Page 109 of Red Queen (Red Thorns Crew 3)

“I want to find something that makes my soul light up. That makes me thankful to get up every morning. And HR isn’t it. This school isn’t it. Yes, Max makes me happy whenever I wake up, but it’s more than that. If I’m going to dedicate my entire life to the practice of one thing as a career, I want to be sure about it. Like I’m sure with Max.”

She nodded. “Then you have to do what you have to do.”

“Which leads me to my last thing.”

She sighed. “Oh, boy.”

I looked her square in the eyes. “Because of everything that’s happened with Max’s father, the S.W.A.T. captain h

as suggested that we get away for a little while. At least until all of the heat dies down.”

Her eyes watered. “Where will you go? Will you be safe?”

“With Max, I’m always safe, Hannah. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“Do you at least know where you’re going?”

“Not yet. It’ll be some place far enough away where Max and I can wait until his father’s trial, though.”

“So you’re going to be gone for a very long time, then.”

I nodded but didn’t say anything. And I watched as a tear dripped down Hannah’s cheek.

“When will you come back?” she asked with a sniffle.

I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know. I mean, we might come back. But at this point, everything is all up in the air right now.”

She paused. “Might?”

I nodded. “Yes. Might. I know it might be hard to understand right now, but I need to set out on my own. You know, really experience things. I need to be bold. I need to do things I’ve always wanted to do without worrying about what everyone else might think.”

“Do your parents know?”

“Max and I have dinner plans with them tonight. If all goes well, I’ll tell them then.”

“What if things don’t go well?”

I shrugged. “Then I won’t tell them. I don’t owe them this information if all my father is going to do is berate me.”

She wiped at her tears. “I’m so sorry for putting you in this situation.”

I set my coffee down. “Hannah, look at me.”

Her eyes met mine. “Yeah?”

“Right now? At this juncture in my life? I’ve never felt so alive. I’ve never felt so happy. But these last few weeks with Max have changed everything for me. I’m not the same person. I don’t have the same goals and passions and wants any longer. It’s not possible to go back to how things used to be. To the pushover I used to be. And I need someone to understand that. Please, understand that. Understand me.”

Her eyes danced between mine. I gripped her hand tightly as she set her coffee down. She got onto her knees and faced me as we sat on her bed, trying her best to hold back tears.

Then she threw her arms around my neck, giving me the biggest hug I’d ever received from her.

“Please don’t forget about me, Dani,” she whispered.

I blinked back my own tears. “How could I ever forget my best friend?”

“I want to hear you say it. Please?”

I nodded. “I promise I won’t forget you. Ever.”

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