Page 59 of Dark Souls
Finding Forever
Hana
T oday is the day. Today is the day that I kill him.
I repeated those words again and again as I sharpened the leg of the wooden chair I’d ripped apart to a sharp point with a butter knife. This wouldn’t be my first attempt at killing Wesley. Of course, I’d tried many times. I fought him at every opportunity I could but after the first attempt, he’d worn my sigil, which prevented me from causing him any harm. Then I was helpless to do anything when he came, stuck a needle in my neck and then either tortured me or tied me to his bed. For nearly a year, this has been my life. Living in a constant state of fear at the sound of that key in the lock. Before I was given to Wesley, I was living in an abandoned cottage in the middle of nowhere. Yes, I was isolated and spelled to never leave, but at least I was more or less left alone. The Devil said that as long as my brother complied with his demands, I’d be safe. But then something changed. Apparently, The Devil said that Luka crossed a line and beat his nephew black and blue. And suddenly, I found myself here.
No more. Today is the day. Today is the day that Wesley dies. I can feel it.
I hacked at the wooden spike harder and with more purpose, ensuring it was as sharp as possible to impale him effortlessly. I may not be able to drive it through his heart myself, but where there is a will, there is always a way. My brother, Lukas, taught me that from a young age. The best solution isn’t always the most obvious.
I grabbed the other dining chair, the one I hadn’t destroyed, and stood on it, getting to work with the contraption that would hang above the front door. I wrapped the ribbon around it, looping it over the wooden beam and then tying it to the inside front door handle. The idea being that when he opened it, the ribbon would snap and the stake would swing straight into his chest without any input from me. He’d murder his own ass.
I brushed my hands together as I stepped back to admire my handiwork. Optimism and hope swelled in my chest. This had to work. This had to be it. Walking into the kitchen, I tugged out a blood bag from the fridge and heated it in the microwave. Pouring it into a mug, I sat on the sofa and stared out the window at the dark Victorian house. He wasn’t home. I could tell because when he was, he always had nearly every light on in the house. I could relax when the house was dark.
Sometimes, he would go weeks without coming for me. Other times, it would be multiple times a week. I had learned to shut my mind off; to go into a state of numbness whenever I was in his presence. He could do what he liked to my body but fuck him if he thought it would break me. I wasn’t his victim. I was a survivor. I’d endured far more pain than he could ever cause; watching my father and brother murdered as a child, my mother dying painfully and having my demon’s soul ripped away from me. It was the not knowing and the fact they used me to manipulate Luka that was worse. Constantly waiting and never knowing if today would be a good day or a bad one.
Brushing out my long red waves as I hummed the Serbian song my mama always sang to us helped rid me of the tension I was feeling. It was a therapeutic action, one that stemmed from my childhood. My mama would spend hours brushing my hair in front of the fire with so much care and affection.
Once the blood had cooled, I sipped the mug, nestling under blankets with my eyes fixed on the house for what felt like an eternity. In the end, I must have dozed off because when I jumped awake, it was to the sound of the key turning in the lock.
My heart seized as if being squeezed by an iron fist as I leaped over the back of the sofa and grabbed the second stake I had made. Standing a few feet away from the front door, I braced myself for either my biggest achievement or my most heartbreaking failure. If this didn’t work, he’d be furious. And I’d be punished severely. But it was worth the risk. The door handle turned. The door creaked open tentatively. I held my breath, lifting the wooden stake in my hand at arm’s length as my green eyes darted up to the stake above, praying the momentum would be enough to actually lodge itself in his chest.
The door opened wide.
I held my breath.
The string snapped.
The stake swung down.
A burly body, almost too big to fit through the doorway, appeared in the frame. I couldn’t believe what I saw when a huge hand snapped out so fast I nearly missed it and wrapped around the wood, catching it mere millimetres from piercing a muscular chest. My mouth hung open. The first thing I noticed was strong, broad shoulders. Muscular, powerful arms. And tall. So damn tall I had to crane my neck. My eyes locked with scarlet irises that blazed so beautifully, just like the fire that I watched night after night burning in the living room.
That wasn’t Wesley. That definitely wasn’t Wesley.
The world seemed to freeze, as if the universe had held its breath, pausing to wait for my stalled heart to beat again. Flares of peculiar heat travelled across my skin, lighting a fire of undeniable attraction, which only grew with every second he silently stared at me. His gaze was so warm and intent, like I was the only thing he was capable of seeing. Even though he was awakening strange sensations I had never experienced before, it didn’t mean I trusted him. His body was a picture of masculinity and raw power. Dangerous. He was a man, after all. And the only man who has never been a monster to me since my family was killed was my brother. This vampire had a key to this house. That could only mean one thing. Wesley had given it to him.
“Stay away from me,” I demanded, raising the stake in my hand up higher in warning.
He gulped, but not out of fear. There was no fear in his eyes, only that unusual warmth I wasn’t used to. That look of awe that I still didn’t trust. Slowly, he let go of the wooden spike and stepped to the side, allowing it to swing gently next to him. He raised his hands slowly, lifting them up by his head, which only drew more attention to those biceps that were bigger than my thighs. Then he did something that shocked me to my core. He got down on his knees. Submission. Vulnerability. It was a strange sight to see a man so large, so intimidating, fall to his knees before me. Something shiny dangled from one of his hands and my emerald eyes widened with fear. My sigil. He had my sigil. No. No. No. Had I been sold again?
“My name is Ronnie, and I’m not here to hurt you. I swear on my life, on every breath I have ever taken and on every heartbeat I’ll ever have, that I will never hurt you, Hana.”
My breathing became erratic, and my head spun with confusion. How did he know my name? Why did he have my sigil? And why did his words sound so sincere, so much so that I could feel tears pricking behind my eyes?
“How did you get that?” I asked, keeping the stake pointing to his chest but using my eyes to gesture to the crystal sigil that my demon’s soul was siphoned to. This man held my life in his hands, quite literally, and I didn’t understand what any of this meant.
“I tortured the man who had it until he told us where you were. And then Ilaria killed him. He’s gone, Hana. Wesley will never hurt you again, I swear it.” His voice choked with emotion, but his eyes blazed with something furious. Something that looked a lot like protectiveness.
“Here,” the man named Ronnie cautiously held his hand out towards me, offering me the sigil.
I stepped back. I kept stepping back until my back met the wall, shaking my head and unable to find any words. Was this real? Was this man really telling the truth? Was Wesley dead?
“It’s yours. It belongs to you,” Ronnie said softly, but I kept shaking my head, beyond confused by the meaning behind that gesture. If he wanted to control me, like all the others before him, why would he hand it over to me?
“I… I can’t take it,” I replied quietly, my voice wobbling. “It doesn’t allow me to touch it.”
Ronnie looked down at it and then made an O shape with his full lips. He lowered his arm, but kept the sigil clasped tightly in his hand. “Would it be okay if I kept it safe for you? Or would you feel more comfortable if I gave it to Ilaria?”
“Ilaria?”
Suddenly, a striking vampire walked through the front door, with eyes so pink and hair so white, she was blinding. I blinked twice as I took in her petite figure in a leather dress, tights and platform boots. She had blood all up one of the leather sleeves on her arm.
“That’s me,” she said with a hint of a smile, but there was so much feeling in her eyes as they met mine across the room that I felt a surge of safety sweep over me. Warmth. Just like Ronnie’s. “Hi, Hana. I am so happy to finally meet my sister-in-law.”
I frowned, growing more baffled by the second. “Sister-in-law?”
She stepped forwards, walking past Ronnie, who still couldn’t seem to take his eyes off me, causing the peculiar flutter in the depths of my belly to intensify. She stopped a few feet away, glancing at the stake that I was still holding up between us.
“I’m Luka’s soulmate, Hana. I’m here because of him. He found a way to save you. And I found a way to find you.”
“Luka?” I whispered, my eyes filling with tears so fast their faces became blurry. In a moment of weakness, I dropped to my knees, lowering the stake as a choked sob escaped my throat. Ilaria fell before me and the next thing I knew, her small but steady arms wrapped around me tightly. I buried my face in the crook of her neck and cried. Could I dare to hope? Was it really over? Were we really free? “W-where is he? Where’s my brother?”
I lifted my head, looking over her shoulder, desperate to see the person who had practically raised me, who had saved my life countless times, who had suffered and lost so much of himself to keep me safe for centuries. Desperate to see my brother. The only family I had left.
Ilaria gripped my shoulders, staring into my eyes with fierce determination. “He’s not here. The Devil still has him. But we know who The Devil is now. We are going to find Luka and free him, just like we’ve found you. I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt him or you ever again. Do you hear me? You are Demonski Upirs. You are my family.” She glanced over her shoulder at Ronnie and smiled before she looked back at me. “And you are so very loved.”
My gaze moved from her face to Ronnie’s as tears streamed down my cheeks. Acceptance. Love. Is this what it felt like? It slammed into the fibres of my being, wrapping around my heart and breathed life back into my lungs.
“I… I can trust you?” I whispered, staring at him as he licked his trembling lips, fighting his own emotions.
Ilaria spoke quickly, sensing my doubt and apprehension about trusting any man. “Luka turned Ronnie into a vampire, Hana. He is loyal to Luka, and he helped me find you tonight. You can trust him. Let’s get you out of here, okay? We will take you back to my family’s castle. You will be safe there.”
I nodded as we all stood back on our feet. Ronnie turned his back to me slightly, running his huge hand down his face and placed the other on his hip. Ilaria lifted her hand to his shoulder, gave it a squeeze and then a reassuring pat. An odd feeling twisted in my gut. I didn’t like it. Seeing another woman touch him like that. Comfort him. I frowned at the feeling. Was I… jealous?
“Is there anything you want to take with you from here?” Ilaria asked kindly, shaking me from my shock at the strength of my jealousy over a complete stranger. I shook my head.
“No. There is nothing for me here.”
She nodded, linked her arm with mine and led me out of the house. As we passed Ronnie, my shoulder brushed against his; warm and firm, solid and strong. The touch set my skin on fire, the sensation so pleasurable I wanted more. I gasped, jumping away from him. Normally, a man’s touch made my skin crawl, bringing with it a feeling of fear and dread. Ronnie’s red eyes widened and then a look of concern and pain passed over his rugged features when he saw my reaction. He thought I couldn’t stand to be touched by him.
“I’m sorry,” he said quickly, attempting to leave the house ahead of us.
“Wait,” I called out, and he froze in the doorway. His head lowered to his chest as my heart raced, finally allowing the confusion to give way to the truth. He turned slowly, meeting my gaze. There it was again. A pull deep in my chest, tied to my heart. An invisible tug that drew me to him, that made me want to be wherever he was. The moment he’d turned his back on me and walked away was the same moment I suddenly felt unsafe again. I needed him next to me. I wanted him with me. I… I…
“You’re my soulmate,” I whispered. I couldn’t even believe those words left my lips. I’d given up hope of ever finding what my parents had, on ever feeling the true devotion of a bond so precious could bring. I’d been that little girl who had dreamed of her soulmate all her life. Wondering if or when he would ever find me. And then, as I grew up, understood the reality of the world I lived in, I feared he wouldn’t want me when he did. When I was caught by the Knowltons and kept as their prisoner for years, I mourned the loss of something I thought I would never have.
But here he was. Looking nervous and unsure as he scratched the back of his head, his gaze darted between Ilaria and me before he finally looked into my eyes. Did I have this wrong? Please don’t let me have this wrong.
“I am,” he answered. “I hope that’s okay with you?”
The widest smile brightened my face at the possibility of happiness. At the possibility of love with, let’s be honest, an extremely attractive and kind man. All the nerves seemed to dissolve on his features and he returned the most dazzling smile I’d ever seen. Gods, he was yummy.
Play it cool, Hana .
“It’s definitely okay with me, but are you okay with it?” I replied. Ilaria chuckled a little next to me. Pulling me towards the door, she pointed at Ronnie’s face.
“Does that look like a man who is not okay with it? I’ve never seen him smile so wide. Come on, there is someone else you need to meet.” She guided me out of the door, where a beautiful woman stood on the lawn. Long raven hair flowed down her back and kind bright eyes crinkled at the sides as she smiled at me. “Hana, this is my mum. Ruby Romano-Black. Queen of all supernaturals.”
I nearly tripped over my feet. If it wasn’t for Ilaria holding me up by my arm, I think I would have face-planted the floor.
“Queen?” I gasped, then lowered my head, attempting to half-bow, half-curtesy in some weird manner. Two hands gripped mine and I looked up to see Ruby staring down at me.
“Please. That title is only deserving if I have served you. Hana, you will never know how truly sorry I am. I failed you. And your brother. I made an oath twenty-one years ago to protect all supernaturals. That included all species. If I had known–”
“But you didn’t,” I interrupted. I smiled sadly. “I believe you would have helped us sooner if you had.”
She nodded, wiped a tear from her cheek and turned to Ilaria. “I’ve called ahead, so everyone is prepared, and they won’t all bombard her at once. As soon as we get back, if it’s okay with you, Hana, Leif, my son, will take a look at the sigil and see what he can do.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, feeling Ronnie’s soothing presence right beside me. The warmth his body was radiating made me want to crawl up onto his lap, allow those enormous arms to wrap around me and never leave. But a bigger part of me was still wary. I hated that part.
“Leif is a powerful warlock. Possibly the most powerful warlock who’s ever lived. If anyone can figure out a way to free your demon’s soul and reunite you both in mind and body, then he is the one to do it.”
Hope was a dangerous thing. That was a lesson I had learned the hard way. But I couldn’t stop myself from feeling it. From being consumed by it. Hope for a future I never thought I’d have. Hope to be reunited with my demon side. And hope for my brother. For him to finally live the life he deserved. The life we both deserved.
“I’ll stay with him while he works on it,” Ronnie said, peering down into my eyes. “I won’t let that sigil out of my sight, I promise.”
I nodded, feeling a lightness at the sweet gesture. “I just want to find Luka. That’s all I want to do right now.”
“Well, this will definitely help. If Leif can find a way to break the spell on yours, he’ll also be able to do it for Luka.”
Ronnie
She was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.
I’d never seen anything like her in all my life. From the smoothness of her skin to those mesmerising bright green eyes against the deep red hair that swayed elegantly around gorgeous curves. She was a sight I’d never tire of looking at. In fact, I couldn’t drag my gaze away from her. I was scared I might blink, and she’d disappear. And I knew I was probably freaking her out by staring. She kept glancing over at me while she sat on the sofa in Arius’ office between Ilaria and Ruby. She could obviously feel my eyes on her. I forced myself to look away each time, not wanting to make her feel more uncomfortable than she already did, but it wouldn’t be long, seconds in fact until I was staring again. But it wasn’t just her beauty that had me floored. It was how strong, smart, resilient and spirited she was, despite everything she’d been through. She was a fighter. The fact she nearly staked me when I walked through that door just proved it.
Here comes the sickening cliché I thought would never happen in a million years. The moment those green eyes found mine, I fell so fucking hard. I never believed in love at first sight. Lust, yeah. But love? I’d just been proven wrong. I may have promised Luka I’d give my life for his sister because of the sire bond but now, I truly meant it from the heart. She was mine to protect. Mine to love. I was the luckiest son of a bitch alive.
The doors opened and Leif marched in, his face animated with excitement until he saw Hana and his feet faltered. All the colour drained from his face and he looked as though he had seen a ghost. I stood up immediately, overcome with protectiveness and possessiveness as he stared at my mate with an unreadable expression.
“Leif?” Ilaria snapped her fingers, causing him to blink and swallow. As though his soul had just returned to his body, he looked around the room at everyone’s faces before he stared at Hana again.
Hana shrunk further into the sofa to hide under his attention. I growled through my fangs in warning. His gaze darted to me, startled, and then he seemed to snap out of whatever that was.
“Sorry,” he muttered, his voice small and fragile. Nothing like how it usually sounded. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to—” He peered back over at Hana as she stared up at him, terrified. “It’s just… I thought for a second…” He shook his head, as if to shake the thought from his mind. “You just reminded me so much of someone. It’s the hair. Sorry.”
The room fell silent, all his family staring at each other with concern as he marched over to the bar in the corner and opened a bottle of whiskey. He hesitated as he tilted the bottle to pour a glass, his hand shaking slightly. And then he lowered it. He took a few seconds to compose himself and turned back around with a smile plastered on his face. Aware of Hana’s anxiety around other men, I blocked his path when he made his way toward her. He glanced at me as if he understood, and then smiled brightly at her.
“That was rude of me. It’s nice to meet you, Hana. I’m Leif. Ilaria’s brother. I would shake your hand, but Ronnie here might bite it off. Do you mind if I take a look at the sigil?”
I glanced over my shoulder to see Hana hesitating. Her eyes locked with mine and a feeling of warmth spread through me when I watched that hesitation fade. She nodded. “Okay. Ronnie has it.”
Leif held open his hand, waiting for me to pass it to him, but I shook my head. “I’ll come with you.”
The warlock rolled his eyes but didn’t argue, heading back to the door. “Come on then, big guy.”
“Leif,” Ilaria stopped him as she stood up from the sofa, and he turned to face her. “Your phone, please? If this plan is going to work, I need it.”
Leif sighed heavily before rummaging around in his pocket and pulling it out. He tossed it her way. “Like I said, I really don’t think Lia has anything to do with this.”
“Well, we are about to find out. For her sake, I hope you’re right,” Ilaria snapped, catching the phone in her hands.
Leif left the room and I instinctively walked towards Hana to say goodbye. The uncertainty in her eyes as I loomed over her made me rear back to give her space. I wanted to touch her so badly. To hold her. To make her feel safe. But she didn’t entirely trust me. Or perhaps she didn’t trust anyone. I could tell she wanted to, but she was having a hard time adjusting.
“I’ll come back to you as soon as I can,” I said instead. I dug my hands into my jeans pockets, clenching my fist around the sigil protectively as those bright, beautiful eyes, so innocent and endearing, held me captive.
A few beats passed between us, stretching into infinity before she quietly said, “Please do.”
Damn my heart. I swear it just exploded.
Tugging open the office door, I walked straight into Leif’s chest. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug and the world started spinning. When the ground stopped shifting beneath my feet and the dizziness stopped, I shoved him off me as he laughed when I heaved over, fighting a wave of nausea.
“Oh, I do love breaking in a virgin,” Leif chuckled, walking around a table that was piled high with books, potion bottles, herbs, and crystals.
“What?” I coughed, holding my knees.
“A transportation virgin? Fairplay. You haven’t hurled. A strong stomach and strong arms, I see?” He winked at me.
I straightened my back. “Ilaria has transported me a number of times but never like that. And are you seriously flirting with me right now?”
“Probably.” He laughed, opening up a large leather-bound book that looked older than my grandma. “Just ignore me. It’s like second nature to me at this point.”
“What was all that back there? Why were you looking at Hana like that?” I couldn’t keep the growl out of my voice as I glared at him.
He huffed, clearing a space on his desk. “She just looks like someone who recently died. A witch from Heroux. It just took me by surprise, that’s all.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. And was this girl someone you… loved?” I asked bluntly.
“Love’s a strong word.” Leif sighed. “She was someone I cared about. But it wasn’t meant to be. Doesn’t make it hurt any less, though. Sigil, please, big guy?” He held his hand out for it and I hesitated, fighting every cell in my body to give it to him. I pulled it out of my pocket, gently placing it in his hand.
“Be careful with it. If you destroy it, Hana dies. Do you know what you’re doing?”
“I have no idea what I’m doing. Yet. But that’s why I need it. I have all the other puzzle pieces except the main one. The sigil holds the power of the spell. Without it, there is only so much I can understand.”
I sat down on a stool next to the table, never taking my eyes off the shimmering crystal as he held it up close to his face and stared into it curiously. “Do you really think you can reverse the spell?”
“I know I can. That’s not the part that concerns me.” He lowered it extremely carefully onto the table, giving me a look that proved he was taking my words seriously. “It’s the effects of reversing the spell that are unknown. The use of dark magic always has consequences. And now there are mate bonds to consider.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ilaria is bonded with Luka’s soul but not fully bonded with Heathen’s. Being a demon, he needs to own her soul to complete the bond. If I reverse the spell, I don’t know how that will impact their bond. My mum once returned my Grandma’s soul to her body. That spell was complex enough. But there are three souls to consider here.”
Seeing as this affected me too, I leaned forward, placing my fist on the table. “Why did Ilaria not bond with Luka’s demon’s soul? If she was fully bonded with both, would that make it easier?”
“Maybe, I don’t know. This is an unknown territory I’m working with. Luka told her not to give her soul to Heathen because of what that would mean.”
“What would that mean?”
He raised his eyebrow at me with a smirk. “Aren’t you soulmates with one?”
“I literally just found out what a Demonski Upir was a day ago, was turned by one and now mated to another. Forgive me if I haven’t had time to ask questions,” I snapped, defensive that I felt like I should know more about how to help the most important person in my life.
“Okay, Mr Grouchy.” He clicked his fingers, causing a blood bag to appear between them and threw it at me. “Have a drink. It will make you feel better. Or at least make me less appetising.” I ripped it open, guzzling it down. It was such a strange sensation, drinking blood. But it was amazing how much it really didn’t faze me. “And I meant, if you give your soul to Hana’s demon and complete your bond fully, you will be forever tied to her life. You will depend on her for blood, never want anyone else’s and when she dies, you’ll die too. Slowly of starvation. Pretty harsh really.”
I got carried away with the fantasy of me drinking Hana’s blood, of imagining how delicious it would taste and how sensual it would be. My fangs tingled. My dick throbbed. And then the rest of what he said registered.
“I wouldn’t want to live without her,” I said, unbothered by the revelation. “I want to give myself to her fully.”
Leif lifted his sleeve and looked at an invisible watch on his bare wrist. “You’ve won. That is the quickest I have ever seen a female have her mate by the balls. You are officially the most whipped man in the world.”
I shrugged, really not giving a fuck. “If she asked me for my soul right this minute, I’d gladly hand it over. It’s already hers.”
“Aw,” Leif placed his hand over his chest with a mocking expression. “I can’t wait to tell all your GI Joe mates at the SIA what a big fucking melt you are.”
“Oh, they already know,” I smirked just as a puff of black smoke appeared next to me, revealing Ilaria and Hana.
“Hey, I am going to ambush Lia and I didn’t want to leave Hana with the crazy bunch, so I hope you don’t mind, but Hana felt more comfortable being here, if that’s alright?” Ilaria glanced at Leif but Hana’s green eyes swerved to me. A pink blush crept up her cheeks as she looked away quickly. Well, that was fucking adorable.
“Not at all,” Leif said, pointing to the stool next to me. “Take a seat. It might actually help to have you here.”
Hana sat down, twiddling her thumbs in her lap. But I didn’t miss the subtle way the tension left her body as her arm brushed mine. She didn’t move away from the touch either, which made me smile. I had no idea what I was doing here. I was normally the self-assured, cocky twat who had no problem making all the moves, but Hana had been through so much trauma that I was terrified of doing or saying anything that might make her uncomfortable or pull away from me.
“You’re ambushing Lia?” Leif asked as Ilaria stepped back, ready to transport herself away.
“You just focus on that sigil, and I’ll focus on finding out the truth, okay?” Ilaria fixed him with her no-nonsense glare that said to not push her on this and Leif shrugged his shoulders.
“Just promise me you will hear her out before you hurt her because I am convinced she’s innocent in this. I know you have personal beef with her but try to be the bigger person until you have all the facts.”
“No fucking chance. I’m only 5”2 and she’s an oxygen thief. Being the bigger person is out of the question.”
Leif sighed, waving his white flag because we all knew arguing with Ilaria over this was pointless.
“Break a leg,” I said to her.
“I might break someone else’s just so they can’t run away.” She winked before she disappeared before our eyes.
“She is so perfect for Luka in every way. She’s exactly what he needs,” Hana said with a smile.
My eyes roamed down to her hands, her thumbs still moving nervously in her lap as she stared at the sigil on the table. Forcing courage to the surface, I carefully slipped my hand between hers, entwining our fingers as her lips parted at our touch. My hand completely engulfed hers, but nothing had ever felt so right. She peered up at me before giving me the sweetest smile that made her face blossom like a flower in spring. My chest puffed with pride, knowing I was solely responsible for putting it there.
“I’m sorry if I keep staring,” I whispered, leaning slightly closer to her and inhaling her strawberry scent.
“Do you? I hadn’t noticed,” she lied. The curve of her lips told me she definitely had noticed.
“He does,” Leif added, running his hands over the sigil, closing his eyes and then muttering something under his breath before he started writing something in his notebook in Latin.
I rolled my eyes and Hana giggled. The sound was so beautiful; I wanted to record it and make it my ringtone. Was that weird? That was definitely weird.
“It’s just… I can’t believe you’re mine.”
There was that breath-taking smile again. Her thumb rolled over my knuckle as she looked down at our hands. Her smile suddenly fell, and I felt her whole demeanour change. Concern forced me to act as I placed my fingers under her chin and raised her face to look at me. She had tears in her eyes.
“Hey? What’s wrong?”
“You might not want me when you know… what’s happened to me. What he…”
“Hey,” I said firmly, forcing her eyes to lock with mine. “I will never not want you. What happened to you wasn’t your fault, Hana.”
“I know. But I’m going to need time. To trust. To take this slow.” She said it like she thought it would disappoint me. I hated that.
“I understand. You take all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You promise?”
“I promise.”