Chapter 21

Jackson’s POV

I sat down in Hannah’s kitchen and accepted the glass of iced tea she handed me. The chill hit my throat as I took a long sip, needing something to cool the unease crawling beneath my skin. I'd come straight here from Nathan’s office, no detours, no distractions. Just answers.

“I know you’re worried about her,” I began, meeting Hannah’s eyes across the table. “And I’m not asking you to trust me blindly, but I need you to understand, hurting her isn’t something I would ever do on purpose.”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and her hands curled around her mug as if bracing herself.

“That girl has been through a lot,” she said quietly, voice heavy with emotion. “More than words can express. I don’t want her heart shattered again. She almost died after losing…”

She cut herself off, her eyes darting away. Whatever she was about to say, it wasn’t mine to know, at least not yet.

“You don’t have to tell me,” I replied gentl