Chapter 63
HANNAH
One year ago…
All of Liam’s suitcases are taking up space in the hallway.
I watch from my seat in the kitchen, him running around, looking for anything that belongs to him, right down to the silverware.
He’s quiet with a permanent scowl for an expression, eyes narrowed whenever our eyes meet.
A face I once found handsome is now an ugly reminder of what we shared.
But I’m kicking him out.
Snow falls heavily outside, predicted to drop at least a foot. So, it’s only fitting that I make Liam leave during the height of it.
Call it justice, I call it revenge.
I hit my breaking point because I was secretly seeing a therapist, knowing Liam’s actions in our relationship were not normal.
It took some time, but I started to see through his facade, once a shiny new toy, now tarnished and rusted. Never the same again.
Arms crossed, I sit comfortably in my chair, which is part of my dining room set; everything down to our bed and living room set all belong to me. Even this apartment, which is in my name, is mine to kick out whoever I damn well please.
He dumps whatever crap he finds in a big, plastic trash bag, throwing it over his shoulder. “Happy, Hannah? Are you happy that I’m getting kicked out in the middle of a snowstorm?”
“I’ll be even happier once you stop talking and leave,” I snipe, using all my coping skills to create a nice shield from his harsh words.
His hands crinkle the trash bag even more. “You were a waste of time.”
Smiling is one perk of keeping your shields up, and in return, it pisses off your abuser. “Right back at ya.”
His brother Toby comes and helps him remove his belongings from my hallway, shutting the door so he can’t get a final word in.
Instant relief hits, my smile fading to a half frown, eyes and body exhausted from the emotional toll Liam took out on me.
Deciding on a nap, I make my way to my scarce bedroom, walls bare, the top of the dresser empty, even our shared closet, where most of his stuff took up space, is practically empty.
A note is left, taped to the closet door, my name in messy writing. I bring it over to the sink, pull out a lighter from a nearby drawer, and burn it, watching it turn to ash.
Like everything we’ve ever had, burnt to absolutely nothing.
I tell Maya everything, right down to my therapy sessions, to his degrading comments about my body, trying to hide my imperfections from friends and family, how we stopped having sex after six months into dating, and about his controlling habits of what I put in my body.
It’s taken time for me to heal, but seeing him again at the resort with his fiancée and trying to provoke Noah…
“I will kill him,” she threatens.
“Is it worth it? He’s already trying to sabotage the event. He’ll just amp up his antics more.” I stir honey into my tea.
“But he got away with it. I don’t like it,” she protests, blowing on her own tea.
I shrug. “We have to trust Coach Jones and his team of snowboarders to pull this off. Otherwise, our efforts will have been for nothing.” I checked a few of the ads I made, and found that many people have been clicking through to Snowy Peak’s main website.
“Did your parents update on ticket sales?” Crap, I never updated the website with the tree lighting ceremony photos.
“No. I’m sure they will when we…I get back.” She looks at me over her steamy mug. “Hannah, I think you should go back. Liam was removed from our resort. They found camera footage of him stalking you and Noah just before the fight.”
“Are you serious?” Anxiety prickles my neck.
“Local authorities also discovered he has a record for vandalism. My mom told them she wasn’t comfortable with him there, so they removed him.”
“What about his fiancée?”
“We didn’t kick her out, so who knows? Plus, the sneaky bastard switched the seating that night at dinner. I asked my mom to see the seating chart. He’s been trying to sabotage it all since his arrival.”
I can’t imagine what else he would’ve got away with if Maya’s parents didn’t step in. “Did you find out who he paid to get the information about the inn going under?”
She shakes her head. “No, and that’s the freaky part. I thought about Cassy, but she’s been MIA. I’m thinking she checked out already.”
We sip out of our hot mugs, my mind wandering to dark curly hair and haunting brown eyes. I thought about seeing Noah again, and my promise to Jill and Anthony. I’ll admit, I’m mentally exhausted, not at all ready to face anybody.
“He hasn’t been practicing since you left,” she mentions.
“And how do you know that?” Then it hits me. “Are you texting someone?”
She puts her mug down. “Just Henry.”
“Ahh, I see. And do you care to tell me why you were so mad at him that night at dinner?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I don’t remember?”
“Somehow I don’t buy it.”
“Listen, whatever you may think, you’re wrong.” She fiddles with her hair, a tell-tale sign she’s hiding something. I’ll ask her later about it or wait until she’s ready. “But Henry said he barely leaves his cabin. Has he tried texting you?”
My phone has been dead for a couple of days, and I can’t locate my spare charger. “It’s dead, and I left my charger back at Snowy Peak.”
“You can borrow mine.” She’s about to reach for her bag, but I stop her.
“No, I like having some peace.” And not checking social media and seeing any negative comments about my body from the article.
Space, however…space from Noah, I’m not ready for.