Chapter 16
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Hannah was fast asleep in the bedroom, her chest rising and falling gently with each breath. The moonlight filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over her peaceful face. I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, watching her.
I’d been doing this a lot lately–just watching her sleep. It wasn’t intentional, but something about seeing her so at peace made my heart swell. I still couldn’t believe she was here, with me.
For years, I had loved her. It wasn’t the kind of love that grew slowly over time; it hit me like a freight train when we were just kids. I fell for her entirely, completely, and irrevocably.
I remembered the first time I realized I loved Hannah. We were eight years old, playing tag in her grandparents‘ backyard. She had tripped and fallen, scraping her knee on a patch of gravel. I ran to her side, panicking as I saw the blood.
“Does it hurt?” I’d asked, my voice trembling.
She sniffled but managed to nod. “A little.”
Without thinking, I grabbed her hand. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix it!”
I sprinted to the house, grabbing bandages and a wet cloth. When I came back, I cleaned her scrape as best as I could and carefully placed the bandage over it.
“There,” I said, smiling at her. “All better.”
She looked at me with wide eyes, a tear still clinging to her cheek, and smiled. “Thanks, Scott. You’re the best.”
In that moment, my eight–year–old self had decided that I’d spend the rest of my life taking
care of her.
But as we grew older, things changed, Hannah became more beautiful, more confident, and more everything. And me? I stayed the same–a goofy boy with messy hair and too many jokes. When she started dating Oliver, it broke something in me.
I remembered the first time I saw them together. She was smiling, her hand intertwined. with his, and I felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. I told myself to be happy for her, to support her, but it wasn’t easy.
I I tried to move on, but every time I saw her, every time she laughed or smiled at me, I knew I couldn’t. She was it for me. She always had been.
And now, after everything, she was here. She was mine.
I walked over to the bed, sitting down gently so I wouldn’t wake her. Her hair was spread out across the pillow, and her lips were slightly parted as she slept.
“I’m never letting you go,” I whispered, leaning down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.
She stirred slightly but didn’t wake. Smiling, I stood and quietly left the room, closing the door behind me.
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14:00 Wed, 2 Apr
Unce I was in the living room, I pulled out my phone and cared one of my men. The are clicked after a few rings.
“Is it done?” I asked, my voice low.
There was a pause on the other end. “Not exactly, sir. Oliver is persistent”
I clenched my jaw, pacing the room. “Persistent how?”
“He’s still asking around about Hannah,” the man replied. “He’s not giving up”
I exhaled sharply, running a hand through my hair. “Set up a meeting. I’ll handle it myself
“Yes, sir.”
The next afternoon, I met Oliver in a private office I’d rented downtown. He walked in looking worse than I’d ever seen him–disheveled, with dark circles under his eyes and a bitterness that clung to him like a shadow.
“You wanted to see me?” Oliver asked, his tone clipped.
I leaned back in my chair, keeping my expression calm. “Yes. We need to talk about Hannah.”
His jaw tightened. “What about her?”
“You need to let her go,” I said simply.
I
Oliver let out a bitter laugh. “Let her go? You think I can just do that? I love her.”
“You had your chance,” I replied coldly. “And you destroyed it.”
“I made mistakes,” he said, his voice rising. “I know that. But I still love her. I can’t just walk away.”
I leaned forward, my hands clasped on the desk. “This isn’t about what you want anymore, Oliver. This is about what Hannah wants. And she doesn’t want you.
He flinched at my words but quickly masked it with anger. “You don’t get to decide that.” “No, but she already has,” I said firmly. “She’s happy now, and I’m not going to let you that.”
ruin
Oliver glared at me, his fists clenched at his sides. “You think you’re better for her? You think you can make her happy?”
“I know I can,” I said without hesitation. “And I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect her from you.”
He stared at me for a long moment, his expression hard. Finally, he slumped into the chair across from me, defeated. “What do you want from me?”
“I want you to leave her alone,” I said. “No more flowers, no more calls, no more trying to find her. If you really love her, you’ll let her go.”
Oliver’s shoulders sagged, and he looked down at his hands. “And if she chooses me?” “She won’t,” I said confidently. “But if she does, I’ll step aside. I won’t stand in her way.” He nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Fine. I’ll let her
When I got home, the smell of cooking filled the air. I walked into the kitchen to find
14:00 Wed, 2
Tina ner. If you really love ner, you i et ner go.
Oliver’s shoulders sagged, and he looked down at his hands. “And if she chooses me?”
“She won’t,” I said confidently. “But if she does, I’ll step aside. I won’t stand in her way.”
He nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Fine. I’ll let her go
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When I got home, the smell of cooking filled the air. I walked into the kitchen to find
Hannah at the stove, humming softly to herself.
“You’re back,” she said, turning to smile at me.
“Yeah,” I said, leaning against the counter. “What’s all this?”
“Just dinner,” she replied, shrugging. “I figured I owed you after everything.”
“You don’t owe me anything,” I said, walking over to her.
She rolled her eyes, but her smile didn’t fade. “Just let me do this, okay?”
As we sat down to eat, I couldn’t help but watch her. The way she laughed, the way her eyes lit up when she told me about her day–it was everything I’d ever wanted.
“You’re staring,” she said, raising an eyebrow.
“Can you blame me?” I replied, grinning.
She shook her head, laughing softly. “You’re impossible.”
“And you’re incredible,” I said, my tone serious.
Hannah looked away, her cheeks turning pink. “Stop,” she muttered, but I could tell she didn’t mean it.
In that moment, I realized just how lucky I was. After all these years, after everything we’d been through, she was finally mine. And I wasn’t going to let her go.
