Page 14 of Something Like Sunflowers

“Sounds like you’re up for playing dirty, Dev,” Hunter finally says so low that only I can hear him. “Lucky me. I like you better that way.”

He sounds angry and wanton at the same time. Like he isn’t sure whether he wants to hate me or date me, and I breathe in his scent on a gasp. Seems we aren’t so different, then.

I don’t respond, though. I have better things to do than let Dustin’s stupid friend—the same boy who rubbed his body in sugar water and let the hummingbirds feast from his abs for homecoming king votes—weasel his way into my thoughts and intimidate me. I need to keep my guard up and get to work if I want to beat him. And I cannot and will not entertain being with him.

Ever. Again.

After we nail down the details of the competition, we all stand and make our way out of the suite. Molly grabs my hand before I leave and squeezes it. “It really was great to meet you in person, Devyn. I’ll text you later.”

I smile, but I’m suddenly not so sure how I feel about Molly. Or any of this.

Hunter walks a few paces ahead of me. It’s weird now because lots of emotions and feelings and words happened back there. Buckets of unspoken things were splashed about, and before I can process them, I need space from Hunter. I can’t be three feet behind him walking to the parking deck.

We enter the elevator together, which is even more unnerving because now it isn’t just the two of us and our thoughts. It’s the two of us, our thoughts, and his cologne permeating the only air I can breathe until we reach the lower deck.

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” he says, leaning against the elevator wall with his arms crossed.

Jerk.

“I do.”

“Well, I guess I’ll see you around town, then. You gonna stay with Dusty?”

“Shana, probably, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Oh?” He wrinkles his brow in confusion, but I’m not sure why. Shana is my best friend for all of time. Of course, I’d stay with her. I mean, I haven’t asked her yet. Hell, I didn’t know about going home until two seconds ago when Molly concocted the plan, but of course it’d be Shana’s.

“You can stay with me. If you need to.”

“Why would I do that?” I say before I can stop myself, true to Devyn fashion. “Sorry. I mean, no. I think Shana’s would be most appropriate.”

“Most appropriate? Who are you, Mary Poppins?”

“Shut up. You know what I mean.”

This elevator is taking forever, I think, as I avoid eye contact with him. Jesus, take the wheel. Or the pulley system…or whatever makes this thing move and move it faster, please!

“Look, I just think it’s a horrible idea, okay?”

He scoffs. “You can’t just deny me when I offer you a place to stay and tell me it’s a horrible idea, Devyn.”

“But it is.”

“No, it isn’t.”

“Yes, it very much is.”

“Why?”

I heave a most annoyed sigh. At least I hope it sounds as annoyed as I am, so he gets the message. I am not going into this with him. We can’t be together. He knows why. He knows what we’ve both been through. We can’t return to the past. There’s too much pain between us…pain that quite frankly took enough out of me the first go-around, and I won’t stand here explaining this to him because fate stuck us in this strange vortex of chaos together!

“Stop it, Hunter. We’re competitors now. And honestly? I just want this job. So, stop flirting with me, and start competing if you want it, too.”

He whistles and rubs the back of his neck. Then I notice he’s been holding the elevator stop button this whole time. We haven’t been moving. I step closer to him and box him into the wall, raising my chin and looking him square in the eyes. I’m not falling for him this time. I’m not getting myself hurt again. We can’t be. Just when I’m inches from his face and his eyes shift to my lips, I shove his arm away from the wall and release his hold on the stop button.

When the doors open, I rush out, but he stops me, grabbing my hand and turning me around. The wrinkle in his forehead says plenty. He’s hurt. I hurt him. I can see it on his face plain as can be that he thought I was going to kiss him.

And even though I’m the one who knew it wasn’t going to be a kiss, it still hurts me, too. Hunter stiffens and stands taller. He puts his hat and glasses back on like we didn’t just share the most awkward last hour together and nods.

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