Getting Her Back

Chapter 26

Hannah

We are back in the hallway standing across from my dad. But I'm hovering above, watching the scene play out.

There he is, holding the gun, while Bradley wraps his body around me.

"Go!" I scream to Bradley, but he doesn't hear me. "Please!"

My dad raises the gun and a cruel smile comes onto his face.

"Bradley!" I scream from my spot. I try to go to him, to save him, but I'm stuck.

The gun is fired and Bradley lets go of me, dropping to the ground.

"No!" I scream over and over again. "Someone help! We need help!"

But no one comes. I hover over Bradley as he bleeds out on the floor.

The last thing he says is, "It's all your fault."

All your fault.

All your fault.

All my fault.

I jolted up in bed and a scream tore from my throat. I turned to the spot next to me, but Bradley wasn't there.

It didn't really happen. It was a nightmare. Bradley isn't dead.

Tears streamed down my face and I jumped from the bed. I ran across the hall to Bradley's room but he wasn't there so I went downstairs.

"Bradley?" I call out frantically.

I heard thundering footsteps and suddenly he was in front of me.

"Princess? What's wrong?"

I launched myself into Bradley's arms and clung onto him like a koala.

He's here. He's alive. It was just a dream.

I sobbed and sobbed into Bradley's shirt and he just held me, whispering sweet words into my ear to calm me down.

"What happened Princess?"

"I-I had a dream," I choked out through the tears.

"H-he shot you and you d-died." I sob tore through my throat at that. "And it was all my fault."

The tears and sobs came back full force and Bradley moved to the couch, clutching me impossibly closer to him.

"I'm right here Hannah," he said to me. "I'm not going anywhere."

"But you almost did!" I cried out, remembering how he shielded me from the gun.

Bradley sighed and pulled away to look at me. His hand caressed my cheek and he touched his forehead to mine.

"I couldn't let you die Princess."

"I can't live without you!"

"You don't have to," Bradley said.

"So what? You're just going to be stuck with me forever?"

He would be stuck with me, the broken girl. The girl who wakes up screaming in the middle of the night and is always crying like a baby.

Bradley doesn't deserve that. He deserves someone normal who can make him happy.

"There's no one I'd rather be stuck with," Bradley told me.

"But I can't make you happy. One day you'll regret this and I'll be dumped to the curb and I'll break for good," I sobbed

"No," Bradley said firmly and I looked up to him. "You are my forever, Hannah. I could never live without you."

Bradley hugged me and rubbed my back soothingly until I calmed down.

"Now, how about some breakfast?"

I nodded and tried to get up, but Bradley wouldn't let me. He carried me into the kitchen and sat at the table with me on his lap. He had already made everything before my meltdown so all he had to do was pull our plates over.

I sat and ate the delicious meal Bradley made for us. He made chocolate chip waffles and bacon and eggs.

After breakfast, Bradley's phone rang and he left me to take the call. It was from Damien so I figured it was something important.

"Princess? Can you come here?" Bradley called from upstairs.

I ran up the stairs and went into Bradley's room where he was sitting at his desk, a frown fixed on his face. Did I do something wrong?

"Come here Princess."

I went over and cautiously sat on Bradley's lap. Something was going on here and it was making me nervous.

"W-what's going on?" I worked up the nerve to ask.

Bradley sighed. There was sound coming from the phone so I knew Damien was listening.

"Princess, we have to figure out what to do with your dad."

My entire body tensed up and Bradley rubbed my back soothingly. It helped me relax a little, but not much.

I have to decide what to do with the body of my dad. My abuser.

Do I bury him and let him have a gravestone? Do I donate him to science and let them experiment on him? Or do I cremate him and throw the ashes out somewhere?

I don't know what to do. I trusted that man more than anything and he hurt me.

But he also made me stronger.

And he brought me to Bradley.

So it wasn't all bad. Maybe I just had to take a little pain to get to the happy parts of life.

"I-I want to cremate him," I told Bradley and Damien. I have an idea, but I'm not ready to tell them yet.

"Ok. Thanks Hannah," Damien said.

He was about to hang up but I caught him before he did. "I want the ashes."

There was a pause of silence. I think Bradley and Damien are confused. I think I might be a little confused.

"Ok."

Damien hung up and Bradley pulled me more securely to him. I melted into his hold and let my body relax. I'm safe in Bradley's arms. He will always protect me.

"I'm so proud of you Princess," Bradley said to me. "You are so strong and I'm so lucky to have you."

I shook my head. "No, I'm the lucky one."

Bradley cupped my face and looked into my eyes. "I love you Hannah. I love you so much that it hurts."

My eyes widened and I gasped. He said it! He said the 'L' word.

Bradley was looking at me waiting for my response and I forced my mouth to move and say what I was feeling.

"I love you too," I whispered.

Bradley's face widened into a grin and he pulled my mouth to his, kissing me deeply.

His lips moved to my jawline and my neck, whispering "I love you" between each kiss.

I could barely hold back the moans that wanted to escape me and I was both relieved and disappointed when Bradley's lips left my skin.

We just stared at each other in complete silence. A minute could've passed by or an hour; I wouldn't know. All I know is Bradley right now.

I snuggled into Bradley's chest and he held me close. It felt so good to be in his arms.

"Hey Bradley?"

Bradley hummed, telling me I had his attention.

"I had an idea of what to do with my dad's ashes."