Page 32 of We Can Forever

“Please tell me you punched him for that.”

“No,” I laugh. “But I did break up with him in the parking lot after that doctor’s appointment.”

“Good.” He nods seriously. “You deserve so much more than that, Hannah. You deserve…” His face turns pink.

“What?” I can’t get my voice above a whisper. “What do I deserve?”

His throat rolls with a swallow. “To be seen.”

The words break down a wall I didn’t know I had, and suddenly, the power of a thousand horses is behind me. Leaning forward, I press my lips to his.

He responds immediately, his kiss gentle but firm. Slow, like we have all the time in the world. It’s also over too soon.

He pulls back, gazing at me with heavy eyes. I’m aching for his touch, but also glad that he’s giving me space, taking things slow. After all my dormant years, I can’t just jump into something hot and heavy.

“So,” he says. “How did I do?”

“With the kiss?”

He chuckles. “With setting up tonight. And…sure, with the kiss.”

I pretend to think about it, though I already know the answer. “Ten out of ten.”

He whistles. “You’re blowing smoke.”

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not.” I pointedly look at the projector, though I’m smiling.

He turns on Gravity Falls, and through a whole four episodes, my smile never wavers. My rating might have sounded like an exaggeration, but it wasn’t. It was pure truth.

Because that’s all that’s here between me and Michael. Sweet, innocent truth. A place where I can show up and be my full, authentic self.

God, does it feel good.

Chapter Twelve

HANNAH

Hunched over in front of Knit Happens’s counter, I type away. It’s been another busy week, but at least I’m finally working on my funding application.

Between running the shop, organizing a class I’ve been offered to teach at the mainland elementary school, and pacing myself, it’s been hard to create time to fill out the documents and write my essay, and it’s nice to finally be making some progress.

And not just when it comes to my business.

The few days since Michael took me to the cozy fishing shack, I’ve been floating around on cloud nine. We haven’t been able to spend any significant time together since, but he’s popped into the shop to say hello a couple times and we’ve been texting constantly.

That night at the fishing shack felt like the start of a new chapter in my life. One where I can not only be myself, but where I’m supported in it. And that kiss…

It still makes me weak in the knees to think about it.

Yet, even though everything is going well, the fear is still there. It’s not unfounded either. At any moment, a flare could come along and ruin all my progress in life. Though I can get ahead of most of them by pacing myself, they do occasionally pop up out of the blue without any warning.

It’s a flare like those that could cause me to shut down the shop for days and lose money and customers. A flare that could alienate Michael when he sees just how bad things can get with me.

Yes, he cares. Yes, he is doing his best to be supportive and understanding. But that doesn’t change the fact that you need to see someone at their worst before you get an idea of who they really are. And my worst is not pretty.

It’s a burden. The kind that I would never ask anyone to carry with me.

My phone comes to life with a call from my aunt, and I snatch it up. “Hey, Carol.”

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