The microwave dings, breaking the tension, and she looks at me with a slight smile that I can’t quite decipher.“Saved by the bell.”
I chuckle, but it’s not entirely out of amusement.It’s the relief of the moment passing, of something unspoken hanging there between us but not needing to be addressed.She reaches for the microwave, and I watch as she pulls out the containers, still avoiding my gaze.With a smile, she scoops the chili into the bowls.
“You forgot something,” I say, not missing a beat, just to pull her back from whatever thoughts she’s slipping into.
She looks up, blinking at me, confused for a second.“What?”
I flash her a grin, playing it up.“You promised corn chips, and do you have anything to drink besides coffee and tea?”
She stares at me for a moment, and then the tension cracks.She laughs, a sound that’s easy and light, breaking the quiet.“I haven’t forgotten the corn chips...hold your horses.As for something to drink, my fridge is full of Pepsi Max, bubbles, and on the kitchen counter is a bottle of red wine.”
“Bubbles?”
“Prosecco.”
“Pepsi Max it is.”
Hannah raises an eyebrow, clearly amused.“Funny, you look like a bubbles man.”
I scoff, pretending to be scandalized, and lean back slightly, hand over my heart.“Are you saying I’m soft?”
She grins, the spark of mischief in her eyes making it clear she’s enjoying the playful banter.“There are many things I could say about you, Blade, but soft isn’t one of them.”
Hannah opens a cupboard and throws a packet of corn chips at me, her aim spot on.She then swings open the refrigerator and pulls out two cans of Pepsi Max.
“Do you need a glass?”she asks, holding them up to me.
“Nope,” I reply with a shrug, leaning back in my chair.She smirks, opening a drawer and pulling out a metal straw, holding it up like a weapon.“No, I can drink out of a can.”
I chuckle as she pops open her can and slips the straw in, then carries both cans back to the table.She sits in the chair opposite mine with that same casual ease about her.
“Tell me about the flowers?”I ask, curiosity edging my tone.
Her face clouds over, the smile fading as if something heavier is on her mind.“Ugh.Like I said, it’s probably Travis.I found them on my back patio on the table.He must have snuck over the fence.I keep the side gate bolted shut with a padlock.He won’t stay long.He doesn’t enjoy the cold.”
I lean in, my voice low, a little more serious.“And winter is coming.”
She gives a short laugh, the tension easing.“Did you like the show?”
“Yeah, the dragons looked realistic enough,” I reply, my grin returning.
Hannah smiles, her eyes lighting up.“Well, if dragons were real, I think they’d be nice.More like the ones inHow to Train Your Dragon.”
I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms.“No, the ones inGame of Throneswere closer to the real thing.”
She tilts her head, that thoughtful, almost playful look crossing her face.“Ah, you know dragons aren’t real.Don’t you?”
Raising an eyebrow, I lock eyes with her.“Are you sure about that?”The way I say it, it’s playful, but there’s an edge of something deeper, something unspoken in the silence that follows.
“I’ve never seen one,” she says with a shrug, her tone casual but her eyes searching mine as if expecting me to prove her wrong.
Leaning forward, I keep my voice steady as I reply, “I’ve never seen a shark in real life, but I know they’re out there.All mystical creatures are based on fact.Over time, they’ve been twisted into monsters or demons or worse, but maybe they were just misunderstood.”
Her expression softens, thoughtful.“You have a point.And I know they think dragons were actually snakes or reptiles.”She opens the packet of corn chips and pulls out one, crunching on it.“And that vampires were people suffering from porphyria.”
I can’t help but smile at her insight.“So, you don’t believe in the myths?”
Hannah tilts her head, the faintest trace of a smirk playing on her lips.“Unlike sharks, which lots of people have seen, and there’s video footage of them, vampires and dragons have never been seen or captured.”
