Page 65 of Six Wishes

“I never wanted to not talk to you, Van,” she gives me a sad smile. “I’ve been trying to call you. And email you,” she continues. “I even wrote you a letter.”

“A letter?” When did she send me a letter? And who writes letters anymore? “You handwrote it?” I think I am getting hard from hearing that. Again with the left handed stuff. I am one sick bastard, or so I am finding out.

“Yeah,” she smiles bashfully. “I only sent it a couple of days ago though. I’m sure it hasn’t made it yet. I sent it to your New York address. Damian gave it to me.”

“What did you say in the letter?” I reach and push a strand of hair behind her ear. Her hair is a little longer than it was the last time I saw her. Just as blonde though. I’ll be damned, I think she is a natural blonde.

“I wanted to thank you for…” She puts her hands out and looks like she is at a loss for words. “For what you did for me. With Kalypsos.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And to tell you that,” she starts fidgeting now, “that I miss you.”

She leaves me breathless with those last words. I missed her so much.

“Can we talk?”

She eyes me thoughtfully. “Have you dated anyone since you put us on a break?”

“No,” I answer truthfully. “Have you?”

She puts her shoulders back and blushes. “I went out to dinner with Brian.”

“You fuckin’ what?” I think I am about to hyperventilate. What the fuck did she just say?

“Hey, don’t talk to my cousin like that, buddy,” Hunter puts a finger up in my face. It takes everything in me not to swat it away. “You were on a break! Actually,” she turns to look at Chloe, “You still are on a break. She didn’t do anything wrong.”

“What are you, her peanut gallery?” I can’t help the growl emitting from the back of my throat. We haven’t even made it out of the hotel lobby, and I am about to kill people.

“Oh my gosh, I used to think you were so cool. But you suck,” she gives me a look full of disdain. “I can’t believe you’re in love with this guy, Chlo,” she tells her cousin.

“It’s none of your business who she is in love with,” I take a step toward Hunter, but on top of the fact that she doesn’t look intimidated by me at all, I feel Zach’s hand clamping on my shoulder and pulling me back.

“You better watch what the fuck you’re doing right now,” he whispers in my ear, and I back off.

I need to know what the hell the deal is with him and Hunter. Why is he so protective of her, but seeming not to like her much at the same time.

“Hunter,” Chloe’s shaky voice reaches my ears. “Will you be okay if I go talk to Van for a bit?” She looks at her cousin as if she may break. What’s the big deal? I am definitely missing something here.

“Y-yes,” Hunter mumbles, looking slightly panicked all of a sudden. She was cool as a cucumber when my entire body was in her face, but now she is looking like she’s going to crack in tiny little pieces if Chloe is not with her for ten minutes.

Chloe grabs her in a tight hug and whispers something in her ear, then turns toward me with an apprehensive look on her face. “Where should we go?”

I don’t think. I grab her by the hand and start walking her back to the elevators. One of them just opened and I rush us in with the crowd, never giving her a second to change her mind about being alone with me.

“Van, where are we going? I thought we could find a quiet table at the restaurant.”

I don’t say anything, just watch the numbers lighting up with each passing floor until we get to mine. I power walk us to my suite, almost dropping the key card in my rush to get in.

“I hope to God this is your room, Van, and we didn’t just break into Zach’s or something,” Chloe crosses her arms over her chest in a defensive move and starts looking around the hallway.

I don’t bother explaining anything to her. I finally get the door open and yank her inside with me. She comes with a yelp, then crashes into my body when I stop and turn to face her as soon as the door is closed behind us.

“Van, what…”

With a fast move, I grab her head and bring her mouth to mine, stopping short only a hair away from her lips.

“No more talking.”

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