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Chapter 9: Too much to handle

She then laughed really loud and I did my best to do the same.

"Just kidding, Hannah. I don't even know the poor girl.", she said, fixing her hair.

"I know."

I didn't.

"Kat seems to like him.", S said looking at Connor and Kat, "Well, he is very likeable."

I laughed. "Yeah."

"You have a crush on him, don't you?", she asked.

Well that was unexpected. My heart started beating faster for some reason.

"What? S, he's my… Cousin."

"Yeah, but you never talk about him, which means you don't meet him a lot. And come on, if I had a cousin like that I would have a crush on him too."

That made me smile.

"Oh I know you would, S. But don't worry, I don't like Connor.", I answered, looking at her.

"Whatever. I'll pretend I'll believe you."

S had been my best friend for so many years, I liked her so much. She was that person you can talk for hours and never get bored.

I laughed and looked at Connor. He was laughing too, with Kat. I was finding that funny: she kept telling jokes, twirling strands of hair, looking at his eyes, while he just laughed and smirked, looking at hers. Yeah it was funny seeing her so… Desperate? I mean it was funny, but it was also… Never mind.

"So, Connor…", I said, feeling the need to calm that conversation down, "Are you having fun?"

"Yes, Indeed. Your friends are very nice.", he answered.

"Yeah… They are.", I said, looking down.

I had no idea why that was bothering me.

Everybody was now talking to each other and, not sure why, those three days in the 18th Century came through my mind again: being in the forest, freezing, and Connor putting a cloak around me; killing a wolf and feeling horrible; seeing the village for the first time and meeting Lola, who kept saying "You poor soul."; meeting Tara, Sophia and Natalie; Connor saying that I snored; Connor teaching me how to use a bow; that woman 'singing' in the show; the walk at night with Connor; the last words he had said to me there…

By this time, everybody was eating making a lot of noise and I was just lost in my own thoughts, holding the well-known necklace and thinking if Connor's words had been real.

"Are you all right, Hannah?", the voice crossed my thoughts like an arrow.

"What?", I asked.

It was Connor: "Are you feeling all right?", he said, looking at me very seriously.

No, I'm not. I was feeling nauseous with that all thing and for one second I thought I was going to puke.

"Uh… Yeah.", I said.

"Are you sure?", he asked again.

It was on my mind again… It was too much. I had no idea what that all thing had been and no idea what he was doing there now. I just couldn't take it all again. A tear started running down my face and I looked down, trying to disguise it.

Connor put one hand on my cheek and the other one on my hand. "Hannah?", he said.

I got up really quick. "I'll be right back.", I said, cleaning the tears.

I almost ran to the house and went to the nearest bathroom. I closed the door behind me and just 'let it all out'. I just lost it. It was all being too much for me to handle. I cried and put my hands on my head, deeply thinking about what my life had been for the last month and a half. I'd missed him so much, not knowing if I'd ever actually seen him…

Someone knocked on the door: "Hannah?", Connor's voice said, "What is going on?"

I cleaned the tears once more. "Nothing, Connor, I'll go back in a second."

"Hannah… Please come out. Let me talk to you, I'm worried."

"Don't be. I'll be outside in a minute."

"Hannah?", Ade's voice now, I thought.

"Ade?"

"It's me. What's happening?", she said.

"Nothing… Look, don't worry about me, I'll go back in a minute.", I answered.

"Hannah, please…", I heard Connor say.

"Honey, you can't tell me not to worry about you, it doesn't work.", Ade said and I felt a little better, "Just come out, let's talk."

A few seconds of wondering what I should do. I didn't want to face my friends after that, but I specially didn't want to see Connor's worried face that moment.

"I can't.", I finally said.

"Hannah, the only people here are me and Connor. It's ok.", she said.

I looked at the mirror, at my red and wet face and put my hair behind my back. I sighted, imagining two of the people I love the most in this world behind that door, worried. I would do the same if I was in their shoes, so, using all the strength I had, I opened the door.

There they were: looking at me like someone had died and I kept looking down. "Hannah…", Ade said, when she saw my face. Connor grabbed my hand.

"What is going on?", he asked.

"I just… It's complicated.", I said, with no clue how to explain that situation.

"Did someone hurt you?", Connor asked.

"No… Don't worry."

"Hannah, please talk to us.", Ade said.

"I… It's just…", I tried to speak, looking at them, "It's making me so confused.".

"What is?", Ade asked.

"This!", I said, kind of pointing at Connor. "How is it possible that you're here? You're not even supposed to be real!"

"Hannah! Calm down, all right?!", Ade said, seeing Connor's hurt face.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, Connor, I just…", I said and then… I just let myself fall to his arms and hugged him.

"It's all right…", he said, passing his hand through my hair. "I understand."

Then I stepped back and looked at his face, felling the need to ask him. I just had to:

"Did you mean it?"

"What?", he asked, confused.

"What you said in the village… Before you left to fight.", I said, not deviating my eyes from his for one second.

He realized what I was talking about and looked down for one second, then back at me. "Of course. I always will."

Awn. I looked at Ade.

"We need to talk, Hannah.", Ade said.

"Not now, all right? It's your day and we're going to enjoy it. We'll talk about it later.", I said.

"All right then. Let's go."

Trying to get myself together, I came back to the party and joined our friends, who luckily didn't ask many questions about that 'episode'.

The party was nice: we danced, we played,… We just had fun. I didn't give much thought to what had happened, but Connor gave me a worried look every time I looked at him.

End of Chapter 9. Please give opinions and ideas in the reviews!