Page 55 of Always Right

She'd done it before.

I ran a hand over my face and yawned, my exhaustion weighing on me more than before. Hannah had slept but I didn't get any shut eye, thinking about how it could all go wrong. I glanced at her, a small smile tugging at my lips when I saw a frown forming on her forehead, like she was deep in thought, even in her sleep. I could look at her all day, memorize all her expressions and they would all be beautiful to me.

I loved her...with all my heart. Nothing would ever change that.

But if we were too much...if there being an us hurt her, I’d walk away. It would be torture, it would destroy me, but for the sake of her happiness, I’d let her go.

Unable to stop myself, I reached out and ran my hand down her bare back, watching the goosebumps that erupted on her skin. She shifted, a sleepy groan leaving her lips as her eyes fluttered open.

Fuck.

She blinked once, then twice, her eyes on me as if she couldn’t believe I was there, in bed, laying next to her. Hannah stared and stared but didn’t move, didn’t say a damn word, not until I spoke.

“I can leave if you want me to.”

A hint of fear flickered through her face, her eyes widening as she shook her head without hesitation. “Don’t. Stay.”

I cocked an eyebrow. “Don’t stay? So, you want me to leave?”

The flush on her cheeks deepened but her eyes twinkled with amusement. There she was...the Hannah she kept hidden.

The Hannah I’d fallen in love with.

“I mean I want you to stay.”

Her words sent a pang straight to my chest—one of longing and fucking fear. Because as much as the words eased my worry, it was also terrifying. Was it temporary?

She didn’t give me much time to think, turning to her side and reaching up with her hand, caressing my scruffy jaw. Without a care in the world, Hannah pressed her lips against mine, the action tentative...cautious. Like she was afraid, too. My arms wrapped around her body and I held her close, savoring the moment, memorizing the feel of her soft body in my arms where she always belonged.

This couldn’t be wrong.

We both had our issues—more than I could name—but the feeling of her with me, everything was right about it.

Hannah pulled away, her hands on my chest as she looked up at me with amazement. She let out a soft laugh, but I could see the emotions tearing through her heart as everything replayed in her head. I would have given anything to read her mind, to know every single damn thing that worried her so I could find the words to reassure her.

“I’m so sorry for my breakdown,” Hannah finally said.

My hand found hers and our fingers intertwined. “To be honest I’m surprised you didn’t have a breakdown earlier.”

She rolled her eyes, staring up at the ceiling. “And I’m sorry that I left that way...I know it was a special night for you and I ruined it.”

I brushed the hair out of her face and tilted her face toward me, her brown eyes shining with unshed tears. The emotions were there, right on the surface, like she couldn’t keep them inside anymore. And though I knew it was overwhelming, I knew it was what she needed.

“What happened? Hm? What made you so upset?”

She shrugged, trying to look away but I didn’t let her.

“Stop running, Hannah. All I see is you trying to run away from your feelings and you’re getting nowhere. What happened?”

Her brows furrowed as she studied me. She was trying to find something, anything that would tell her she couldn’t trust me, but it wouldn’t be there.

“I overheard Lisa on the phone,” she whispered. “She said you stuck around only for the girls. Said that you didn’t trust me, that you didn’t believe me. And I...” A tear slid down her face, but she didn’t bother wiping it away. “I just...I couldn’t handle it. So, I told her to fuck off and left.”

A sense of unease filled me. What the hell was Lisa up to and why the fuck would she do this?

“Do you really think I would do that to you?”

A heavy silence lingered between us, one heavy with regret and doubt and heartbreak. “No. I know you wouldn’t.” She sniffled, covering her face with her hands, as if ashamed and I did nothing but look. I hated the sight of her pain. Hannah was beautiful but broken and I would spend the rest of my life helping her glue the pieces back together if she let me. “I’m so scared, Derek. I’m so afraid. It’s silly, I know...but...I can’t...I’m not sure how to get through this.”

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