Page 75 of Falling With a Spin

Tears fill my eyes as he starts singing. The emotions that he puts into his lyrics have everyone holding the ones they love. And when the song ends, he takes a step back, turning around to face Cole, but before he’s out of view, he wipes his face, and the ache in my chest widens.

He returns to the mic and they continue with a few more songs that have the crowd screaming the lyrics and jumping around. Even Taylor and I are moving to the music, laughing as people bump into us, I almost forget where we are and the person on stage.

The music ends, and the guys thank everyone as they walk off the stage. Taylor then pulls me to the side and up the stairs to the stage, quickly following the guys. A few security guards attempt to stop us, but when they see Taylor they let us on through.

“Where are we going?” I ask as she continues to pull me left and right.

“To see the guys. Where else would we be going?” She looks back at me with a smirk.

My heart starts rapidly beating, and my hands become sweaty as we continue our way to their dressing room. I don’t even know what to say to Hunter right now. All I want is for us to go back to how we used to be, but I’m not sure that's the case. There’s so much to say between us. Trying to find the right words is where I’m at a standstill.

We stop in front of a door that has Sweet Heathens written on a whiteboard. Realization hits me, I never knew his band name. I start to take a step back right when Taylor rapidly knocks on the door. It swings open, and Hunter stands there, sweat beating down his face, a white cloth towel in his hand.

Our eyes find each other instantly, and he steps aside to let us in, but I’m glued to the floor. No matter how much I tell my body to move, it just won’t. Taylor pushes me into the room where the guys sit on a black leather couch with a glass coffee table in the middle of the room. One of the walls has a mirror from one end to the other with lights across the top and a table against the wall with various things strewed upon it.

I shuffle awkwardly in place, keeping my gaze away from Hunters as his gaze bores into the side of my head.

“Alright, boys, let's go.” Taylor gets everyone out of the room, leaving only Hunter and I.

“I left my sandwich. Hold o-” The door cuts off Cole’s response, and I try not to smile.

We stay there in silence for what feels like hours. Hunter walks to stand in front of me and raises his hand but drops it, unsure if he wants to touch me. Every emotion that I’ve been trying to block out since I last saw him comes flooding out. My arms wrap around his waist, and his arms engulf me.

“I've missed you so much and I have to much to say but I don’t know where to start.” I take a deep breath, memorizing the pine and smoke that reminds me of him.

“It’s okay, Emma. I’ve missed you too,” relief floods me, and his voice is like music to my ears, “and I had time to think about what has happened, but before you say anything, let me go first.” He takes a step back and leads me to the couch. Sitting down with our hands intertwined, he looks at me, and I can see the exhaustion in his eyes. What once was bright blue eyes are now a muted blue.

“I’m not sorry for taking you to the dance studio and showing you that you can do this again. But what I will apologize for is that I hurt you and didn’t listen to what you said. But you deserve to do what you love.” I look away towards the wall, staring at my reflection. He brings two fingers to my chin, bringing my attention back to his. “I know you’ve been going there almost every day, and I'm so incredibly proud of you.” I take a shaky breath to stop the tears from spilling down my face. “Then, when I saw you at the diner with some guy, it broke me. I thought that was the end of us, and you were just throwing in the towel. But when I got home, Garrett was so mad. I have never seen him like that before. He explained everything to me, and I’ve never felt more like an asshole than I did right there.” He closes his eyes, and when they open, all I see is the pain that I want to take away.

He’s right. He doesn't need to be sorry for showing me something I clearly have forgotten.

“I’m sorry for hurting you and thinking that you didn’t want what’s best for me even though you do. I realized that. But when you took me there, signed me up for the classes, giving me my own room it reminded me of my time with Chad. After a time of thinking, I knew that wasn’t fair to you because you are nothing like him.” I bring my hand to his cheek and give a weak smile. “You are so much better than he will ever be. You care, love, and cherish me more than anyone has ever attempted to.” A small smile comes to his lips, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “But most of all, you let me be my own person, and that's one of the many reasons why I love you,” I whisper the last part just enough for him to hear my confession.

A shit eating grin spreads across his face and he picks me up twirling me around. A squeal mixed with a laugh slips from me and he sets me down, cupping my cheeks in his hands he kisses me. I wrap my arms around his neck and melt into the kiss.

“You love me?” He asks when I pull back and when I look at him, I see all the love he has for me and tears fill my eyes but I blink them away.

“So how many reasons do you have? Because, I would love to hear the list.” He jokes, and I roll my eyes.

“You,” I poke his chest, narrowing my eyes at him, “will never find the list because it’s in my head. You’ll eventually find them out though.”

“I guess I could live with that,” he sighs and jokingly roll his eyes.

“I don’t want to lose you like I almost did.” I’m not sure when I became vulnerable with Hunter, but I never want it to stop.

“You won't lose me Em. You have me for however long you need me. If that's forever then so it be..” He says, placing a loose curl behind my ear.

“Forever, please,” I whisper barely.

“Forever baby. You and I.”

He leans his forehead against mine, lips mere inches from mine. His breath fans against my skin; closing my eyes, I relish in his touch. How soft his hands are, the warmth it brings. It calms me in a way dancing never has. Then he gently brushes his lips against mine, and I’m consumed in flames.

Chapter 28

Emma

Hunter cups my cheeks, angling my head backward to deepen the kiss. He nips at my bottom lip, a gasp coming from me as he slides his tongue over mine. I moan against his mouth as his hands move from my cheeks down my body, gripping my hips and pulling me onto his lap to straddle him.

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