Chapter 6

His harsh words pierce me like daggers and more tears fill my eyes. I try to think of what to say.

“Hans. Please...” I start to say before he storms off in a cloud of heated anger. I refuse to turn around. I refuse to watch him leave me again. 

I catch my breath and make my way back into my room. I slam the door and press my back to it, my face buried in my hands. 

I have thought of the day I finally see him again everyday since the incident. I have imagined a million ways I run into him. But I could never have imagined this. I slowly sink to my knees. My hands are already soaked with tears. 

I start to cry without my consent. 

My whole body quivers as I cry for what Hans and I once were. I cry for who I was once. I cry for his rightful hatred of me. I cry for the love he once had for me. I cry because no matter how much I had hoped for it in the past, the truth is I’m never getting him back. 

He’ll fall in love with someone else and I’ll be stuck with Zeke til the day I die. Or he does. Whichever comes first. That thought only makes me cry harder. 

His face flashes through my mind. I heard that he threw himself into work after what happened but I didn’t know how hard. And it's all my fault. 

No

It’s all Zeke’s fault. All I’m doing is protecting him. And I’m doing it with my life. 

I sit there for I don’t know how long. My tears are unending. 

A light knock on the door pulls me out of my thoughts, startling me. Could that be Hans?

I rise to my feet and rush to the bathroom. I look in the mirror and see a puffy, bright, red face streaked with tears staring back at me. I quickly wash my face as another knock reaches my ears. 

I take one last look in the mirror. Not good but better. It’s still evident that I’ve been crying. I run my hands through my hair and make my way to the door. I take a deep breath before opening it. 

Hans stands in front of me but he’s not alone. A man dressed in the staff’s uniform is on his left, looking slightly afraid and uncomfortable. And on his right is someone I recognize and hate to meet again like this. River Adams. I should have guessed. 

“River.” I say warmly to him as I step forward and close my door. “It’s so nice to see you again.” I genuinely mean it. 

He looks at me like he doesn’t believe I’m real. “Hey Vienna.” He says softly. “It’s nice to see you too.” 

I could see he means it even if he doesn’t want to. I nod in understanding and give him a small smile. 

River Adams is Hans’ best friend and closest companion. He is the complete opposite of Hans though. Where Hans is reserved, collected and can be overly serious sometimes, River is outspoken, wild and is hardly ever even slightly serious. It warms my heart to know they’re still close. 

He matches Hans in height and build but stops there. His hair is brown compared to Hans’ black streaks and his facial features are softer and more welcoming, though still very masculine. His green eyes are still as striking as I remember them to be. Memories of him, Hans and I flood my mind without my consent, adding to the sorrow in my heart. 

The sound of someone clearing their throat brings me back to the present. 

“Good day, Mrs. Carter. I’m Dillon and I’m the attendant in charge of your wing of the ship. I hope you’ve enjoyed your stay so far.” He says nervously. 

“It’s definitely been a Saturday to remember.” I say wringing my hands behind my back. He gives me a soft smile.

“We apologise for the inconvenience Mrs. Carter but Mr. Griffin humbly requests you switch cabins with Mr. Adams.” He gestures to each of them as he says their names. “You have every right to decline and any decision you make will be accepted. It is entirely up to you.” 

I look at Hans. He stares me down like he’s daring me to decline. 

“I refuse to spend another second on this ship as your cabin neighbour and I’m sure you would hate to do the same. Do us both a favour and switch with River, Mrs. Richards.” His words are soaked in venom.

Suddenly enraged, I take a step towards him and match his deadly glare. 

“That is not my name.” Everyone knows I refused to adopt Zeke’s last name. He just said that to spite me. 

“It might as well be.” He says unmoved. “Aren’t you proud to be married to Zeke Richards himself? You must be so happy.” I hear Dillon clear his throat again but refuse to acknowledge it. 

I look at the man I die inside everyday trying to protect. I hear him say spiteful words to me. Words filled with resentment and bitterness when all I’ve ever done is long for his love. Everything I do, I do for him and all he does is hate me for it. I can’t do anything about his hatred towards me. But I can spite him right back. 

“I will not be changing rooms with anyone.” I say loud enough for everyone to hear with my eyes still locked with Hans’. “If Mr. Griffin is dissatisfied with the living arrangements then he can get the hell off this ship. But I am going nowhere.” My voice gets louder with every sentence. I give him one last glare before I turn around, sick of it all. 

A warm hand grabs my wrist, forcing me to look back. River looks at me with pleading eyes. Hans tries to say something but he cuts him off as he starts talking. 

“Look. I don’t want to switch rooms either. I’m neighbours with a really pretty tennis champion and I think there might be something there. Can’t you guys just call a truce. It happened two years ago.” Hans turns his disintegrating gaze to him but River just gives him a bright smile. 

Dillon stays quiet, his hands at his back, his eyes to the floor. I almost feel sorry that he was dragged into this. 

Knowing that only a wall separates Hans and I is definitely going to stress me a little, but the prospect of a truce is appealing. I don’t want to fight with the man I love. I could live with him hating me but I’d rather he not express it. It could at least allow me to be deluded into thinking he doesn’t resent me. 

“A truce doesn’t sound like the worst thing in the world.” I say as I fold my arms to feign defiance. River gives me a bright smile just for me and I’m reminded of how much I miss him. 

“Hans?” We all face Hans, even Dillon. Something tells me the whole staff is going to know about this by tomorrow morning. 

He looks at me. I try to apologise with my eyes as much as I can. I try to tell him he doesn’t know the whole story and he just has to trust me. I try to tell him that I hate that he hates me and I never stopped loving him and probably never will. 

I don’t know how much of that he actually understands but I notice his features soften a little. 

He lets out a small sigh and I allow myself to hope that agrees to the truce. But Hans G

riffin just turns away from us and walks to his room, slamming his door.