Hanna handed to Caleb the take-away bag, awkwardly. She felt like she was in some romantic comedy.
"Start eating. I need to talk with Travis." she told Caleb, immediately turning to Travis.
Caleb nodded, looking from her to Travis, and then went inside, closing the door behind his back.
"So you've invited your ex boyfriend who's still in love with you to your house for dinner? How sweet... Sounds a really romantic thing to me!" Travis said sarcastically.
"Can we just go in your car? I don't want all the neighborhood to hear us yelling." Hanna replied quietly.
He sighed and walked quickly to his car, as Hanna followed him silently. When they were both in the car, Travis didn't say anything. He just looked at her waiting for explications. Hanna had her gaze low and she was roughly chewing on her lower lip.
"I didn't invite him for dinner. He..." she started, but then she stopped.
"What? He showed up at your door and you haven't had the guts to send him away?" Travis said after a few silent moments.
"No. He was already in there. We played Just Dance and I lost, so I had to bring the food for dinner. It was kind of a bet."
"I don't get it... Why was he already in your house? How much time have you two spent together?"
Hanna took a deep breath. She had to tell him. Now or never.
"Caleb was staying at Toby's. When he was back in town he didn't have a place to stay, so Toby offered him a room. But then, you know what happened to Toby's house... And Caleb found himself with nowhere to go. A couple of days ago, it was night and I was coming home... And I met him. He was on a bus bench. He was gonna spend the night there. I couldn't leave him there... So... He came home with me. He didn't want to, but I eventually convinced him. He also wanted to leave the next day, but I asked him to stay. So... He's been sleeping on the couch of the basement for a couple of days. My mom doesn't know. Nobody knows. I've just given him a place to stay." she blurted out, avoiding eye-contact with Travis.
The guy couldn't believe it. He chuckled and shook his head.
"This is insane. You basically asked your ex boyfriend to live together..." he muttered.
"Look, I know what it looks like, but..." Hanna tried to explain, but Travis interrupted her, yelling.
"But what? You're like roommates? Of course... You've just been kind with him, you're just letting him live in your house when he broke up with you for another stupid chick and came back only when he got tired of her! It's the most normal thing in the world! It's normal that you share your house with your ex boyfriend who still loves you... Or at least is what he says... It's normal! It's totally logic! Yeah, you're dating me and you live with your ex... That's okay, isn't it?"
"Travis, I'm sorry, okay? But... He doesn't have anyone here. He only has me..."
"So what? Is it compassion? I don't think so, Hanna. If you just wanted to help him, you would have just paid him a room somewhere. Plus, I'm pretty sure that Spencer has got a large barn, and I don't think that she would have said 'no' to leave it to Caleb for a while if you would have asked her."
Hanna sighed.
"You don't understand..." she murmured then.
"Of course I don't! Am I really supposed to understand this?" he yelled.
"I care about him, okay? He has done a lot for me and I owe him so much. Letting him sleep on an uncomfortable couch in my freaking basement is the least I can do for him."
"Seriously? I definitely think I've heard enough now!"
"What do you mean?"
"I can't deal with this, Hanna. I can't accept the fact that Caleb sleeps at your place. And you can't ask me to understand."
"So what?"
Travis took a deep breath before give her his sentence.
"If you're gonna let him stay, well... I'm sorry but we're done."
Hanna bit her lip and shook her head. She looked into his eyes and replied.
"Don't ask me to choose between you and him."
"Yeah, because it would be too easy for you, right? You'd choose Caleb, of course. Why are you letting him stay, otherwise? You're doing this not because you didn't want him to sleep on a bench. You're doing this not because you simply care about him. You're doing this because you still love him just like he still loves you. And now try to tell me that I'm wrong."
Hanna lowered her gaze, awkwardly.
"Guess what? I'm waiting for you to tell me that." Travis continued.
Hanna, finally, locked eyes with Travis and spoke.
"I prefer to lose you than lose him again. I'm sorry."
And then, without giving him time to say anything, she got out of the car and walked back to her house, without turning around.
Hanna opened the door and closed it behind her back. Caleb was sitting at the table of the kitchen. He hadn't started eating, though. He was waiting for her. She approached him and sat at the table, next to him, without saying anything.
"Hanna, I'm sorry, I should have looked through the peephole, and..." he started, but she interrupted him.
"Caleb, it's not your fault. I had to tell him, sooner or later."
"You told him I've been sleeping here?"
"Yeah. I didn't want to lie anymore."
"Is he mad?"
"We broke up."
Caleb remained speechless for a few moments, trying to process everything.
"Hanna, I knew this was a bad idea. I shouldn't have accepted your offer, I'm messing with your life and I didn't want to. I didn't want to give you problems, or..." he started, but Hanna cut him off.
"It's okay. He doesn't understand me. He doesn't even try..."
"Well, it's such a big deal. I mean, I don't know if I would understand either, if I were him. Look, I'm serious, I'll find another place to stay so I can leave and you can make things up with him. Just tell him that..."
Hanna cut him off again.
"Caleb, stop it. I don't want you to leave."
"I won't leave Rosewood, I'll just find somewhere else to stay here in town..."
"I don't want you to find somewhere else either. I want you to keep staying here."
Caleb sighed.
"But Travis doesn't." he murmured.
"I don't care about what he wants. He asked me to kick you out, otherwise we would have been done. And I chose to break up with him. It was my choice, okay?"
"I just... I would have never want you to have to take such a decision. I feel guilty because I caused all of this."
"Travis asked me to choose, not you. But, you know, maybe it's better like this. It's better that he knows that..." she replied quickly, but then she suddenly stopped.
"It's better that he knows what?" Caleb asked.
"That... I'd always choose you."
They stared at each other for an undefinied time, until Caleb lowered his gaze and cleared his throat.
"Hanna..." he started, without even knowing what ti say.
Hanna shook her head and then got up from the table.
"Hey, you know what? I'm not so hungry after all, I think I'll go to bed. You can stay here and eat everything, okay? And remember that you can sleep in the guest room. Goodnight, Caleb." she said quickly, without giving him the chance to say anything.
Then, she walked to the stairs and went straight to her bedroom.
Caleb let out a deep long sigh and rubbed his eyes. Even if he couldn't hide to himself that the fact that Hanna and Travis were no longer a thing and that she had said that she would always choose him made him glad, he felt like he had messed with Hanna's life. And he knew he had no right to. He pulled out the food from the take-away bag and ate his cheeseburger and some fries, leaving Hanna's sandwich in the bag. He knew she could have gotten up in the middle of the night hungry, since she hadn't eaten now. Then, he left the kitchen and went to the guest room, trying to get some rest, but all he could do once he was lying on the bed was thinking about what would have happened now between him and Hanna.
Hanna closed the door of her bedroom behind her back and climbed on the bed. A thousand thoughts started running through her head. Maybe she shouldn't have said those things to Caleb. Maybe she shouldn't have made this more awkward than how already was. And maybe she shouldn't have ran to her bedroom now, either. She didn't even know why she had done it. But she was sure that she had made the best thing breaking up with Travis. She didn't want to fool him. It was clear that between them it didn't work, and Caleb's coming back had only confirmed that. She loved Caleb. She just wasn't ready to retry yet. She didn't want to suffer like she had suffered when he had left. She needed time to think.
While thinking, her mobile beeped. She grabbed it from the nightstand and a shiver ran down her spine.
Which house will blow up next? Maybe the one who allows tramps in? –A
Caleb was lying on the bed on his stomach, in only his boxers. The bed was big and comfortable, but he couldn't sleep. He was thinking about Hanna. A part of himself wanted to go to her room and try to talk with her, try to explain the way he felt for her, try to tell her that he loved her, since he would have wanted to hear it right from him. But he knew she needed her space right now.
He almost jumped off the bed when the door wide opened. Hanna, in a large t-shirt and some sweatpants, entered the room without knocking, with her phone in the hands. She looked upset.
"Caleb, I..." she sobbed.
It was then that he realized she was crying.
"Hey... What's wrong?" he asked concerned, getting up from the bed.
Hanna didn't say or do anything, she just gave him her mobile, so he read the text. He sighed and gave it back to her.
"It's okay. Nothing will happen. I'm sure it's just a provocation. –A just wants us to be aware of the fact that he, she or whatever it is knows that I'm here. Just let me check if downstairs is everything okay." he said.
Hanna nodded.
"Did you lock all the doors, right?" he asked.
Hanna nodded once again.
"Stay here. I'll be right back." Caleb concluded, walking downstairs.
After assuring that the situation was quiet, he returned to Hanna, who ha waited for him in the guest room.
"It seems quiet. But, well, if it makes you feel better... Do you want me to stay up for the night, just in case?" he asked her.
Hanna shook her head. She was worried and Caleb could tell it. He sat on the bed next to her and gave her a small smile.
"Well, we both can stay up and do something together if you can't sleep. You can retry to beat me at Just Dance, you know..." he continued.
Hanna chuckled and shook her head.
"I don't like losing." she added simply.
"Well, then... Are you hungry? I saved your sandwich, you can still eat it."
"Well... This sounds good."
"I'll come with you." Caleb announced, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and slipping in them.
They spent a little time together in the kitchen, with Hanna eating and Caleb making conversation trying not to make her think about –A. When she was done, they returned upstairs and Caleb walked Hanna to her room.
"Try to get some sleep, okay?" Caleb smiled at her.
Hanna sighed and nodded.
"I'm right there. Knock if you need anything." he added then pointing at the door of the guest room, noticing her worry.
"Thank you." she replied with a smile.
Caleb smiled back.
"Goodnight." he whispered then, briefly touching her forearm.
"Goodnight." Hanna replied, as she watched him make his way to the guest room.
About half an hour later their goodnights, it started raining. There were loud thunderbolts, and the rain fell more violently as the time passed.
Hanna turned in her sheets. She absolutely couldn't sleep. As if –A hadn't already scared her enough, now there was even this storm going on. And she had always hated storms.
Caleb, in the other room, couldn't sleep either. He didn't know if it was because of –A, Hanna, the storm or whatever else, he just couldn't sleep. He was staring at the ceiling, wide awake.
A soft knock made him turn to the closed door.
"Hanna?" he asked.
"Can I come in?" her adorable shy voice replied from outside.
"Sure."
And then, Hanna got in the room and closed the door.
"I can't sleep." she simply said.
"Me neither." Caleb replied, smiling a little.
Hanna stood there, chewing on her bottom lip, unsure about what to do. Caleb, then, did the only thing that he had to do. He uncovered the other side of the large bed and patted that space.
"Get in." he smiled at her.
Hanna opened her mouth to say something, but she couldn't.
"Hanna... I know you're scared... C'mon, the bed is large enough." he added.
"Are you sure I won't bother you?" she replied, almost in a whisper.
"How can you even think something like that?"
Hanna nodded, a little embarassed, and walked to the bed, lying next to Caleb. Then, he put the blankets over her and gave her another small smile.
"I'm an idiot, I know. I'm almost twenty and I still fear storms." she whispered.
Caleb chuckled.
"You received a threatening text, it's not just about thunders. No problem, though. You're still the bravest person I know." he replied softly.
Hanna smiled up at him, and he couldn't help but stroke her cheek. Hanna could feel her heart beating faster only at his brief touch. And right then, a thunder, louder than all the previous, echoed outside. Hanna, hearing that, shut her eyes and then literally threw herself into Caleb's arms, impulsively.
"Oh... S-sorry." she stuttered when she realized what she had just done.
Caleb smiled and didn't let her go, holding her closer to him.
"Don't be." he whispered, rubbing her back.
Hanna looked at him and bit her lip, as she felt Caleb's hand going up and down her back. Now, she couldn't hear thunders, the only thing that she could hear was her hyper-quick heartbeat and Caleb's soft breaths. She had missed that feeling.
"It was just a thunder." he whispered again, still rubbing her back.
Hanna nodded, and Caleb let her adjust against his chest.
"I'm right here, you don't have to be scared, okay? Nothing bad will happen, I promise..." he continued.
"Thank you, Caleb..." she managed to whisper back then.
He kissed her forehead.
"Sleep now. Goodnight." he concluded.
"Goodnight." she replied, closing her eyes.
Caleb's hand rubbing her back and the warmth of his body were enough to make her forget anything bad. She allowed him to wrap his arms around her body and she cuddled against his chest. She only needed him. The guilt for the break-up with Travis, the fear for the –A's text and for the storm... There was nothing of that. There was just peace, protection and... Well, there was love. Hanna had missed like hell to sleep in Caleb's arms.
Caleb watched as Hanns slowly fell asleep against his chest. That was exactly what he meant for a perfect ending of a day. There were absolutely no words to describe how much he had missed the feeling of being able to hug her during the night.
"I love you, princess..." he whispered before falling asleep.
A/N: A long and intense chapter to make you guys forgive me for my late ;) College is killing me :( Anyway, I'll always find time to write&update, no matter what :) Thank you everyone for the amazing reviews! I'm happy that you liked the last chapter ;) I hope this was even better... Haleb is just... Aww, I can't even tell :D so, let me know your opinions :):) Looking forward to read your reviews! Love you guys, thanks for everything ;) xx -Atramea.