It was another hour before Chance returned with Link. Hannah had a couple more beers. She was feeling a bit of the buzz and it served to work down the stress of her system. She felt herself relaxing a bit, forgetting about all the issues that had led her to drink that much in the first place. She settled into her seat without a pout and more of a quiet relaxation. Scout had taken to telling stories about her childhood and the days when Chance was a dorky teenager and getting into a world of trouble. Kat filled in some of those blanks with stories of her own.
Hannah chuckled. Her anger at Chance was dissipating as the night went on. She felt like she knew him better, even with him miles away, probably getting drunk in his own hole of shame and guilt. The longer things went on, the more she wanted to talk to him, to both apologize and assert her stance. As if the universe was reading or mind or granting her wish, he walked in the doors with Link at his side.
He seemed to have gotten light as well, from wherever he went off to. She couldn’t help but smile at his own large smile. It was boyish and she thought of the stories his sister and mother had spun about him. She tried not to giggle when he came in. He was important here. He was a leader and she was his woman, as far as anyone else knew. She had to act the part, look the part. A biker’s old lady didn’t giggle or laugh about how her man had a quite childhood and she could see echoes of it now.
His eyes seemed to be searching for hers because they met in the middle and he didn’t look away, eyes on hers. Their gazes were locked and they both seemed to be telling the other that they needed to talk, that there were things they needed to discuss, that they needed to do it in private. They couldn’t afford to have a discussion like this while putting on a show. They had to be honest with each other, and even if they knew the truth of their situation and relationship beneath this narrative they’d spun for the people around them, it would be better if appearances didn’t get in the way.
“Alright people,” Kat said, standing up and clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Take this party outside for a bit. Important talks need to happen.”
There was hooting and hollering as the gang seemed to think it was a euphemism for Chance and Hannah fucking in the room—which would be a strange thing for your mother to wingman you on but Hannah ignored it, watching the room clear out. She did not miss Ben’s sneering gaze and dangerous eyes as he slowly moved out of the room, as if waiting as long as possible to see what would happen. When the door shut behind everyone, Hannah felt herself let out a breath. It was like she could finally take off her mask, her costume. She felt a little lighter.
“So I’ve been—“
“I’m sorry I—“
They both stopped, their words getting stuck over top of each other. They looked at each other for a minute in surprise before they both let out loud laughs, the tension in the room dissipating almost at once. They didn’t say a word as they looked at each other, warm smiles, and eyes crinkled from the mirth of it all. It was probably the beer but Hannah knew that alcohol did not invent feelings, it only amplified them. What she was feeling, how she was feeling it, that was true of her on her soberest day, it just so happened that she was less nervous now.
Chance held out his hand and she took it without hesitation. It was rough and warm like she remembered and felt a little too much like home. She tried not to sigh too much with happiness as his fingers laced so perfectly with hers and pulled her along towards the office. Perhaps he thought Ben or some others were still willing to hang around to try and listen in on the situation. She walked with him and stepped in, hearing the door gently click behind her as he shut it, following her in.
He moved to sit on the edge of the desk.
“I did some thinking,” he said.
“I hope you got some thinking done, you were gone for like two hours,” she said.
He smiled a little sheepishly. “Yeah. Look, I want to help Gabe. I’ve just got a lot of personal reasons for being angry at what he’s doing. And I realized it’s not my place to decide his fate. So I want to send him up north. I’ve got some friends there that will keep him safe, keep him out of trouble, help him detox and rehab himself.”
She was touched. Everything she’d wanted to say, defending her position and berating him, went out the window. He was offering to help Gabe, to get him better. His face was a little red and she wasn’t sure if it was because he was blushing or because the alcohol was finally doing something to his system. But his eyes were all serious, watching her, gauging for her reaction. She felt speechless but she knew he was waiting, holding his breath. Her decision on this would decide what they’d do. He’d give her the option, let her take the wheel.
“That would be incredible,” she breathed out when she ran out of thoughts to keep her brain going, blurting out the first thing she could think of. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”
Chance shrugged. “We’ve all got to hit rock bottom. Hopefully this is Gabe’s rock bottom.”
“Maybe he can finally start learning how to be an adult after this,” she agreed, coming to sit next to him.
“They’ll help him, teach him some valuable life skills, get him back on his feet physically and mentally,” Chance said so firmly like it was a promise.