Chapter 5
As soon as I landed in Sydney and turned on my phone, it didn’t stop ringing. Call after call, text after text–Oliver’s name kept flashing across the screen, along with several unknowi numbers.
Every voicemail was the same. “Hannah, where are you? Come back. You can’t leave me!” His voice was frantic, almost desperate. But none of it mattered anymore. It was too late for Oliver to beg.
Standing near the Sydney Opera House, I stared at my phone, the weight of my past life feeling heavier than ever. I walked over to the edge, holding it in my hand for a moment. longer. Then, with a deep breath, I threw the phone into the sea. It splashed and sank out of sight, taking all those calls, texts, and memories with it.
Inhaling the crisp air, I closed my eyes. This was my fresh start. A new life. And I was going to leave everything behind, including Oliver.
Later, I arrived at the apartment my mom had arranged for me. It was modern and spacious, with sunlight pouring through the large windows. It looked peaceful, just what I needed. As I opened the door and stepped inside, I was heading toward my room when someone came out of the bathroom.
I froze.
It was a man. And not just any man–he was half–naked, a towel hanging precariously around his waist.
Our eyes locked, both of us startled. Before either of us could react, the towel slipped, exposing everything.
“Ahh!” I screamed, covering my eyes as my face turned bright red.
The man scrambled to grab the towel, muttering, “Oh, crap!” He looked as embarrassed as I felt, which wasn’t much comfort at that moment. Without thinking, I turned and ran into my room, slamming the door behind me. My heart raced as I leaned against it, my face burning.
Whe
just happened?
After a few minutes, I finally calmed down, only to hear a knock on my door. I hesitated but eventually opened it, finding the man standing there, fully dressed this time, with a sheepish smile on his face.
“Well, that’s one hell of a way to see you again, Hannah,” he said, leaning casually against the doorframe.
I stared at him, my brain struggling to process his words. “Scott?”
He smirked. “The one and only.”
“I didn’t expect… that,” I stammered, my face heating up again at the memory of his towel falling.
Scott grinned. “What, my towel slipping? Can’t say I planned it either, but hey, it’s a
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He smirked “The one and only
” didn’t expect that I stammered, my face heating up again at the memory of his towel
falling
Scott grinned. “What, my towel slipping? Can’t say I planned it either, but hey, it’s a
memorable reunion, right?”
“Memorable isn’t the word I’d use,” I muttered, trying to avoid his teasing gaze
“You’re still the same.” he said with a chuckle. “Always getting flustered so easily”
I crossed my arms, trying to regain some dignity. “You haven’t changed either. Still annoying.”
Scott leaned closer, lowering his voice playfully. “Admit it. You missed me”
“I just want peace of mind, Scott,” I said firmly, brushing past him. “And for the record, my mom may have told you I’m your ‘responsibility, but I don’t need a babysitter”
Scott tilted his head, a hint of seriousness replacing his grin. “What happened to the Hannah I knew? The one who was full of life and always smiling?”
I paused, my hand on my doorframe, before glancing back at him. “She’s dead.” I said flatly, stepping into my room and closing the door behind me.
Inside, I let out a deep breath. Being around Scott stirred memories I wasn’t ready to face. I needed to focus on moving forward, not looking back.
I pulled out my new phone, a fresh start in every sense of the word. First, I set up a new number, blocking out anything that could tie me to the past. Then, I opened Instagram and logged into the dummy account I used to keep tabs on Oliver and Naomi
As I was about to delete the account for good, a live video notification popped up. Curiosity got the better of me, and I clicked on it.
The video showed a group of Oliver’s friends partying, the loud music and laughter almost drowning out their conversation. They were passing drinks around, their words slurred from alcohol.
One of them spoke up, his voice directed at someone off–camera. “Dude, stop drinking so much. Aren’t you happy Hannah’s gone? Why does it seem like you want to crawl back to her?”
The camera panned, and there he was–Oliver. He looked drunk and disheveled, slouched in a corner with a bottle in his hand. His face was a mix of frustration and sorrow, his hair messy like he hadn’t cared about himself in days.
Another friend chimed in, laughing. “Come on, man. Shouldn’t you be celebrating? Naomi’s pregnant. What’s with the long face?”
Chapter 6
