Chapter 069
HANNAH
Cade groaned and began to pace the room.
"The problem with you-" he said. "is that you are not reasoning objectively. Asher's treatment of Hannah is not enough reason to commit murder."
"Murder?" Jace cried. "Now who's not being objective? Last time I checked, there were no dead bodies. You can't call it murder if nobody is dead, can you? You're just blowing the whole thing out of proportion."
Cade, gritting his teeth spun around to face Jace.
"So I suppose attempted murder sounds good to you then," he said. "If Hannah didn't kill someone, it was merely by a stroke of luck. When will you get that fact into your thi-"
Willa and Chase who had been quiet during this exchange burst into speech at the same time and the whole argument started again. This time, they seemed bent on shouting each other down, even Jace who hadn't been in support of all the yelling.
I took a deep breath and said, "They tried to kill me."
Though I had spoken in a low tone, they had all heard me. At once they all stopped talking. Their eyes were eager, all trained on me.
Cade broke the sudden silence by asking me to repeat what I had just said.
"Asher and Julia tried to kill me," I repeated. "They started this whole thing. That's why I did what I did."
In a tone that was weary and was trying, and failing to be patient, Cade said, "I really want to believe you, Hannah. I really do, but you stabbed Julia in the hallway, almost killed Asher at the cafeteria. If they were really planning to kill you, why would they split up? Why didn't they come after you together? It just doesn't make any sense."
"Cade," Jace said in a warning tone.
"I'm sorry, but when we put this all side by side with your spoken desire not long ago to kill Asher and Julian..."
"That has nothing to do with what happened. They split up because it was a part of their plan."
"Really?"
"Yes!" I snapped. "I knew it was their plan because I dreamt about it."
This time, the silence in the room was so loud you could hear a pin drop.
"In the dream, I saw them trying to kill me. I saw exactly how it would happen. I tried to ignore the dream, but when the fire alarm started blaring like it had done in my dream, I knew something was wrong. I wanted to leave the school immediately but then Willa lost her key. We had to find it. We got seperated. That's when Julia attacked me." I was sitting up straight, glaring at Cade now who looked as though he could not quite bring himself to believe me. "She came at me with a knife. I stabbed her in self defense. I wasn't going to lie there to let them finish the job they had started. It was either them or me. If you think I feel even a little sorry for what I did, I'm sorry to disappoint you but I'm not. I'll do it again and again and again if I had to make that choice. You're not going to make me feel guilty for wanting to live!"
Willa stroked her chin as she thought.
"Hannah actually slept in class," she said. "And we all know that is something she never does, so I believe her. Also I'm not against her taking Julia and Asher out. They had it coming. Sorry, but I'm definitely team Hannah on this."
"Well, brother," said Jace to Cade. "Now you've heard all that happened, do you still think she's a murderer? Should she have spared them and let them finish her off?"
"What she should have done was to text us or call us the moment she suspected something was wrong," said Cade. It seemed that no matter what I said, Cade seemed hellbent on painting me in a bad light. "We would have stopped them and we certainly wouldn't have ended up with an almost half dead person on our hands!"
I sprang to my feet, marched up to Cade who stared down at me with a hard expression.
"Why do you want me to be the monster here so badly?" I yelled. "Why don't you ever stand up for me, huh? It seems Jace is the only one who does that around here. He's the only one who actually cares for me!"
"You're overreacting," Cade said dismissively.
"I'm not! They tried to kill me. All you can think about was that I didn't call you first? You know, maybe you're not actually upset about what I did. You're angry that I can finally stand on my own, that I'm no longer dependent on you like I used to be. Newsflash! I'm not that weak, snivelling girl anymore. Listen, the next time I get an opportunity like that, I will kill Asher without hesitation."
I whirled around, stormed out of the room. Jace followed, calling my name. I hurried on but he got even closer. I ran to my room. Before I could slam the door closed, Jace had gotten one foot in.
"Go away. Leave me alone," I said, but he pushed and pushed until I had no choice but to let go of the door.
He came in, placed his hands on my shaking shoulders.
"Deep breaths," he said in a low, soothing voice. "Calm down."
"Why? Why does Cade always think the worst of me? What have I done to him?"
"Hannah, you've done nothing. Cade is just being... Cade. He can be a little overprotective at times. Well... a lot of the time."
"I'm not sure that's it," I murmured.
"You know what? I think you're right." I looked up at him sharply. "Yes. Maybe Cade is Asher in disguise and he really has it in for you. Maybe they switched bodies. That must be why my brother's been acting like a pain in the ass lately."
I grinned, burst into laughter at his ridiculous theory. Jace chuckled.
He tweaked my chin. "Now that's better. It feels good to hear you laugh."
I slipped an arm around his waist.
"Jace? I want to ask you something."
"Ask away. Anything."
"Why do you always defend me, always listen to my side?"
"Hmm. It must because I love you, flaws and all. I'll support you whether you're right or wrong. I think that's what love does."
He caressed my chin, pulled me closer. Our lips met.
He broke the kiss to murmur against my lips, "You brought light into my dark, dark world, Hannah."
The feel of his breath fanning my face sent desire coursing through my body.
Though I didn't really know what he meant, I felt myself melt into his arms as he kissed me again.
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