Chapter 146

Hannah

I woke to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Squinting against the bright morning sunlight streaming through the window, I snatched it up and saw a text from Drake on the screen.

“Are you ready?”

A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I typed a quick reply: “Of course. See you soon.”

I tossed back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, suddenly filled with renewed energy. Despite the lingering morning sickness and exhaustion that plagued me these days, the prospect of our first day trying new foods was exciting.

This was just the next step in my eating disorder awareness campaign—one that would greatly boost my approval ratings. Although, it was hard to think about that when I was just excited to try something new.

A couple of hours later, I emerged from the bedroom, showered and dressed in a flowy dress that skimmed my thighs. Noah was nowhere to be seen, likely still holed up and brooding over yesterday.

The thought made me smirk. Good; let him brood. Drake and I were just friends, but I didn’t mind making Noah squirm.

I grabbed my purse and headed for the front door. Sure enough, Drake was already waiting outside, leaning against his sleek sports car with a bright smile.

“Hey,” he said, pushing off the car to greet me with a friendly hug. “You look lovely today.”

I felt my cheeks warm at the compliment. “Thank you, Drake. Shall we get going?”

With a sweeping gesture, Drake opened the passenger door for me before sliding behind the wheel. As we pulled away from the house, he glanced over at me.

“So, I was thinking we could try that new experimental restaurant downtown today,” he said. “I checked out the menu, and it looks fun.”

My stomach gave a little lurch at the mention of it, but I plastered on a smile and nodded. “Sounds great.” The drive passed quickly, my mind racing with anxiety. Before I knew it, we were being shown to our table at the restaurant, right in the window. The other diners lifted their heads and murmured at our entrance, which made me hold my chin a little higher.

But soon, as course after course arrived at our table, I felt my shoulders beginning to slump. Each one was more bizarre and unappetizing than the last. Caviar, flavored foams, strange ingredients I couldn’t even begin to identify—it was all too much.

I did my best to choke down each bite, forcing smiles and kind comments whenever Drake’s expectant gaze landed on me. But by the time the final plate was cleared away, my stomach was roiling, and I was fighting back waves of nausea.

Drake must have noticed my discomfort, because he reached across the table and placed his hand over mine.

Chapter 040 + 25 BONUS

“Hannah, are you alright?” he asked, his brow furrowed. “You haven’t seemed to enjoy any of the food.”

I opened my mouth to reassure him, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, I simply shook my head, feeling tears of frustration pricking at the backs of my eyes.

“I’m so sorry, Drake,” I said. “Believe me, I wanted to love it all, but…” I trailed off, grimacing at the tremble in my voice.

Drake merely squeezed my hand and offered me a warm smile.

“Hey, no need to apologize,” he said gently. “I should have realized that this kind of experimental food was too much to start with.”

He paused, studying me for a moment before continuing.

“If you could eat one thing without any problems, what would it be?”

The question hung in the air for a few seconds, and I found myself picturing it almost immediately: a big, juicy cheeseburger, the kind that made your fingers glisten with grease and left streaks of ketchup and mustard on your chin. Just the thought of it made my mouth water.

“A cheeseburger,” I admitted with a sheepish grin. “A really messy one, with all the toppings and a heaping pile of fries on the side.”

Drake let out a snort, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Say no more,” he said, signaling for the check. “I know just the place.”

A little while later, we found ourselves strolling along the boardwalk as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The place was so packed and bustling, the sounds of carnival games and laughter filling the air, that hardly anyone even noticed us.

“You’ll love this place,” Drake said as he led me to a burger joint tucked away in a corner. Before I knew it, a greasy paper basket overflowing with food was being set in front of me.

The aroma was intoxicating, and my mouth flooded with saliva as I picked up the hefty burger, relishing the way the juice dribbled down my fingers. I drew in a breath to steel myself before I took the tiniest bite.

And an involuntary moan of pure bliss escaped my lips. It was messy, it was indulgent, it was everything I had been craving and more. And, Goddess, I hadn’t had something so decadent in… well, I couldn’t even remember.

For the next twenty minutes, the only sounds were the crunch of fries and the occasional contented sigh from me as I devoured bite after glorious bite. During those moments, it felt like that little eating disorder voice in the back of my head was drowned out by the sound of the boardwalk, and I barely even hesitated between bites. I wound up eating half the burger, which was way more than I anticipated managing to consume today.

When I finally set down what remained of the burger, leaning back against the bench with a satisfied sigh, Drake chuckled.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

Chapter 0146 + 25 BONUS

Blushing, I quickly wiped my mouth. I wondered how I must look at that moment—perhaps like a pig at a trough. But seeing the grin on Drake’s face, feeling that satisfied sensation in my stomach that I hadn’t felt in so long, made those thoughts dissipate.

“Much better,” I said softly.

We sat there for a while longer, just listening to the sounds of the boardwalk. Off in the distance, I could see a group of teenagers playing a carnival game, their laughter carrying across the breeze. Closing my eyes, I allowed myself to simply exist in that moment, the salty tang of the sea air mingling with the lingering scent of grease and ketchup. For the first time in what felt like forever, I was content.

That contentment was shattered, however, when I cracked open one eye and noticed a familiar figure lurking in the distance, partially obscured by one of the boardwalk game stands. My stomach dropped as I watched Noah peer directly at us, his eyes momentarily widening when he realized he had been spotted. Quickly darting away, he hid behind a nearby magazine stand.

“Are you kidding me?” I muttered under my breath.

Drake furrowed his brow and followed my gaze. “What is it?” he asked.

“It’s Noah.”

Without a second thought, I shot to my feet and stormed over to where Noah was standing with his face now buried in a newspaper, my hands balling into fists at my sides. When I reached him, I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him around.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Chapter 147