Page 30 of Leading Conviction
“Woke up in time?” she murmured. Her eyes narrowed as she inspected the bags, opening each one to find clothes, paintbrushes, canvas—
“Hawk, did you buy me painting supplies?” Hannah’s voice lilted in excitement as she sifted through the various colors of paint. “Mierda, these are some great brands, too.”
“Really? That’s good, that’s good. I tried to remember the ones you liked but I double-checked online. And then I triple-checked with the associate at the store. There’s also a bigger crafts store in the city—”
“Hawk.” She straightened and walked toward him, trying not to giggle as she interrupted his rambling. The man’s confidence was sexy, but she couldn’t deny he was cute when he was flustered, too. It happened so infrequently, she almost hated to interrupt it. “Thank you. This was—is—amazing.”
“Happy to do it.” A shy smile spread across his face before he shook his head. “So yeah, uh, I checked and sunrise is in about fifteen minutes. Should give you enough time to set up.”
Sunrise.
“You remembered?” Her voice was soft, even to her own ears. It was one of those things about a relationship that was so small, insignificant even, but it would have broken her heart to learn he’d forgotten.
He brought back the ocean sunrise landscape canvas from Mérida… of course he “remembers.”
Disappointment stung her chest until he stepped closer and dipped his head to hold her gaze.
“I could go a thousand nights and never forget your sunrise, dove.”
Emotion clogged Hannah’s throat, making it impossible to speak. After a moment of heating up under his burning charcoal eyes, all she could do was nod her head and whisper her thanks.
“Happy to do it,” he repeated. “I’ll, uh—Do you want an escort up there?”
“No!” she blurted out. His brow rose and she bit back a wince. She hadn’t meant to come off so strongly, but another minute with him was surely going to make her lose all her resolve. “I mean… no,thankyou. I remember how to get there from last night.”
“Got it. Well… I’ll leave you to it. See you afterward for the meeting?”
“S-sounds good. See you then. Oh, wait—”
“Yeah?” Hawk asked, a hopeful look lifting his lips.
“Do you guys, um, do you happen to have sweet tea? The good kind?”
Emotion flickered over his face before his lips settled into an easy smile. “Yeah, we’re all stocked up.”
“Good.” She nodded. “Thank you.”
He lifted his hand to say goodbye and turned to the elevator in the center of the long hall. She couldn’t watch him leave. The ache in her chest was too strong. So she gathered the supplies and quietly brought them into the room. When she closed the door behind her, she leaned against the steel and searched the dark ceiling for answers, trying to catch her breath.
More than anything, she wanted to run out of the apartment, catch Hawk, kiss him like mad, and then invite him to the roof to sit with her while she painted the sky, like old times.
But it’d been so long and there was so much unspoken between them. So much hurt. Hell, she’d believed he was dead until yesterday.
It was too soon, right? Was she crazy for wanting to wait? Or was she crazy for even wanting to try again?
Didheeven want to try again?
The thought that this pull between them was all in her head made her stomach twist with nausea. He’d claimed he was all in before, and then he’d pulled the rug out from underneath her. That couldn’t happen again. Especially since there was so much more at stake than her hurt feelings this time.
They’d been in their twenties when they dated. No care about anyone except for themselves and their careers. Now she had Tommy to think about. And Hawk still had his team as his number one priority.
Realization sank in like being dunked in an ice bath.
He still had his team. Hisfamily. He didn’t need her before. He wouldn’t need her now.
“Well, I don’t need him, either,” she said before catching herself. She snapped her mouth shut out of fear she’d wake her son.
But Tommy snored back at her, loud as ever, and she huffed a laugh to herself. She walked around the apartment, considering her next move and fiddling with her necklace until the alarm clock caught her eye. Six thirty.
