Page 106 of See It Through
“She might’ve, but let me tell you what your dad told me last night. Getting bogged down in the ‘would haves’ and ‘could haves’ will get you stuck in a world of hurt.”
I sniffled, pressing my sore face into his throat. “That sounds like him.”
“He’s a smart man, and he’s right. Tina could have been a lot of things, but if we focus on that, we’ll get stuck. I don’t want you stuck, Hannah.”
“I don’t want that either, but I think I need to be sad for a while.”
“What happened to Tina is a goddamn tragedy. You feel what you need to feel. I’m here with you, and I’m not going anywhere.”
“I know you aren’t.”
He kissed the top of my head. “If you’re certain of one thing, I’m glad it’s that. You’ve got me, sweetheart. No matter what, you’ve got me.”
Despite my exhaustion, we stayed up late. I was worried what nightmares sleep would bring, and I couldn’t stop staring at Remi. With the memory of those final moments in the alley when I was sure I’d never see him again still sharp in my mind, my eyes hungered for his face. He let me look without question or comment, reminding me, again and again, that I was safe and he wasn’t going anywhere.
I believed him, I did. I’d always felt cozy and warm in Graham’s house, and with Remi here, that feeling had only increased. But there was a chill in my bones I couldn’t shake off. The rational part of me said it would take time, that I’d been through something traumatic and that didn’t disappear overnight. Deep down, though, I worried this wasn’t over.
I shoved those feelings ever deeper and let Remi carry me to bed.
Getting comfortable was an issue, but Remi surrounded me with pillows and the solid warmth of his body. Little by little, we both relaxed, fingers twined, his breath on my skin. When I finally let sleep take over, it was to his voice murmuring the sweetest of nothings in my ear.
Chapter Forty
Hannah
My eyes sprung open,darting to the clock on my bedside table, 2:17 a.m. I’d only been asleep a little over an hour. What was I doing awake? My throat was sore, but the meds I’d taken before bed had dulled the pain enough to let me sleep.
My gaze shifted to the window across the room. At first, the otherworldly orange glow outside didn’t register. It was strange, but I didn’t understand what I was seeing. Not until I stared at the rippling air on the other side of the glass for a solid minute or two.
The fog of sleep finally lifted, and I shot upright, immediately wincing at the burst of pain in my limbs and throat.
Remi jerked away at my sudden movement, knifing into a sitting position. “What is it? Are you hurting?”
My arm felt like it weighed a thousand pounds as I lifted it to point at the window. “Rem…I think there’s a fire.”
He sprang to his feet, striding toward the window. When he turned back to me, his gaze was alert and panicked. “It’s the garage.”
I gasped. “No…Graham’s tools.”
He came back to me, handing me my phone, which had been charging next to my clock. “Stay here. Call the fire department. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do.”
I shook my head, but I knew not to argue. There wasn’t time. If the fire spread beyond the garage to the house…no, I couldn’t even think it.
“Okay. Be careful, Rem.”
He yanked on a T-shirt and shoved his feet in the boots he’d left beside the bed. “I promise you I will, baby. I’ll be back soon. Don’t leave this room.”
He waited until I promised I would stay where I was then kissed my head and rushed out. I dialed 911 while standing at the window, watching the blaze overtake the garage in the near distance. My heart broke as the structure burned, the contents irreplaceable. Fear ratcheted up the beat of those crumbling pieces in my chest as I stood helpless while Remi raced into danger.
I couldn’t see him, but he was out there, probably hooking up the hose to fight the flames licking the smoky sky.
Knees wobbly and weak, I backed away from the window until I hit the mattress and let myself fall. My body was done. My mind was so very tired. How much more could I take? If I lost Graham’s house…no, that wasn’t an option.
Footsteps sounded on the stairs, and for a moment, my heart lifted. Was Remi coming back to tell me the fire was under control?
Those steps were much too light and far too timid to belong to Remi. Panicked, I scooted backward on the bed until I hit the headboard and there was nowhere else for me to go. On instinct, I reached beside me, grabbing the bat I’d kept next to my bed since I’d moved out on my own at my mother’s insistence. I’d never been so thankful for her paranoia as my bedroom door creaked open, revealing the hooded figure of a woman.
It’s not over.