“Nope. Ty reworked the floor plan, and I memorized it. We moved everything to keep me from stubbing my toe. He’s incredible,” she gushed.
“I can tell,” Hannah said, laughing. “You’re completely enamored with your husband.”
“He’s amazing. Speaking of men, Cole seems like a good guy,” Scarlett hedged.
“He’s very sweet. Except when he wants all the mashed potatoes and gravy. Don’t stand in his way. Last night, he grilled salmon with asparagus. He even grilled pineapple. Have you ever made it? I haven’t tried it before and Cole insisted on it. I’ll never eat it plain again.”
Scarlett smiled and didn’t say anything.
“What? Don’t smirk and then stay silent,” she insisted.
“He reminds me of Ty in some ways. Cole’s pushing you to try new things,” she murmured. “He likes you.”
“No, he’s only helping me,” she denied.
“Really,” Scarlett scoffed. “The man practically glows when you come into the room. And before you say I can’t see it, his voice changes when you’re around. Cole’s protective of you.”
“I feel safe with him,” Hannah admitted quietly. “It’s like I’ve known him my whole life. I don’t understand after everything I endured with the rebels, why I’m not terrified of him. I feel antsy when I’m around all those big men, but when Cole enters, my body calms.”
“You know it’s okay to like him,” Scarlett said. “You seem to have a lot in common.”
“Do you know my parents keep calling? My mom still sends me a text each night and my dad leaves voicemails, demanding I return home. Kassie and Claire said I’m capable of deciding my own medical needs and I signed paperwork removing them from making any decisions on my behalf.” She changed the subject.
“Oh, honey. I’m sorry. You know they’re worried about you. It may not feel like it, but if they’re calling this much, I’m sure they’re thinking about you,” Scarlett sympathized.
“At least Mom does. They didn’t plan to see me until after the holidays. Yet, Dad insists I return home now,” she said, frustrated.
Scarlett felt for her hand. “If I’ve learned anything from this experience, you never know how strong you are until you have to be. Stop living your life according to what your dad may or may not approve of. What do you want?”
“I want what you have. A man who peers at me as Ty does you. Someone who I can laugh with and not worry about what they think of me,” she confessed, drinking the rest of her mocktail.
“Can I ask you what happened over there? I can guess, but maybe you need to talk to someone who’s not approaching it clinically.”
Hannah set her glass down. “I don’t know how it started. We arrived at the camp and doled out the supplies. I returned for my clipboard and counted the boxes to ensure we delivered the correct number. I heard the gunshots. Two of the men went down instantly. I recall seeing them lying on the ground as a big, burly man dragged me from the building. They threw me into the back of an old truck after they tied my hands and covered my eyes. I cried for help until one of the men I recognized from the unit told me to stop. He reminded me not to say anything other than my name, rank, and birthday.”
“You must’ve felt terrified,” Scarlett said softly as she moved closer to Hannah, holding her close.
“Not at first. Our men promised me someone would come for us. After all, we didn’t make it back to base. They separated me from the group and put me in a separate tent. I didn’t know it at the time, but the rebels told them they raped me forevery question they refused to answer. Instead, they kept me blindfolded and cut me with knives to make me scream or beat me. I thought they planned to kill me and waited for the final jab, but it never came. After two men died and they didn’t get the information they wanted, they hauled me outside to watch the men get beaten and tortured.”
“Oh, Hannah,” Scarlett murmured.
“I can still hear their cries at night,” she whispered. “One night, a man came in and pretended to untie me in an effort to help me. I was so naïve. He led me into another tent where I thought they held the other men. Instead, it was his friends. I don’t recall much. Claire says it’s my brain protecting me. I only recall them throwing water on me to revive me. Three days later, I got rescued.”
“Anyone might’ve done the same thing. You have nothing to blame yourself for,” Scarlett assured her. “Not everyone over there believes we’re horrible people. They’re scared of punishment for sharing those ideas.”
“Sometimes I consider it a blessing I don’t remember everything. There’s no way a man will take a peek at my body and not run for the hills, including Cole. I refuse to delude myself into thinking a man will want me after…”
“Then you’re already delusional,” Scarlett chastised her. “You’ve given up on yourself. I think you’ve listened to your father for way too long. You’re a brave, smart, and beautiful woman. You didn’t have a choice, Hannah. It’s on them, not you.”
“Not everyone will see it as you do. You know, I heard a couple of nurses talking in the hallway at one of the hospitals. They said I asked for it. Why did I join a male-dominated field and not expect something like this?” she whispered.
“Listen to me. Those women are judgmental buttheads. Leo barely knows you and offered you a job because of yourexpertise. The military needs people like you all the time,” Scarlett growled.
“Anyone can count boxes and move them from one place to another and take inventory,” Hannah denied.
“I have listened to Leo bitch nonstop about those socks since I arrived. It took one phone call from you, and it got handled. You know what you’re doing. Don’t downplay your job. I know how you feel. Ty’s love made me decide whether I wanted to stay a victim in my darkness or let the light in. I’m thankful I chose the light every morning when I wake up beside him.”
Hannah sighed. “Did you ever wish you might’ve died rather than come home blind?”
