Miss nobody strikes back

Closure.

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Hanna

I shifted slightly, my eyes fluttering open. I sat up and yawned, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. To my surprise, Dominic was sitting beside me, reviewing the notes I had written for our research project.

“Oh, I’m so sorry for falling asleep,” I stammered, trying to explain my unexpected nap. “I was just...”

“You talk a lot, you know that?” Dominic interrupted, turning to look at me with a raised eyebrow. My mouth snapped shut instantly, silenced by his teasing tone.

Then I noticed the book he was holding. Panic surged through me. “Wait, don’t read that! It’s just some scribbling I did,” I said, reaching out to take the notebook away from him. I had written a few extra things in there—things I didn’t want him to see. But he moved the book out of my reach, clearly enjoying the situation.

“Why?” he asked, his eyes glinting with curiosity as he flipped to the next page.

“Just... don’t read it!” I protested, lunging forward to grab it. But he was too fast, holding the notebook high above his head, out of my reach.

I stood up to try and take it from him, but in my haste, I tripped over my own feet and fell forward. Before I could react, I landed on top of him, our bodies colliding. My face flushed crimson as I realized our faces were inches apart. His striking blue eyes stared into mine, and I could feel the warmth of his breath fanning my face. Just one small movement, and our lips would have touched.

My heart pounded in my chest, each beat echoing in my ears. Time seemed to slow as we continued staring at each other, the intensity of the moment overwhelming me. His face was so close, so perfect, that I couldn’t think of anything else.

Then Dominic cleared his throat, snapping me out of my daze. I quickly realized that I was sitting on his lap, my hands flat against his chest while his left arm was wrapped around my waist, holding me steady.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry!” I blurted out, scrambling to get off him. I sat back down in my chair, avoiding eye contact as an awkward silence settled between us.

It took a while for my heart to stop racing and for my stomach to stop twisting in knots. Finally, Dominic broke the silence. “I made some corrections to your research,” he said, handing me the notebook he had been reviewing.

I glanced through it, trying to focus on the notes rather than what had just happened. “Sorry for keeping you waiting,” I heard him say. His tone was calm, almost apologetic. Did he really just apologize to me? My stomach did a little flip.

“It’s okay. You were busy, I totally understand,” I replied, still feeling the awkward tension hanging in the air.

Just then, my phone rang. “Mom!” I answered quickly, cringing as I heard her yelling through the phone. I glanced at the time. “Eight-thirty?! Oh no, Dad’s going to kill me! I’m sorry, but I have to leave,” I said, hurriedly packing up my books.

“I’ll drop you off,” Dominic offered.

“No, it’s fine. You’ve been driving me home so much, I can manage,” I said, though I wasn’t sure if I really meant it.

“You’ll get home faster if I take you,” he replied, his deep voice calm and steady.

I smiled and gave in. “Okay, you’ve convinced me.”

We headed outside, and I was surprised to see that Dominic hadn’t brought his usual black SUV. Instead, he had driven a convertible. I couldn’t help but marvel at the perks of being rich as we slid into the car. He opened the roof, and the cool night air rushed in, whipping through my hair as we sped down the streets.

The drive was exhilarating. The wind, the open sky, and the feeling of freedom—it was perfect. Dominic drove fast, which made my head spin a little, and my hair flew in all directions, but I didn’t mind. I was enjoying every second.

As we pulled up in front of my house, I turned to him with a smile. “Thank you. And... sorry for earlier,” I added, remembering how I had fallen on him.

“Do you apologize for everything?” he asked, his voice still calm but now tinged with amusement.

“I guess that’s just how I am,” I replied, shrugging. He nodded, then stepped back into his car and drove off. For some reason, I found myself smiling long after he had left.

I walked into the house, feeling lighter than I had in days. But that feeling quickly faded when I saw my mom sitting on the couch, waiting for me.

“Miss Hanna, care to explain why you’re home so late?” she asked, her arms crossed.

“I was working on a school project,” I replied quickly, trying to sound casual.

“That’s a lie, Mom! She always uses school projects as an excuse to go to that boy’s house. I have proof!” Claire chimed in, holding up her phone with pictures she had taken of me going to Dominic’s place.

“Care to explain this?” my mom asked, raising an eyebrow.

I sighed. “He’s my project partner. We don’t have much space here, so we work at his house.”

“Do you hear yourself? You told me you were going to a friend’s, but he’s a *boy*, Hanna! Are you crazy?” my mom said, her voice rising.

“Can’t you just believe me for once, Mom? We’re only working together! It’s part of our C.A. Do you want me to fail?” I shot back, my frustration bubbling to the surface.

“Hey! You can’t talk to Mom like that, you ungrateful brat,” Claire interjected.

“Oh, really? I’m not the one spreading rumors about how broke this family is, Mrs. Grateful,” I snapped sarcastically.

“That’s enough, Hanna! We’re not talking about Claire, we’re talking about you!” Mom said sharply.

“Why not? You’re accusing me of hanging out with a boy for school, while Claire hangs out with loads of boys,” I retorted, glaring at my sister. She just rolled her eyes.

“Hanna! I forbid you from seeing him again. You must be home by six from now on. A minute after that, and you’re in big trouble,” Mom declared.

“I told you, it’s for a project......”

“You’re not seeing that boy again. You’re to spend time with your family, not some rich kid. Don’t I give you enough?” Mom cut me off, making me feel like I was the villain in this situation.

“Mom, it’s not like that.......”

“Claire told me how you complain about this family, how you talk badly about your dad, and say we don’t care about you,” Mom accused.

I stood there, stunned. “Mom, do you really believe that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. She didn’t respond, and that hurt more than anything.

“Wow. I thought you knew me better than that. But I was wrong,” I muttered before storming up to my room.

For the first time, I realized how much I resented my family. It hit me hard I didn’t belong here.

Author’s Note: Hi cuties! I hope you’re enjoying the story so far! Please share, like, comment, and vote. Thank you!