Chapter Seventeen
Hanna was going through the grocery store checkout when she heard a voice behind her she wished never to hear again.
“Hey, there’s my baby sis. Isn’t she looking fancy?”
Hanna rolled her eyes and looked over her shoulder. “Hello, Shasha.”
“Oh, you’re all high and mighty now. Too good for us?”
“Actually, the people of this town are very nice. You’re trash and an embarrassment to the family. But then you always were.”
“Shut up, bitch,” Shasha hissed. “You were always so hoity-toity.”
Why did she have to do this in front of people? Hanna smiled apologetically at the clerk as she paid her bill, and then she answered her sister.
Hanna laughed. “No, sis, I was just smart and worked hard. You could have done the same thing, but you were like our father. Lazy, selfish, and worthless. Getting by and whining about working, or making everyone else’s lives horrible, just to make yourself feel better.
You know, it’s not too late. Stop spreading your legs, get a decent job, and maybe take some college classes. ”
Shasha sneered. “No fucking way. I’m doing just fine.”
Hanna rolled her eyes, grabbed her bag of groceries, and walked out. She hoped the conversation was over, but silently groaned when she heard her sister behind her.
“Hey, I heard about the house. That’s too bad, isn’t it?”
Hanna turned, saw her sister’s pleased, cruel look, and smiled brightly.
“Don’t be. I was going to burn the thing down, but first, I had some stuff to go through and wasn’t looking forward to it. Whoever vandalized the place did me a huge favor. I got everything I wanted before some idiot did the vandalism.”
She watched her sister turn red and heard her growl.
“Oh, the house was worth shit,” Hanna told her. “It’s the land I’m getting money for, and I’ve already sold it for a lot of money. How’s the car?”
Hanna knew she was pushing it, but she’d had enough of her sister trying to make her miserable.
“That’s fucking bullshit. Half of that is mine.”
“No, sis. You took yours when you emptied the account after Dad was gone. It was a pretty despicable thing to do to your mother, but I took care of her. What about all the stuff you stole from her? That counts, too.”
“Dad did part of that before he left. You are just a fucking bitch,” Shasha screeched at her.
Hanna was embarrassed when she noticed people stopping and staring.
“No, sis. I’m just telling you the facts. Go to your job at the bar and screw some more guys. That’s the only thing you're good at.”
Hanna turned and started to walk off.
“Hey, sis,” Shasha yelled. “I heard you were shacking up with Blake Denison. Has he told you about our baby yet?”
Hanna froze. Oh, God, Blake had sex with her sister? And there was a baby? She tried to act nonchalant because she didn’t want to give her sister the satisfaction of thinking she hurt her. She turned back to her sister and smiled. “Of course, he did. You’re pathetic. Get a life.”
She walked calmly to her SUV, gritting her teeth to keep from crying. She put the groceries in the back seat, jumped into the front, and drove off.
She even had the strength to smile and wave at her sister as she drove by. She got some satisfaction from the fury on her face.
Oh, God, a baby. It just kept going through her head. Why hadn’t he said anything to her? The fact that her sister had gotten what she herself had always wanted, Blake’s baby, made her physically sick. Her sister didn’t deserve anything that wonderful.
Hanna shook so badly that she stopped at the cemetery, walked to her mother’s grave, and knelt as the tears started to fall. Even though they hadn’t been together long, the betrayal hurt worse than any other.
“Oh, Mama, what am I going to do?”
She cried until there were no more tears, and she was exhausted.
After she’d calmed down, she started to think clearly. What would her mother say to her in this situation? Her mother was one of the strongest and smartest people she’d known, and she’d always listened to her advice.
Hanna could hear her in her head as if she were sitting beside her. “Give him a chance to explain, dear. Don’t let your sister’s hatred ruin your chance at happiness. It would only give her satisfaction.”
But the thought of the two of them together made her physically sick.
She had no idea how much time had passed before she rose, kissed the tips of her fingers, and set them on top of her mother’s gravestone.
“I’ll see you later, Mama. I love you.”
Once she returned to her vehicle, she wiped her face and blew her nose before resting her head against the headrest and closing her eyes.
What was she going to say to him? Would she be able to look at him and not start to cry, or worse, yell at him?
Her body jerked when her phone rang. She saw Blake’s number, inhaled, and answered.
“Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you for an hour,” he bellowed into the phone.
She cleared her throat. “I was visiting Mama.”
He instantly grew quiet. “Do you need me to come to get you, baby?” he asked gently.
“No. I also ran into Shasha, and I ... I need some time.”
“Why?”
She could hear the tension in his tone, which told her a lot.
“She said some things...”
“Come home, baby. We’ll talk about it when you get here.”
“I’ll come in a while.”
“No, now. Don’t you dare let her get in between us.”
“I want to know if it’s true.”
He sighed. “What did she say?”
“She said the two of you had ... sex and that there was a baby.”
“Baby, come home so we can talk.”
“So, it is true?” She pressed her hand to her mouth when she felt bile start to climb up her throat. “Oh, God.”
“No, not all of it. You know how your sister is, baby. She wants to make you miserable. I can make this better if you let me.”
“I just... I don’t know.”
“Don’t you dare give up on me,” he growled. “Come home now, or I’ll come and find you.”
“No,” she burst out. “I’ll come home.”
“Right now, baby. If I don’t see you within thirty minutes, I’m coming to find you. I’m worried about you driving around when you’re upset.”
“Okay, I’m coming, and I’m being careful.”
“I’ll see you soon. Drive safe,” he said and hung up.
She rested her head back again and closed her eyes.
“Mama, give me the strength,” she whispered. Her mother’s voice vibrated through her mind, telling her she had more strength than she ever realized.
She exhaled. She’d been through a lot and just gotten stronger. She’d deal with this, too.