“Yeah.”
“Got it.”
“You sure? Because you never do shit like this. I thought something terrible had happened to you!”
I sighed. As I leaned against my bed, I couldn't deny the sincerity in Hannah’s eyes. The fear. The relief that I really was all right. She wasn’t trying to control me. She was just scared. Worried for my safety. That was what friends did with one another. And I, for one, would’ve been the same way had the tables been turned.
So I swallowed my frustration.
“Look, I’m sorry, Hannah. Really I am. I never meant to worry you or anything. I was just having some fun because I knew I could spare the time to have it. I never get to do things like this. Ever. And I wanted to experience it for once. That’s all.”
Hannah sighed. “Well, don’t do something like that again. Tell me when you're not coming back for the night. I barely slept. I couldn’t eat. I mean, what you do with your grades is your business. I don’t care about that. But I care about you. And whether or not you’re alive.”
“The next time it happens, I’ll let you know. I promise.”
She nodded. “Great. Thank you. Now, where were you, anyway?”
I thought about lying. I didn’t feel like I could tell Hannah any of this without her chewing me out. Or getting upset. Or berating me for some reason. What I was doing wasn’t wrong. Max wasn’t a bad guy.
At least, I don’t think he is.
“Dani.”
I blinked. “Hannah.”
“Where were you last night? What were you doing?”
Don’t lie to your best friend. “I was with Max.”
She furrowed her brow. “Who’s that?”
I pointed to my leather jacket. “Max. Leather jacket man. The guy with the bike?”
Her face fell. “What?”
“Yeah. I was out with him last night.”
“And you stayed out with him?”
The shrill tone of her voice made me wince. “Yes. I did.”
“What the fuck were you two doing? Where the hell did you sleep?”
I swallowed hard as she took another step closer to me
“You didn’t,” she said.
I shrugged. “You’ll have to be more specific than that.”
She grabbed my arm. “Did you sleep with him?”
“You mean, did I occupy the same bed as him last night? No. I didn't.”
“Don’t you use semantics with me. Are you sleeping with him, Dani?”
“Ouch. You’re hurting me.”
Hannah dropped her hand. “Sorry.”