***
What the hell did I do to deserve that outburst?
Josh got up from the table and went after her.
Behind him Madison called his name, but he ignored her and went after Hannah. White canvas tunnel flew by as he raced after her, determined to find out more about what was going on.
“Hannah?” he called, slowing to a stop as the hall ended, opening up yet again into the vehicle area.
Popular place today. Thankfully Jared and the others are gone.
There was no answer. He frowned, looking around the cavernous section of the warehouse. The entire area seemed empty to his eyes. Where had she gone? The sound of her shoes on the concrete floor had been more than audible enough for him to track down the hallway. The door was still closed, and it hadn’t been anywhere near long enough for her to get through one of them. That meant Hannah was still there.
A very soft noise caught his attention as he closed his eyes and listened carefully. Eyelids snapped open and he headed back toward the darkest part of the storage area, moving between containers and crates stacked above his head. Most of it had all been shipped in from Genesis Valley in the event that they might need it.
“Leave me alone,” she said, her voice almost a growl as he saw her leaning back against a crate, her eyes focused on some spot on the roof that only she could see.
“No.” The single word was hard and unyielding.
Hannah’s head lowered to face him, her eyes narrowed dangerously at his tone.
Josh rolled his eyes. “Don’t give me that,” he said, bullying his way through her defenses. “I don’t deserve it, and you know it.”
The glare held its intensity.
“Enough,” he said with a chop of his hand. “I don’t know why you’re angry, Hannah. I truly don’t, but I have not done anything wrong to you, certainly nothing to deserve this sort of hatred. I want to help,” he pleaded with her. “But you have to let me in.”
“You don’t understand,” she said with a snarl, slamming her fist into the crate and pushing off it, moving past him and back toward the brighter area.
“I know I don’t,” he said in disbelief, turning and following alongside her. “That is why I’m here, talking to you. I’m trying to understand, Hannah, I truly am. But I can’t if you won’t talk to me!” His voice rose in frustration at the end, against his will.
Hannah kept walking, ignoring him.
“Dammit, look at me!” he said, reaching out to spin her around, his hand landing on her right shoulder.
Her reaction wasn’t anything like what he had been prepared for. Hannah didn’t resist his touch. Instead she moved with it, snapping her right arm up to dislodge his grip. As she came around, her left hand shot out and the flat of her palm hit him in the chest, driving him back a step with her strength.
Josh wasn’t hurt, but the strength of her blow caught him off guard. Hannah wasn’t done there. An inferno erupted in her eyes as she stepped closer, bringing the hand that had thrown his shoulder off around and closing it into a fist, ready to strike again.
“Whoa!” he said, throwing his hands out to the side, fingers spread wide to indicate he wasn’t a threat.
Hannah held her stance for a moment longer, eyes blazing away at him, something flickering in them that stopped him cold.
“What is going on?” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “What aren’t you telling me?”
No response came from the woman standing across from him, though he thought the rage in her eyes might have dimmed a little bit.
Josh’s shoulders sagged as he stared right back. “What did I do wrong?” he asked, dejected. “I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said softly, closing his eyes.
A choked-off cry was the last thing he expected to hear.
“Hannah?” he asked as he opened his eyes quickly.
The fire was gone from her. The first stone fell from her barriers as he watched. Everything seemed to crumble internally, and suddenly there was a human expression on her face.
Pain.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, tears springing to her eyes and wasting no time trailing wet tracks down her cheeks.
His heart ached for her. Josh wanted nothing more than to reach out and pull her into his embrace. To stroke her hair and tell her that whatever it was, it would be okay. That they could work it out.
But he couldn’t. That wasn’t what Hannah needed just then. He wasn’t sure how he knew that, but he did.
“You didn’t do anything,” she told him through the tears. “You’ve been polite, and for the most part, a true gentleman.”
“Why then?” he practically begged.
“I wish…” she trailed off. “I can’t,” she said with a violent shaking of her head.
Without saying another word, she turned and fled.