NovelEnglishChapter 0146
Hannah
| woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing on the nightstand. Squinting against the bright morning sunlight
streaming through the window, | snatched it up and saw a text from Drake on the screen.
“Are you ready?”
A small smile tugged at the corners of my lips as | typed out a quick reply. “Of course. See you soon.”
| tossed back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed, suddenly filled with a renewed sense of
energy. Despite the lingering morning sickness and exhaustion that plaguedthese days, the prospect of our
first day trying new foods was exciting to me.
This was just the next step in my eating disorder awareness campaign, anyway-which would boost my approval
ratings greatly. Although, it was hard to think about that when | was just excited to try something
new.
A couple of hours later, | emerged from the bedroom, showered and dressed in a flowy dress that skimmed
across my thighs. Noah was nowhere to be seen, likely still holed up and brooding over yesterday.
The thought of it madesmirk. Good; let him brood, Drake and | were just friends, but I didn’t mind making
Noah squirm. 1
| grabbed my purse and headed for the front door. Sure enough, Drake was already waiting outside, leaning
against his sleek sports car with a bright smile,
“Hey,” he said, pushing off the vehicle to greetwith a friendly hug. “You look lovely today.”
| felt my cheeks warm at the compliment. “Thank you, Drake. Shall we get going?”
With a sweeping gesture, Drake opened the passenger door forbefore sliding behind the wheel. himself. As
we pulled away from the house, he glanced over at me.
“So, | was thinking we could try that new experimental restaurant downtown today,” he said. “I checked. out the
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtmenu, and it looks fun.”
My stomach gave a little lurch at the mention of it, but plastered on a smile and nodded. “Sounds great.” The
drive passed quickly, my mind racing with anxiety. Before | knew it, we were being shown to our table at the
restaurant, right in the window. The other diners lifted their heads and murmured themselves at our entrance,
which madehold my chin a little higher.
amongst
But soon, as course after course arrived at our table, | felt my shoulders beginning to slump. Each one was more
bizarre and unappetizing than the last. Caviar, flavored foams, strange ingredients | couldn't even begin to
identify-it was all too much.
I did my best to choke down each bite, forcing smiles and kind comments whenever Drake's expectant gaze
landed on me. But by the tthe final plate was cleared away, my stomach was roiling, and | was fighting back
waves of nausea.
Drake must have noticed my discomfort, because he reached across the table and placed his hand over
mine.
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“Hannah, are you alright?” he asked, his brow furrowed “You haven't seemed to enjoy any of the food.”
| opened my mouth to reassure him, but the words caught in my throat. Instead, | simply shook my head, feeling
tears of frustration prickling at the backs of my eyes.
I'm so sorry, Drake,” | said. “Believe me, | wanted to love it all, but...” | trailed off, grimacing at the tremble
in my voice.
Drake merely squeezed my hand and offereda warm smile.
“Hey, no need to apologize,” he said gently. “I should have realized that this kind of experimental food was too
much to start with.”
He paused, studyingfor a moment before continuing.
“If you
u could eat one thing without any problems, what would it be?”
The question hung in the air for a few seconds, and | found myself picturing it almost immediately: a big, juicy
cheeseburger, the kind that made your fingers glisten with grease and left streaks of ketchup and mustard on
your chin. Just the thought of it made my mouth water.
“A cheeseburger,” | admitted with a sheepish grin. “A really messy one, with all the toppings and a heaping pile
of fries on the side.”
Drake let out a snort, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Say no more,” he said, signaling for the check. “I know
just the place.”
A little while later, we found ourselves strolling along the boardwalk as the sun began to dip below the horizon.
The place was so packed and bustling, the sounds of carnival games and laughter filling the air, that hardly
anyone even noticed us.
“You'll love this place,” Drake said as he ledto a burger joint tucked away in a corner. Before | knew it, a
greasy paper basket overflowing with food was being set in front of me.
The aroma was intoxicating, and my mouth flooded with saliva as | picked up the hefty burger, relishing the way
the juice dribbled down my fingers. | drew in a breath to steel myself before | took the tiniest bite
And an involuntary moan of pure bliss escaped my lips
It was messy, it was indulgent, it was everything | had been craving and more.
And, Goddess, | hadn't had something so decadent in.. Well, | couldn’t even remember.
For the next twenty minutes, the only sounds were the crunch of fries and the occasional contented sigh from
During those moments, it felt like that little eating disorder voice in the back of my head was drowned out by the
sound of the boardwalk, and | barely even hesitated between bites. | wound up eating half of the burger, which
was way more than | anticipated managing to constoday.
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When | finally set down what remained of the burger, leaning back against the bench with a satisfied sigh, Drake
chuckled.
“Feeling better?” he asked.
Chapter 0146
+25 BONUS
Blushing, | quickly wiped my mouth. | wondered how | must look at that moment-perhaps like a pig at a trough
But seeing the grin on Drake's face, feeling that satisfied sensation in my stomach that | hadn't felt in so long,
made those thoughts dissipate.
“Much better,” | said softly
We sat there for a while longer, just listening to the sounds of the boardwalk. Off in the distance, | could see a
group of teenagers playing a carnival game, their laughter carrying across the breeze.
Closing my eyes, | allowed myself to simply exist in that moment, the salty tang of the sea air mingling with the
lingering scent of grease and ketchup. For the first tin what felt like forever, | was content.
That contentment was shattered, however, when | cracked open one eye and noticed a familiar figure lurking in
the distance, partially obscured by one of the boardwalk gstands.
My stomach dropped as | watched Noah peer directly at us, his eyes momentarily widening when he realized he
had been spotted. Quickly darting away, he hid behind a nearby magazine stand,
you kidding me?” | muttered under my breath.
Drake furrowed his brow and followed my gaze. “What is it?” he asked.
“It's Noah.”
Without a second thought, | shot to my feet and stormed over to where Noah was standing with his face. now
buried in a newspaper, my hands balling into fists at my sides. When | reached him, | grabbed a fistful of his shirt
and yanked him around.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
Chander 0147
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