Page 14 of Their Secret Hideaway

SEVEN

tabitha

“I have no idea why he’s being so weird about this,” I say, sipping my soy latte.

Savvy, Char, Lavender and I are all back in Smithport, at our favorite local coffee shop. The first two had some business in the city, so it was a perfect time to get together and hang out for a bit.

“You think he’s cheating on you maybe? Like he’s got a side-piece?” Lavender leans in. “Oh, no, you said he wouldn’t let you in the house? Maybe he already has a family and he doesn’t want you to meet them.”

Char shoves her playfully. “Oh, stop, it’s not anything like that.”

“I got faith in Hunter that he wouldn’t be covering for one of his friends if he was doing something like that,” Savvy says. “All four of them have some good values when it comes to respecting women.”

“Must have had a strong Mom or something to scare them all straight,” Char says. “Of any eccentricity Bear has, I don’t think I’m ever going to have to worry about him cheating on me.”

The four of us are kind of a weird bunch. Savvy and Char came from struggling homes, barely getting by, while Lavender and I are old college roommates. Savvy finding Hunter has led to us gathering and truthfully, I’m incredibly thankful for it.

“Maybe he’s a serial killer?” Char smirks and shrugs.

“Do you know how many times I’ve been alone deep in the woods with him at this point?” I say, letting out a long sigh. “If he’s a serial killer, he’s a pretty awful one in picking his spots. I’ve given him, like, every opportunity.”

“Are... are you complaining that you haven’t been brutally murdered, Tabitha?”

“Well, if he is one, I’m kind of disrespected that I’m not good enough to kill for him.”

Savvy buries her face in her hands in disbelief. “He’s not cheating on you and he’s not a serial killer.”

“I didn’t think it was that either,” I say, “But I’m kind of out of other explanations of what it could be.”

Lavender raises her coffee with a finger pointed out. “Maybe he’s really messy and doesn’t want you to see that?”

“He’s seen my apartment. He has to realize that it has to be exceptionally messy to even provoke any response from me.”

“It could be that bad. Just saying. Some bachelor pads look like a hurricane, a tornado, another hurricane, an earthquake, then a volcano hit it. In that order.”

“Oddly specific, but I’ll consider it,” I say before another latte sip.

“He has a pet that reacts really poorly to new people?” Char chimes in.

“He doesn’t have any pets. Says he wants a few dogs, but that’s for when he fully sets his roots down.”

“Then I got nothing.”

I lean in toward Savvy. “Hunter hasn’t said anything, has he? He has to know what Fox is all anxious about, right?”

She leans on her hand, looking out the window, giving it a damn good thought about what’s going on. “I really don’t have anything. As far as I know, this could just be some minor neurosis of his and he’s truly fine besides this.”

I collapse onto the table, my head down. “You all aren’t helpful in the least.”

“We’re trying, Tabby,” Char says. “But I can’t think of...oh wait.”

I perk up, and look at Char. “Oh wait, what?”

“He’s ashamed of you. For some reason.”

“Why on Earth would anyone be ashamed of me? I’m perfect.”

Char and Savvy exchange glances.

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