Page 294 of Ruthless Court
The singer reaches the final chorus.
Hannah watches every second.
I watch Hannah.
The way her mouth softens when something reaches her.
The way she presses the napkin beneath one lens.
The way she smiles through it when the singer’s mother leaves one final voicemail telling her to stop buying expensive coffee when she owns a coffee maker.
The room laughs gently.
Hannah does too.
Wet-eyed.
Beautiful.
Something settles inside my chest.
Not heat.
Not the sharp, restless pull that makes me want to kiss her.
This is slower.
Warmer.
Contentment.
I don’t remember the last time I sat somewhere without thinking about what came next.
Practice.
Film.
Draft boards.
Scouts.
Another game.
Another opportunity I could lose if I stopped paying attention for five minutes.
Right now, I don’t care what happens tomorrow.
Hannah is beside me.
She’s happy.
I’m here to see it.
That is enough.
Her head turns.
She catches me looking again.
