46. Hannah
CHAPTER 46
HANNAH
FOUR SUMMERS AGO
C ome on, Hannah. You’re a big girl, you can do this, I tell myself as I see Will across the room of Maracas. Caroline suggested a night out to celebrate us both landing teaching jobs at Springside High earlier this week, and I agreed, not realizing she also invited a few of the other teachers. Since Will took an assistant coaching job two years ago, I shouldn’t be surprised he’s here, but I thought I’d have a few more days to prepare myself before seeing him again.
I’ve thought about it a lot over the last few years, and I know I owe him an apology. It wasn’t fair for me to take out my fear and frustration on him, and while I know we’ll probably never go back to how we were, I still think we could be friends.
Blowing out a breath and giving myself a mental pep talk, I straighten and start to make my way over to where Will is standing, talking to Seth, another guy we went to school with. I know he works at the school too, and I’m pretty sure he helps with the baseball team. Their backs are to me, and as I get closer, I start to hear them talking as they take sips of their beer.
“Yeah, it’ll be nice to have Caroline at Springside. All the kids are gonna be fucking obsessed with her,” Will says, and Seth nods in agreement.
“Hell, I’m just glad we’ll finally have some other young people around campus. I’m tired of everyone acting like you have to be ready to draw Social Security to be good with the kids,” Seth says with a laugh. “And you forgot about Hannah. I think she’s cool too.”
“Ugh, whatever,” Will scoffs, taking another sip of his beer. “She gets on my damn nerves. I don’t know what on earth Principal Hale was thinking when hiring her.’”
I briefly register Seth trying to defend me, but the rushing in my ears makes it impossible to figure out exactly what he’s saying. I’ve stopped dead in my tracks at their conversation, and I know I need to move, but I can’t. My heart sinks at the way Will’s talking about me. I know we didn’t leave off on great terms, but the hatred I hear in his voice makes me want to cry.
I force myself to change directions, heading to the bathroom, not wanting Will and Seth to know I overheard them. Locking myself in the small bathroom, I take in my reflection in the mirror, shaking my head in frustration over the hurt I feel.
I haven’t talked to Will in years, and I certainly don’t have to grovel for his approval now. Yes, I wanted to apologize, but he didn’t even try to come after me when I left. The man had made all these promises and just like everyone else in my life, he didn’t intend to stay when things got hard.
I wipe my eyes where the two lone tears managed to fall and promise myself that these are the last tears I will ever cry over Will Thompson. He wants to hate me? That’s fine. I can match that same energy right back, and I’ll pretend that he isn’t still holding a few pieces of my heart that I’ll never get back.