Page 152 of Always You

“Because you’re here,” he states matter-of-factly.

“Shut up, Hunt,” I growl, even though my heart is jumping for joy inside of me, giving myself a silent slap on the wrist,reminding me that I have a boyfriend. One who’s handsome, sweet, and loving, supportive, and most of all, who didn’t leave me when things got hard. If anything, he was too understanding, getting on my nerves with the amount of love he had to give me.

“Just because you don’t want to hear it, doesn’t mean it’s not true, Charls. I’m here for you.I’m here to stay.” He stares at me, as if he wants to make sure I register every word, letting them sink into every fiber in my body.

“Also, it’s October, so don’t even dare to try to avoid me on my birthday.” A judgy frown creases his face, and I roll my eyes.

“As if I would ever forget your birthday.” He knows I wouldn’t. No matter how much he might have pissed me off through the years, I’d always wished him a happy birthday at midnight. Sometimes with a kiss, sometimes a heart, and once or twice with an emoji flipping him off, but I always remembered. Like a fucking timer that goes off in my head every October, pun intended.

“You won’t forget, but this year, I’m not settling with a text and a fucking emoji,” he scolds.

“Whatever. My turn. Why did you break up with yourfiancée?” I joke, even though we both know it sure as fuck ain’t no joke. I read all the gossip magazines about it, because, well, I’m only human, but I knew most of it was superstar Laurie playing the victim. She told everyone who wanted to listen to her shit about how Hunter cheated on her. Multiple times. I know Hunter. He’s an immature asshole most of the time, but he doesn’t cheat. His heart is too pure to do that.

“I didn’t cheat on her, like she’s saying, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“That’s not what I’m asking.” Hunter’s ego is too big to cheat on anyone. If he wanted to sleep around, he would just tell Laurie to take it or leave it.

“Then what are you asking?”

“Why did you two break up?”

“She wanted marriage and kids, and I didn’t.”

“Not now or not ever?” I curiously tilt my head.

“Not withher.” I don’t miss the way he’s trying to bore his gaze into mine, his eyebrows up as if the answer is obvious.

“Why not?”

“Because she wasn’t you.” He shrugs, crushing my chest with lightning speed.

Hot damn, I forgot how fearless he can be when he wants to be. How blunt, if he’s feeling confident and in control. I expected something between the lines. After all, he made it no secret that I’m the reason he’s back in Braeden, but for some reason, I wasn’t expecting that.

“Oh, please. Stop with the fucking flirting.” I roll my eyes to hide the melting of my heart, bleeding out of my cracked rib cage.

“Stop asking the questions you don’t want to hear the answers to.”

I narrow my eyes at him, pursing my lips before I recover my face, giving him a fake smile as I take a bite from my burger.

“Right.” He shakes his head, an annoyed look stealing his features.

I’m frustrating him.Good.

It’s in his entire stance. He’s used to getting everything he wants from me, anything he needs, with me jumping up to give it to him. Because that’s what I do. It’s who I am, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. Yeah, I’m a nice girl. I do my best to help every single person who matters to me, but I’m not some kind of doormat.

My heart might still love him without a doubt, but I’m team head right now. Wanting him to fucking show me why I should still consider him my friend.

Meaning—I want to make him grovel until his knees are bruised.

“My turn.” He makes a ball of the paper that was wrapped around his burger, after he popped the last bite into his mouth. Talking to me with his mouth full, like the true barbarian that he is.

“Why don’t you have a dog?”

The question surprises me, and I let out a full laugh until I notice the beaming smile on his face. Realizing my mistake, I lower the corners of my mouth as I eat the last bite of my double cheeseburger.

Taking my time, I slowly chew the last of it, intently making him wait a little longer before I answer. I was aiming for a roll of the eye, an annoyed huff, maybe even a“fucking hell, Charls,” but he keeps his eyes locked with mine, looking at me while I swallow the contents down my throat, as if he can’t wait to see me swallow something else. I inhale deeply, trying to push away whatever feelings the look in his eyes is giving me, then shrug my shoulders and answer.

“It didn’t feel right.”

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