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“What are you saying? You guys didn’t go to the game ’cause I was upset?”
“I wanted to go to that game. God, did I. But not as much as I wanted to replace those tears with laughter.” I love the way her eyes shine, wide like an owl. It makes me chuckle.
“Why are you telling me this now?”
“Because you asked if I ever noticed you when we were younger. And the answer is, in some strange way, I guess I did. It’s funny how we view things at certain ages and when we get older, those views start to change. Shift in a way. I can’t say I saw you the way I see you now, but I saw you. I saw how resilient you were. Tough skin, soft heart. Maybe I should’ve noticed the shit everyone put you through more. But what I saw from afar was a girl in an iron suit, without fear, ready to take on the world. You let everything roll off you and went on your way. I saw you as a girl who purposely took the hard road because you wanted to prove to everyone you could do it. Which you did. I mean, you did claim your spot as the first lady president at age seven.”
Her body shakes with laughter. She tries to be smooth about it, but I see her swipe away a stray tear. She’s on the move, her body straddling mine, and I love every bit of it. Of her. “Thank you,” is all she says, leaning forward and pressing her warm lips to mine. “Thank you for noticing me.”
She doesn’t say anything more. She’s fighting not to show the emotion brewing inside her. I change the subject, giving her the pass she desperately wants. “How about we order that pizza I promised you before I confess too much and give you too big of an ego?”
She slaps my chest, but grants me the ultimate reward: more of her sweet mouth.
My heart constricts, wanting her to be here now so I can confess every single time I’ve noticed her. Wanted her. The moment I began to love her. Why didn’t I tell her then? I knew I was in love with her. And now…what if she’ll never know?
I bury my thoughts and stare out the window, noticing the signs for Crete. Damn, how long was I in my head?
“We’re here. It says Clara’s house is down this road.”
I sit up straighter, ready to fly out of the car as soon as her house comes into view. My heart starts to beat in loud thumps with each second that passes. Kipley pulls into the driveway of a rundown ranch, and we both rip at our seatbelts and bolt out of the car.
My feet pound against the gravel as I run up to the house. My hand forms into a fist, and I pound with force on the front door. I lean to the side to peer through the open blinds and choke on my own breath. A real-life nightmare plays out in front of my eyes, the hairs on my neck bristling in horror.
My eyes crash into Braydon’s as he stands there holding a lit lighter. Seconds feel like years before he finally breaks contact and tosses the lighter in the air, making contact with the drapes. A burst of flames explode up the wall.
Something inside me breaks, and a thunderous rumble expels up my throat as I throw my body into the door. I ignore the punishing snap in my shoulder as I rear back and throw myself into the locked door again, the wood splintering. Kipley takes quick notice of the smoke and rushes to help me and we both plow though, snapping it off its hinges.
Braydon flinches at our intrusion, then sticks his heel into the carpet and takes off toward the back of the house. “Levi, wait!” Kip calls out for me, but I ignore him, along with the smell of burning wood and smoke. I sprint after Braydon, my adrenaline taking over. He makes it into the kitchen, stumbling over something, giving me the chance to reach him. I leap at him, wrapping my hand around his ankle as we both plummet to the kitchen floor. I grunt in pain, feeling another jolt to my shoulder, but push it away.
“Get off me—”
I climb up his body, my knee crushing him in the stomach as I rear my hand back and pummel my fist into his face. “You motherfucker! Where the fuck is she!” Again, I smash my fist into his face. “Where the fuck is she!” I howl, losing my mind. The crackle of burning wood echoes around us. Black smoke billows across the kitchen, filling my lungs. I cough, rear my clenched hand back, and slam into his face again. “Where’s Hannah, you asshole?”
