TRAGICALLY BROKEN: The Broken Series (Damaged, Book 1) (RE-IMAGINED & EXTENDED)

SIX

HANNAH

I hurriedly weave through the maze of dancers, feeling the same set of eyes following my every move. Thankfully, when I reach the exit, I can quickly squeeze through the bottleneck of the doorway to escape. I'm instantly hit with the warm night air and breathe in deeply. Sucking in a steadying breath, I release it slowly, letting it unwind the tension coiled inside me.

Who was that guy?

The look he gave me... Why would he toy with me like that? Was it a game to him just to inflate his ego, to make me think he's interested? And why am I getting so upset when I should simply be irritated?

There was just something about him. He looked at me with such an intense fire burning in his eyes—like I was the purest oxygen to fuel his flames. I couldn't think. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. He made me lose sight of everything around me, and it was just too much—too unexpected. I needed to get out of there to clear my head. And now that I'm out here, I can feel the heat of the moment finally leaching from my skin.

I leave the clamour of the party behind and walk around the property in a daze. I press my hand to my chest, still feeling the effects of the stranger in my stampeding heart and in my stomach, where the crazed butterflies he created continue to flap wildly.

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to leave the safety of numbers behind. My wise parents always told me to never walk alone and use the buddy system.

You never know what's lurking in the shadows.

I don't know why, but I keep walking, choosing not to heed their guidance. Before I realize it, I'm at the end of the driveway, near a wooded area on the right. Tall trees loom above the edge, creating a cavernous tunnel over a narrow path. Suddenly aware of my oversight, I spin around, slamming into something solid.

"Hi, Princess."

The warm night air suddenly turns cold.

The past I've been so adamantly running from is staring me in the face.

Just as handsome. And just as dangerous.

***

2 YEARS AGO

Tonight is the senior prom at our high school—all glitz and glamour, followed by high expectations of what happens next. Different schools. New friends. It's my last chance to show Matt how much I love him before we start a new chapter in our lives.

After hearing the car pull into our driveway, I look out the window and see him walking up to the door of our modern-styled home. He raises his hand to knock, but I excitedly open the door before it makes contact.

His short dirty blonde hair is expertly messed, giving me a clear view of the tiny scar above his left eye. It reminds me of the chivalrous moment—about a year ago—when we attempted ice skating at a local rink. Being Californian-born, it was like we were walking on new legs. And, in an attempt to save me from falling, we both fell awkwardly, and he came face-to-face with the toe pick on my skate.

I think it gives him a masculine allure.

The tux he's wearing looks like it was made for him—the jacket moulding to his broad, muscular shoulders and tapering toward his narrow waist. Thoughts of what's underneath are enough to make me blush, and I become temporarily tongue-tied when he smirks knowingly.

He follows my lead and scans me from head-to-toe, following the silky lines of my full length, burgundy strapless gown. He concentrates on where it hugs my curves. And I don't miss the way his eyes return to the sweetheart neckline that accentuates the cleavage I've recently come into possession of. Or the way they travel up the length of my neck to where my hair is pulled up into a classic up-do.