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The porch light flickered as the door finally creaked open, and there she was. Hannah stood in the doorway, her smile a little too tight, eyes darting away from mine like startled sparrows.
"Hey, Sawyer," she said, voice high and feathery, nothing like her usual warm, husky tones that could settle my nerves or ignite them with a simple 'hello.'
"Everything okay?" I asked, stepping closer, trying to peer past her into the dimly lit cottage. I knew every shadow of that place, where the couch she'd trip over sat, the kitchen table where we'd shared laughs and secrets. But tonight, it all seemed cloaked in a different kind of silence.
"Of course," she replied too quickly, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. That's when I saw it—the bruise, ugly and purple, clutching her wrist like a cruel secret.
"Fuck, baby, what happened to your wrist?" The words were out of my mouth before I could soften the blow, my concern sharpening into something darker, something fierce.
She yanked her arm back, hiding it behind the folds of her oversized sweater. "It's nothing, I'm just clumsy, you know that."
"Clumsy my ass." My heart thundered in my chest, anger seeping into my veins like poison. Who the hell had touched her?
"Please, let's not make this into a big deal," she pleaded, her eyes pleading with me to let it go, but I couldn't—not with that mark screaming at me.
"Let it go?" My voice was a low growl, barely contained. The protective instinct roaring within me was an untamed beast, clawing its way to the surface. "Who did this to you?"
I watched as Hannah's eyes flickered with a mixture of fear and resignation. Her shoulders slumped, and for a moment, I saw the weight of the world press down on her.
"Can we just... can we not talk about this right now?" Her gaze finally met mine, green eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
"Fine, we won't talk." I stepped forward, closing the distance between us, wrapping her in my arms. She was a fortress of tension, but I could feel the cracks forming as she leaned into me.
I took her lips in a searing kiss, unable to stop myself from touching, tasting, feeling all of her. Needing to know she was here, she was okay, she wasmine.
"Jesus, Hannah," I murmured as we broke the kiss, trying to swallow the anger that had lodged itself in my throat. I rested my forehead against hers, breathing her in, holding onto her for dear life.
She ran her hands up and down my back. Her touch was a balm, but inside, the fury still raged like an inferno waiting to engulf everything.
"Rick surprised me as I was leaving the clinic," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. The words hung heavy, ripe with unspoken dread.
"Rick, the guy from upstairs?" I wanted to curb stomp Rick's fucking skull.
"Yeah."
I kept my voice as controlled as I could. I didn't want to upset Hannah further, but it took every ounce of strength I had to not go looking for him and kill him with my bare hands. That wasn't practical. And Hannah needed me.
"What happened, baby?"
"He just said I needed to leave Moon Harbor. Something about secrets. I said this was my home now, and that's when he grabbed me. Said I should leave for my own good or he'd make me."
"So he put his hands on you and threatened you?"
"Sawyer, don't."
"Hannah, this is fucking serious."
"I know it is," she said, backing away from me, and the loss of her body against mine had me immediately regretting my words.
"I'm sorry. I know you know that. We have to tell Theo."
"I know. I just don't want to face it right now."
"Han—"
"Please." It was just one word, but it held the weight of a thousand emotions. Her plea anchored me, tethered me to the here and now, to her. "Please," she implored again, reaching out to grab my hand, her touch grounding despite the fear churning through me. "I don't want this to escalate. Just...just give me tonight. We can talk to Theo tomorrow."
"Tomorrow," I repeated, letting the word roll around in my mind. It felt like a compromise made of glass, fragile and sharp. But looking into her eyes, the green depths that held so much strength and yet so much fear, I knew I couldn't shatter her trust. Not now. "Okay, tomorrow."
