Chapter 28

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Cara's P.O.V.

I didn't want to think. The anxiety of knowing that my parents could soon find out about Hannah and how they would react ate me up inside. I felt like I would suffocate so I turned to the comfort I've used in the past.  I just wanted to get lost into the feeling. The pain from the scalding water turned into numbness. All I wanted to do was wash away the feelings of fear and disappointment after Luna's visit. To scrub out the nagging voices in my head that told me to hide or be rebellious.

"Cara, stop!" Hannah's voice rang out.

It was as if I was snapped back into reality once the water was turned off.  I was standing in front of the kitchen sink in a daze as Hannah stared at me in horror. She took my hands in her's.

"Your hands are all red." Hannah gently stroked the back of my hands with her thumbs.

I looked down at my hands and they were raw and red.  "Oh."

"What are you doing?" Hannah's eyes stared at me in worry.

"Trying not to think," I stated.

"About what? Your sister?" Hannah pulled me toward the chair by the island before she went and grabbed a paper towel for me to dry my hands.

I couldn't bring myself to look at her at this moment. I didn't want to tell her why. I was scared of what her reaction might be. I knew Hannah dealt with her parents not accepting her sexuality. She would understand how I was feeling. The thing was that Hannah was stronger than me. I couldn't take my parents' disapproval. I would shatter into a million pieces if that happened.  I felt like I was pulled into two different paths. One path was my parents and their approval. It was the only happiness I knew until I met Hannah. Being with Hannah, showed me a different kind of happiness I never knew before. I didn't have to accomplish certain goals or be someone I wasn't to make her happy. She liked me for me. I was still confused by it. I didn't think I was likable.

"Cara?" Hannah held my hands out as she dried them with a towel.

"Why do you like me?"  I couldn't help but stare at her like she was an alien from another planet. How was she real?

"What?" Hannah tilted her head to the side and placed the towel on the island.

"I just don't understand why you like me?" I repeated. "Even I wouldn't date myself."  I was so set in my ways that I am surprised that I haven't driven Hannah crazy. The shoe rack we had by the door, had to be organized by color and shoe style. Everything on the counter or table had to look symmetrical. I had to have dinner at six o'clock because it was enough time between when I had my last meal and when I normally get ready to sleep.

"I found your actions and words to be adorable," Hannah answered. "You were one of the first people that didn't care that I was a model and you liked me for who I was and not for how I looked."

"So...you liked me because I ran away from you?"

Hannah chuckled at my question and pulled me into a hug before placing a kiss on my forehead. "Yes, I had to be the one to chase someone for once."

"So if someone else was indifferent to you then you would like them too?" I felt myself melt into the hug. I am still surprised by how much I loved her hugs. She made everything I thought I disliked before likable.

"Yeah, but she would have to be as cute as you," Hannah responded.

I could feel my face heat up. I have grown accustomed to the point where I do not argue with Hannah anymore about her calling me cute, but it still made me feel embarrassed.

"I like how I can still make you blush," Hannah whispered in my ear.

I could feel myself getting hotter and I couldn't move away from Hannah because she held me tightly in her arms. Instead of fighting, I surrendered to her hold. For a few silent moments, I just enjoyed the safety of Hannah's embrace.

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