Of Course, It's You

Chapter 27

HANNAH

They continued in a comfortable silence as they walked toward the park, the warmth of the afternoon sun stretching long shadows across the pavement. When the back of Hannah's hand brushed against Carmen's, she could have sworn Carmen's posture relaxed. Just for a second.

At a quiet picnic table beneath a tree, they sat. Carmen didn't touch the sandwich in front of her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Hannah asked carefully.

Carmen looked at her very slowly, brows knitting together. "What are you doing?"

"Well, I'm eating my lunch." Hannah said, taking a bite of her chicken salad sandwich just to prove her point.

"No I mean–" Carmen chuckled, the sound carrying with it a note of disbelief. "You and your smart-ass answers."

"My specialty," Hannah shrugged. "But you looked like you needed a friend."

Carmen hummed faintly. "A friend." There was an unmistakable weight to her words, like it bruised her tongue on the way out.

"You helped me before." Hannah said. "Plus, I get to be outside, and my boss let me take a half day. That's a win in my book."

"Oh yeah? Your boss said that?"

"Yep. She's pretty laid-back like that."

Carmen let out a real laugh. "That's news to me. Not quite the version I've heard of her."

Almost reluctantly, Carmen reached for her sandwich and took a small bite.

"You don't have to eat if you're not up for it." Hannah offered.

"No... it's probably smart. I've been told I tend to skip meals."

"Well, we don't have to talk about anything either. We can just enjoy lunch and the fact that we aren't in the office. Or that we're in the same zip-code as your dad."

A smile tugged on Carmen's lips. "Sounds like a plan. Thank you... for getting me out of there."

Hannah shrugged. "You looked like you were about to drown yourself in spreadsheets. Or set something on fire. And... you looked like you could use some company. The kind that isn't your dad." And I wanted to make sure that you were okay. She didn't say out loud.

She watched Carmen absently pick at the crust of her sandwich before sighing. "Was it that obvious?"

Hannah smirked. "He's kind of a tool, isn't he?"

A short, dry laugh escaped Carmen's mouth.

"Can I even say that? Is it going to get me fired if I trash-talk your dad?"

Carmen eyed her with a raised brow. "You're not telling me anything new. I'd be shocked if you could present me with something I hadn't heard before."

"Well, just make sure he doesn't fire me when I return the dress he said he's sending me."

Carmen's head jerked up, brows knitting. "A dress?"

Something in her voice changed. It was subtle, but Hannah caught it. It was clipped and controlled. Like she was masking something far deeper.

Oh God, was she in on it too?

"Yes," Hannah said carefully. "He asked me to go to some gala. Although, 'asked' is a generous way to put it. It was more of a command. I'll send you the dress. You'll show up. It felt very... slimy."

Carmen fisted a hand but slid it into her lap under the table out of view. She bit the inside of her cheek so hard it looked like she might draw blood.

"I'm not going," Hannah added quickly. "If that's what you're worried about."