Page 55 of Worth the Risk

Me: That’s bullshit, Hannah. Kinda seems like you’re keeping me on the line while you can do whatever you want.

Pixie: Whatever you need to think to help you sleep at night, Luca.

Me: That’s the thing. I’m not fucking sleeping. Because I can’t sleep unless I have you in my arms. You gonna help me out with that?

When five minutes elapse without a response, I throw my phone down in disgust. Whatever happened, it clearly rocked Hannah to her core. And this has Woodward written all over it.

Hannah

Iresigned the following day.

I’ll be damned if Coach Woodward is going to use me to take Luca down. If he releases the video of us having sex, then I’m suing him for anything I can. There’s no way what he did was legal in any way, and threatening to hold it over my head breaks all kinds of laws.

I hated insinuating to Luca that I might date other people. And I hate that we’re new enough in our relationship that he doesn’t know I’d never do that. I’ve never even been able to talk to two men at the same time, much less date them simultaneously. Frankly, if Luca and I can’t make this work, it’s going to take me a long time to get over him. I don’t foresee any dates for a while.

After a sleepless night on Claire’s couch, I’m a grumpy mess as I arrive at the office with an empty box and my resignation letter. My first stop is my uncle’s office. As soon as he sees me, he deflates.

“No, Hannah. Fuck. No. Don’t let him run you out of here,” he pleads.

“Who, Uncle Bennett? Be specific. Who exactly is running me out of here?” I ask, popping my hand on my hip in frustration and defiance. “Because I swear if you say it’s Luca, I’m liable to jump over this desk and … and …”

“And what?” he asks, a hint of a smile on his face.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t raised to fight. But I’d so something!” I shout.

Uncle Bennett chuckles. “I wasn’t going to say Luca. I figured it was because of Woodward.”

“I won’t let him hold this over me. This is just the tip of the iceberg. He won’t stop. He’ll just keep using me to do his dirty work for him.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Oh? Because he’s such a good guy, and hasn’t given me the creeps every single time I’ve interacted with him? Twice now he’s touched me, Uncle Bennett, and it’s been completely inappropriate. I wouldn’t put it past him to suggest my job was on the line if I didn’t sleep with him.”

My uncle rockets to his feet, a thunderous expression covering his face. “He touched you? What? Where? He fucking touched you?”

I hesitate, again second-guessing myself. Did I overreact? Was it inappropriate? “They’ve been borderline. Like squeezing my shoulder, but letting his fingers dip a little too far down onto my chest. Not really touching anything, but still crossing a thin line.”

Uncle Bennett is seething. “That motherfucker!”

As he rounds his desk and stalks toward the door, I step in his way. “I don’t know what you’re planning, but it needs to stop right now. You can’t do anything that will put your job in a compromising position. You can’t, Uncle Bennett. One of us needs to be here to protect Luca, and to protect all the other women who work under that bastard. I can guarantee I’m not the only person he’s acted inappropriately with. We need to mount a defense. Catch him in action, and get him out of here.”

“You’re right. I fucking hate that I can’t go pound his face with my fist, but you’re right. How are we supposed to do anything if you aren’t here, though?”

“We’ll figure it out. But I can’t sit here and act like it’s okay that he is blackmailing me to do this job. He’s already forced me to end my relationship with Luca. I won’t let him mess with my job. Me quitting is my decision, not his.”

“You ended it with him?” Uncle Bennett says softly. “Christ, Han, I didn’t think you’d end it.”

“What was I supposed to do? If Woodward gets wind of us still being together, I don’t know what he’ll do to Luca. I’m trying to protect him,” I whisper.

“What are you going to do for work? Where are you staying? Caroline texted that you moved out.”

“I’m staying with a friend.”

Uncle Bennett’s eyes narrow. “Are you secretly staying with Luca and just telling me you’re not with him anymore?”

“Seriously? How do you think I’d cover that up, living right next to Aunt Caroline? I’m staying with my friend Claire. She lives west of town. I met her through Luca’s sister, actually. She has a spare bedroom, and all I need to get today is a mattress. Then I can find another job.”

“I’m worried about you, Han. You left Georgia to get away from a set of problems, and you landed yourself right into a new set of problems here.”

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