CHAPTER 6

The coffee shop’s interior was a blend of traditional Hawaiian design, though the faded walls and peeling paint hinted it had seen better days. My eyes wandered from one wall to another, scanning the room in a desperate attempt to avoid Claire’s penetrating gaze. She hadn’t stopped watching me since Hunter left, and her stare felt like it could peel away layers of secrets I wasn’t ready to reveal.

“Good décor,” I said impulsively, trying to break the silence, though the words felt hollow.

“My daughter’s idea,” Claire replied, her voice softening with a note of pride. “She’s an interior designer in Illinois.”

For a fleeting second, the warmth in her tone hit something deep within me. A sharp pang of pain surged through my chest, and unbidden images of my parents lying in a pool of their own blood, slaughtered by Rowan’s hand, flashed across my mind. I clenched the cup of coffee tighter, willing the memory away, but it lingered like a shadow, twisting the small talk into something bittersweet.

“Sounds like a good kid,” I murmured, taking another sip of the coffee. The warmth seeped into me, a temporary comfort after hours of riding through the cold night with Hunter.

“Yeah, well,” Claire shrugged, her eyes softening at the thought of her daughter. “She was trouble enough in her teenage years. I’m just glad she turned out alright in the end.”

A faint smile touched her lips, but her words trailed off, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to her story. I imagined a mother struggling to rein in a rebellious child, watching as they grew and eventually found their way. It was the kind of story I might’ve had with my own parents, if Rowan hadn’t taken that future from me. If things had been different, I’d probably be at home, fretting over baby clothes or planning a nursery. My mum would definitely be going through a list of baby names while fighting with dad over the gender of the kid. I would be smiling, happy that I had my family with me. 

Instead, I was here, in a run-down coffee shop in the middle of nowhere, clutching onto fragments of normalcy in the midst of chaos. Not knowing when his men would find me and cut my life short.

“Must be nice,” I said quietly, my voice thick with emotion I didn’t intend to show. Claire’s words stirred something fragile in me—something that reminded me of what I’d lost and what I’d never have.

She noticed the shift in my tone, and her gaze softened further. “You got family somewhere, sweetheart?”

The question made my heart lurch, and I fought to keep my expression neutral. I swallowed hard, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Not anymore.”

Claire’s face fell slightly, a flicker of understanding crossing her features, but she didn’t press further. Instead, she turned to wipe down the counter, giving me a few moments of silence. The knot of grief and anger that had lodged in my chest began to loosen, but not enough to make it go away.

Dean, who had been watching quietly from the back, finally spoke up. “It’s a hard thing, losing people,” he said, his voice rough but not without sympathy. “But you keep going. Doesn’t mean it gets easier, but you find ways to keep moving.”

I nodded, though the weight of his words felt heavier than I expected. Keeping going—that’s all I’d been doing, wasn’t it? Just moving from place to place, never truly escaping the past, only hoping to outrun the inevitable. But Rowan would always be just a step behind, no matter how far I went. And when he caught up, I didn’t know if I’d have the strength to fight him.

The coffee warmed my hands, but inside, a chill I couldn’t shake had taken root. I looked at the clock on the wall—ten minutes had passed. Hunter would be back soon. I just had to hold it together a little longer.

"Your coffee’s on the house," Claire said softly, her voice pulling me out of my thoughts. She glanced toward the door, as if sensing the weight of what I was running from, though she didn’t know the details. "Consider it a small favor for someone who's had enough trouble for one lifetime."

I offered a grateful nod, unsure of what to say. In this quiet, forgotten corner of the world, I found a fleeting moment of peace, but it felt fragile, like a bubble waiting to burst.

Dean wiped his hands on a rag and gave me a serious look. "Take care of yourself, alright? Whatever you're running from—it won't stop. But neither should you." 

His words hung in the air, a quiet warning wrapped in concern. And deep down, I knew he was right. I couldn’t stop, not now. Not ever.

"And Hunter—he's a good kid," Claire said after a few minutes of silence, pausing mid-wipe as her eyes flickered over to me. "He’s got a big heart, you know. Sometimes, that’s exactly what gets him into trouble."

I nodded, the meaning behind her words sinking in. She didn’t need to spell it out for me—I knew what she was getting at. In her eyes, I was trouble. She thought I was the danger Hunter needed to stay away from, the storm he’d be better off avoiding. And it hurt. It hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I wasn’t always like this, a walking disaster waiting to unravel people’s lives. Six years ago, when I was freshly eighteen, I brought life into the people around me. I used to be the kind of person others wanted close—bright, full of promise, with a future that felt limitless. But my reality now was far different from that carefree girl I used to be. That version of me was long gone, buried beneath layers of loss and grief. Rowan had seen to that.

"I understand," I said quietly, staring into the dark swirl of my coffee. I couldn’t afford to let anyone get close, not anymore. Letting people in was like handing them a death sentence. Every person who had tried to help me had paid for it in blood.

The memory of my best friend, Linda, flashed through my mind, unbidden. We’d been inseparable since childhood—she was like my sister. And then she was gone, taken by the same man who had destroyed everything else I held dear. Rowan hadn’t hesitated, hadn’t even flinched when he ended her life. I had watched, helpless, as she slipped away. It was my fault, just like everything else. I should’ve known better. 

I clenched my fists, willing the rising tide of guilt and anger back down. I’d lost everyone—my parents, my friends. It was the pattern of my life, wasn’t it? Anyone who stood too close got swept away in the wake of my destruction.

Claire must’ve noticed the change in my expression, the tightening of my jaw, the flicker of pain in my eyes. She set the rag down, her voice softening. “People like Hunter… they want to save everyone. But sometimes, sweetheart, you can’t save someone who doesn’t want saving.”

Her words struck deep. I wanted to argue, to tell her that I did want to be saved, that I didn’t want this life of running and hiding. But what good would it do? She wasn’t wrong. At this point, I wasn’t sure if there was any saving left for me. Maybe all I could do was keep running, keep surviving long enough to make sure Rowan didn’t destroy anyone else.

But Hunter… He had been kind to me, far kinder than he should’ve been given the circumstances. He didn’t deserve to be caught up in my mess. Claire was right—he had a big heart, and people like him always got hurt when they tried to help someone like me.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. It was all I could manage. I didn’t want to admit it, but the thought of pushing Hunter away, of leaving him behind for his own safety, weighed heavily on me. In the short time we’d known each other, he’d become a rare source of comfort, a reminder that there were still people in the world who cared, even if I didn’t deserve it.

But deep down, I knew what had to be done. I couldn’t let him get too close, not if I wanted to protect him. I’d already lost enough people.

“Just... don’t let him get too tangled up in your troubles,” Claire added softly, as if reading my thoughts. “He’s strong, but even the strongest can break.”

Her words hung in the air between us, a quiet warning I couldn’t ignore. Hunter was the first person in a long time who made me feel even a little bit safe, but I knew that safety was an illusion. One that could shatter with a single misstep.

I nodded again, though my heart felt heavier with each passing second. Hunter would be back soon, and I had less than five minutes to decide how to tell him goodbye.