Hannah's Fate |COMPLETED| 18+

Chapter Twenty-One

Waiting until the morning to talk to everyone had done nothing to ease the guilt I was feeling, and I spent the night tossing and turning. I was worried about everything from my car breaking down again to every one of my new friends hating me. I felt so awful. My heart was heavy and each step I took felt like my leg weighed 1000 pounds. Each step harder than the last to take toward the office of the hotel.

Donna is going to hate me. Was my only thought. It was crazy how awful I felt for what I would do. I was so worried about these people I'd only known a short amount of time, hating me. They had become like a family. They had shown me that not everyone in the world was cold and judgmental. That not everyone was judging me for every tiny little thing I did.

I opened the office door and Donna smiled brightly. "Hannah! You're early."

I gave her a half smile and took a deep breath which I slowly let out. It was now or never.

"I'm leaving." I said.

Her smile quickly faded. "What?" She asked.

"I'm going to head to New York and take that job. It's so wrong I'm here. I've been completely kidding myself. I'm so sorry to do this to you. But I need to do this." I said. I felt shaky and sick as I waited for her response.

"Wow. I'm so sorry, Hannah. What can I do to get you to stay?" She was being sincere, and I appreciated it more than she knew.

Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't you dare cry. I told myself.

"Nothing," I mumbled before turning and leaving the small office. I went back to my room to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything. I didn't want to be there a second longer. I wanted to leave and never look back. I needed to focus on my future, and I was just going to have to pretend like those last few weeks never existed.

I couldn't fight the tears anymore and sat down on the bed. They streamed down my face. I felt so foolish. How could I have thought that Brian was my future. I had been so stupid. I should have left the moment I saw him. We would have never spoke. It would have been a fleeting moment in our lives.

"I ran into the boy I used to love 18 months after he broke up with me. But we didn't speak. It's all it was. I left the next day." I pictured telling my grandkids one day.

When I gathered myself and went downstairs, I saw Donna, Maddie, and Beatrice standing at my car, waiting for me.

"So, you were just going to leave without telling me goodbye?" Maddie asked sounding hurt.

My heart broke because of how close we had gotten.

"Maddie, I – "

"Please don't, Hannah. I get it." She said. But I didn't think she really got it.

She was engaged to the love of her life. She didn't have to worry about her parents telling her not to date someone for petty reasons. She had an amazing mom that was supportive and so sweet.

"Where are you going?" Beatrice asked.

"Well, I was hoping home, but my mom told me she talked to the woman I had my interview with, and she will reschedule me. So, New York I guess." I tried to put more enthusiasm into this, so she'd think I was happy about my decision, but I knew I failed.

"Is this because of Amanda?" Maddie asked.

"Yes." I said.

"Are you fucking kidding me? Don't let her win, Hannah." Maddie said, pissed off.

"This isn't 'letting her win'. This is me facing reality and knowing I cannot make a life for myself in this town." I said.

Maddie scoffed, "should have never expected a Cali girl to be a good friend." That one had hurt.