A familiar voice echoed from the stairway, pulling me from the conversation with Aunt Amber. It was Hanna. She stood halfway down, her posture stiff, her eyes fixed on us. Had she been listening?
I noticed her uneasy stance and smiled cautiously. "Oh, Hanna. How are you? Are you Feeling better now?" I asked, keeping my tone light and calmly.
Her gaze sharpened. "Before I answer, were you and my mom talking about me and James?"
Her question hit like a thunderclap. My body stiffened, and my words caught in my throat. I felt cornered, unsure how to explain without it sounding like a betrayal.
"Uhm... N-no-" I stammered, but Aunt Amber cut me off.
"Yes." She said plainly. And she's not hesitantly said those words.
My stomach sank. I couldn't believe she admitted it so casually. Hanna's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing as she took a step forward.
"Come to my room, Tristan." She said coldly, her voice tinged with anger. I think It wasn't a request-it was an order.
I hesitated. Should I follow her? Her piercing gaze left no room for debate. My chest tightened as unease coursed through me. "O-okay," I managed to say, my voice barely audible.
Without another word, she turned on her heel and walked upstairs. I glanced nervously at Aunt Amber, who avoided my gaze, then I reluctantly followed Hanna. Each step felt heavier than the last.
When we reached her room, she stepped aside and gestured toward a chair near her desk. "Sit," she said curtly.
I obeyed, feeling like a student summoned to the principal's office. "So... why am I here?" I asked, trying to sound casual despite the lump in my throat.
Her arms crossed over her chest as she leaned against her desk. "What did you and Mom talk about?"
"Uh... well, it was about you and James." I admitted, my voice faltering. "But you interrupted her, so she didn't get to finish."
"Oh, I see." Her cold gaze gave me a little bit nervous.
Hanna nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. The silence that followed was unbearable. My mind raced, searching for something to break the tension.
"Uh, Tristan?" she said suddenly, her voice calmly and softer now.
"Y-yeah?" My heart raced when she called my name.
"About last time..." She hesitated, her eyes darting to the floor. "Was it... a confession?"
I froze. Her question caught me completely off guard. My hands trembled as I fumbled for a response. "Y-yeah," I finally said, swallowing hard. "Why?"
She hesitated again, biting her lip. "I... I-"
I cut her off, desperate to fill the akward situation. "Look, I know you have a boyfriend. Don't worry-I'm not trying to mess up your relationship with James."
Her head snapped up, her cheeks flushed. "Wait! Let me finish." She said firmly.
"Sorry," I muttered, sinking back into the chair. "Go ahead."
She took a deep breath. "James and I... we broke up." She said quietly.
The words hung in the air like a heavy fog. My mind reeled. I wasn't sure how to respond. Should I comfort her? Say something encouraging Tristan!
"Oh," I said finally. "I'm... I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"
"It's personal." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Oh, I see. Sorry about that."
The silence returned, more oppressive than before. I caught her staring at me, her cheeks tinged pink, her lips slightly parted as if she wanted to ask me something.
"Do you... have something you want to say to me?" I asked gently.
She fidgeted with her hands. "Actually-" A familliar voice coming from the first floor. It was aunt Amber.
"Hanna! Tristan! Dinner's ready!" Aunt Amber's voice called from downstairs, shattering the moment.
Hanna sighed, her shoulders sagging. "Coming, Mom!" she replied, her voice tinged with frustration.
She turned back to me, her expression conflicted. "Maybe next time, I'll say it to you." she said with a weak smile.
I nodded, though my heart sank with unspoken questions. "Wait, next time? Alright, I'm expecting that. By the way, I'm going home now. I think my mom is worried about me."
As I left her house later that evening, my mind replayed the scene over and over. What had she been about to say? Why had her gaze held so much intensity?. But it seems she doesn't have a sick. Is she pretending to be sick? What is the reason? I have many unanswered questions on my mind.
Even as I reached home, I couldn't shake the feeling that Hanna's unspoken words would change everything. I literally couldn't sleep for a whole night because of those unspoken words.
The Next Day...
I woke up earlier than usual. It was the weekend, so I didn't have any classes. But for some reason, my body clock was acting up. Normally, on weekends, I'd wake up around 9 or 10 a.m., but today I was wide awake. Was my schedule finally catching up with me, or was this normal?
Suddenly, my phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Yo, Tristan!" A lively, energetic voice greeted me. The voice from the other line was familiar.
"Sorry, who's this?" I asked, trying to keep calm, but confusion crept into my voice.
"It's me, Hanna! How could you not recognize my voice?" she said, sounding a bit upset.
"Sorry, I didn't realize because of your number. Did you change it?" I asked, still a bit dazed.
"Yeah. Anyway, are you free today?"
My heart skipped a beat. Wait, was she asking me to hang out or something?
"Uh... yeah, why?" I replied, trying not to sound too surprised.
"Well, I wanted to go out. I have something I need to tell you" she said.
What?! I thought to myself. Why was she asking me to go out? This was completely unexpected! And I realize she was pretending to be sick yesterday; what a crazy girl she was.
"Alright. I'll get ready. Give me 10 minutes."
"Okay, I'll be waiting; by the way, I'm already in front of your house."
"WHAT?! Wait-I'll make it 5 minutes, not 10!"
"Sure, take your time." she said, her voice teasing.
As I jumped in the shower, I couldn't help but wonder: Why did Hanna want to talk to me? What was so important? I was so caught up in my thoughts that I lost track of time. Oh no! Five minutes have already passed!
Panicking, I quickly threw on some clothes, grabbed a quick breakfast, and bolted out of the house. I was definitely embarrassed.
When I reached the gate, I tried to come up with something to say, some excuse to smooth things over.
"Uh, sorry." I said as I approached her.
"You're late," Hanna said, raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you say 5 minutes?"
"Yeah, I know. Sorry about that." I muttered.
"No worries, apology accepted." she said with a smirk and a smile that made me feel a little less nervous.
"So, where are we going today?" I asked, hoping to change the subject.
"The mall." she replied.
"The mall!? "
"Yep. Can you come with me to the grocery store?" she added casually.
"Why me?" I asked, surprised.
"My brother's busy with school stuff, and my parents are tied up with work," she explained. "So, I'm in charge of the groceries today. But I'm kind of bored doing it alone, so I thought I'd ask you to come along. It'll be fun!"
"Wait, really? You want me to go shopping with you?"
"Yeah, unless you're refusing."
"NO! Let's go now!" I said, eager to get the awkwardness behind us.
We started walking, and I couldn't help but notice how casual and upbeat Hanna seemed today. I wasn't sure what she ate for breakfast, but whatever it was, it must've been magical. Her energy was infectious, and she had this gentle, lively aura about her.
"Uh, so... we're going grocery shopping, right?" I asked, trying to stay on topic.
"Yep," she replied with a mischievous grin, "but first, let's stop by the arcade."
"The arcade?" I blinked. "I thought we were just here for groceries?"
She shrugged. "Let's bond a little first. Then after we're going to the grocery store, okay?"
"Uh... okay?"
The sudden change of plans caught me off guard, but as unexpected as it was, I didn't mind. Hanna led the way, and before I knew it, we were immersed in flashing lights, ringing sounds, and an atmosphere buzzing with excitement.
We played in the arcade until we got tired, her competitive streak shining through with every game. She laughed freely, and for the first time, I saw how vibrant and carefree she could be. It was refreshing.
"Are you tired?" She asked after a while, her voice soft but teasing.
"I think so." I admitted, wiping a bit of sweat from my brow.
"Let's grab something to eat in the food court," she suggested, her tone casual.
I raised an eyebrow. "Wait, correct me if I'm wrong, but weren't we here for groceries? Feels like you had other motives for bringing me here"
She smirked. "Yes, groceries are still on our agenda. But..." Her voice trailed off, and she glanced at me. "Did you think that this is a date?"
"W-what? No, of course not!" I stammered, my face heating up.
"Relax, I'm just kidding," she said with a laugh. "Come on, what do you want to eat? I'm starving"
"Anything's fine. It's Your Call," I smirked and smiled at her.
After grabbing lunch at the food court, we finally made our way to the grocery store. True to my nature, I insisted on helping her carry the heavier items and pushing the cart until we reached the counter. After several minutes of waiting in the counter to payed our bills, we're finally going home now.
Evening was appearing..
While walking in our neighborhood, she smiled at me as I carrying her groceries. "Thanks for helping. You're such a gentleman."
"Of course," I said with a grin. "That's what friends are for."
Her face turned pink for just a second, but she quickly looked away, focusing something on her mind. I couldn't help but notice, though. Moments like these were so small, yet they lingered in my mind longer than they should.
"What do you mean? That's what friend are for?" She said confusely.
"Of course, you're my friend. To be honest, I really plan to be with you all the time" I said, smiling.
Her cheeks flushed instantly. I noticed it-or maybe I was imagining things. Was I just reading into this?
"E-every time?" she repeated hesitantly, her voice barely audible.
"Yes. Why not?" I said, trying to sound confident, though my heart was pounding.
She looked down, her fingers fidgeting nervously. Then, in a voice so soft I missed it, she whispered, "You're making my heart race."
"Sorry? Making what?" I leaned in slightly, unsure if I'd heard her right.
"N-no, nothing!" she said quickly, straightening up. "We're finally here, anyway, see you tomorrow at school." Her smile was bright, but her eyes avoided mine.
"Sure. See you too." I glanced at my watch. "I should head home-it's getting pretty late."
"Alright. Good night, Tristan," she said, her voice gentle, as if she wanted to say more but held back.
As I walked away, her whispered words replayed in my mind. Was I imagining it, or had she let something slip? The thought made my chest tighten with a strange, unfamiliar warmth.
"I forgot something! She said that she had something to say to me; nevermind, I think she forgot that, too." I said while walking up towards my home, but there's a trace of disappointment on my face.
Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy this amazing and confusing chapter of "Unseen depth of love" See you all on the next chapter!
Note: This story is from the idea and imaginary of the author. If anything wrong, like it was A.I generated. It's a big NO. It's not an A.I generated but it enchanced by an A.I to make it engaging and readability. But all of information and story line from this novel is from the author ideas,experienced and imaginary. Thank you.
Next chapter will release soon.