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“Here or not, it doesn’t change anything, Tom.” I pushed my plate away, my appetite gone completely. “We’re not compatible, and I know that now. I should have known it all along,” I muttered the last phrase under my breath. “Plus, Moon Harbor is my home now. It’s where I belong.”
“Here?” He scoffed, looking around the restaurant with disdain. “With these...people? You’re kidding yourself if you think this is better than our life in the city.”
“Better is subjective,” I shot back, frowning. “And right now, being anywhere but here with you feels like a considerable improvement.”
“Come on, Hannah. Don’t be like that,” he said, reaching across the table to take my hand, but I pulled away.
“Like what? Honest?” I said, standing up abruptly. “I think we’re done here.”
“Wait, Hannah,” he called after me as I stormed out of O’Reilly’s, leaving behind the taste of salt on my tongue, not from tears like it would have been in the past, but from the ocean’s breath that swept through Moon Harbor, reminding me where I truly belonged.
twelve
SAWYER
I drove homeafter my shift, the vibration of my bike shaking the tension from my body. All weekend I’d been thinking of how Hannah and I left things at the clinic.
Neither of us had made a move, but the unspoken intimacy of the moment enveloped us as she wrapped her arms around me and thanked me. The warmth of her embrace lingered in my bones, the air between us had been thick and heavy with emotion.
As I steered my bike up the hill, I saw an unknown car with Connecticut plates parked in the shared driveway, close to Hannah’s porch. My heart skipped a beat, curiosity and concern intertwining in a whirlwind of emotions within me. The car was sleek and black, its polished exterior reflecting the twilight sky as if it were crafted from a dark mirror. A sense of foreboding settled upon me.
Leaving my bike at the foot of the driveway, I approached the mysterious vehicle cautiously. The air grew still, as if nature itself held its breath, anticipating the revelation that awaited me. Each step brought me closer to unveiling the secrets hidden within its tinted windows.
Upon reaching the car, I hesitated for a moment, staring at my own reflection distorted by the glossy surface.
Suddenly, Hannah’s front door opened, and a man appeared. Dressed in a suit, his light hair slicked back, I noted he had a decidedly punchable face.
“Who the hell are you?” I asked, not giving a fuck about manners.
The man sneered, looking me up and down as if I were an insect beneath his polished loafers. His gaze was filled with an arrogant superiority, as though he believed himself to be untouchable. It only fueled the fire burning within me, stoking the flames of anger and protectiveness.
“I’m Tom,” he replied, his voice dripping with arrogance. “And who might you be?”
My fists clenched at my sides, the urge to strike him growing stronger with each passing second. But I knew that violence would only complicate matters further. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm.
“I’m a friend of Hannah’s,” I said, my voice steady but laced with a hint of warning. “What are you doing here?”
Tom smirked, clearly enjoying the power he held in this confrontation. “Oh, I’m not just a friend,” he replied, his tone oozing with a twisted amusement.
The words struck me like a punch to the gut, igniting a surge of jealousy within me. But beneath it all was a deeper concern for Hannah’s well-being.
The man’s eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a mocking smile. “You’re quite protective of her, aren’t you? But trust me when I say that she’s better off without the likes of you. Especially now that I’m here.”
My blood boiled at his audacity, the arrogance dripping from his every word. Who the hell did this Tom think he was? And what did he mean by “especially now that I’m here”? A storm of questions swirled through my mind, demanding answers that only Hannah could provide.
Suppressing the urge to leap forward and throttle him, I forced a calm facade onto my face. “I don’t know who the hell you think you are, but you sure as shit don’t know Hannah,” I said, my voice laced with ice.
Tom’s smirk faltered for a mere second before it returned in full force. “Ah, so you’re one of those types, are you?” he sneered. “The knight in shining armor trying to save the damsel in distress. Well, newsflash, pal—it’s too late.”
His words hit me like a punch to the gut, but I didn’t let it show. My mind raced, trying to decipher the meaning behind his cryptic statement. What did he mean by “it’s too late”? And what was he doing here, invading Hannah’s space?
With a deep breath, I took a step forward, getting closer to Tom, determined to confront him head-on. “I don’t know what game you think you’re playing, but if you think for one second that I’ll just stand by and watch while you mess with Hannah’s life, you’ve got another thing coming,” I warned, my voice dripping with venom.
Tom’s smirk faltered once again, but this time, it didn’t return in full force. There was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes, hidden behind his facade of arrogance. It gave me a glimmer of hope that maybe he wasn’t as confident as he portrayed himself to be.
I looked up at Hannah’s house, seeing her sitting inside on the sofa, her face turned toward the TV. She didn’t exactly seem worried or trapped.
I didn’t know who this Tom was, but if he was truly a part of Hannah’s life, I’d need to have a serious talk with her about her people-reading skills.
