LITTLE GIRL LOST by SARAH BETH LEE (bill gates books to read TXT) 📖

totally drunk so please take my keys and drive us home okay?”

Maddie took the keys from Hannah’s outstretched hand and grimaced, “Hannah you know you shouldn’t do that right?”

Hannah nodded, “I know but I always follow the rules and I always play it safe so just once I want to be young, reckless and stupid.”

Maddie didn’t like the idea of Hannah acting so thoughtless and what might come from this little binge, “Hannah this isn’t about you being reckless this is about your health. You know how much this could hurt you.”

Hannah wasn’t listening to Maddie, “Mad listen I am going to forget everything for one night. I will deal with whatever comes tomorrow.”

Maddie slid into the booth and watched as Hannah half listened to the joking and talking going on around her as she drank her drink. Carter talked and laughed with her as Maddie and Martin danced on the packed dance floor. Maddie was trying to listen to Martin’s soft words whispered in her ear but she was worried about Hannah; this was not like her and Maddie wasn’t sure what to do to pull her back from the edge she was precariously hanging on. She could feel the warmth of Martin’s breath brushing her skin just under her ear and she longed to be swept away but she had to keep an eye on Hannah. As the song faded she took Martin’s hand and walked across the crowded room to their table. She could see Hannah on her third drink of the night.

“Hannah I think maybe we should call it a night.”

Hannah threw her head back and laughed, “No I don’t think so, and I distinctly remember something about karaoke.”

Maddie drew in a patient breath, “Hannah I am not getting up there by myself.”

Hannah laughed, “Don’t look at me I’m just here to watch you make an ass of yourself.”

Maddie shook her head, “I think you’ve got that covered for both of us.”

Carter could tell that Maddie was not happy with Hannah and he wondered why she was so uptight. He knew Hannah was a little tipsy but she wasn’t sloppy drunk and he found her off hand remarks to be quite funny and endearing.

“I’ll sit with Hannah if you want to put your name in the hat.”

“Thanks but I don’t think so I’ll skip it this time.” Maddie wanted to get Hannah home to a hot shower and some coffee, strong coffee. She knew it was going to be a very long night.

Carter looked up and began to wave at someone across the room. He stood to his feet, “Ladies if you’ll excuse me my friends are here.”

“Ok tell your friend congrats for me.”

Carter grinned down at Hannah’s goofy smile, “I will and you better slow down before you get really out of control.”

Hannah nodded as she was thinking how nice it would be to be that drunk. She had never been drunk because one she never went out and two she was too scared to lose control like that. She listened as Carter talked to Maddie and Martin and she thought how perfect they looked together. Martin tall, dark, mysterious and handsome paired with Maddie tall, willowy, gorgeous flowing chestnut hair and mesmerizing eyes wow she could almost see their kids on magazine covers worldwide. She heard her name and looked back at Carter.

“Hannah it was very nice to meet you. I guess I’ll see you around.”

Hannah nodded, “I’ll see you.”

She watched as he walked across the room and joined a rowdy group by the stage. She wondered who the lucky couple was. Her eyes blurred and she motioned for a waitress to come to the table she ordered another drink and ignored Maddie’s watchful eye. Hannah had every intention of getting completely drunk no matter what Madeline thought about it.

“Maddie you guys can go dance I don’t need a babysitter.”

Maddie knew Hannah wasn’t drunk yet and she hoped that common sense kept her from getting that way. She looked at Martin and agreed to one more dance before the Karaoke began. Hannah watched them as they seemed to float across the floor and melt into each other. She wondered what that must feel like; somehow she was afraid she might never know. She tipped her cup back and drained the remaining liquid and immediately waved for the waitress.

“Peyton is that you?”

Hannah heard the name but was too far gone to realize the question was directed to her. She looked up from her glass and noticed a guy leaning down and looking at her suspiciously. She quickly straightened up and tried to smile and pretend to act like she was having fun.

“Hey Zach how are you?”

Zach looked worriedly at Hannah and wondered what had brought her here and why she looked so sad. He sat down across from her and raised his voice over the booming music.

“What are you doing here; I thought you didn’t go out?”

Hannah shrugged her dejected shoulders and grimaced, “I don’t but my friend Maddie,” Hannah pointed in the direction of the dance floor, “Pretty much made me come. However she is now on the dance floor with Mr. Perfect and I am sitting here with my friend Amaretto.”

Zach looked at her glass and saw her finishing off the Amaretto sour. He wondered what had brought her to such a low point that she felt the need to drink herself into a stupor.

“Peyton maybe you should slow down a little bit.”

Hannah looked at Zach as if she had forgotten who he was. Then she pointed a shaky finger in his direction, “Look not you too, I have enough people trying to tell me what to do. And by the way I am twenty-five years old and I’ve had a very bad day, no make that a very bad life and if I chose to get drunk than that is my prerogative. Oh and by the way my name isn’t Peyton its Hannah.”

Zach could see the tears swimming in her eyes and he wondered what had brought her to this point. He looked back at the dance floor and saw a girl looking worriedly in their direction. He lifted his head and saw relief fill her face, he assumed she was Maddie.

“Hannah it’s nice to meet you. I am here celebrating my engagement. I would love for you to meet Beth if she ever gets here.”

Hannah remembered Carter’s friend, “You must be Carter’s friend.”

Zach was a little taken aback by the fact that she knew Carter. “Yeah how did you know?”

“Lucky guess,” Hannah could see the annoyed look on Zach’s face so she held her hands up, “Kidding, he told me he was meeting his friends for an engagement party.”

Zach looked over his shoulder to see Carter heading to the table, “Yeah so if you want you can come join us and I’ll introduce you to my friends.”

Hannah shook her head no, “Honestly I don’t think I’m up for that tonight, maybe next time?”

Zach could see Hannah’s fingers nervously tracing something etched on the table top and he looked closer to see initials. As he steadied the letters he realized it was the same table he and Nick had sat at a couple of weeks earlier; after he first met Hannah. He reached across the table and stopped Hannah’s fingers to see what lay beneath and it was a + sign with NO on the top and HR on the bottom. Hannah followed Zach’s eyes to the table and gasped as she took the letters in NO, Nicolas O’Brien and HR, Hannah Roberts. She rubbed her eyes and looked again expecting the letters to have changed but it was still there staring back at her. She looked at Zach and smiled, “Cute looks like a teenage crush.”

Zach knew exactly who had done it and when; what he wondered was why Hannah had such a reaction to the innocuous letters. How could she possibly know who had done it or what it meant? He never got to finish his thought before Carter was patting him on the back.

“Hey Zach the party is over there.”

“Yeah I know I just wanted to talk to Hannah.”

Carter looked back at Hannah and smiled, “You could always join us Hannah.”

She knew that was a very bad idea, “Thanks but I think I’ll be just fine right here.”

Carter looked a bit disappointed but he walked away quietly. Zach stood to his feet as Maddie and Martin arrived back at the table. Martin offered his hand to Zach.

“So I hear congrats are in order.”

Zach grinned, “Yeah thanks man.”

“Is Beth here?”

“She’s on her way come by our table before you leave.”

“Sure, oh and Zach I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Maddie this is Zachary Ryan.”

Maddie tried to contain her surprise. So this was the infamous Zachary Ryan best friend to Nicolas O’Brien. She smiled, ‘Hi Madeline Jacobs nice to meet you.”

Zach looked at Dr. Jacobs and wondered what the odds were of this actually happening. He felt like he must be in a made for TV movie. He smiled and shook her hand.

“Nice to meet you,” Zach looked at Hannah, “Hannah it was nice to see you again.”

“Yeah you too Zach and congratulations again on getting engaged.”

“Thanks I’ll see you guys on the flip side.”

Zach made his way across the room to his group and wondered where the hell Nick was. He glanced at his watch and saw that for Nick it was still early. He heard a chair scrap against the floor and looked up to see Carter sitting down.

“Hey Carter what’s up?”

“Hi Zach I was just wondering what you could tell me about Hannah?”

Zach looked over at the back booth and saw Hannah with her head on the table. He didn’t like the direction this conversation was headed. He looked back at Carter.

“She’s a really nice girl who doesn’t get out much and I would say that drinking isn’t exactly her thing.”

Carter looked back and saw Hannah looking a little green. He felt a little bad for offering to buy her that drink.

“I mean is she dating anyone?”

Zach shrugged his shoulders, “Well she’s sort of has a thing for this guy but she hasn’t actually talked to him yet.”

Carter looked a little dejected, “So you think she would go out with me if I asked?”

Zach shook his head, “I don’t really think so she’s completely mad about this guy.”

Carter nodded, “Yeah ok so if it doesn’t work out let me know?”

“Sure buddy.”

Carter stood to leave. “How do you know Hannah anyway?”

Zach looked at Carter, “Through a mutual friend.”

Carter looked like a light bulb had just come on in his head. “Oh the guy she’s mad about right?”

“You got it my friend and if it doesn’t work out I’ll let you know.”

Carter nodded.