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“Have a good night, Tom.” I said, not concealing an ounce of the venom that laced my voice.
He merely sneered in reply.
I turned and walked across the drive toward my place. For now, I’d back off. But tomorrow, Hannah would do some explaining.
thirteen
HANNAH
The next day,I found myself standing in my kitchen, sunlight pouring in and glinting off the countertop as I sipped my coffee. Tom was rummaging through his bag, frowning deeply.
“Shit, my charger’s broken,” he announced as if the small piece of plastic was responsible for all the world’s miseries. “Can I borrow yours?”
“Sorry. My phone’s the 14. Still using the Lightning cable.” I shrugged and grinned behind my mug, knowing it would annoy him. Not just that I didn’t have a compatible charger he could borrow, but that I refused to upgrade my phone merely because the newest one was out. He always hated how practical I was when it came to stuff like that.
He furrowed his brow. “I’m going into town to find a new one.”
“Good luck,” I said, my voice flat. “Moon Harbor’s tech scene isn’t exactly cutting edge.”
“Clearly,” he shot back, slipping on his jacket with a huff. “I’ll be back.”
“Take your time,” I replied, tighter than I intended. As the door closed behind him, I leaned back against the counter, the weight of his presence lifting like fog in the morning sun. Alone at last, I let out a deep breath, feeling lighter. The ocean breeze whispered through the open window, carrying a promise of peace or maybe something more—like a true sign I had made the right decision in leaving Tom and moving here. I had never been more sure of that.
* * *
I took advantage of Tom being out of the house and grabbed a quick shower, letting the hot water wash away all traces of anxiety and annoyance. As I coated my skin in lotion, I thought of the other night, how good it felt to be in Sawyer’s arms—even if it was just a friendly hug.
Part of me knew better. It was way more than that. But I didn’t want to press my luck, or jump to conclusions. Sawyer had been very careful at showing his hand, not giving me any sort of true sign that he wanted anything more than a friendship. And that was fine. Really, it was. I rolled my eyes at myself, not believing my own gaslighting.
I threw on a pair of leggings and an old, faded sweatshirt from undergrad. The outfit was like being wrapped in a cocoon of comfort. Plus, relaxed clothes always annoyed Tom, which was one more good reason to wear them.
I opened the door to the bathroom and sauntered down the hall, jumping at the figure now standing in the living room.
“You didn’t tell me you had a boyfriend.” Sawyer spoke with a casual tone, but it was too calculated. I could feel the annoyance underneath. And something else. Possessiveness?
I felt my eyebrows shoot up into my hairline line two little pole jumpers. I took a moment to force them back down where they belonged before replying. If he was going to assume I was the type to get that close to another man while having a boyfriend, then I didn’t feel bad for messing with him a little.
I shrugged. “I guess I didn’t feel the need to mention it out of context. You hadn’t asked.”
“Hmm,” Sawyer said, taking a step forward.
“Hmm,” I said in return.
He was close to me now, not inappropriately so, but almost. The height difference made it so that I had to tip my head back to look him in the eyes. I heard him take a deep breath in through his nose and out the same way. What was his deal?
“Seems like a bit of an asshole.”
I couldn’t help that my first reaction was a laugh. But I quickly rearranged my face and crossed my arms over my chest. His eyes followed the movement, lingering on my hint of exposed cleavage for just a moment before settling back on my face. And why did that excite me in a way I hadn’t ever felt before?Get it together, Hannah.
“That’s not a nice thing to say about someone.” I could have easily told him the truth, but his obvious jealousy despite his inability to admit any kind of feelings he had for me, was seriously pissing me off. And after dealing with the annoyance of Tom for the last 16 hours, I was almost at my limit.
“I’m not a nice person.”
“You’re nice to me. Mostly,” I added as an afterthought. The right side of Sawyer’s lips pulled up into the smallest of smirks before he controlled it.
“I don’t think he’s good for you.”
“You don’t even know him.”
