Sweet like Jasmine

Chapter 5

1 week later

"Hanna are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" Emily pressed.

"I am sure Emily, I rather do this by myself. I might run into Jordan and I haven't spoken to him for like a week, not since that phone call."

"Okay." Emily gave in reluctantly, although she didn't want to let Hanna go by herself. This past week, ever since she had ran into Caleb. Hanna had been acting weird. She had been edgy, distracted and snappy. Not to mention drinking gallons of jasmine tea, even more now than usual. Emily knew something was up, but knowing Hanna she wouldn't talk until she was ready to talk and all she was doing now was building walls and guarding them with cannons at the ready.

Emily looked over at her friend who was packing a bag, seemingly throwing random stuff into it.

"Why are you packing a bag? Aren't you just going today and coming back tonight?" Emily asked her.

"I was planning to, Hanna said. But Jordan said there was still quite some stuff at the apartment, so I'm packing an overnight bag just in case I can't get everything packed up in one day."

"Will you stay at the apartment if you need to stay overnight?" Emily asked tentatively.

"No!" Hanna answered a bit too fast.

"No, she said again, this time in a much calmer voice. There's this nice small family run hotel near where I used to live and I might stay there." Hanna said as she closed her suitcase and swung her handbag over her shoulder and opened her arms towards Emily to give her a hug.

"Well good luck Hanna, let me know if you need anything. Emily said into their tight hug before pressing a kiss on her cheek.

"Call me if you need anything, okay?" Emily called after her as she walked out of the door. She looked at Hanna walking out waving at her showing her that she heard her.

XxxxxxxxxX

An hour into her trip to New York Hanna was cursing like a retired boat worker and kicking the side of her car. Her car had been having trouble for a while now and she was cursing herself for not taking it to the dealership earlier to have it checked over, as she was now stranded on the side of the road with no luck of getting it started up again.

She had already spoken to Emily who had just been called into work and unable to help her. She didn't dare calling Spencer, as the last time they spoke, Spencer told her she still needed to be mad at her. Aria was out of town with Ezra, hence her thumb was now hovering over the last name she really didn't want to call. She hesitated and let out a large breath before finally pressing the call button. It only rang two times before it was picked up.

"The Radley hotel and bar, Ashley speaking."

Hanna took a breath before speaking. "Mom, I need help."

As expected, her mother started to panic instantly.

"Hanna what's wrong, are you hurt? Where are you?"

"Mom I'm fine, Hanna said exasperatedly. "I was just on my way to New York and my car broke down. I'm completely stranded."

"Oh Hanna, her mother whined. Didn't I tell you to have that car checked!" She scolded.

"Mom I appreciate the history lesson but I still need to get to New York, today "

"Cant Jordan pick you up?" Her mother tried.

"I haven't spoken to him since…you know. Besides, I'm only an hour out of Rosewood. I'm parked at that burger restaurant you and dad used to take me to."

Hanna could hear her mom rummaging whilst making agreeable noises, probably reaching for her diary.

"Fine Hanna, I'm at work but I'll figure something out. Stay where you are, I'll make sure you are picked up."

XxxxxxxX

Hanna had touched up her makeup in the car mirror for a good 15 minutes before going into the restaurant to have a burger and coke to kill some time. She hated waiting around without anything to do. Luckily she had skipped breakfast that morning and she still had another 45 minutes to kill before her mother would be there to pick her up.

When Hanna had finally finished her burger she quickly grew bored again. She was aimlessly scrolling through her facebook feed when she realized how many photo's she still had on her page of her and Jordan. Her thumb hung over the screen momentarily, doubting if she should delete their photo's or not. She was still staring at one of her favorite photo's of her and Jordan when the bell above the door of the restaurant rang as new patron entered.

Hanna didn't even look up as she still had another 15 minutes to kill before she was expecting her mother to be there. Therefor she didn't notice the newest guest in the diner walk up to her table and standing there staring at her. Only when they spoke did she look up. Nearly choking on the coke she just drank from when she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey Hanna," Caleb spoke, his voice low and his brown eyes piercing hers.

"Caleb!" She spluttered. Hating the fact that was all she could do these days whenever she saw him.

"Caleb?" She said again, now much calmer and giving him a questioning look, quickly hiding her phone from view that was still displaying the photo of her and Jordan.

"Mind if I sit?" He asked, pointing at the seat opposite hers. He didn't wait for her answer however and sat down opposite her and caught her questioning gaze.

"I was in your mother's office when you called, she asked me to pick you up. She couldn't get out of a meeting, so here I am." He said simply, nearly sounding apologetically.

"What were you doing in my mother's office?" Hanna asked curiously. It seemed to her like her own mother had made it her life's work to include Caleb in every aspect of her life. Indirectly including him in Hanna's as well.

"Your mother gave me a job at the Radley, I was just about to give her the morning reports when you called." He explained when he saw Hanna rolling her eyes, which made him scoff.

"Why is that funny?" Hanna challenged him.

"It's not funny, but you are."

"Why am I funny?" She asked annoyed.

"Why are you so bothered that I'm working at The Radley?"

"I'm not bothered." She lied, shrugging her shoulders and averting her eyes. She knew if she looked at him he would be able to tell she was lying.

"Right…" Caleb said, not wanting to get into an argument with Hanna right now although he could tell that she was lying. He recognized a Hanna-mood when he saw one and this one was just starting to take off.

"Let's get going then." He said purposefully to throw Hanna of her game and got off from his seat and walked toward the parking lot and to her car to check if he could find the problem with her car. Knowing full well that by the time she would join him, she would no longer be annoyed.

"Is my car already fixed?" Hanna asked in surprise, forgetting to be annoyed with Caleb when she saw him close the hood of the car and talking on the phone with someone.

"Okay, thank you Toby, will do." Caleb said into the receiver and put the phone back into his pocket. Then he looked back at Hanna. "No sorry Han, I can't get it fixed and Toby couldn't help either. Why don't I help you get your things from your car and I'll drop you off in New York."

"No you won't." Hanna said defensively and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Hanna, I am in no mood for your stubbornness. I'm driving you to New York and I'll call someone on the road for your car."

"No! Caleb you're not driving me to New York!" The full blown realization that Caleb would drive her to her apartment where she used to live with Jordan was too much for her. Not to mention spending all this time in close quarters with Caleb was something she wasn't ready for.

"Hanna, Caleb pleaded. Don't be weird."

"I'm not being weird Caleb, I just don't want you driving me to New York."

Caleb let out a long and audible sigh and threw his arms in the air in frustration. "Hanna…," he started, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice. He took a moment to take a breath and said: "Why don't I just drive you to wherever you want to go? Even if it's in or near New York and you can travel the rest of the way to your destination." He offered.

Hanna thought for a moment. It was the best of both worlds. She would still get her ride and it wouldn't be so awkward. Just the thought of Caleb and Jordan running into each other this time would be weird enough. She was nervous enough to run into Jordan as it was.

"Okay, sounds like a plan. She finally said as she made her way towards the boot of her car so she could move her stuff into Caleb's. As she opened the boot and grabbed a few bags, she suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Caleb.

"Wait, where are you going to stay whilst I get my stuff? What if I need an extra day to pack?" She asked, looking at the massive overnight bag still in the back of her car.

It was Caleb's turn to look awkward and she could tell he was flushing a bit. "I was uhm… I actually have a place to stay." He said scratching the back of his head. A clear sign of his nerves.

"Oh okay...?"

He could tell the question in her words, although she wasn't brave enough to actually ask him where he was staying and Caleb wasn't brave enough to tell her either.

"Long and boring story Hanna, but I promise will tell you one day if you really want to know. He said whilst hoisting the massive overnight bag from her backseat and walking towards his jeep, hoping against hope she actually wouldn't ask. He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her. Hell he wasn't even ready to be back in New York. But his need to help and protect Hanna had always overpowered his rationality.

XxxxxxX

Half an hour into the drive and things were getting more than awkward. Caleb had tried to make conversation for the first 10 minutes of the drive, but with Hanna shooting him down with one word answers he was soon out of topics to raise and remained quiet after his last attempt to make conversation was shot down yet again.

Caleb looked over at Hanna whilst driving. She was staring out of the window, her hair draped like curtains hiding her face, although he didn't need to see her face to guess how she must be feeling going back to New York. All the memories they had made together, those memories they had silently agreed to try and forget about, to try and bury them deep within. The memories he was never able to forget how hard he tried. They had haunted him all the way to Europe and now he was back here, with her. Back to where it all started and ended.

Caleb blinked furiously, trying to blink back the tears that had formed in his eyes. He hoped with all his might Hanna would not choose this moment to finally look up at him.

Hanna kept looking out of the window, doing everything in her power not to look up at Caleb. After his last question that she had shot down, did he finally stop talking. The car had been filled with an awkward silence that was suddenly replaced with tension and she knew full well why. The closer they came to New York, the sadder she grew as all the memories came flooding back to her and she knew it was having the same effect on Caleb. Even without looking at him she could tell the memories where having the worst effect on him. Things didn't improve when she heard Caleb swallow hard, followed by a sniffling sound he was probably unaware of himself.

Hanna tried hard to keep her eyes fixated on a spot on the window, willing herself not to look at him. She knew that sound all too well. She knew he was swallowing away his tears and knowing she had been the reason of his sadness was already tearing her apart on the inside, ripping her heart apart.

His pain was her pain, his sadness hers.

XxxxxxX

3 years earlier

"Babe, I've brought food, your favorite." Caleb sang walking into their New York apartment, holding a bag of takeout up in the air. He put the bag on the tiny table in the hall for a moment to take off his jacket.

"Hanna.." He proceeded to sing, holding up the bag of food as he looked around for her when there was no answer.

"Weird," he thought to himself. The tv was on and her coat was hanging in the hallway so she must be at home. He poked his head into their bedroom and bathroom. Yet no Hanna. Just as he turned around from their bedroom did he see her.

She was slumped on the couch with her mouth sagging slightly. He jolted to her side, his heart racing at the sight of her and checked her pulse on instinct. He placed two fingers on her neck and pressed down hard, yet it didn't wake her up. He let out a breath of relief when he felt a pulse and finally noticed the soft rise and fall of her chest, although her breathing was so soft, he had to lean down closely to actually hear it.

He knew he shouldn't have been surprised to find her like this. It was the 3rd time he had found Hanna like this. Earlier that week he had gone for a quick shower, only to find Hanna in the deepest of sleeps from which he was unable to wake her and only yesterday had he come home late from a meeting to find her in another deep slumber from which it took him ages to wake her.

When she had finally woken up he had grilled her about how hard she'd been working and asked her if she was taking any medication to help her sleep. She had denied it so fiercely he was forced to believe it. Yet seeing her sleeping on that couch again, mouth slightly open, did he start to question her honesty. Something was not right and he knew it. His heart was telling him something was wrong with Hanna and he would get to the bottom of it no matter how much she would resist him.

XxxxxxX

After a long silence where the both of them had been occupied with their own thoughts, was it Hanna who finally broke the ever growing silence between them when they had arrived in downtown Manhattan. Caleb didn't actually know where Hannah had lived with Jordan but he had heard from mutual friends that she lived in the upper east side. Of course it had to be Manhattan, she had always loved it and fought Caleb with tooth and nail when he even dared to suggest they should move out of their tiny apartment in the East Village to an actual house in Slope hill, Brooklyn.

"You can just drop me off at 77st." She said casually, still not making eye contact with him as she typed away on her phone.

Caleb who was already headed onto a familiar route made a last minute decision to change the route and yanked the steering wheel making a sharp left turn at the last moment, doing his very best not to drive past their old apartment or even their old neighborhood in the process. He wasn't ready to see their old place and have memories stirred up again. Just as he turned into the next lane to officially avoid their old neighborhood for good, did he notice the tea shop on the corner he knew all too well. Even though the windows of the car were closed, he could suddenly clearly smell the strong smell of the Jasmine tea again as if his mind was playing tricks on him. A faint smile formed on his lips as he remembered the time Hanna had forced him to go there every week to stock up on copious amounts of Jasmine tea.

This time Caleb did catch Hanna's eye, as she had seen the tea shop as well and he instantly wished that she didn't, the indisputable sadness in her eyes was heartbreaking to him. He wished with all his might he could take all the hurt away, to make her feel better, make her whole again and to let him love her.

Only if she would let him.

XxxxxxX

Hi guys,

Thank you for reading. Sorry it's been a while, but I hope you enjoyed it all the same. Next chapter will finally unveil what the Jasmine tea is actually all about and I hope to include why and how Haleb broke up, but I'm not sure about that yet.

Hope you enjoyed the 7x10 as much as I did! Cannot wait for April 2017, at least we'll have fanfiction in the meantime to kill some time.

Loved all your reviews for the past few chapters! It makes my day.