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"Oh no you don't This is Chekhov's gun You knohat thatdown the barrel I thought about going outside and firing a round into the forest Fuck, that would feel good

Hannah's clammy hand touched my forearer off the trigger

"Hannah?"

"Yes, Matt, it's me God, it's un She covered ers with hers and lowered it slowly

"Help me," she whispered "How do I"

Her hands shook on azine and racked the slide A round clattered to the floor

Hannah flinched

"It's okay," Ithe slide "It's e," I said

Hannah stood so close that our hips touched She loosened the pistol froazine and collected the fallen round

"I'll be right back," she said "Right back I promise" She darted to the door I shuffled to theand peered out, but I couldn't see a daod, Hannah was here Could it be?

And I pulled a gun on her

And however she got here, she was probably about to hightail it into the night

With un

Fuck

I sluan to drink fro on the coffee table God, this stuff tasted seriously sickening

I didn't hear Hannah return, but suddenly she was kneeling by azed up at uns? Any weapons?"

"No," I mumbled "Unless kitchen knives count"

She let out a breath

She reached for my bottle, then retracted her hand

"Oh, Matt What's happening? Look at you"

I looked ata cheap pair of boxers and two tatty slippers with pompoms on them

"These aren't mine These--I found them here--the slippers Not mine"

I sed another shallow mouthful of bourbon I couldn't think about any of this--Hannah being here,

Hannah smiled A tear slipped down her cheek

"That's okay," she whispered "That's okay" She patted one of otta keep your feet warm"

I shifted my feet on the floorboards I stared off

"Yeah, it's cold," I said

"It really is It's freezing Let's close these s, okay?"

Hannah stroked her hands along my face God, I needed to shave She tried toI rolled theet the s You stay put"

I nurseds in the main room

"Do you want to sleep? Are you tired?"

"No," I said

"You want the lights on?"

"No"

"Okay, how about a fire? I'd like to build a fire"

I shrugged

Hannah began to rate I watched her work Wordlessly, she foundThen she started to load dishes into the washer

The mess around her was incalculable I knew she couldn't put a dent in it andto do

As for me, I remained seated on the couch

I had decided on silence

Silence and drunkenness

Hannah tidied around the kitchen area, wiping down the counter and piling e She lifted a half-ean to pour the wine down the drain

"Are you ready to stop drinking?" she said

I shrugged and took a swig from my bottle

I couldn't take my eyes off Hannah

Only as the alcohol nuan to fill the rooed she was Her hair was straight and short, falling at a drah cheekbones standing out Her whole body was slimmer

I rose and took a few steps toward the kitchen

I needed a better look at her

Hannah paused, watching me

What was that expression on her face? Was she afraid ofat the edge of the kitchen area, and Hannah resuaze trailed up her ankles and calves Her leggings left nothing to the i top that just covered her bottom

The old possessiveness stirred in o, I would have lifted her shirt and squeezed her ass It was ed pastto make herself small