Chapter Twenty-One
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Hannah
The ride back to myplace is quiet, the wind against my face a strange mix of refreshing and chilling.I can feel Blade’s body heat in front of me, his presence a constant reassurance, but the tight knot in my stomach only grows the closer we get.He occasionally reaches back and squeezes my leg.This small touch shows me how much he cares.
As Blade pulls into the driveway, the house stands before me as it always has— simple, quiet, unassuming.The small garden I once prided myself on is still there, though some of the flowers have since wilted in neglect.
Swallowing hard, I stare at the front door.
Just go inside, Hannah.It’s fine.It’s not what you think.
Blade climbs off the bike, his hands on my waist as he helps me off, his touch a grounding force against the whirl of emotions in my chest.He stands behind me now, a silent strength I didn’t even know I needed.I hear him murmur something, but the words are lost on me.Everything is spinning—memories, fear, the weight of my past threatening to swallow me whole.
Taking a deep breath, I force my legs to move, one foot in front of the other, toward the door.
Blade’s footsteps are steady behind me as I step over the threshold.My breath hitches, and I pause, feeling the weight of everything hit me all over again.It’s different.It’s still my house, but it feels different.
Holding my breath as I step farther into my home.Blade steps around me and disappears into the kitchen.With slow steps, I follow him but stop at the hallway.Closing my eyes, I turn to look down it.Finally, I open them, and I’m surprised there’s no blood.
No trace of the violence that once claimed this space.The floor, once stained with red, is spotless.The furniture, the walls, and the windows are all in perfect condition.If I didn’t know better, I would think it never even happened.
I glance around the room, my heart pounding in my chest, trying to process the sight.Everything is as it should be.Moving farther into the kitchen, it’s pristine.The couch in the living room is untouched.The smell of the place is familiar but without the sharp, metallic tang of blood.
“Blade...”My voice is shaky as I turn toward him.I didn’t expect this.I didn’t expect to walk in and see everything as it was.But it’s more than that.It’s as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.
“Yeah?”he asks, his eyes softening as he watches me, sensing the shift in my mood.
“I...I don’t understand,” I whisper.“How is this possible?”
Blade takes a step toward me, his eyes scanning my face with concern.“The guys took care of it.They cleaned up for you.”
“Why...why would they do that?”I whisper, almost afraid to ask.
His smile is small but sincere.“Because you’re part of the family, Hannah.And they’d do anything to make sure you’re safe.That includes making sure you’re not carrying around the shit from your past.”
I stare at him for a moment, the words sinking in.Family.The word echoes in my mind.My life has been nothing but chaos since my accident, and a constant reminder of everything I thought I didn’t want.But the MC, everything I assumed was bad and dangerous, has turned out to be exactly what I needed.Blade, especially, has changed that.
I didn’t ask for this.I didn’t ask for any of it.But with Blade, it’s different.He’s different.The way he makes me feel, he doesn’t fit into any box I’ve tried to put him into.He makes my heart race any time he’s near, and all the little things he does to make me feel cherished from buying my favorite tea to taking care of me.After the accident and Travis, I never wanted to need anyone again.I thought I was better off alone.And even though I barely know Blade, I already feel something stirring deep inside me.Something I didn’t expect.
The house, my life, it’s all been restored.Not just the physical things but the way I feel.The way my world feels whole again.
Moving back toward the hallway, I take in the sight of everything looking just as it was when I first moved in.It’s as if nothing’s changed except me and the peace I feel now.I take a deep breath, the air in my lungs steady and clear.
And then Blade’s voice pulls me from my thoughts, his tone soft but steady, the way he always is when he speaks to me.
“You’re safe here.You’re with me now, Hannah.”
For the first time in what feels like forever, I let myself believe him.I let myself believe that maybe, just maybe, this is where I’m meant to be.
