Page 177 of Always You

There’s skepticism in her voice, and I can’t blame her. But it’s the truth. I didn’t see it at first, but my eyes are wide open now.

“That simple, babe. I can never put anyone before you. And I’m sorry I gave you the feeling that I did.”

Her chest moves up and down calmly, our hearts beating simultaneously, like they’re supposed to.

“It’s okay. You’re an asshole.” She turns her head toward me with a beaming grin on her face. God, I missed that vibrant look in her eyes. “But I forgive you.”

Holy shit. Every muscle in my body freezes for a second, before my heart continues to beat and I blow out a pent up breath that feels like it was stuck for years.She forgives me. It’s more than I deserve and tempting as hell to push my lips against hers, but I manage to resist the urge.

“Is that so?” I tickle her side, and she lets out a shriek.

“Stop that!” She laughs, and it’s music to my ears. “Asshole.” I can’t believe I almost lost this. I almost losther.She settles back into my chest, and we stay like that for a while until I bring my lips flush with her ears.

“Do you know how hard it is for me to not kiss you?”

She gasps for air, letting out a troubled moan.

“Hunt,” she huffs, and I’m not sure if she’s begging me to cross the line or pleading with me to stop. “Stop flirting with me.” Her voice is uncertain and needy at the same time.

“I don’t think you really want me though, Charls,” I whisper, thinking back to the last time I had her wrapped in my arms at a bonfire.

“Doesn’t matter what I want.”

My hand grabs her chin, softly forcing her to look at me. The world around us goes silent as we look into each other’s eyes, our lips almost touching.

“What you want is all that matters, Charlotte Roux.”

I’m tempted to close the distance between us, pressing my lips against hers, and the asshole in me is screaming at me to just do it. But I know why she’s still hesitant. I know she still has that loose end to let go of, and I can’t push her into that. It needs to be her.

“I don’t know, Hunter. The world has felt foggy lately, except for the moments I’m with you. But I-I—I just don’t know. It shouldn’t be this way.” The tone of her voice is sad, and my heart cracks a little listening to it. Hating that I’m the variable in this situation.

“Yo, fuckers!” Jason shout behind us. “Let’s go hang out at the bar. I’m getting eaten by mosquitos over here.”

Realizing the moment is over, I take a deep breath before pushing it out, squeezing her tighter, pressing a kiss on her cheek, then I rest my forehead against the back of her head.

“Let me make one thing clear, babe. I’m here to stay. I know I said I want you to be happy, and I’ll be your friend for as long as you aren’t ready to give me any more than that. But I’m not here to be your friend. I’m a persistent asshole, and I’m going to keep trying until I gain your trust again and you give me what I want. Because I want to give you everything. You’re all I see.” I pause, pulling my arms tighter around her torso. “Ineedyou,” I disclose, then give her a slight push to get up.

“Trust me,” she says when she’s on her feet, looking at me with those piercing eyes. “I know.”

69

“Ihave a confession to make,” Hunter says when we approach the ice cream shop. My eyebrows knit together, worry swirling in my stomach until I meet the mischief in his gaze.

“Okay…”

“It’s mine.” He comes to a halt in front of the shop, his back toward the building, his front fixed on me.

“What do you mean?”

He throws his thumb over his shoulder. “It’s mine.”

I blink, glancing inside where Moira is placing a few containers of fresh ice cream into the cooled display. At first, I’m not following, but when our gazes collide again, my lips slowly but surely form a big ‘O’.

“You bought the ice cream shop?” He nods, and I wonder why I’m still surprised. Not sure what his tactic is, but he is clearly on a mission to buy half the town. “What else did you buy?”

“The Burger Shack.”

The Bookstore, the Burger Shack, the bowling alley, the ice cream shop…

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