Hanna was typing out on her laptop and printing out some files while she let Carter play around inside her office. Caleb dropped them off her office before he get home to his apartment to change clothes to go to work.
"Mommy, what time is daddy gonna be here to pick us up?" Carter asked. He was sitting on the couch holding some action figures, playing with it.
"Your Dad just left few hours ago and you're already asking when is he coming back." Hanna said.
"I just missed him already and I want to play with him again." Carter said moving his action figures without looking up at his mom.
"Mommy's getting jealous, I thought I'm your most favorite person in the world but now it looks like your dad just took away that spot from me." Hanna commented half smiling.
"No, you still have that spot but you just have to share it with daddy." Carter said sincerely looking up at her.
"Oh, okay." Hanna said smiling widely at Carter. It made her really happy that Carter gets along well with Caleb.
"Hey Han, Hey Carter," Spencer greeted interrupting Hanna and Carter as she stopped by the doorway to Hanna's office.
"Hi, Auntie Spencie," Carter said with a wave.
"Hey Spence," Hanna greets back standing up from her seat to lean by her desk.
"How was your arm, Carter?" Spencer asked concerned.
"It's okay now, I feel much better now." Carter said looking at Spencer.
"Looks like Miss Punctual is running late today." Hanna commented.
"This little munchkin is getting bigger and heavier and I feel lazy to get up early." Spencer said moving her hands around her distended belly.
"I felt much worse when I carried twins." Hanna said.
"So, how was Caleb?" Spencer suddenly asked with a bright smile on her face.
"Caleb is fine." Hanna simply said.
"That's all I get, He's fine. Aria, Emily, and I didn't stay long in the hospital when we thought you needed some family time and you're avoiding to give me details right now." Spencer said sarcastically.
Hanna chuckled. "Just wait till' we don't have little ears around here anymore." She said.
"Yeah, right." Spencer said.
"What happened when I'm not here yesterday?" Hanna asked.
"Not much, I cancelled all your appointments as you requested and some of them are re-scheduled today but don't worry I'd be happy to watch Carter while you're gone." Spencer said.
"Thanks a lot, Spence." Hanna said.
"No problem," Spencer said.
"Can you e-mail me the schedules?" Hanna asked.
"Sure, let me just settle in my office first." Spencer said.
"Thanks so much." Hanna said as she watched Spencer smiled at her and turned on her heels to walk to her office.
Penn was sitting on his bed staring distantly at nothing. He was contemplating if he really should pay Hanna a visit. It's been clear to his head that he wanted to end things with her. He had loved her and thought she's the girl he wanted to spend the rest of his life with but he can't really force her to do something she wasn't sure of. He knows the feeling is still there, he still loves her and cares for her but it looks like it gets lesser when he sees Olivia much differently. His last night in Chicago is he can say a life changing thing that ever happened to him. He doesn't care if Olivia wants to forget about it but for him it was the best night of his life, he feels like he wanted to make love to her forever. Sleeping with other girls in the past made him feel great but with Olivia it was perfect.
-Flashback-
Penn was sitting on a bar stool holding an opened velvet box with a shining diamond ring in it. After having dinner at a fancy restaurant, Penn and Olivia decided to just hang out and past time in one of the famous bars in Chicago.
"Is that the ring?" Olivia asked interrupting him from his train of thoughts. She just got back from the bathroom.
"Yeah, it is." He answered.
"It's beautiful." Olivia commented still looking at the ring he was holding.
"It's just a shame that the girl that I wanted to wear this run away from me the night that I proposed to her." Penn said.
"Maybe, she's just afraid. You know, marriage is a big thing and maybe she's not ready to settle down yet." Olivia said.
"Or maybe she just doesn't love me that much to take a risk and marry me." Penn said.
"That's not true, I've seen you and Hanna together and you guys look happy and I know that she loves you. Sometimes there are just few things girls fears the most and maybe marriage is one of the few things she fears." Olivia said.
"How can she fear marriage? She's a wedding planner, she plans wedding and made fairy tales come true." Penn reasoned out.
"Are you kidding me? She plans weddings not Marriages. Weddings can be planned perfectly the way you wanted it to be but marriage is different you can't plan what should or shouldn't happen with it." Olivia said.
"I guess you're right. How about you, how can you be so fearless to take a wedding offer?" Penn said closing the velvet box and putting it inside his pocket.
"I don't know, maybe I just love Caleb since like forever. He's a great guy who stick to his words, he'll do anything just to protect people he loved and cared. When he asked me to marry hIim, I just felt like the best thing and right thing to do is to say yes but now..." Olivia said but then hesitated to spill out the last part of what she wants to say.
"But now, what?" Penn urge her to continue.
"Nevermind, it's not that important anyways." Olivia said trying to change the subject.
"Are you having second thoughts about marrying him?" Penn asked with a meaningful look.
"No," Olivia said shaking her head avoiding Penn's gaze but she absentmindedly look at him and saw a knowing look plastered on his face.
"Yes," she blurted out.
"Why?" Penn asked.
"Even me, I can't figure out why." Olivia answered.
"You know what, I think we need more alcohol in our system. What do you like to drink?" Penn said.
"Great idea, Let's have some tequila shots." Olivia said.
"Yeah," Penn exclaimed and proceeded into ordering their drinks.
They both drunk the night away, trying to forget everything. Alcohol somehow made them feel like nothing else matters in the world but their selves. In their drunken state, they both managed to catch a cab and went back together to their hotel.
They both stroll the hallways of the hotel talking anId laughing with nothing in particular.
"Oh, I think that's already my door." Olivia said pointing at her hotel room door giggling.
"That's too bad because I still want to be with you." Penn said slurring his words.
"Really?" Olivia said walking to the door swaying.
"Yes," Penn said following behind her.
"I can't blame you, I had a great night too and I don't want it to end. I still want to be with you too." Olivia said facing him leaning her back against the door.
Penn smiled mischievously in a sexy way walking towards her. He looked through her eyes down to her nose and to her lips, trapping her against the door he leaned in and crashed his lips to hers.
Olivia froze for a while and hesitated to respond but then let loose and responded with the same passion Penn is giving in with the kiss. They shared a steamy passionate kiss for no one knows how long and before they know it they managed to unlocked her hotel room door as they stumbled getting in. Olivia put her legs around his waist and he carried her towards the bed. He laid her down carefully not bothering to pull away from the kiss. On that moment, they both rebelled against their minds telling them what's right but followed their bodies drives and cravings.
Penn moved his lips from her lips to her neck to her shoulders, moving his hands underneath her blouse. They pulled away for a brief second to get their clothes out of their way throwing it around the room. They explored one another's body through their touch and kisses. They made love through the night forgetting everything in the world thinking that it was the best thing they ever did.
-End of Flashback-
Penn shook his head from his thoughts of Olivia and that night. He told himself to just stick to the important things for now and that is facing his current girlfriend and make things right.
After his ecounter with Olivia that morning, Caleb busied himself at work. As soon as he stepped into his office, he strated working non-stop. He wanted to grieve losing Olivia as his best friend but at the same time he felt relieved losing her as his fiancée. He also wanted to get his work done faster and come home to the two most important people in his life, Hanna and Carter. He can't wait to be with them. He's excited to tell Hanna that he's not getting married anymore and they are free to be together and he can't wait to spend time with Carter and get to know him more, make up for their lost time.
After a long hours of his eyes being glued to his computer screen, his eyes absentmindedly landed his gaze to his phone sitting beside his desktop. He picked it up and type out a quick message to Hanna.
Miss you and Carter already... -Caleb
He hit send and smiled putting his phone back down. After few minutes, his phone beeps signalling he have a new message.
We miss you too... he keeps asking when you'd be here to pick us up... -Hanna
He smiled thinking of Carter and his endless questions. He type out a quick reply.
Well, I might come home much earlier and we can have much longer bond date tonight. I want to tell you something. - Caleb
He hit send and waited for her reply.
What is it? -Hanna
Just wait till' tonight. I love you. =) -Caleb
Okay, I love you too. -Hanna
After reading her text, he smiled and dialed her number immediately. It rings few times before she answered it.
"I want to hear it," Caleb said.
"What?" Hanna said playing innocent.
"I wanted to hear what you just say on the text." Caleb said eagerly.
"Which one?" Hanna said trying hard not to laugh.
"The last text, I want to hear you say it." Caleb said.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Hanna said.
"Don't play dumb, Hanna." Caleb said frustratedly.
"What?" Hanna said.
"Please, just say it." Caleb said sounding like a little kid begging to buy him a candy.
"What do you want me to say?" Hanna said enjoying his begging voice.
"Just tell me you love me, Dammit!" Caleb said growing impatient.
Hanna laughed. "Fine, I love you." she said whispering what he really wanted to hear.
"Say it again out loud, don't whisper it." Caleb said.
"No," Hanna said.
"Please, Just one last time." Caleb said.
"I love you, Caleb Rivers." Hanna finally said much louder.
"Much better, can't wait to see you, Princess. I love you. Bye." Caleb said cheerfully.
"You're such a nerd, Bye." Hanna said before they both hang up.
Caleb put back down his phone contentedly, smiling uncontrollably while getting back to work. He felt like he just got recharged hearing those three words, fell out of Hanna's mouth. Being with the love of his life again made him extremely happy and he felt like he is finally home after a long time of being lost.
After her phone conversation with Caleb, Hanna gets back to working. Arranging her schedules and meeting up with clients. After her clients walk out of the boutique, she frozed when she saw a familiar figure standing by the glass doors of the boutique about to walk in. It was Penn.
He walked in staring at her with an unsure yet smiling expression plastered on his face. "Hi," he said awkwardly approaching Hanna.
"Hi," Hanna greeted back plainly.
"Can we go some place to talk?" Penn asked.
"I needed to talk to you too." Hanna said uncomfortably.
"Good, so can we go somewhere?" Penn asked.
"I don't think so, I still have clients to meet 30 minutes from now and I'm with Carter today, I took him with me today." Hanna said.
" Oh, can we just talk in your office? Somewhere private?" Penn asked.
"Let's go to my office then." Hanna said.
Penn and Hanna walked to her office silently. When they walked in to her office, Carter look up from playing his toys to their direction.
"Hi Mommy, is your meeting over? Hi Uncle Penn," Carter said cheerfully.
"Hello, Carter." Penn greeted back with a friendly smile.
"Yes Baby, my meeting is over. Can you go over at Auntie Spencie's office for a minute? Uncle Penn and I just needed to talk." Hanna said.
"Okay Mommy, Bye Uncle Penn." Carter said walking out the door taking his toys with him.
Hanna closed the door and faced Penn. "How are you?" Hanna asked concerned.
"I'm fine," he answered plainly.
They shared a few seconds of awkward silence avoiding each others gaze, both contemplating what to say next.
"I came here-" Penn started to say. "I wanted to-" Hanna started to say at the same time as him.
"You go first," Penn said.
Hanna sighed studying his somewhat stressed expression.
"I'm sorry," Hanna started looking at him sincerely. "I'm sorry if I rejected your proposal, I'm so sorry for all the pain that I caused you, I'm so sorry if I can't love you the way you loved me." she said.
"I forgive you and honestly I can't even feel a little bit mad for all of it. I loved you and you knew it and in fact, you declining my proposal made me realized something," Penn said smiling encouragingly at her. "I might not be perfect, Hanna but you made me wanna be one. You made me strive to become better, before I met you I was just this guy who always say yes to all the things my dad wants me to do but being with you and having you in my life makes me want to grow on my own, be on my own and I'm really thankful for that. But I guess that just it maybe that's the reason why our souls crossed paths, to help me become a better version of myself and I'm accepting it now. As much as I wanted you to be Mrs. Penn Kingham, I can't forced you if you wouldn't be happy about it. You're amazing and one of a kind lady, Hanna and you deserved all the great things in this world and I am willing to give you all of it even if it means that I have to let you go." Penn said not realizing a single tear that just flow down his face from his left eye.
"You are too, you deserved all the great things in this world and I wished you would find it soon." Hanna said touching his face wiping away his tears.
"Goodbye, Hanna." Penn said letting tears just escaped freely from his eyes. He kissed her forehead and stared at her face one last time memorizing it before pulling away from her.
"Goodbye, Penn." Hanna said.
Penn turned away and walked out the door without looking back wiping away his tears. It is the first time he actually cried for a girl. Some might say 'Real Boys Don't Cry' and he used to believed it before but crap, Hanna Marin is worth a billion tears. He might not be meant for her and vice versa but he won't forget how remarkable she is.
Okay, I don't know if Penn and Hanna's break up is satisfying or not but I just wanted to get this over. I'm really sorry if I kept you all waiting but my brain doesn't seem to work properly in weeks and I'm stuck with this chapter moulting about this Penn/Hanna break up that I can't seem to get right. Anyways, After this Chapter everything will be better and I might end this soon and start another Haleb fanfic.
Thanks for all the reviews; britneymartina, Forever Haleb, AuthorABC123, saraschneider2012, Haleb4lyf, Halebendgame, and to all the guests... Thanks a lot... You guys really help to motivate me to finish this chapter even I'm really struggling...
Thanks a lot for giving your time to read this! Love you guys...xoxo
-Trea