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A heavy feeling settles in my stomach. I knew the day he found out would be hard. For everyone. But I never imagined it would happen like this. I never wanted to hurt my brother over this. But to see Levi so broken down may be worse. My eyes begin to shine with tears, my voice quivering. “I love him. I have my whole life.” Kip stands there, his eyes holding mine captive. His disapproving frown and deep-set gaze has a pain radiating inside me. I try to swallow the emotions fighting to erupt inside me, but tears fall unchecked down my cheeks. “I’m sorry,” I cry. “I didn’t want you to find out this way.”
His brows draw together, and he inhales a staggered breath. “Jesus, Hannah, a childhood crush does not give him the right to force himself on you.”
What? “No, it’s not a childhood crush. We mean something to one another. I love him—”
“Okay, that’s enough.” He comes at me again, and I shove him away. He glares at me, his sudden onset of anger aimed toward me. “I’m not going to let you take the blame for this. He’s wrong—”
“He’s not!” I scream. “He’s done nothing but show me how it truly feels to be loved. To be wanted and cared for. To be noticed.” I wipe a tear off my cheek, taking a moment to breathe. “Those accusations are false. And if you were a better friend, you would have come to one of us before letting your fists do the talking. Shame on you.” I shove my heel into the ground and race out of the bar in hopes to still catch Levi.
“Hannah, wait,” Kip calls out behind me, but I don’t.
Once in the parking lot, I search for his car, but it’s too dark, I begin to panic. “Levi!” I yell out, praying he’s close enough to hear me. Maybe his window’s down. Maybe he knows I’d come for him and he’s waiting for me. I yell his name again, but nothing. I reach into my back pocket, but remember my phone’s in my car. I book it toward my car and jam my key in the lock. Throwing my door open, I snatch my phone up and wait for it to turn on, forgetting my battery is dead.
“Dammit!”
No, no, no…
I spin around, the anxiety that’s growing like a disease in my chest starting to suffocate me. Sexual harassment. Punch after punch. My brother’s face of disappointment. “Levi,” I call for him, his name barely above a whisper, my words choked out through my crushing lungs. I can’t breathe. My brain replays the images of Levi, bloody and broken on the bar floor. How is this happening? Who would do this? I try to suck in a ragged breath, but the air is too thick. I grab at my neck, dizziness fueling my fear. I want to scream for help, but I can’t find my voice.
I need to find Levi. I need to tell him I wasn’t behind this. Make things right between him and Kip. Oh god, what have I done? Stacey warned me. She warned me, and I didn’t listen. I whip around again, gasping for air, my brain seizing to my panic attack. The pit in my stomach is like a grenade detonating, and the havoc I’ve caused has my heart beating too fast. Too hard. My body starts to convulse with the wracked sobs of regret. “Levi!” His name is a hoarse shriek. I spin around, almost falling to the gravel, but two hands wrap around me.
“Oh, Levi, I knew you would—”
I turn into Braydon, and my eyes expand in shock, then confusion. “Braydon—wha—what are you doing here? It doesn’t matter. I need your help—”
My eyes widen when I feel a sudden sting in my neck. “What…?”
Braydon’s hand pulls back, a long needle between his fingers. “You should have stayed out of this, Han…”
Levi
Banging on my door jerks me awake. I grunt as I jolt forward, my bruised ribs causing a wave of pain to shoot through my body. “Fuck,” I grunt, holding my stomach as I slip off my couch. I stumble over a layer of beer bottles and trip over a bottle of whiskey before falling and landing on my side. “Fuck!” Shit, that hurt. Seems drinking myself into oblivion doesn’t erase the wounded pride or injuries from getting your ass handed to you.
Whoever’s at the door can fuck off. I’m not sure I can get off the floor. My eyes shut, and I doze off before banging startles me back awake. “Jesus, fuck off!” I roll onto my back, and my sour stomach turns, threatening to vomit the overindulgence of booze I took part in. My head is hurting, not to mention my nose, lip, and dignity.
In the matter of a day, I lost my job, respect from a man who’s been a father to me almost my whole life, and my best friend. Not to mention I probably lost the girl too. Which is well deserved. I knew this could happen. And I chose to go against what was right. I should have come out from the beginning. Instead, I chose to lie to someone who’s been a brother to me…a family who’s done nothing but stand by me when my own wouldn’t even acknowledge me.
