Free White Collared Part Four: Passion by Shelly Bell Page A

for him. But she appreciated that he’d given her the opportunity to chat with Hannah alone.
    Hannah nodded and took a bite of cereal. “I know. The police came by and questioned me last night when I woke up. Besides, it’s been all over the news. You look fabulous on television by the way.”
    Only Hannah would care about appearances rather than the fact that both of them had almost died. It was a good sign that she’d recovered, which meant she could handle a simple interrogation.
    Kate crossed her legs and leaned forward. “Do you remember what happened to you that night?”
    “Bits and pieces. I remember letting myself into your apartment after you didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure if you were out or ignoring me. I remember waiting for you on the couch and the door opening. I remember a man . . .”
    “Mr. Joseph?”
    Hannah’s face crumbled, and she sighed. “I don’t know. He wore a ski mask and gloves. I saw a knife. And that’s all I remember.”
    Kate’s head told her not to feel guilty, but her heart didn’t listen. “He thought you were me.”
    “I told you we look like sisters.” Hannah smiled and then her expression turned serious. “I don’t blame you, you know. It wasn’t your fault.”
    “I know, but I can’t help feeling responsible. If I’d let you talk, you wouldn’t have gone to my apartment.”
    “True, but I might’ve gotten hit by a bus.” She took Kate’s hand. “No one can predict the future. Not even you. I’m the one who zigged when I should’ve zagged. I need to be the one to take the consequences for my actions.”
    Kate was proud of Hannah for accepting responsibility, and it released her from some of her guilt. “I don’t think getting stabbed was the appropriate consequence for sleeping with Tom.”
    “What would you have suggested?”
    Kate shrugged. “Herpes?”
    Hannah laughed, probably thinking Kate had been joking. “I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I really believed him when he told me you’d forgive me.”
    “Tom thought I’d forgive you?”
    Hannah gave her hand one last squeeze and then released it to push her breakfast tray off to the side. “No. Mr. Trenton.”
    “I’m confused. When did you talk to Nick?”
    “You never noticed the way he’d watch you, did you? The guy’s got it bad for you.” Hannah’s eyebrows did a little wiggle. “It started innocently. He’d ask me about your hobbies and your favorite foods. Small stuff. I told him you were happy with Tom, but he didn’t believe you were. And that’s when he asked me to spend time with Tom. To figure out if you guys were happy. He said that if I did that for him, he’d guarantee me an associate spot.”
    Kate was in shock. “Are you telling me Nick asked you to seduce Tom?”
    Hannah shook her head and nibbled on her bottom lip. “No. I was only supposed to hang out with him. Mr. Trenton made a good argument that if Tom flirted with me, you weren’t meant to be. And he didn’t. We talked about you mostly. It felt so good to have someone who understood what it was like to follow in your shadow. We started texting and talking on the phone. It didn’t seem like a big deal. There was this underlying attraction, but we didn’t act on it. I went to Mr. Trenton to ask for advice and that’s when he told me to go for it. That you’d get over it because you’d have him.”
    Kate’s stomach cramped, and if she’d eaten breakfast, she would’ve lost it all over Tom’s jacket. She inhaled through her nose and pasted on a fake smile. “I forgive you. And Nick was right. I wasn’t in love with Tom. You and he make a great couple.”
    Hope lit Hannah’s face. “So we’ll be friends again?”
    Kate stared at her friend and realized the reasons she’d become friends with her in the first place no longer existed. Hannah had never cared about her. She hadn’t once asked Kate how she was feeling after the attempts on her life.
    She got out of her chair, not caring