The library was quiet, save for the faint hum of fluorescent lights and the occasional sound of pages turning. Hanna’s hand still tingled where Finn had touched it, his warmth lingering even though he now sat across the table from her.
She stared at the wooden surface between them, her mind racing with everything she wanted to say but couldn’t quite find the words for. Finn, for his part, seemed content to wait, his gaze soft and patient.
Finally, Hanna broke the silence. “Why are you doing this?” Her voice was low, unsure, but her eyes met his.
“Doing what?” he asked gently.
“This,” she said, gesturing between them. “Trying to fix something that feels so… broken.”
Finn leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. His expression was raw, unguarded in a way that made her chest tighten. “Because you’re worth it,” he said simply.
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard. She opened her mouth to reply, but no words came.
“Hanna,” he continued, his voice steady but filled with emotion, “I know I’ve hurt you. I know I made mistakes—so many mistakes—but not because I didn’t care. I pulled away because I was scared.”
“Scared of what?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Of how much I feel for you,” Finn admitted, his gaze never leaving hers. “Of what I’d lose if I let myself believe I deserved you.”
Hanna’s breath hitched. She wasn’t used to hearing Finn speak like this—so open, so vulnerable. It made her want to reach across the table and take his hand, but she hesitated, the weight of everything between them holding her back.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” she confessed. “Not with everything that’s happened. Not with how many people have been hurt because of us.”
“I’m not asking you to fix everything right now,” Finn said softly. “I’m just asking you to take this one step at a time. With me.”
Her heart ached at his words, a mix of hope and fear battling within her. She wanted to believe him—to believe that they could rebuild something from the wreckage they’d created. But the scars of the past weren’t so easily ignored.
“I don’t know if I can trust you,” she admitted, her voice trembling.
Finn nodded, his expression serious. “Then let me earn it. Let me show you that I mean every word I’m saying.”
For a moment, they sat in silence, the tension between them thick but not uncomfortable. Finally, Hanna let out a shaky breath and nodded. “Okay,” she said, her voice barely audible. “But I’m not promising anything.”
“That’s enough,” Finn said, a small smile tugging at his lips.