Page 102 of Torin

“You could’ve been killed.”

Torin looks up.

“You went out there alone.”

“I knew what I was doing.”

“That doesn’t mean you knew you’d come back.”

He’s quiet for a moment. “No.”

My stomach tightens.

“Because of me.”

“Because of Cade.”

“You know what I mean.”

“No.” His voice is quiet. “That was my choice, Hannah.”

I open my mouth, but Orson is already asking Gunnar something about Greece, and the conversation starts up around us again.

I can’t.

Torin is sitting there, battered but alive, while everyone else has already moved on.

Alexandria catches me staring at him. She gives me a sympathetic smile and rolls her eyes. “Bears.” She lays her hand over mine. “You’ll get used to it.”

Will I?

The conversation carries on, but all I can think is, if anything had gone differently yesterday, Torin wouldn’t be sitting across from me.

His chair would be empty.

The thought frightens me more than I can say.

19

Hannah

Alexandria drains the last of her coffee. “Right,” she says brightly. “Time for lunch.”

Orson perks up. “Great. I’m starving.”

Alexandria gives him a look. “Whatcha making then?”

He puffs his chest out. “I cooked last night.”

She pulls a shocked face. “And they’re all still here to tell the tale.”

“Hannah helped.”

She gives me a small smile. “Okay, that makes more sense.”

“We had deer and roast potatoes and herbs.”

I smile at the pride in his voice.