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“But just look how chubby my cheeks are!”
If I didn’t know Hana better, I’d think she was shaming herself, but she’s not. Hana has struggled with addiction and disordered eating all stemming from the abuse she suffered as a child. She’s actually happy.
Scar’s eyes smolder with love, and he speaks in a soft growl. “You’re beautiful.”
She beams up at him, and the heat between them tightens the skin on the back of my neck. I’m not jealous of them…
Okay, fuck it. Maybe I’m a little jealous—of all of them. I’m glad these two wounded souls have found each other. Hell, even Blake and Hutch are pretty incredible together.
Blake is Hana’s older sister, and she’s fiercely protective of her family, much like my brother. She and Hutch are iron sharpening iron, two powerful forces making each other stronger.
It’s all great and happily ever after, the fairytale ending they all deserve, and I’m fucking completely out of the loop. Heat is in my throat, and I force a smile. This is why I need to get out of here, why I need a break.
“Professor.” Scar shakes his head with a chuckle. “I don’t know how you’re going to handle all those teenagers.”
“It’s a three-hundred-level course, so they’ll be a little older.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid. I won’t be there to bail you out.”
“Got it. No punching the students.” I glance around our small office at the computer system I installed, the server and firewall, all the tech I maintain. “Think you can handle all this while I’m gone? I am taking the brains with me.”
“Last I checked, your brains were in your briefs.”
“That does it—” I lunge at him, and he grabs my arms, taking a step back.
For a minute, we push against each other like two rams locking horns over the high ground.
“Good lord, don’t break the office.” Blake scolds as she enters through the glass door.
“He couldn’t leave without a fight.” Hutch puts his hands on our shoulders, parting us.
We’re both red-faced, breathing hard, and grinning, and I scoop my cap off the floor, putting it back on my head.
“You’ve been working out.” Scar nods at me.
“More like you’re getting soft in your old age, Pops.”
He makes a move like he might come at me again, but Hutch steps between us, giving Hana a hug. “Hey, sis, you look good.”
“Is this what I have to look forward to with boys?” Hana returns his hug, arching an eyebrow at us. “Remind me not to buy anything breakable.”
“I’m pretty sure everything in our house was glued together.” I laugh, taking my laptop off my desk and slipping it into my backpack. “I’ve got to hit the road. Let me know if anything comes up. I’ll be busy, but not too busy to work remotely.”
Scar’s lips tighten, and he nods, a hint of a smile telling me he knows why I’m doing this, even if I won’t say it out loud.
My brother’s send-off is more ominous. “Stay close to your phone. My gut says this is the calm before the storm.”
Another tight smile, and I head out, climbing into my Jeep and slamming the door. It’s not the first time I’ve said goodbye to Hamiltown, South Carolina, but it’s the first time I’ve felt like I’m starting something new outside it. It’s an unusual feeling, a mixture of excitement and dread, like anything could happen.
Turning the wheel, my mind drifts to what’s coming. I’m starting a new road, forging a new path. After a tense, stressful, dangerous few years, I’m ready to see if I can make a life for myself.
My brother’s anticipating a storm, but I’m looking for a silver lining in those clouds.
2
Reanna
“Let me out!”Panic seizes my chest, and I’m covered in a cold sweat.
