Beatrice shrugged, still partially scared by the whole situation. "I guess so...." Hannah pulled her knees to her chest. "I'm so sorry...."
"I don't even know what it is." Beatrice responded. Hannah bit her lip. "I though I'd told you already... After a year, I won't have a choice at all. I'll... belong to John. I thought, foolishly, that if I found happiness with someone... maybe I'd be able to...." She drifted off, falling back against a tree. "I'm sorry, Edward.... I'm a rotten person. I'm not even a person! I don't care anymore... I don't want to keep living like this...." She slid along the tree onto the ground.
"I'm no better than Beatrice." Hannah snapped. "It doesn't matter anyway. In six months, you won't have to bother with me. I was just hoping... and I can see it won't happen... that I would be able to be happy for a while."
Hannah nodded, still staring at the ground. "It slipped my mind..." She confessed. "I can't think straight around them...."
"So you did it for information?" Hannah tried to stop the new wave of emotion that came at Edward's first words.
"Fine." John muttered, leaving the two to talk without his eavesdropping. "I love you, Edward." Hannah said quietly. "They told me... that you didn't want me.... It hurt... so much. I just... I just want to know if you really don't want to see me again. I'll leave you alone if you don't...."
"That wasn't me!" Hannah argued. "Lestat can do more than just mind speech. Edward," She started to reach for him but then took her hand back. "I... Did you hear what I thought...?"
"I'll be listening." John let go of Hannah. "Five minutes." Hannah slowly went over to Edward. "I don't know what to say to you." The tears that escaped her eyes both angry and helpless. "I don't know what to think about you."
Lestat's words stung Hannah. John's girl...? Is that what I am if I stay here...? She went ridged against John's hold. "Give me five minutes with him." She begged.
Hannah felt the fog creeping back into her mind. "No, wait! I want to know why. Please, Edward... at least tell me if you don't want me...."
Hannah went limp in John's arms. "Edward...." John tightened his grip on Hannah. That's got to hurt. "Why... did you...?" Hannah couldn't finish.
Hannah struggled against John's hold, her mind clearing once she was out of Lestat's arms. "Edward, I'm sorry! I-" John covered her mouth. "Be quiet." Hannah's eyes found Edward's. I love you!
Hannah shivered at Lestat's touch, but she couldn't find the will to move away from him. At this point, most of her loved being in his arms.
Hannah felt a wave of calm come over her and her body relaxed against Lestat. "At least give him a slight chance. Play with him a bit." John replied, marveling at his control over Hannah.
"Edward?!" Hannah cried. John held her still, his own head stinging from Lestat's power.
John moved over to Hannah and Lestat. Hannah looked over her shoulder at Edward. "I don't know what to do...." "Remember what I told you." John cautioned. Hannah tried to ignore John. "Edward... I want to believe you.... I have never felt this way before.... And I don't want to feel it again. I want to be happy like I was earlier today... but how do I know that feeling won't break like this again...? Edward-" "Enough." John snapped, putting a hand on Hannah's shoulder.
"Can't you see you're hurting her?" John sidestepped, blocking Hannah from Edward's view. "You should go." I know you don't care Edward...You don't have to pretend....Hannah felt strangely safe with Lestat, but at the same time, she couldn't fully understand what she was feeling or why.
Hannah felt new tears come when she heard Edward's voice. John turned to face Edward, his eyes dangerously red. "No one said your vote was included." He hissed.
"I will...." She murmured, barely understanding what she was agreeing to. "Then it's agreed." John smiled maliciously. "It is for the best."
"That's all I wanted to say to him." John told Lestat and looked at Hannah.
