Page 19 of Always Right

Our life was a never ending confession reel.

Hannah stiffened when she saw me standing over her, but soon focused her eyes on the sunset once again.

I couldn't help it.

My eyes were glued on her.

She was beautiful. Intoxicating.

The woman had more power over me than anyone else. I sat next to her, watching her throat move as she swallowed...watching as she searched for words to begin the conversation.

"I saw you after your relapse at a bar with Cat. You two seemed friendly."

There was no accusation in her tone, no anger. Her voice was devoid of all emotions, stating facts like at the time she hadn't felt a damn thing.

I remembered that day.

Cat had bought me my first drink.

I spent the night ordering more until Nathan showed up and dragged me out.

"That night I decided I wouldn't dwell on us anymore. Two days later, my period was late, and I found out I was pregnant." She scoffed, shaking her head. The anger seeped in. "I told Evie and Nathan...she wanted to go with me to tell you but...well...we know how that went."

She bit the inside of her cheek, her brows furrowing as she continued, her voice soft. Quiet. "Everyone tells me to just accept that you're back. To let you back into my life. It's not that easy."

My lips tilted up slightly. "It's not...but they don't know that. They haven't been through what we've been through. Sometimes people forget what it's like to be angry at the world for dealing you such shitty cards."

She looked up at me then, her eyes wide, giving me a glimpse of something I thought I'd never see again.

Longing.

I understood her.

It was always like that with us. We understood each other—the darkness, the anger. We didn't question it.

"This is how you must have felt when I showed up at your restaurant after what I did to you."

"It is. I was furious."

"I see why now. It's a terrible feeling."

"Yeah...but there were no kids involved then."

"Touche.”

Hannah sat up then, propping up her body with her arms and stretched out her legs. She was close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from her body, but neither of us moved. Neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn't strained.

I could practically see the wheels in her head turning, thinking.

Overthinking.

I wanted to pull her into my arms and tell her to stop...but that would mean to push her more, and that was the last thing I wanted to do.

"I don't want you around, Derek. You have no idea everything I've been through these last months. The battles I've had to fight. I know...I know you've been through a lot too but I just...I can't."

Her voice cracked at the end, her resolve quickly faltering. I ached to hold her.

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