his losses and finding a woman with less baggage.
Fighting this lawsuit would absorb any time and energy Hanna had.
What little time she had leftover would be spent salvaging the relationships with her clients and ensuring there was no negative backlash on her business.
There would barely be enough time to eat and sleep, let alone give their budding relationship the attention it needed to flourish.
Heart already cracking, Hanna dealt it the final blow.
She knew that Noah meant more to her than a fling, but the reality was that their time in Paris was all she could have of him.
He deserved so much more than whatever scraps of time she could give him.
Now that he was learning to open up his heart and trust people again, he would find someone who could give him everything he needed.
It just would not be Hanna.
“Do you want me to order food? Maybe some of those empanadas you keep talking about.” Noah set her bags in the closet before coming back to wrap her in a hug.
“We can stay in, relax a little bit, help you get your mind off things.”
Why did he have to be so perfect?
Hanna let herself sink into his embrace.
If this was going to be the last time, she wanted to make the most of it.
Holding Noah tightly, she felt his rapid heartbeat beneath her cheek.
Her own heart was threatening a revolt, trying to beat out of her chest to latch itself onto Noah, wanting to never let him go.
But she could not be selfish.
Not with him. Not when Noah already gave up so much to make other people happy.
Hanna could do this for him: break her own heart to protect his.
She gently pushed away, trying to fix her expression into something reassuring.
Brows lowered over his eyes in confusion, Noah frowned at her.
“No, thank you. I’m not in the mood for food right now. I just want to clean up and maybe take a nap.” There was definitely no way Hanna could sleep, not with her brain racing a mile a minute forming to-do lists and questions that she needed to research.
The legal paperwork taunted her from where it sat on the desk.
“You should go home and try to work off the jetlag. I will not be good company anyway and I do not want you to be bored.”
Noah searched her face, eyes dimming when he puzzled out the meaning behind her words.
“Don’t shut me out, Hanna. Not me. Not after we promised to be real with each other.” His tone was laced with hurt, cutting at Hanna’s heart.
“You want me gone, fine, but don’t lie about the reason. At least be honest with me, you never held back before.”
Hot tears burned Hanna’s sensitive eyes.
How were there still any tears left?
She felt like she was using up a year’s supply in one day.
Hanna opened her mouth to respond, but only a sob came out.
When Noah immediately stepped forward to comfort her, Hanna held up a hand.
If he touched her again, she would cave and Hanna needed to remain strong.
She had to make him understand that this was the best choice for him.
“This mess isn’t your problem to deal with. We barely know each other. You have enough on your plate with your own business and family. You don’t need my problems on top of it. This is going to bring enough stress to shake a long-term relationship, and we’ve been together less than a month. And I know you are too kind to call it off yourself, so I’m going to do it for you. You deserve someone who can give you all their attention, not the crumbs that I can spare.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.” Noah grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest, right over his heart.
“I don’t care how long it's been, this has been yours from the moment you challenged me in that cafe with those gold-flecked eyes. Our relationship might be new, but it is not fragile. I don’t want anyone else, I want you. You bring out the best parts of me.” His eyes shone with tears. “You need time to take care of things yourself, prove that you can? Fine. I can give you as much time as you need, but do not end this in some misguided attempt to protect me. I want to be right beside you, supporting you, cheering you on, reminding you that you can do anything. But you don’t have to do it alone.”
Hanna choked on a sob, launching herself into Noah’s open arms. One of his hands clasped the back of her head, holding her against his chest as Hanna’s body shook with the force of her emotions.
Noah guided them to sit on the bed and Hanna was too drained to protest the fact that their outside clothes were touching the clean bed. At least the sheets were not on yet.
Agony, despair, and fury rose like waves, crashing down in a steady stream of tears. Years of hard work, punishing schedules and missed social events were now at risk because some corporation was greedy and jealous of the success Hanna carved out for herself. Falsely claiming that she was stealing clients they had no ownership of. As if people were like cars, transferring the title from one owner to another when a business was bought. Hazel would balk at the notion.
“Oh, no.” Hanna’s voice was scratchy from crying. “What is your grandmother going to think? The Delgados must have found out about the lawsuit and that is why they cancelled their trip. If they found out, your grandmother will probably find out soon too. What if she believes what they are saying, that I wrongfully took clients from them?”
Panic threatened to overwhelm her again and Hanna focused on the rise and fall of Noah’s chest to steady her breathing. He ran a hand soothingly down her back, stroking her hair with the other. His familiar scent of clean linen filled Hanna’s nose as she buried her face in his shirt.
“Mémé will know they are making up lies and will defend you. She knows the truth, that you are a good person and that she was the one who reached out to you about the trip. She loves you.”
His lips moved against her hair with silent words before he continued. “Trips Ahoy is scared because you are competition, excelling at your job and connecting with people in an authentic way they could never replicate.”
Hanna let out a pained laugh. “Yeah, well I kind of wish I was a little less good at my job if this is the result.”
“Do you really?” Noah tipped her chin up so that she could see his questioning look.
She did not have to think about her answer. “No.” As much as the threat of the lawsuit felt like her heart was caving in her chest, Hanna did not regret creating her own business instead of working for the large corporation. She was even a little proud of herself for building a reputation and brand that made one of the largest travel companies in the world worried for their business.
“Good.” Noah kissed her, wiping away the tears from her cheeks. For once, Hanna did not worry about how she looked, any hint of self-consciousness slipping away under Noah’s concern.
Hanna relaxed into Noah’s arms, letting her thoughts still in the knowledge that he would keep her safe. When she felt ready to face reality again, Hanna thought about what her next steps needed to be. Pressing up, Hanna caressed Noah’s face and gave him a feather-light kiss.
“Thank you for offering to stay with me, but I need some time to work through this on my own.” Asking for help was something she did not want to burden him with yet, and Hanna did not even know what help she would need. She had to try to solve this on her own, without adding to Noah’s load.
When a panicked look entered his sky-colored eyes, Hanna rushed to reassure him.
“I am not breaking up with you. I am just letting you know that I might not be available for a while. If you want to wait for me–”
“Yes.” The word left him in a rush. “I want that.”
Like the sun peaking through storm clouds, joy took root in her chest at the prospect of getting to keep Noah. Hanna did not know how much time she could spend with him while navigating the lawsuit, but just knowing that Noah would be there was like the light at the end of a tunnel.
“Okay,” she said.
“Okay,” Noah repeated. He looked at her like he was memorizing her face and Hanna wondered if Noah worried that it was the last time he would see her. Her heart ached at the thought that she hurt him.
“I will not try to push you away again,” Hanna said as she pressed their foreheads together and watched the doubt fade from his eyes.
“I won’t let you,” he promised. “You are it for me, Hanna, and I will tell you that as often as you need to hear it to believe me.”
She hugged him closer. Slowly, Noah’s body relaxed in her hold, his head resting against hers. Hanna wanted to own the feeling of his heartbeat against her chest. When she yawned against his shoulder, Hanna felt Noah’s smile against the top of her head.
“I’ll let you get some rest, sweetheart. Call me when you are ready.”
Hanna walked him to the door and waited while his rideshare pulled up, kissing him deeply instead of saying goodbye. Closing the door behind her, Hanna felt any remaining energy drain out of her body. On jellied legs, she made her way to the shower, cleaning off as quickly as possible before collapsing face-first onto the unmade bed.