When We're Thirty Casey Dembowski (the chimp paradox .TXT) 📖

“Will, is it?”

Hannah turned at her father’s voice. She hadn’t noticed him approach.

His eyes were locked on Will. “Do you drink? Because I could use a drink.”

Will caught Hannah’s eyes. She saw the struggle—he didn’t want to abandon her, but they both knew her father’s request wasn’t optional.

“I’ll be fine.”

He nodded and lightly brushed his lips against hers. She felt it down to her toes.

“A drink would be great, sir,” Will said, following her father out of the room.

Hannah returned her attention to her mother, who was needling Stephanie. Clearly, her mom did not believe that the youngest Abbott had no idea about her sister’s activities. Or maybe she was shocked Stephanie had kept a secret, if only her mother knew Stephanie was keeping two.

“Mom,” Hannah said, drawing her mother’s ire away from her sister. “Stephanie didn’t know. Will and I fell for each other and decided to get married. There was very little planning involved.”

“Clearly.” Her mother’s tone was harsh and a bit sarcastic. She had yet to move from the couch.

Hannah couldn’t stand being read a riot act like she was a teenager breaking curfew. She sat down on the ottoman her father had vacated. “Can we talk about this like adults, please? I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings or upset you—”

“Are you in trouble? Is that what this is about?” The subtext to that statement was more than clear.

“No, Mom. There’s no baby on the way. How could you even ask me that?”

“How could I not? You show up at our house with some strange man you married since we last saw you a few months ago? What happened to Brian? We liked Brian.”

“I was never going to marry Brian,” Hannah said dryly.

“Why not?”

She hadn’t confided in her mother for years. Kate and Riley fulfilled that need. But still, how had they gotten so far off base that her mother couldn’t tell Brian wasn’t long-term? She debated what to disclose. “Because he didn’t want to marry me.”

Her mother crossed her arms. “So you cheated on him?

“I didn’t cheat on him,” Hannah said, throwing her hands up in the air. She had spent a lifetime making smart decisions and safe choices—her mother’s voice lived in her head, guiding her down the expected road. Wasn’t she allowed a detour? Stephanie had taken several, and their mother had never questioned her integrity. Stephanie was all heart, but Hannah always led with her head. She still was, but her mother didn’t deserve to know that now.

“When I realized I had more than platonic feelings for Will, I broke up with Brian—before anything happened,” Hannah continued. “God, Mom. Who do you think I am?”

“I don’t know at this point, Hannah! Why did you get married to someone you barely know? Where did you even find him?”

She hoped against all hope that Will was far enough away that he couldn’t hear her mother. Maybe her father had taken him out to the garage to show off his midlife-crisis sports car. She could hope.

“Where did I find him? He’s my friend. Will Thorne, remember, from college?”

Her eyes narrowed. “That boy who lived with you rent-free for almost a year?”

Now wasn’t the time to inform her that Will had indeed paid rent. He’d paid most of it, allowing Hannah and Kate to pocket nearly all the money their parents had funneled into their rent fund.

“What does he need now?” she asked. “Or is he paying you? What have you gotten yourself into?”

“Hannah.” She jumped at the sound of Will’s voice and at the weight of his hand on her shoulder. She wasn’t used to hearing her actual name out of his mouth. It shook her more than his somber expression. He had heard, if not everything, enough. She knew he would argue for her, use every skill in his lawyer toolbox to talk her mother down. It wouldn’t work, but he would try. Which was exactly why he was worth it.

“It’s okay, Will.” It wasn’t, but what else could she say in that moment? “Mom, please. I’ll tell you the whole story. It’s not a bad one.”

She shook her head. “Honestly, I don’t want to hear it. How could you do this?”

Hannah straightened. Was her marriage unexpected? Yes. Would she have gotten this reaction if she’d come home with Brian’s wedding ring on her hand? Probably not. She pushed herself to her feet and took Will’s hand. Her eyes shifted to her father, standing in the doorway. His expression was clouded—whatever he thought, he wasn’t going to save her now.

“I thought you’d at least be a little happy for me.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Because I’m happier than I’ve been in years.”

Neither of her parents spoke. Her father stared down at his shoes, and her mother glared at the family portrait hanging over the mantel.

Only Stephanie stepped forward. “Hannah.”

She shook her head and turned to Will, meeting his worried gaze. “Let’s go home.”

Chapter 28Will

Will might not have been party to a full-on Hannah meltdown in several years, but he still knew how to handle them. He called in the big guns—meaning he had texted Kate an SOS before they even hit the parkway. Kate and Hannah had been locked in the guest room for over an hour. At first, there had been the occasional sob or laugh, but it had been quiet for too long. He was starting to worry. Hannah had left with him, had asked to go home, but that didn’t mean she would stay with him. Complete parental abandonment nullified any agreements they had made. After all, Will had a heart. He’d told her as much in the car, but she only shook her head and continued clicking through his radio presets.

He wanted to knock. He’d stood in front of the door, hand at the ready, more than once. But he was probably the last thing Hannah needed right now. He sat down at the kitchen nook. Clara had left a note about the dry-cleaning delivery for