Hey all.

I'm so so so sorry it's taken me this long to update.

What with work, friends coming home from uni and Christmas I've had no time to just sit down and get this chapter written down. The next chapter is all ready in my mind and I've already begun typing it up. I'm not promising anything but I will try to get it uploaded on New Years Day.

So have a great new years and as always enjoy :)

Chapter Sixteen

Completely Innocent

Hanna was running around like a headless chicken preparing for Harry's birthday party. She had so much to do,

"Calm down," Mark told her as he tied the end of yet another balloon he'd blown up,

"How can I calm down?" Hanna replied,

"There's still so much to do," she added as she tied the bow on the first of many presents she had bought for her son. Mark moved to sit next to her on the sofa and placed an arm around her,

"The party will be spectacular," he told her,

"Just like you."

Hanna smiled as he squeezed her arm and gently kissed the top of her head, but she could still feel the guilt bubbling up inside her. Mark wasn't a bad guy, he worked hard to help take care of Harry and herself and loved Harry as though he were his own, which Hanna loved him for in return.

He just wasn't Caleb.

The two of them spent the rest of the morning wrapping Harry's presents before he returned home from school that afternoon. The party was tomorrow and already he was extremely excited and Hanna had to admit that she was also. Mark had just made her a hot chocolate when her phone beeped alerting her of a text message, she took on phone from the arm of the sofa and read the display; Caleb.

'Collecting Harry's present from the store today. Join me?'

Hanna quickly tapped back her reply,

'Meet you there in half an hour.'

20 minutes later and Hanna was at the front door pulling her coat on,

"I can't believe I forgot, I'm such a terrible friend," she told Mark. Mark shook his head,

"Don't be ridiculous. Aria will forgive you and besides you've been busy, she'll know that," he said helping her with her coat. The guilt began bubbling in Hanna's stomach again,

"I won't be long," she promised as she kissed him goodbye.

The drive over to the toy store only took her 5 minutes and in no time at all she was walking through the automatic doors into the store with Caleb,

"So what've you got him?" Hanna asked as they were greeted by the many aisles of the store,

"Something I know he'll love," Caleb replied slipping his hand around Hanna's, who couldn't help but look around her in case they were caught.

"It's not anything Ben 10 is it?" She asked, but Caleb shook his head,

"No I know he says he's 'too old for Ben 10 now,'" he replied.

Hanna thought hard as they approached the outdoor section,
"Please tell me you didn't get him a skateboard Caleb, he'll hurt himself," she worried, but again Caleb shook his head,

"No, but your getting closer," he replied as they turned the corner into the bike aisle and gestured to a BMX.

Hanna smiled,

"He'll love it," she told him gently kissing Caleb's cheek.

"Hanna?" Came a petite voice from behind them that could only be Aria, Hanna turned letting go of Caleb's hand.

"Hey Aria," she greeted her friend who was looking at her with eyes full of questions, but she approached them and hugged Hanna anyway,

"And Caleb," she added,

"I haven't seen you in so long, how are you?" She asked. Caleb grinned,

"Better than I've been in a while," he replied giving Hanna a coy smile, which she returned.

"That's good," Aria replied pretending not to have noticed their little exchange,

"I was just picking up Harry's present," Aria told them,

"Ezra was meant to do it yesterday but he forgot," she added. Caleb nodded,

"I told you that you didn't have to get him the Race car set," Hanna said as a means of making the conversation as normal as possible,

"I know you did, but we wanted to," she said,

"Anyway I better be getting back, Ezra's making dinner," she added and with that she was gone.

"I don't know why you're worrying," Caleb was saying as they loaded the bike into the back of his car,

"Because I still have to tell Mark," she told him,

"It's not fair for the others to know before even he does," she went on.

"Aria doesn't know anything," Caleb assured her,

"You're helping me choose and collect a bike for our son, what's suspicious about that?" He asked.

He was right, the two of them being together this afternoon could be completely innocent, and yet Hanna knew she'd have Aria on the phone that evening demanding answers.