Jason startled at the voice, the sound cutting through his fog of misery bár a knife
Locking up, he saw a middle aged man with a lighting, Jason could see the fear in her eyes, t
hered face and cheap out gripping Hannah’s arm as she tried to pull away. Even in the dim campus ight set of her jaw as she struggled against the man’s grip.
Anger surged through Jason, momentarily displacing his despair. The helplessness he’d felt all day tranformed instantly into white hot rage,
“What the hell are you doing?” he shouted, rushing forward and gralding the man by his collar. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into the stranger’s face, feeling a grim satisfaction as his knuckles emnected with bone.
ore he could land another low. Her fingers thug into his skin with surprising strength.
Hannah panicked, quickly grabbing Jason’s arm before he
“Jasom, stop” 1
Her voice cracked with emotion. “He’s–he’s my father.”
Jason froze, turning to Hannah in disbelief. “Your father?”
Hannah lowered her head, a curtain of luir falling to hide her face, Shame radiated from her posture–shoulders hunched, arms wrapped protectively around herself. It was a side of Hannah he’d never seen before. The confident, composed dancer had vanished, replaced by someone smaller, more vulnerable.
Meanwhile, her father seemed to recognize Jason, his demeanor instantly changing. Blood trickled from his nose as his face transformed into a sycophantic prin
“Yes, yes I’m Hannah’s dad. And you must be Jason Stan!” His eyes darted between them, calculating. “Well, well what an homar We’re practically Family now, Nothing like a good punch to break the ice, right?” He laughed nervously, touching his bruised jaw, his eyes never losing their predatory gleam
Hannah glared at him, revuluos evident in every line of her face. “Just leave! Now! The command in her voice was unmistakable–a glimpse of the steel beneath her grace.
Worried he might have ruined his daughter’s prospects, her father slunk away with an awkward smile, but not before casting a meaningful look at Hamar that made Jason’s skin crawl.
Onser he was gone, Jason turned to Hannah, still stunned by the encounter. “That’s really your father?”
Hannah kept her eyes downcast, one hand absently rubbug the spot on her arm, where her father had gripped her, Ared mark was already forming.
“Yes,” she finally her voice hoarse with emotion. “My dad physically abused my mom for years. She finally ran away when I was Eve. Then he was arrested for assault and sent to prison. He just put out recently and won’t stop haraming me.” Her words came faster now, as though a dam had broken. He wants money: He wash.connection. He wants to use me however he can.
She duver shared any of this with Jason before, but she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came out. In the cold night air, her breath formed small clouch as she spoke, her confession Kanging visible between them.
she booked up at him, vulnerability and defiance mingling in her expression. “So? Are you disgusted with me now? Does knowing where I come from change how you see me?“.
Jason snapped out of his shock. The hardness in her eyes reminded him of Kelsey in those final days–wary, prepared for rejection.” “How could I be? Whatever your parents did has nothing to do with you.”
Hammah gave a small, sad laugh, a sound caught between relied and butterness. “You’re even better than I imagined” She stepped closer, her perfume–expensive and familiar–emelopin
Jasons blinked, caught i
ght off guard by the rmthin her voice and the sudden intimacy. Before he could respond, Hannah continued, here hoped shine.
taking en
“I used to think I want good enough for you, which is why I peashed you away. I was afraid you’d find out about my family, about where I really nime from Her voice softened. “But now that I’ve been honest with you, and you don’t think less of Hannah gathered her courage and looked directly
inno bis eyes, reaching for his hand. “Jason can we got back together?”
Jason stood frozen in place, her fingers cold against his palm. Her question hung in the air between them, the very thing he had schemed and manipulated for months to hear
Almost in Love with You Before That Cruel Summer Took Everything
Chapter 14
Hannah’s smile faded as the silence stretched. Her hand withdrew doty
“No, that sast it,” Jason Murted “I don’t care about your background. I ju
Flis words trailed off abruptly. The image
genuine affection before he destroyed it all.
Heinely didn’t know what was wrong with him.
He had spent months orchestrating an elaborate scheme to endure Hannah world pen the futard. all for Hannali’s sake. This moment–Hannah asking to get back together–should have bera
So why did it leave him feeling so empty?
“I just…” Jason tried again, aware of Hannah’s growing confusion. “ust need some time to prooms mety?
Hannah’s face drained of color, hurt flashing across her features before she qarkly macked in. She had bared to be met with betration
But she forced a male anyway, years of performing on stage making in almost believable an
Jason walked Hannah back to her dorm before returning to
POP
Confetti exploded in his face, the sudden nose making him finch.
He frowned, brushing the colorful paper from his hair, irritation repli you guys doing?
His teammates crowded around him with michae knowing smiles
moment he opened the door
be confusion that had plagued bu
i gran. Dezek held an empty condemi popper while Brand Terade han an
“Celebrating, of course Tyler exclaimed, slapping Jason’s back. “We overheard everything. Hannah wants to get back together with you, righ Mixion accomplished, brot
Chapter 15
