Page 50 of ’Til You Break

“Hannah?” Dr. Andrew Jensen calls after me.

I offer an awkward wave but don’t return the greeting. I’ve had enough. All I want is to go home, curl up with Muffin, and pretend today never happened.

“Wait up a second,” he calls, handing his clipboard to one of the nurses before hurrying over. “How’ve you been?”

“Emotionally distraught, but physically in good health.” I try to pass my misery off as a joke.

Andrew chuckles.

So maybe it wasn’t a complete failure.

“Well, if you’ve got your health, you can climb your way back to the top of the hill, right?” He offers me a reassuring smile before pushing open the door and stepping outside with me.

Here, the sun beats down from a cloudless sky. If my visit inside had gone better, today would’ve been perfect for lounging by the pool. Soaking up the sunshine. Letting myself forget everything else for a while.

“And what about you?” I ask, more out of politeness than anything.

I’m surprised he even stopped to talk to me. We’d only worked a handful of shifts together, and out of everyone at the hospital, Andrew wasn’t the person I’d expected to come after me. Not that I’m complaining.

Tall, lean, and easy on the eyes, Dr. Jensen is a welcome distraction from the disaster waiting behind me... and the one waiting back at Vik’s house.

Speaking of Vik...

I suppress a groan as I pull out my phone and find a string of text messages from him. The last one irritates me the most.

Got dinner covered tonight. I’ll treat you to something nice.

He’s trying. But it isn’t enough. I needed this a week ago. When I was trembling. Crying. Trying to make sense of what happened in that alley.

Now...

It’s too late.

It’s time to put on my big-girl pants and stay strong. Which makes me even more grateful Andrew is standing beside me.

It’s nice talking to someone normal...

...instead of being stuck in a house with my psycho stepbrother.

“Good,” Andrew says.

His smile fades and is replaced by something more serious.

“I want you to know I hated the way they treated you, Hannah. They couldn’t see it, but I always believed you were trying to do the right thing.”

“You really think so?”

I don’t know whether to believe him. It’s easy to say the right things after the fact.

“I do. But my opinion doesn’t carry much weight with the higher-ups, and they ignored every argument I made on your behalf.”

Maybe he’s telling the truth.

Maybe he isn’t.

Either way...

It doesn’t change anything.