Page 148 of Always You

“You’re right,” he says with a matter-of-fact tone, “you don’t. Especially not after tonight.” He pauses, and I close my eyes. “But if you are just half the man I think you are, you’ll use the rest of your life to become the man shedoesdeserve!”

My eyes fly open, colliding with my best friend’s features that scream something likeduh, asshole.

“She deserves better. But she wantsyou,” he adds. “Are you really going to quit the best thing that ever happened to you?”

“No,” I cry out, running my hand through my hair, releasing out a feral moan, then letting my feet carry me to the couch with the bottle in a tight grasp.

“So, what are you going to do?” Jason calls out behind me.

“Numb the pain.”

“Are you going to win her back?”

“Ask me again when I’m too shitfaced to lie to you about it.”

60

Islept for two hours.

That’s it. That’s all my mind allowed me to have after the day I had yesterday.

I anticipated it. I planned to be staring at the ceiling, wondering where this experience would leave me and Ben, but instead I’ve been staring at the white plaster, thinking about the man that doesn’t deserve a single one of my thoughts.

I can’t believe he’s back.

Forme.

But here we are. Tired as hell, frustrated as fuck, and desperately trying to escape in some kind of MC novel. I manage to let my head disappear inside the pages for less than five minutes before the rumbling sound of an old truck snaps me out of my book.

Fucking hell.

I don’t even have to wait and see who drives around the corner, because deep down, I already know. I already know there is no chance in hell he would’ve sold the truck that holds so many memories. Not to mention the fact that I’d recognize that sound anywhere. My head peers down again, my eyes trying to focus on the letters in front of me when I ignore the truck parking in my driveway.

I quickly glance up, confirming my suspicion, when I notice Hunter sitting behind the wheel with a blacksnapback on his head. His hazel eyes look vibrant as hell through the windshield, way too perky for my taste, acting as more motivation to ignore his presence altogether.

Maybe if I just pretend he’s not there, he’ll leave.

Pursing my lips in annoyance, I roll my eyes, waiting until his footsteps saunter down the path toward the front door before he ambles up the porch steps.

“Hey, babe.” He crosses his arms in front of his body, resting his hip and shoulder against the porch post while his lip curls in a smug smile. My eyes continue dancing over the letters on the page, but I fail to register even a single word.

“You can’t ignore me, Charls.”

“It worked for eleven months.”

He scoffs, amused. “That’s because I allowed it, baby. You know that.”

Arrogant motherfucking asshole.

“Don’t you have to get back to LA for a fight or something? Entertain all the fancy people you hang out with now?”

“I’m on hiatus.”

Of course he is.

I can’t resist lifting my eyes to his, and I instantly regret it. His gaze tempts me with little sparks of joy, hypnotizing me like fireflies in the night.

“What are you doing here, Hunt?” I scowl.

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