HANNAH
The soft hum of conversation greeted me as I stepped into the Whitaker house, dessert in hand. Jeremy’s mom, Susan, had opened the door before I could even knock, pulling me into a warm hug.
“Hannah!” she exclaimed, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. “It’s so good to see you, sweetheart. You’re glowing!”
“Hi, Mrs. Whitaker,” I said, smiling as she ushered me inside. “Mom sends her love. She insisted I bring this for dinner.”
Susan took the apple crumble and placed it on the counter. “Oh, your mom always bakes the best desserts. Come in, come in! We’ve missed you.”
The house smelled of baked bread and herbs, instantly pulling me back to childhood dinners spent here. Jeremy’s dad, George, greeted me with a kind smile as he finished setting the table.
“Look at you, all grown up,” he said warmly. “It’s been too long, Hannah. How’ve you been?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but my eyes caught Jeremy in the corner of the room, adjusting a loose chair leg. He glanced up briefly, his expression neutral, before focusing back on his task.
“I’ve been good, thank you,” I said, feeling slightly awkward under Jeremy’s quiet presence.
Susan looped her arm through mine, pulling me toward the dining room. “Come on, dinner’s ready. Let’s catch up!”
****
Dinner was lively, as it always was with the Whitakers. Susan and George had an easy, playful way of teasing each other, and they brought that same energy to the table, keeping the atmosphere light and warm.
Jeremy, however, was quieter than I expected. He sat across from me, eating methodically, only occasionally chiming in when his parents asked him something directly.
The conversation eventually turned to childhood memories, as it often did when I visited.
“You know,” Susan began, glancing between me and Jeremy with a mischievous smile, “Jeremy used to have the biggest crush on you when you two were little.”
I froze mid-bite, my fork hovering in the air. “What?”
Jeremy’s head snapped up, his blue eyes narrowing at his mom. “Mom, stop,” he said, his tone firm.
“Oh, come on, it’s cute!” Susan continued, ignoring him. “You don’t remember, Hannah? He’d always find reasons to come over—fixing things, helping your dad, whatever he could think of. And the way he’d sulk when you didn’t notice—”
“Mom,” Jeremy said again, sharper this time, his ears turning red.
I glanced at him, trying to gauge if there was any truth to what she was saying, but his expression was closed off. “I… I don’t think I ever noticed,” I admitted, feeling strangely flustered.
“Well, of course you didn’t,” Susan said with a laugh. “You were too busy twirling around the yard like a little ballerina. But oh, he noticed. Didn’t you, Jeremy?”
“No,” Jeremy said flatly, his gaze fixed on his plate.
His dad chuckled, shaking his head. “Let it go, Susan. You’re embarrassing the poor guy.”
“Oh, all right,” Susan said, waving it off with a grin. “But you can’t deny it was adorable.”
I couldn’t help but glance at Jeremy again, but he refused to meet my eyes. Instead, he focused on cutting his food with unnecessary precision, his jaw tight.
****
The walk back to my house was short, just a few steps away from Jeremy's. The night air was cool against my skin, and the quiet sounds of crickets filled the silence between us. I kept my gaze ahead, trying to ignore the lingering tension that seemed to crackle between us. Jeremy walked beside me, his hands in his pockets, his posture straight, but his usual casual demeanor felt… different tonight.
We reached my front door, and as I turned the knob, the silence between us stretched longer than usual. I paused, glancing over my shoulder at Jeremy, wondering if I should finally ask the question that had been bothering me.
“So… was it true?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Jeremy looked at me, a flicker of surprise crossing his features, but it was gone just as quickly. “Was what true?” His voice was low, steady.
I gave him a sidelong glance, my heart racing as I tried to steady myself. “What your mom said… that you had a crush on me when we were younger?”
For a moment, Jeremy didn’t answer, and I thought maybe he would dodge the question. But then, he looked at me fully, his gaze sharp and direct. His lips quirked into a small, almost amused smile. “Yeah, it was true,” he admitted, his tone nonchalant, though I could tell there was more behind it.
I swallowed, feeling a strange mix of emotions. “Why?” I asked again, this time more curious than before.
Jeremy didn’t hesitate. “Because you were beautiful,” he said simply, his eyes scanning my face as if he was seeing something in me now that he hadn’t before.
I felt a sharp sting in my chest, not from his words, but the way they came out so effortlessly. It felt like a dismissal, like he’d only ever noticed me for something so superficial. “That’s it?” I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief. “You liked me just because I was pretty?”
His expression softened slightly, but there was still that coolness to it. “Not just that,” he said. “You were more than that, but yeah. That was part of it.”
I shook my head, feeling frustrated. “That’s so shallow. How could you—”
Jeremy’s gaze flickered for a second, and before I could finish, he interrupted, his voice lowering, “Not to you.”
My brows furrowed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You don’t get it,” he said, his tone quieter now, like he was trying to get through to me. “You never have. But you don’t see what I see when I look at you. Not just then. Not just now. You don’t see how much of an effect you have on people.”
I stared at him, my mind racing. “And what’s that supposed to mean? That you liked me just because I was pretty and that’s it?”
Jeremy let out a long breath and took a step closer, closing the distance between us. “You still don’t get it, do you?” he murmured, his voice almost a growl now. “You’ve always been beautiful, but you’ve never realized it. That’s why I liked you. Because you didn’t try to be anything. You were just you.”
I opened my mouth to retort, but no words came out. He was so close now, I could feel his warmth against my skin. And then, without warning, I said the words before I could stop myself: “If you only liked me because I was pretty, then you must like me more now, right?”
There was a brief moment of silence before he chuckled darkly. “Is that what you think?”
I nodded, feeling an odd sense of confidence wash over me, even though my heart was racing. “I mean, I’m not the same girl you knew back then. I’m… better now. So, if being pretty is all it takes—”
Jeremy’s gaze flickered, a look passing over his face that I couldn’t read. But before I could react, he took another step forward, closing the distance entirely. His breath was hot against my skin, and I found myself almost trembling from the proximity.
“You’re right,” he said in a low, almost dangerous tone. “You are more beautiful now. And I do like you more. In fact, I want you now.”
My breath caught in my throat. I could hardly process what he was saying, but there was no mistaking the intent in his voice. He took another step closer, towering over me, his presence overwhelming. His eyes never left mine as he leaned in, his lips grazing the side of my face as he whispered, “And if you’re willing, Hannah, I’ll have you.”
I froze. The words hit me like a punch to the gut. Every inch of my body screamed for me to move, to say something, to react in some way. But I couldn’t. I was completely and utterly paralyzed by his gaze, his words, and the raw hunger in his eyes.
When he stepped back, I almost felt like I was suffocating. He stood tall, unbothered, almost smug. “Goodnight, Hannah,” he said, his voice smooth as silk, before turning and walking away without another glance.
I stood there for a long moment, my heart pounding in my chest, my hands trembling. What the hell just happened?
I reached up to touch my lips, still tingling from the proximity of his. But no matter how much I tried to process everything, it felt like my mind was spinning in circles.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and stepped into the house, my legs shaky, my mind racing. What was I supposed to do with that? With him?
And why did it feel like the world had just shifted on its axis?
****