Page 102 of Forbidden

I had just counted to three in my head when I heard the door unlock. I glanced at Tyson. “Just give us a few moments,” I said to him, his face covered with disbelief, and I twisted open her bedroom door and walked in, closing the door after me.

I scanned her up and down. Okay, well, she was still breathing and alive. So that ruled out her being dead as an excuse for not answering her phone this morning.

I saw her jaw and cheek. It was all deep blue and black with a yellow tint to the ends of the bruise. I crossed my arms, looking at my best friend. If she thought for a second hiding because she had a bruise was acceptable then she was wrong.

Should I shout at her about how stupid she was being? She wouldn’t look me in the eye; her eyes were glued on the carpet.

“So, who did it?” I walked toward her. Guess we should get the obvious out of the way.

“Dad.”

So this explained why all the Wilsons were currently in damage control mode. Hannah had a strong thing against violence. It was sort of weird considering what her dad was like, and we all knew her mum’s history. Then there was her brother—hell, even her twin was known for getting into a punch-up.

But Hannah had this rule when it came to her dad. If he ever hit her, she would leave. Yet it seemed she hadn’t.

“I made him.” She glanced at me for the first time since I’d walked in, her eyes locked with mine. “I coaxed him. Told him I was heading to an early grave and there was nothing he could do about it.”

I sighed. “Hannah, why?”

She shrugged.

Well, I knew there was an answer to my question and it wasn’t just a ‘shrug’ response.

“Did he notice something?” I took a guess and it would seem I had gotten close to the reason because she nodded her head.

“The no eating. He noticed that. Well, someone pointed it out to him but then he went into control overload mode. He was saying things like him taking a break from the club and putting me in the hospital.” Her words were coming out rushed. “And going to every appointment till I was better.”

That was Hannah’s biggest fear: her family but mainly her Dad being impacted by her health. I knew then why she had said what she’d said and I also knew why Reaper reacted like he had.

Though I bet right now he was regretting ever letting his temper get the better of him. Reaper would be hating himself right about now.

“Okay. Well, you did what you did.” I sat down beside her on the bed. No point trying to get a blood stain out of a white top. “You need to pull your shit together now.” I turned my head, locking my eyes with hers. “You went into meltdown mode. I get it. But ceasing your treatment, Hannah…that was fucking stupid.”

Immediately her eyes dropped. “I just needed a break.” Her words were honest and I got it—what she was facing was hard and scary and totally too much for any normal sixteen-year-old to deal with.

“Well, you have two options now. Tell them the truth or…”

Her eyes went back to mine. “Or?”

“Or you pull your shit together and move the fuck on. You have to deal with this, Hannah; it’s not something you can just turn your back on. Just like you can’t turn your back on your family.” No wonder they were all downstairs looking like they had done nothing but stress all week. “At the end of the day, you love your family, Hannah, so much so you won’t tell them how sick you are.”

She loved them that much that she couldn’t bear the thought of them suffering knowing she was sick.

She was silent, and I didn’t say anything because she needed to come to the conclusion herself.

“So what do I do?” She finally spoke and ran a hand through her hair. She looked exhausted.

“We have an appointment at one. After that we are going back to this illness not controlling your life but you controlling it.” I got up and went to her wardrobe. “You have never wanted your family to suffer but from all I saw downstairs, the four people you love the most are all worried sick and terrified what your next move is going to be.”

“Six.”

I turned around to look at Hannah. “Six what?”

“Six people I love the most have been suffering because of my actions over the last week.” She slightly smiled and got up. “Brad and you make the list too, you know.” She took the jeans from my hand.

I couldn’t stop the grin. “You know that boyfriend of yours was the dead giveaway that something was wrong with you.” I watched her eyes widen and my grin got bigger. “So you and Brad are a thing now?”

“Nope.” She took her top off and took the one I’d picked out. “We just have things to talk about.”

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