38. Hannah
CHAPTER 38
HANNAH
SEVEN SUMMERS AGO
“ A re you okay?” I ask, noticing that Will looks upset as we load the truck for the last Farmers’ Market of the summer. He doesn’t respond at first, so I give him a moment before calling out to him again, “Earth to Will. You okay, babe?”
He smiles at me, but I frown when I realize it doesn’t quite meet his eyes. “Sorry, I’m just distracted today. What’d you ask me?”
“I was just asking if you’re okay. You’ve looked upset today,” I tell him, bending down and grabbing one of the boxes of corn to load in the truck.
“Yeah, I’m okay. My dad’s just being an asshole, but there’s not really anything new,” he says, and I nod in understanding.
“I get it. You don’t have to apologize. I just want you to know you can always talk to me about it if you want.”
Will looks up to meet my eyes, and I see whatever defenses he was trying to build crumble. “I know, I’m sorry. I’m being an ass. I’m just used to working through this shit on my own. I tried to call Huey this morning on the way over here to talk through it but he was out on a fire call, and I’m just in my head.”
I run my hand over his arm, wanting to be close to him before saying, “I’m sorry, baby. And there’s no pressure because I’m certainly no Huey, but I’m here if you want me.”
Will’s eyes soften at that, and he reaches out, pulling me into his arms. “God, you really are perfect for me. I’m screwing this all up. I found out last night that my dad filed for sole custody of my siblings.”
At that admission, I feel my jaw drop, and if the moment wasn’t so serious, I’d be fighting not to laugh. Not because it’s funny—quite the opposite, actually. It’s more because even I know how absurd that request is. “But your dad’s been gone from Springside for years. What the hell does he want now?” I ask, trying to figure out what it is that I’m missing.
“Apparently, he wants to force my siblings to move to Crestview for the rest of high school. Not really sure why yet. My mom thinks he wants to get out of paying child support,” Will admits, and I feel my anger at Will’s father rising even more.
“What the hell, Will? Why the fuck would he do this?” I ask, knowing it probably isn’t the most helpful question at the moment, but I can’t help myself.
He just shrugs his shoulders, and I hate how frustrated he looks. “Other than the fact that he’s a selfish bastard that only cares about himself? That’s all I got. But I told Mom I’d go try to talk to him next week since he’s been ignoring our messages.”
My eyes widen at that statement. “Wait, I didn’t think you’d seen him since the divorce.”
Will just nods before murmuring, “Yeah, that’s right.”
The weight of what he’s saying all crashes into me, and I pull him to me, reaching out to place a soft kiss on his mouth. He pulls me into his arms again and even after we pull back from the kiss, neither of us moves, clearly content to just stay in each other’s arms. After a while, he pulls away and gestures toward all the veggies and fruit lying at our feet.
“Enough of all that. My dad’s been a disappointment for years, and I’m not going to let him ruin our day. We’re almost done here, and I took care of those last bales of hay this morning. What do you want to do when we finish?” he asks, and I smile at the excitement in his question despite all the negativity he’s dealing with.
“Well, I actually have a little surprise for you,” I tell him, watching his eyes widen in surprise.
“Of course you do. You and your surprises,” he teases, dropping a kiss on the top of my head. “So do I get to find out now, or do I have to wait until we get all this other shit done.”
“Well,” I tell him, drawing out the word to tease him, “I was originally going to make you wait, but since you asked so nicely, we’re doing something I promised you at the beginning of the summer. Any guesses?”
Will pauses, probably thinking through some of our earliest conversations before shaking his head. “I’m trying to think, but honestly, I’ve already gotten everything I wanted this summer.”
He winks at the end of that statement, and I roll my eyes in mock annoyance. “Aww shucks, aren’t you just the sweetest? But as for what we’re doing today, I thought I’d teach you how to ride a horse. I know you’ve been around them a pretty decent amount this summer to feed them and help clean out their stalls, and I think you’ll really like it.”
“That sounds fun, Han,” he says, dropping one more quick kiss onto my mouth before pulling back and grabbing some of the boxes to pile into the back of the truck. “Let’s get this knocked out, and then we’ll go. And then tonight, when I have you alone, I’m gonna fuck you until we both forget about all this shit, okay?”
“And they say the perfect day doesn’t exist,” I tease, sliding up on my tiptoes to kiss him one more time.