still be here, and she wasn't going to do anything that might jeopardize her family or Heath.
"It's ok Jack," she managed to force out. "Calvin is an old friend."
It was a blatant lie. Even when she'd been a little girl and he'd had no interest in her, she still hadn't liked the man. He'd always made her skin crawl. The thought of having him touch her was enough to make her want to walk into the day and keep going until she couldn't walk anymore.
"Is he?" Jack's eyes were still red as they flickered toward her.
She kept the phony smile on her face as she released a tiny laugh that sounded like nails on a chalkboard even to her. "Of course."
Jack's hand twitched toward her but fell back to his side as she rested her hand on Calvin's arm. She silently pleaded with him to remain quiet as Calvin wrapped a hand around hers triumphantly. She suppressed a shudder, and struggled against the urge to rip her hand away from his grasp. Her stomach threatened to spill its recently consumed contents onto the ground. Calvin's touch had always repulsed her but now her body seemed to be rejecting it on a whole new level, and as her gaze lingered on Jack she realized it was because of him .
Oh crap. She was in over her head already and she didn't understand how it had happened at all. One crisis at a time , she told herself. She had to deal with the most important predicament right now as she turned her smile up even more for Calvin.
"That we are dear," he replied with a smug look at Jack that caused Jack's upper lip to curl.
"I see, well it seems as if you are in good hands then. If you'll excuse me, I must be getting back." He didn't wait for a response before turning on his heel and striding purposefully toward the doors. Hannah bit her tongue before she called out for him to come back, to not leave her with Calvin, as Ellen opened the door for him and then stepped back inside.
"It appears the young prince isn't used to having someone chosen over him, my dear." Hannah swallowed as she forced her attention back to Calvin. The hand he wasn't holding curled into a fist but she was able to keep her temper. "Some people are far more spoiled than what you are used to." Like you , she thought. "And far ruder. I will make sure you get back to the tavern safely."
"Thank you Calvin, but Ellen is still here and I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Nonsense you never know who might be wandering the streets at night."
She forced a laugh as she pat his hand. "We know everyone in town Calvin."
"And lately riffraff have been entering it too."
There wasn't even forced laughter left within her as his eyes latched onto her mouth and his hand clenched around hers. Fear of him slithered through her as his smiled faded away. She'd always been careful not to rock the boat around him, but she felt like she'd just flipped the canoe and plunged herself straight into frigid water.
"I think it's best if you stay away from such unsavory and spoiled people from now on." His grip had started to grind the bones in her hand together but she forced herself not to react, not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry out. "If you know what is good for you, and others," he added with a pointed glance at Ellen. "Don't you think?"
Unable to take the pressure on her bones anymore she attempted to tug her hand free. "Let go," she hissed when he refused to release her.
"I said, don't you think?" he asked again instead. Everything in her screamed against capitulating to his request but her hand was being crushed and his gaze remained locked upon Ellen as he smiled sweetly and waved his fingers at her. "Such a pretty girl, it would be a shame if something were to happen to her. She's not as able to defend herself as some of the rest of us."
"Yes!" Hannah blurted as her knees threatened to give out and a bone in her hand cracked.
"Yes what?" he inquired as his attention finally came back to her.
"Yes, it's best to stay away from such people."
The pressure on her hand
"It's ok Jack," she managed to force out. "Calvin is an old friend."
It was a blatant lie. Even when she'd been a little girl and he'd had no interest in her, she still hadn't liked the man. He'd always made her skin crawl. The thought of having him touch her was enough to make her want to walk into the day and keep going until she couldn't walk anymore.
"Is he?" Jack's eyes were still red as they flickered toward her.
She kept the phony smile on her face as she released a tiny laugh that sounded like nails on a chalkboard even to her. "Of course."
Jack's hand twitched toward her but fell back to his side as she rested her hand on Calvin's arm. She silently pleaded with him to remain quiet as Calvin wrapped a hand around hers triumphantly. She suppressed a shudder, and struggled against the urge to rip her hand away from his grasp. Her stomach threatened to spill its recently consumed contents onto the ground. Calvin's touch had always repulsed her but now her body seemed to be rejecting it on a whole new level, and as her gaze lingered on Jack she realized it was because of him .
Oh crap. She was in over her head already and she didn't understand how it had happened at all. One crisis at a time , she told herself. She had to deal with the most important predicament right now as she turned her smile up even more for Calvin.
"That we are dear," he replied with a smug look at Jack that caused Jack's upper lip to curl.
"I see, well it seems as if you are in good hands then. If you'll excuse me, I must be getting back." He didn't wait for a response before turning on his heel and striding purposefully toward the doors. Hannah bit her tongue before she called out for him to come back, to not leave her with Calvin, as Ellen opened the door for him and then stepped back inside.
"It appears the young prince isn't used to having someone chosen over him, my dear." Hannah swallowed as she forced her attention back to Calvin. The hand he wasn't holding curled into a fist but she was able to keep her temper. "Some people are far more spoiled than what you are used to." Like you , she thought. "And far ruder. I will make sure you get back to the tavern safely."
"Thank you Calvin, but Ellen is still here and I'm sure we'll be fine."
"Nonsense you never know who might be wandering the streets at night."
She forced a laugh as she pat his hand. "We know everyone in town Calvin."
"And lately riffraff have been entering it too."
There wasn't even forced laughter left within her as his eyes latched onto her mouth and his hand clenched around hers. Fear of him slithered through her as his smiled faded away. She'd always been careful not to rock the boat around him, but she felt like she'd just flipped the canoe and plunged herself straight into frigid water.
"I think it's best if you stay away from such unsavory and spoiled people from now on." His grip had started to grind the bones in her hand together but she forced herself not to react, not to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry out. "If you know what is good for you, and others," he added with a pointed glance at Ellen. "Don't you think?"
Unable to take the pressure on her bones anymore she attempted to tug her hand free. "Let go," she hissed when he refused to release her.
"I said, don't you think?" he asked again instead. Everything in her screamed against capitulating to his request but her hand was being crushed and his gaze remained locked upon Ellen as he smiled sweetly and waved his fingers at her. "Such a pretty girl, it would be a shame if something were to happen to her. She's not as able to defend herself as some of the rest of us."
"Yes!" Hannah blurted as her knees threatened to give out and a bone in her hand cracked.
"Yes what?" he inquired as his attention finally came back to her.
"Yes, it's best to stay away from such people."
The pressure on her hand
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