Page 85 of The Perfect Secret
“I’m sorry, Han. You didn’t know he was an addict?”
She shook her head. In the back of her mind, little things fell into place. He never drank. He never took anything for pain. And there was Tess and her outburst. All of a sudden everything she’d ignored made sense.
Her hands shook with rage. He’d known her feelings about her brother and never told her. She’d asked why he didn’t drink or take pain meds and he’d changed the subject. He’d lied to her.
“Hannah, I’m sorry,” Jeff said.
His gaze reflected sympathy and understanding. Blinking, she took a deep breath. This was Jeff’s night. She wouldn’t ruin it. With a wobbly smile, she stood and squeezed his hand. “Don’t worry about it. We should go celebrate, shouldn’t we,Bubbe?”
“You’re right. Jeff, where do you want to go?”
“How about the diner across the street? They have great desserts, and I think Hannah could use a sweet treat right about now.”
The three of them left the church and entered the diner. Warmth blasted them when they opened the door. As they passed the cash register, Jeff handed the woman across the counter a five-dollar bill. She nodded, and put it in a jar.
“What’s that for?” Hannah asked.
He shrugged. “Just a tradition we have here.”
At the table, they picked up the heavy vinyl menus. Hannah’s mind churned.
“Hannah, are you ready to order?” She started as she heard her name. The waitress stood next to her, pen poised over her pad.
“Oh, ah, I’ll have a cheeseburger, medium.” Her grandmother and Jeff frowned. “What?”
“Nothing,” Jeff said. “It’s just that we ordered desserts. But if you’re hungry…”
“Oh, no, I’ll have chocolate mousse pie instead.”
The waitress left. Hannah stared into space.
“So, Han, how’s your new job?”
“It’s good…” She’d been there about six weeks. Dan knew nothing about it. Dan knew nothing about anything in her life. Dan had lied to her. Her eyes filled. She felt pressure on her arm. Her grandmother’s bony fingers gripped her elbow.
“Hannah, honey, go to him.”
“No. We’re eating. Besides, I want nothing to do with a liar.”
“When did he lie to you,Hannahla?”
“So many times,Bubbe.” Mostly by omission, but he’d had plenty of opportunities to tell her.
“Maybe he had a good reason.”
“Doesn’t matter what his reason was.” All those times she’d talked to him about Jeff and he’d never said anything.
“I’ve heard him in the couple of meetings we both attended, Hannah. You need to talk to him.”
“I’m not the one who has to talk. He’s in meetings! He never said anything to me, and believe me, I gave him plenty of opportunities.”
Jeff blew out a breath and took Hannah’s flailing hands. “Look, I don’t know him well, but he seems like a pretty earnest guy who’s trying to do the right thing. Don’t waste time on whoshould be the one to initiate the conversation. Just have the conversation.”
She straightened her shoulders. Her brother was right. She and Dan had avoided this conversation for too long. It was time to face him. She rose. “Maybe. Do you mind if I go now? I don’t want to ruin your celebration, but I have something I need to do.”
She hailed a cab and took it to Dan’s apartment, rehearsing the entire ride what to say. Should she speak first or ask questions or let him start? Anger, hurt, confusion warred within her, drowned out the hint of hope she’d felt when she stood in front of him. Before she’d formulated what she’d say, the cab pulled up in front of his apartment. The doorman recognized her and let her in without calling upstairs. Outside his door, she paused. Taking a deep breath, she knocked. Tess opened the door.
“Hannah!” The girl gave her a bone-cracking hug.