Page 28 of Keeping You

Scrolling through my phone, I find the group chat with the number I’m looking for.

Grayson

You free for a drink?

Eliza

You asking me out, Grayson? Not a good look.

Grayson

No, I’m not asking you out. I want to talk about Hannah.

Eliza

Is she okay?

Did something happen?

Grayson

Kinda. Can you meet?

Eliza

The Clover, twenty minutes.

I poke my head in and check on Hannah before grabbing my keys and heading to the bar. I’ve never met Liz one-on-one before, but I know she’s Hannah’s best friend and will probably have more insight into Hannah and Lauren’s relationship than anyone else.

When I arrive at the bar, I see Liz sitting in a corner booth. She waves her hand slightly to get my attention, and I move through the throng of people and take a seat across from her.

“Is Hannah okay?” Liz asks.

“I had the lovely pleasure of meeting Lauren this week. We went to her birthday party today.”

Liz slumps in her seat and lets out a deep breath. She leans forward on the table, concern written all over her face. “How bad?”

That tells me this happens a lot.

“I stopped it pretty quickly, but bad.” I sigh. “When we first got there, it seemed fine, except she thanked me for the gifts Hannah brought. It was when Lauren pulled Hannah into the kitchen things got bad. She started by going after her for us getting married without her. Hannah told her she didn’t want a big wedding, so we took advantage of being in Vegas. But then she went after her appearance. I cut her off, told her Vegas was my idea, and told her to apologize before taking Hannah home. Hannah passed out after we gorged on junk food and watched rom-coms. She was asleep when I left.”

Liz bites her bottom lip and furrows her brow while she stares at me. “You didn’t hear this from me, but she lied to her mom.”

I raise a brow.

“Hannah is a hopeless romantic. She won’t tell anyone. She saw her parents’ divorce, and frankly her mother’s marriages and divorce since then, and feels ashamed to still believe in soulmates and life-altering love. Her mother has done some serious damage to her. Hannah used to have this binder she would update with all the things she wanted for her wedding. It had different dresses, flowers, decorations, venues, all of it. I wouldn’t be surprised if she still has it hidden somewhere.”

This doesn’t surprise me one bit. When Hannah said she didn’t want a big wedding, it looked like it pained her to say the words, but what gets to me the most is that her own mother didn’t know she was lying. The person who should know her best had no idea.

“I need your help,” I say.

“With?”

“I want to convince Hannah to cut her mother off. I know it’s going to be difficult and she’ll probably fight it, but seeing the facade she had to put on to be around her and the pain shecaused, I can’t stand by and let it happen. Hannah deserves so much more than that.”

She grins at me. “I was right.”

“Right about what?”

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