Page 20 of Unfinished

“Alright dad, Liam texted he’s on his way and it sounds like we might be going hiking.”

“Take your pepper spray.”

“I always have it on me, and my location is shared with Ashley.”

“Good. Be safe.”

“I will.”

“I love you Hannah, text me later to let me know you are okay.”

“I will, dad.”

“Bye Firefly.”

“Bye Daddy.” I hung up the phone and tossed it on my bed before getting dressed in a tank top and cut off shorts. I put on a pair of hiking boots and pulled my hair up into a messy bun. I quickly rubbed on some sunscreen and decided against makeup again. I grabbed my ID and a bit of cash and tucked it in my back pocket. Then I hooked my keys with my pepper spray case to a belt loop on my shorts.

With my dad's concern about the Teresi family still playing in my head, I also tucked a small folding knife into my boot. I hadn’t heard anything about the Teresi family being in organized crime, but if they were, I’d feel a bit safer with a knife on me.

When Liam rang the doorbell, I jogged down the stairs and opened the door. While he was distracted by my outfit, I took time to check him out too. Liam was wearing longer jean shorts and a tight white t-shirt that showed off his muscles.

“Do I need to bring a water bottle?” I asked.

“I have everything we need.”

“Well, let’s get going then.” I stepped out my front door and pulled it shut behind me. I locked the door and turned to Liam.

“There’s something we need to do first.” Liam stepped close to me.

“What’s that?”

He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. Pressing his fingertips to my jaw, he tilted my head back. He bent down and kissed me slowly. I ran my hands over his chest and placed them on his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around my waist and deepened the kiss. Our tongues explored each other and he tasted like fresh mint. A rush of warmth surged in my blood and the sensation of butterflies fluttered in my chest.

He broke the kiss and put his forehead to mine while I tried to calm my racing heart. This felt intimate. A knot rose in my throat at the sweetness of the moment.

I was royally screwed. I never experienced this feeling before, yet instinctively knew what it meant. My eyes met his and everything in them said he was feeling the same thing. Liam could ruin me and I didn’t know how to deal with it.

“You could ruin me, Hannah Meyer,” he whispered and I gasped.

“I was thinking the same thing about you,” I whispered, and he pulled back to look at me.

“Then let’s decide not to ruin each other.” There was softness in his gaze to which I rolled my lips and nodded.

“No more reading my mind, it freaks me out.”

He laughed as he grabbed my hand, and led me to his newer Jeep Wrangler Rubicon. He pulled the top off and for about the next two hours he drove us east. We spent the car ride listening to music, talking, and laughing at the stories we told each other. When Icona Pop’s “I Love It” started playing on the radio, I turned it up and belted it out while dancing in my seat. By the middle of the song, Liam was singing and dancing right along with me.

We arrived at a trail and Liam parked in a small lot. He handed me an already packed backpack with water, snacks, and food. The trail he brought me to was one of the more difficult trails to hike in the area. However, for the last year, I spent every day walking all around Pittsburgh and walking some of the steepest streets in the country. Plus, I'd done this hike a few times during past summers. The toughest part of this hike was the heat.

“Hope you can keep up,” he winked at me as we made our way onto the trail and I laughed at him.

“One day you should go to Pittsburgh and try out some of the hills there.”

“Is that an invitation?” Liam grinned at me.

“We’ll see. Do you like New York?”

“I freaking love it!”

---