Chapter 151

Hannah

The man smiled down at me, his piercing blue eyes meeting mine. I could feel my friends bristling with excitement behind me, causing my cheeks to flush red.

“Oh, thanks, but that’s not necessary,” I said, flashing my wedding ring. “I’m married.”

The man’s eyes flickered to my ring, but to my surprise, his smile only widened. “A man can still buy a lady a drink, no?” he asked. “I assure you, there will be no strings attached.”

I felt my cheeks heat up beneath his gaze. Well, that was certainly bold of him. But I shook my head again. “Really, thank you. But I’m not interested.”

“I see. Well, if you change your mind… I’m David,” the man said, extending his hand.

I hesitated for a moment before shaking it out of politeness. “Hannah.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Hannah,” David said, glancing at my friends. “And you as well, ladies. Are you from around here?”

“We’re visiting,” Viona said, leaning forward with a sly grin on her face as she gestured to Amber. “Fresh breakup.”

Amber’s eyes widened, but David simply smiled. “I’m sorry to hear about that. Well… I’ll leave you to it, then. Have a nice night.”

“You too.”

David turned to leave, but then stopped and shot me one last heated glance. “You know,” he said, “there’s a great hiking trail not far from here. Leads to a beautiful waterfall. If you’re interested, I would be happy to show you and your friends sometime.”

I smiled politely. “That’s very kind of you, but I think we’ll be okay on our own.”

David nodded, not seeming put off by my refusal. “Of course. Well, if you change your mind…” He pulled out a business card and slid it across the bar to me. “Give me a call. For hiking tips or... anything else.”

With a final smile, he left. As soon as he was out of earshot, my friends descended on me like vultures. “Ooh, Hannah!” Viona squealed, gripping my arm. “That guy was totally into you!”

Emma nodded enthusiastically. “Seriously, he couldn’t take his eyes off of you.”

I felt my face flush. “Come on, guys. He was just being friendly,” I said, glancing down at the business card in my palm, which was also the hand that wore my wedding ring. “And besides, I told him I was married.”

Amber raised an eyebrow. “He didn’t seem too put off by that. He still practically undressed you with his eyes.”

“You should call him,” Viona said, picking up the business card and examining it. “David Thompson, local real estate agent. Ooh, fancy. I bet you could tour some of the lavish mansions around here and have some fun in the bedrooms while you’re at it.”

I snatched the card back. “I’m not calling him,” I said, growling slightly. “Besides, I’m still married. How many times do I have to say that?”

“Yeah, to a cheating asshole,” Viona muttered.

I shot her a withering look over my shoulder. “We don’t know that for sure. Drake hasn’t found anything yet.”

Viona sighed and shook her head. “Come on, Hannah,” Amber said gently. “Even if Noah isn’t cheating, you two are getting divorced. There’s no harm in a little flirtation.”

I shook my head firmly and tossed the business card into a nearby trashcan. “No. I’m not dating anyone until the divorce is final. End of discussion.”

The girls exchanged glances but dropped the subject. As we finally got seated at our table and ordered our meals, the conversation shifted, blissfully, to other topics. I was glad to have the attention off of me, although the thought of that man and his business card still lingered in the back of my mind.

“So, Amber,” Viona said as she sipped her drink, “how are you holding up? Really?”

Amber sighed, pushing her food around her plate with her fork. “It’s... hard. I keep thinking about all the signs I missed, you know? I thought something was up when he wanted to have the wedding so quickly, but I completely ignored that feeling. But I’m glad I found out now, before the wedding.”

I reached out and gave her hand a squeeze. “There’s no way you could have known, Amber. Jake was good at hiding it.”

“I guess,” she said with a shrug. “It’s just... I thought I knew him, you know? And now I feel like I never really did.”

We spent the rest of the meal comforting Amber and making plans for the rest of our trip—including a reservation at the spa for the next morning and brunch afterwards, setting off a rather luxurious vacation.

By the time we left the restaurant, the mood had lightened considerably. We called the driver back to pick us up and returned to the rental, where we all went to our respective rooms for some rest and solitude.

That night, though, I found myself completely unable to sleep. The others had gone to bed hours ago, but I was still wide awake, my mind racing with thoughts.

Particularly, thoughts of Noah.

“I’m proud of you,” he had said that night in the kitchen. I had been so stunned that I had just thanked him and quickly left, not even saying goodnight. How could he be so kind after how I had told him that I was fantasizing about Drake?

Unless…

No. There was no way he could tell I was lying, right?

Quietly, I slipped out of bed, threw on my bikini, and made my way to the back deck. The hot tub was still warm, steam rising from its surface in the cool night air. I stripped off my bathing suit coverup and slid into the water, sighing as the heat enveloped me.

As I sat there, gazing out at the starry sky, I couldn’t help but reflect on how much had changed. Just a few months ago, I had been so unhappy with my body, starving myself and taking diet pills until I literally…

I didn’t want to think about what had happened. All that mattered was that now, I was healthier, stronger... and apparently more attractive, if the attention I had gotten at the bar tonight was any indication.

I ran my hands over my curves beneath the water, marveling at how different I felt. My thighs were fuller, my hips were rounder, my breasts were more ample. For the first time in a long time, I felt... sexy.

It was then that I let my fingers rest on my lower belly, almost protectively. I still wasn’t showing, and likely wouldn’t for some time. But that little life inside of me was taking root.

My mind wandered back to the night I had told Viona everything. She was still urging me on occasion to tell Noah the truth, but I still couldn’t bring myself to do it. If I couldn’t even admit to him that he was the one I was fantasizing about, then how could I tell him that I was pregnant with his child?

Suddenly, the sound of a car engine broke through my reverie. I frowned, wondering who would be driving up here so late at night. As I peered through the darkness, I saw a black car pulling up the driveway.

My heart began to race as a familiar figure stepped out of the car. I recognized those broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes almost immediately: it was David, the man from the bar. What was he doing here? How did he know where we were staying?

Panic seized me—something wasn’t right about this. I scrambled out of the hot tub, grabbing a nearby towel and wrapping it around myself. I had to get inside, had to wake the others.

But as I turned toward the door, I froze. Another man was standing there, blocking my path. In his hand was a gun, pointed directly at me.

“Don’t scream,” he said quietly. “Or I’ll shoot.”

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see David approaching with his hands in his pockets, his earlier charm replaced by a cold, calculating look.

“Come with us, Luna Hannah,” he said, his voice calm and even, “and no one will get hurt.”