Page 81 of Unhinged

Audrey and Fiona spoke at the same time, then traded a glance.

“I was trying to be nice.” Fiona huffed before turning her attention back to Hannah. “You did what you felt was right at the time, dear.”

Hannah’s heart fell. “I messed up.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

Again, the two women spoke in unison and contradicted one another. Audrey shot Fiona a quelling look before turning her gaze back to Hannah.

“I think you may have overreacted a bit.” Audrey held up a hand, halting Hannah's protest. “Don’t get me wrong—it might be a little too soon to be talking about moving in together, but tell me this: were you happy with Luke?”

“Yes, but⁠—”

“Hold on. Just hear me out,” Audrey cut her off. “You were happy with him. Happier than I’ve ever seen you. Right?”

She directed the last part of her question to Fiona, who reluctantly nodded. “It’s true.”

Audrey turned back to Hannah. “So what changed your mind?”

“Well… Andrew brought up a couple good points.” Hannah looked up in time to see both women roll their eyes. “What?”

Her gaze jumped back and forth between the two, and she sighed. “Go ahead, just tell me.”

Audrey settled back in her chair, arms crossed, allowing Fiona to take the lead. “Andrew has been a good friend to you, Hannah, I know he has. But he’s a little… condescending.”

“Maybe,” Hannah admitted, “but he is a doctor, and he’s very good at what he does. He assessed the situation pretty accurately,” she felt compelled to point out.

“Did he really?” Audrey pressed. “Or did he tell you what he wants you to believe?”

“I don’t⁠—”

“Do you see a future with Luke?”

“Maybe, but⁠—”

“Yes or no?”

Hannah huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She shot a look at Fiona, hoping for support, but Fiona studiously avoided her. Apparently, she was getting no help from that corner. She flicked an irritated glare at Audrey. “Fine, yes.”

“Andrew’s jealous,” Audrey clarified. “He doesn’t want to be your friend—he wants to be your lover.”

Audrey had a point, even if Hannah didn’t like it.

“I think you let Andrew sway your opinion more than you should have. If there’s anything I’ve learned from my marriage, it’s that your first instinct is always right. I think you should take some time to figure out what your heart wants—not what someone else tells you that you should feel.”

Hannah's heart felt as if it was breaking all over again, and it was all her fault. Luke had sat there with her just weeks ago, talking about Rachel and comforting her though he’d barely known her at the time. It was more heartfelt than anything Andrew had ever done. Luke truly cared for her; she knew that. Shame settled heavily in her stomach and hot tears burned the backs of her eyes.

“Look, Hannah, I’ve seen the way he looks at you. That man”—Audrey pointed in the general vicinity of the lobby—“would do anything for you. Hell, he didn’t even know me, and he saved my life. Would Andrew ever do something like that? Would he sacrifice himself for you? Andrew has been your friend for a long time, but… sometimes the idea of a person is better than the reality.”

Hannah turned away, unable to meet Audrey’s gaze as the moisture in her eyes spilled over. She was vaguely aware of the door opening and closing as Fiona quietly exited the room. Seconds later, a weight settled onto the couch cushion next to her, and Audrey pulled her into a hug.

“I… I think I could fall for him.” Another tear slipped free, and she swiped it away.

“I know.” Audrey leaned back against the couch. “Don’t worry. Everything will work out, you’ll see.”

“What if he won’t take me back?”