The following day, Hanna arrived at her tutoring session with Finn, but her mind was miles away. She barely registered the pages of her notes as they flipped through the textbook. Finn was explaining a passage when he paused, noticing the distant look in her eyes.
“Hanna?” he asked softly. “Is everything okay?”
She blinked, coming back to the present, and forced a small smile. “Sorry, I’ve just… I’ve been a little out of it lately.”
Finn closed the textbook, his expression softening. “You don’t have to pretend with me, you know. If something’s wrong, I’m here.”
The kindness in his voice broke through her defenses, and she felt a surge of emotion she could no longer hold back. “It’s just… everything feels so messed up, Finn. Marco, school, us. I don’t even know what I’m doing half the time.”
He watched her carefully, his gaze steady. “I know it’s a lot. And I know things with Marco haven’t been easy. But you’re not alone in this.”
She looked away, her voice quiet. “I thought being with Marco would fix things, that I could just… move on from everything. But it’s not that simple. I can’t forget the past.”
Finn reached over, his hand resting on hers. “Maybe because some things aren’t meant to be forgotten.”
They sat in silence, the warmth of his hand over hers a quiet reassurance that she wasn’t alone. For a moment, she felt understood, as if he could see past her confusion and into the part of her that was still hurting.
Before they could say anything more, Finn cleared his throat. “I think I know who’s been pulling those pranks, Hanna. I can’t prove it yet, but I’m close.”
She looked at him, worry creasing her brow. “Who do you think it is?”
“I can’t say right now,” he replied, his jaw tight. “But I’m going to confront them soon. I need you to trust me, and promise me you’ll stay safe. I don’t want you getting involved.”
The seriousness in his voice made her heart race, and she nodded slowly. “Just… be careful, okay?”