Chapter 868 I Love Charles
When she rolled up to the restaurant, Austin was already chillin' there.
To get some real talk in, she snagged a private room, just for the two of 'em.
As soon as she walked in, Austin jumped up and pulled out the chair across from him for her.
"Thanks!" Hannah said, dropping her bag on the chair next to her and plopping down in the seat Austin had pulled out.
Austin, grinning and holding the menu, asked, "What do you wanna eat? The usual?"
Hannah noticed he seemed pretty upbeat and felt a bit hesitant, so she nodded, "Yeah, the usual."
Even if she had something on her mind, she'd wait till Austin was done eating to spill.
Austin quickly ordered a bunch of Hannah's favorite dishes.
While they were waiting for the food, Austin couldn't help but ask, "So, what's up? Why'd you wanna grab dinner tonight? You've been kinda down lately, thought you'd be chillin' at home!"
Hannah quietly looked at him, memories of their time together flooding her mind.
If it weren't for him, she might've been hit by a car seven years ago.
If it weren't for him, her dad might've passed away from illness years ago.
No matter what, she could never repay his kindness, even with her life.
But love ain't about gratitude.
She couldn't be with him just 'cause she felt grateful; it wouldn't be fair to him.
"I've been resting at home for a few days." Hannah dodged his question.
Austin asked cautiously, "So, how you feelin' now? Yesterday after work, you were so reckless on the road, almost got hit by a car. Scared the crap outta me!"
Hannah gave a faint smile, "I'm good! After a night, I've thought through a lot of stuff."
Austin thought she was talking about her feelings for Charles. Hearing that she had thought it through, he couldn't stop grinning.
He figured since Charles had a girlfriend now, Hannah had finally decided to forget about Charles and be with him for real.
Austin replied, "Yeah, some things need to be sorted out quick and can't be dragged on."
Hannah's eyes flickered, and she looked at him deeply, hinting, "You're right, some things should be dealt with decisively and not dragged on. It's not good for anyone."
Austin kept nodding, "Yeah, totally! I'm glad you've thought it through, so I don't have to worry."
Hannah smiled and didn't say anything more.
Just then, the food arrived.
Austin was in a great mood and ate way more than usual.
If he had known things would go this smoothly, he wouldn't have planned to get rid of Charles.
The Langley family and the Moore family had been tight for generations, and he didn't want to mess things up between his dad and Martin unless he had to.
Hannah, thinking about how to break up with Austin, had no appetite but still ate the food Austin put in front of her.
After eating, Austin wiped his mouth with a napkin, all fancy-like.
Austin asked, "Got any plans this afternoon? If not, let's hit up the amusement park! You said a while ago you hadn't been in forever! I haven't had time to take you, but today I do."
Hannah wiped her mouth, put the napkin on the table like she was making a decision, took a deep breath, and mustered the courage to say, "Austin, I gotta tell you something."
Austin smiled, "Whatever it is, we can talk while we play!"
Hannah looked into his eyes, her expression dead serious.
Seeing her look, Austin suddenly had a bad feeling.
Hannah had never been this serious before.
No matter how big the issue, even if she was scared or nervous, she always hid it with a smile.
But today was different.
A thought zipped through Austin's mind, but he quickly brushed it off.
No way. Hannah was too pure and kind; she wouldn't do that.
Even though Austin kept telling himself that, he was still scared of hearing the answer he dreaded from Hannah. He stood up and made a beeline for the door.
"It's getting late; let's head out early! Otherwise, we won't have much time to play!" Austin said, trying to dodge the convo.
But Hannah wasn't letting him off the hook. She stood up and grabbed his arm from behind.
"Austin, let's break up!" Her voice was steady, but you could tell it took all her courage to say it.
Hearing the word "breakup," Austin's mind went blank.
He shook off Hannah's hand and kept walking towards the door.
"You must be acting on impulse. Let's chill out, and you won't want to break up after that," Austin said, trying to keep it together.
Hannah grabbed him again, her voice urgent, "I thought about it all night. I'm sure I'm not acting on impulse! Austin, I..."
She wanted to keep going, but Austin couldn't take it anymore. He spun around, cutting her off, "So, when you said you had thought it through, you meant you wanted to break up with me?"
And here he was, thinking she had decided to end things with Charles.
Man, he was really too naive.
Hannah's eyes welled up, and she felt awful, but she knew she had to be clear. There was no turning back.
"Yes! I know I'm sorry, but our relationship was wrong from the start! Since we know it's wrong, we can't keep going. I..."
She didn't get to finish. Austin interrupted again.
His hands, hanging by his sides, slowly clenched into fists, and his face turned dark.
"Why?" Austin asked, his voice tight with anger.
Hannah lowered her head, feeling guilty, "I'm really grateful that you saved me and my dad seven years ago! I always thought I liked you, which is why I accepted your pursuit and agreed to get engaged. But now I realize that what I feel for you is gratitude, not love. I don't love you, so I can't be with you. It's not fair to you! You're so great; you deserve to find a girl who loves you."
She said a lot, but Austin didn't hear a word.
He had only one thought in his mind.
"Is it because of Charles?" Austin asked.
Hannah let go of his arm, nervously twisting the hem of her clothes. She bit her lower lip, feeling terrible, guilty, and remorseful.
Austin, not ready to give up, pressed on, "Is it because of Charles? Ever since you met Charles, you've changed. After he came back to Sunset Bay, even though you stayed here, you were always distracted, thinking about him! You've been so down lately. Yesterday, when you found out he had a girlfriend, you looked so heartbroken. I still remember it clearly. But in all the time we've been together, you've never been that sad for me. In your heart, I'm not even as important as a guy you've known for less than a month."
Every word he said was true, and each one felt like a knife stabbing into Hannah's heart, making her feel even more guilty towards Austin.
"I'm sorry!" Hannah said, a simple sentence that confirmed all of Austin's suspicions.
Yes. She did love Charles. She loved this guy she had known for less than a month. She loved him so much she couldn't help herself, loved him so much she could betray everything. She knew her current behavior was shameless. But what could she do? She really liked him. Even if others called her fickle, she didn't care at all. All she knew was that she loved Charles, and even if he didn't love her, even if they couldn't be together, she couldn't deny her feelings. Every time she thought of Charles, she felt alive. Her life became more meaningful.
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