Chapter 40 Joint rides
Hannah
I stood at the foot of the stairs long after Timothy disappeared down the hallway, my fingers curled around the banister like it might anchor me to something solid.
Yes, I was.
The words echoed in my head, steady and unflinching, nothing like the cold deflections I was used to from him. He hadn’t snapped them out. He hadn’t hidden behind cruelty or indifference. He’d just… said it. Plain. Serious. Real.
It left me unmoored.
Eventually, I forced myself to move. I went to my room, showered, letting the hot water pound against my skin until my thoughts blurred into steam. I ate whatever Lisa sent up without tasting much of it, exhaustion dragging at my bones. By the time my head hit the pillow, I was asleep almost instantly, dreams fractured and restless.
When I woke the next morning, sunlight streamed through the curtains, soft and deceptively calm, like the night before hadn’t happened at all.
I dressed quickly, heart already lifting at the thought of the puppy. He’d be washed and fed, Timothy had said. Safe. The idea of holding him again warmed something fragile inside my chest.
I slipped out of my room and headed downstairs, already planning to ask Lisa where they’d taken him…
“Hannah.”
I stopped.
Timothy stood in the doorway of the dining room, suit jacket off, sleeves rolled up. He looked… domestic, in a way that felt illegal to see.
“Yes?” I said cautiously.
“What are you up to?”
“I…uh. I wanted to check on the puppy.” I gestured T to nothing in particular.
“You can do that after breakfast,” he said, pulling out a chair. “Join me.”
I hesitated.
Breakfast with Timothy wasn’t part of my mental itinerary. But refusing felt childish, and after last night, something in me didn’t want to retreat just yet.
“Okay,” I said finally, and sat.
The silence that followed was… strange.
Not sharp. Not hostile.
Just awkward.
We ate across from each other, forks clinking softly against plates. Every so often, I felt his gaze on me, and when I looked up, he’d already turned away. When our eyes did meet, we both seemed to flinch, like we’d brushed an exposed nerve.
It was like walking on eggshells.
“So,” he said eventually, clearing his throat. “Did you sleep well?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Did you?”
“Yes.”
Another pause.
“How’s your head?” he tried again. “From the wine.”
“It’s fine. Surprisingly.”
He nodded, lips pressing together as if he’d run out of safe topics. I took a sip of juice, heart thudding harder than it should have.
We finished quickly.
“I’ll um..wsee you later,” I said, standing too fast.
“Yes,” he replied. “Have a good day.”
I practically fled the room, shaking my head at myself as if I could physically dislodge the awkwardness clinging to me.
Lisa found me near the hallway. “If you’re looking for the puppy, follow me.”
She led me to a small side room near the back of the house. The moment the door opened, a small shape wobbled forward on uneven legs.
“Oh,” I breathed.
He hobbled toward me, tail wagging furiously, one ear flopping lower than the other. I dropped to my knees without thinking and scooped him up.
“There you are,” I whispered, burying my face in his warm fur. “You scared me so badly.”
He licked my chin enthusiastically.
“He’s been cleaned, fed, and checked,” Lisa said. “Some injury to the leg. Nothing permanent. Tried to clean as best as I could. You’d need to take him to the vet though.”
“Thank you,” I said fervently.
I carried him outside, intending to head straight to the pet shelter. The morning air was crisp, fresh…
And then I nearly collided with Timothy.
He stood by the car, checking his watch. He looked up, clearly surprised to see me.
“Oh,” I said. “I thought you’d already left.”
“Not yet,” he replied. His eyes flicked to the puppy. “You’re taking him to the shelter?”
I blinked. “How did you…Um, yeah.”
“Of course you are,” he said, like it was obvious.
“Yes,” I said slowly. “That was the plan.”
“I can drop you off,” he offered. “It’s on my way.”
I froze.
The offer hung between us, fragile as spun glass. My mouth opened and closed multiple times, my brain glitching.
I stayed silent for too long.
Timothy shifted, clearing his throat. “Or…never mind. I can…”
“Yes,” I said quickly. “I mean…yes, that would be nice.”
He paused, then nodded once and opened the car door for me.
I slid in carefully, puppy curled against my chest. Timothy got in beside me, the car pulling away smoothly.
For most of the drive, I stared out the window, fingers absently stroking the puppy’s fur. Timothy worked on his phone beside me, but I could feel his presence acutely, like gravity.
I glanced at him.
He was already looking at me.
He looked away immediately.
“Do you have a name for him?” he asked after a moment.
“No,” I admitted. “I don’t even know what I’m going to do yet.”
He nodded. “You’ll figure it out.”
We arrived at the shelter too soon. I stepped out, smiling awkwardly at him.
“Thank you,” I said.
“Your guards will stay nearby,” he added. “As usual. Please don’t wander off.”
“I promise,” I said, holding up a hand and giving a mock salute.
He nodded and the car drove away. I watched until it disappeared from view.
“Girl?”
I turned.
Sienna stood by the doorway, arms crossed, eyebrow arched.
“Was that Mr. Stuck-Up himself?” she asked.
I snorted. “Yes.”
“He’s dropping you off now?”
I laughed, shaking my head as I walked toward her. “Oh, girl. You have no idea.”