Page 75 of ’Til You Break

More time passes. The police ask more questions. Neighbors gather where they don’t belong.

Eventually, Reggy returns with a smile. He offers me his hand.

“Look, with everything you’ve told me and everything you’ve shown me, this appears to be self-defense. You’re both lucky to be alive.” He gives Hannah’s arm a reassuring pat.

“I know this can’t be easy for either of you, so we’re going to let you go. Do you have somewhere to stay?”

“We’ll book into a hotel for a few nights,” I say.

“Okay. Just one thing, Mr Bennett. Stick around town in case we need to ask any more questions.”

He walks us to the waiting taxi.

“We won’t go far, Officer.”

I open the door for Hannah before climbing in after her.

Neither of us speaks during the drive back into the city. Hannah barely moves, absent-mindedly stroking Muffin as he sleeps on her lap.

The silence continues while I check us into the hotel. It follows us into the lift. Only then does it occur to me that Hannah doesn’t have the same emotional armour I do.

I’d assumed she was keeping it together for the police. Now I’m not so sure. Maybe she’s more frightened than she’s letting on.

A knot tightens in my chest. What if she’s frightened...

Because of me?

Inside the hotel room, Hannah sets Muffin on the floor. He immediately darts off to investigate his new surroundings.

And before I can say a word, she stands on tiptoe and wraps herself around my shoulders.

She kisses me.

I kiss her.

And all my worries melt away in an instant.

“How are you, Hannah?” I ask, keeping my voice calm.

“If you mean because of what happened...” she says, “I’m okay.”

“I do.”

“I don’t know,” she admits. “I’m still shaking, but I don’t feel bad about what I did. How am I supposed to feel?”

I shrug. “He would’ve killed you if I hadn’t.”

She looks down at her hands. “That doesn’t justify it...”

This is a burden I wish she didn’t have to carry. But as long as I’m here, she won’t carry it alone.

“Killing him doesn’t make up for my past mistakes,” she says. “But letting him live would’ve cost me my future.”

Her hand drifts to my inner thigh, and rests there for a moment. Dangerously close to my cock.

I force myself to keep listening.

“I get to be with the man I love,” she says.