Page 119 of Truck Hard

Dinner continues with lighter conversation—Cam’s baseball practice, Hannah’s work at Frank’s, the latest pranks my brothers have pulled at the shop. But underneath it all, I can feel something shifting. Something fundamentally changing in the way we relate to each other.

After we finish eating, Cam helps clear the table before disappearing upstairs to finish his homework. Hannah starts filling the sink while I get a towel to dry after she washes. This has become our routine. We work in comfortable silence for a while, shoulders brushing occasionally in the small kitchen.

“Thank you,” she says suddenly, so quietly I almost miss it.

“For what?”

“For being you. For not pushing me to move faster than I’m ready to go. For loving Cam.” She keeps her eyes on the dish she’s scrubbing. “For loving me even when I couldn’t love myself.”

My throat tightens with emotion. Setting down the pan I’m drying, I gently turn her to face me. “Hannah, look at me.”

She does, those beautiful eyes swimming with unshed tears.

“You don’t have to thank me for any of that.” I tell her firmly. “Loving you—lovingbothof you—is the easiest thing I’ve ever done. And I’m going to keep doing it for as long as you’ll let me.”

“Even though I’m broken?” The vulnerability in her voice breaks my heart. “Even though I still have nightmares and panic attacks and days when I can barely function?”

“You’re not broken.” I cup her face in my hands, willing her to believe me. “You’re healing. And I’ll be here for all of it—the good days and the bad ones. However long it takes.”

A tear spills down her cheek and I brush it away with my thumb. “I don’t deserve you,” she whispers.

“You deserve everything good in this world.” I counter. “And I’m going to spend the rest of my life making sure you know that.”

She leans into me then, pressing her face against my chest. I wrap my arms around her, holding her close as she trembles slightly. We stand like that for a long moment, just breathing together, until the trembling stops.

“Stay?” she asks softly, not lifting her head. “Tonight?”

My heart rate kicks up at the question. We’ve spent nights together before, but it still feels momentous every time she asks. Like another piece of her trust being placed in my hands.

“Are you sure?”

She nods against my chest. “I sleep better when you’re here. Safer.”

“Then of course I’ll stay.” I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Always.”

She looks up at me and I cup her cheek again.

I lean down and brush my lips against hers, soft and sweet at first. She sighs into the kiss, her body melting against mine. The familiar taste of her, the way she fits perfectly in my arms, sends heat coursing through my veins.

My hands slide down to her waist, pulling her closer as I deepen the kiss. She parts her lips, inviting me in, and I take full advantage. My tongue sweeps into her mouth, claiming her with growing intensity. A small whimper escapes her throat, the sound driving me wild.

I press her back against the counter, one hand tangling in her hair while the other grips her hip. The kiss turns hungry, desperate, filled with all the longing and need I’ve been holding back. She matches my passion, her fingers clutching my shirt as she arches into me.

“Fuck, I missed this. Missed you.” I growl against her lips, barely recognizing my own voice. “Mine.” The possessive word slips out before I can stop it, but Hannah doesn’t seem to mind. If anything, she kisses me harder, nipping at my bottom lip in a way that makes me groan.

I pour everything I feel for her into the kiss—all the love, protection, and fierce devotion I’ve carried for years. Her hands slide up my chest to wrap around my neck, pulling me even closer as if she can’t get enough.

The small kitchen fills with the sound of our ragged breathing and soft moans as we lose ourselves in each other.

When we finally break apart, we’re both panting and desperate for more. And if she lets me, I’ll hold on for dear life and give her everything I’ve got to give. I’ll never stop giving her what she needs.

Because that’s what you do when you find something worth fighting for. You hold on with both hands and never let go.

Tomorrow we’ll face whatever new challenges come our way. But tonight, I have everything I need right here in my arms.

And I’m never letting go again.

Chapter 26

---