Page 96 of Always Right

“So I just wait and see what happens? Is that what you’re telling me?”

“Unfortunately, yes. We can go forward with the stalking charge and present what we have, but I am not sure it’s enough. There’s no evidence he’s trying to harm you.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it.” The words were out of my mouth before I could think about them, laced with anger and frustration. Hannah stilled, her lip quivering as she looked at me. “This needs to end.”

Mark nodded. “Give me a day or two.”

He walked out the door without saying much else, leaving behind a storm brewing inside the four walls of our home. We stood in silence, Hannah’s face buried in her hands and I looked from her to our girls...thinking of how the hell I would protect them. My hands felt tied.

Hannah’s quiet sob broke through the silence in the house, making my attention turn to her. Covering her face in her hands, Hannah cried, completely shattered. She expected it to be Eugene...but never her dad.

“Come here,” I said, pulling her into my arms. Her body shook as she cried, her heartbreak palpable in the air. Our daughters stared at us from their playpen, their little brows furrowed as if they knew something was wrong.

This wasn’t something I could fix.

It wasn’t something that would go away quickly.

“I want this to be over,” she mumbled against my shirt.

I ran my hand down her back, trying to offer some comfort. “I know, baby. Me too.”

This wouldn’t be an easy fight, though...that I knew was certain.

Chapter 35

Hannah

I smoothed down my shirt, tucking it in slightly into my black jeans as I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn’t look like myself anymore...not the person with a sparkle in her eyes I was used to seeing now.

She was gone...again.

Quietly, I brushed my teeth and pulled my hair up into a tight bun, trying to keep the peaceful silence so Derek didn’t wake up. If he did...I wouldn’t be able to do what I needed to do. Lying to him wasn’t possible.

Not anymore.

Back then it would have been so easy. And sometimes, I missed that part...the one where I could hide my feelings without anyone noticing. Now, my feelings were just on the surface, so raw that any little thing could set me off.

Breathing became a little harder when I realized how close things were to falling apart. My heart would remain heavy until this was all sorted out, though if I was honest, the light at the end of the tunnel dimmed a little more every day. It had already been twenty-four hours since Mark had told us what he found, and I didn’t think I could wait much longer.

I let out a breath and closed my eyes, hoping my fears weren’t true.

Hoping that somehow it was all a misunderstanding and Eugene worked alone was all I could do. My father and I weren’t close but he promised...that had to mean something, right? It had to be worth something.

“You’re up early on this fine Tuesday morning.” Derek’s sleepy mumble came from the door. He rubbed his eyes, barely able to keep them open after another sleepless night.

He didn’t have to say anything for me to know that the situation at hand kept him up at night. He worried. Try as he might to deny it, I knew he stayed up at night wondering how to solve this...how to make things better. And I knew because I did the same thing.

And even if I slept, it wasn’t peaceful. I didn't know how to end this...how to make sure it was all over.

“Where are you heading to?” There was concern in his voice. He tried to mask it, but wasn’t successful.

I hesitated. Only a fraction of a second, but enough for Derek to raise an eyebrow. His eyes narrowed on me but he waited until I came up with a response.

“I...uh...Nathan called me so I could help at the gallery for a bit. Shouldn’t be too long.”

Derek looked at me for a few seconds, his lips turning up to a half smile. I couldn’t stand it. I tore my eyes away from his, feeling how it burned to have him look right through me.

I held my hands together on the counter, staring at them as I kept the little lie going as long as I could. Hoping he didn't question me. The silence between us felt eternal, but I didn't break it. With a heavy sigh, Derek walked up to me, placing his hands on my waist so I would turn around and face him.

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