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Outside, the crisp morning breeze carried the salty tang of the ocean, and I filled my lungs with it, trying to wash away the lingering unease.
“Hey,” Sawyer murmured, his voice low and warm against my ear. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I managed, my lips curling into a half-smile despite everything. “Just feels like we’re sailing into a storm, doesn’t it?”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m your badass sidekick, isn’t it?” His grin was lopsided and infectious, and I couldn’t help but return it. “We’ll get through it together, Hannah. Whatever comes.”
twenty-five
HANNAH
I pushed openthe heavy back door of the animal hospital, the cool night air raising goosebumps on my arms. The parking lot was dim, the flickering streetlights barely cutting through the darkness. In the distance, I could hear the steady crash of waves against the shore. Moon Harbor was peaceful at night, but something about the shadows made me uneasy.
I quickened my steps to my car, heels clicking against the pavement. I fumbled for my keys, hands shaking slightly. But before I could reach the car, a shadow appeared from the side, cutting in front of my path, making me jump.
I turned to see the man from upstairs, Rick, closing in on me. Tall and almost just as broad, he loomed over me with an intensity that sent chills down my spine. His dark eyes bore into mine, his features carved in sharp angles that accentuated his rough exterior. The dim light played upon the contours of his face, casting eerie shadows across his cheekbones.
"You got caught up in some trouble, haven't ya?" He said, his voice deep and gravelly, sending shivers down my spine. The words confirmed my worst fears - he had been watching me, observing my every move. Panic welled up inside me, but I tried to maintain a calm facade.
"What are you talking about?" I stammered, trying to steady my voice. "I don't know what you mean." The adrenaline coursing through my veins made it difficult to think clearly, to come up with a plausible excuse that would satisfy this enigmatic man.
He studied me, his cold eyes scanning my body, sending an ice cold chill to my bones.
My mind raced, desperately searching for an escape plan. Maybe I could make a run for it? But before I could act on that thought, Rick's lips twisted into a sinister smirk, as if he could read my desperate thoughts. He took a step closer, his body boxing me in against the back of my car. Panic surged through every fiber of my being, my heart pounding in my chest like a wild animal trapped in a cage.
"You've been poking your nose where it doesn't belong."
My eyes widened. How could he have known? I'd only just told Theo this morning. I decided to play dumb.
"I don't know who you think I am or what you want from me," I managed to say, my voice wavering slightly. "But I won't let you intimidate me."
"You best get out of here. You don't know what you're getting yourself into," Rick growled, his voice dripping with a dangerous edge. This only served to piss me off. I was making a home here. I was making friends here and building my life here. And I was a damn valuable member of the community. Andthisman was telling me I should leave?
"This is my home, and I won't be intimidated into leaving. Now I don't know what you think—"
Before I could utter another word, Rick grabbed my wrist, twisting it and forcing me to drop my keys.
"You don't understand," Rick hissed, his grip tightening around my wrist. "Moon Harbor has secrets you don't want to uncover. Now I'm telling you for the last time...leave this place for your own good or I'll be forced to make you."
Pain shot through my arm, but I refused to let it show. With a surge of adrenaline, I delivered a swift kick to Rick's shin. He grunted in pain, momentarily loosening his grip on me.
Seizing the opportunity, I ducked under his arm and grabbed the keys off the ground. Rick had stumbled, giving me the chance to get in the driver's seat and lock the doors. But when I turned the key in the ignition and looked in my mirrors, the man had disappeared.
"What the hell?"
I didn't try to look for him or wait to find out where he went. I'd seen enough horror movies to know when you better run. I put my car in gear and peeled out of the parking lot, not coming to a full stop until I'd reached the cottage.
twenty-six
SAWYER
The evening airwas humid from the eastern breeze as I approached Hannah's cottage. The sun had dipped low, casting a warm, orange glow over her small porch. It was already feeling like home, but I didn't take the time to consider what that meant.
I reached for the doorknob, anticipating the familiar creak of hinges as I'd push the door open, but it didn't budge. Locked. That wasn't like her, not when she knew I was coming over. My brow furrowed in confusion, and I knocked on the door. "Hannah? Everything okay in there?"
No answer. I leaned in closer, trying to catch any sound—maybe she had music on and couldn't hear me. But there was just silence, and it hung heavy, a curtain I couldn't pull back.
"Dammit, Hannah, you're making me worry here," I muttered under my breath, rapping my knuckles against the aged wood again. My heart was doing this odd little dance in my chest, part anticipation, part concern. I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans, feeling the chill of the evening start to settle in.
