Chapter 19: Hannah

The chair opposite me remained stubbornly empty. I fidgeted nervously with my napkin. The waiter had approached three times, each visit more pointed than the last. I checked my phone again—still no word from Zoe. I kept telling myself she would come, despite having waited over thirty minutes past our scheduled meeting time. Scott had assured me he'd arranged this meeting. He wouldn't lie, would he?

An hour passed. Then two. The sympathetic glances from the staff became unbearable. My coffee, initially sipped leisurely, was now gulped down in nervous haste. My nerves frayed, my patience wore thin.

Finally, frustration overwhelmed me. I stood abruptly, tossing some cash on the table for my cold coffee. "To hell with this," I grumbled, storming out of the restaurant.

The drive to Zoe's house was a blur. Why hadn't she shown up? Did she hate me? Was she that angry? I only wanted to make amends, apologize, and treat her to dinner. She'd promised to come, or so Scott had said.

My knuckles were white by the time I reached her driveway. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down before approaching her door. This was about making things right, I reminded myself, not about letting my temper get the better of me.

I knocked, perhaps a little too forcefully. After a moment, the door opened. Zoe stood there in flannel pajamas, her hair messy, her eyes bleary. She blinked at me in confusion, clearly surprised.

I, too, was confused—seeing the usually impeccable Zoe so disheveled was astonishing.

"Hannah?" she asked, her voice hoarse, as if she'd just woken. "What are you doing here?"

I stared, my prepared apology dissolving. "Zoe, don't…don't you know we were supposed to meet?" I muttered.

Zoe's brow furrowed. "What are you talking about? I haven't heard anything about a meeting."

My stomach dropped. "But…Scott said he called you. Set up a time for us to talk at the café."

"Hannah, I never got a call from Scott," Zoe said, shaking her head. "This is the first I've heard of this."

A punch to the gut. My mind raced. Scott had lied, Zoe had forgotten, or Zoe was lying. Either way, I was confused and annoyed.

"I, um…" I stammered, feeling sheepish. Better late than never, I supposed. "Look, I wanted to meet to apologize for the whole Drake situation. So…I'm sorry. Really."