Page 1 of Always You

CHARLOTTE

PRESENT DAY

“You wanna talk about it?” Julie’s amber brown eyes bore into the side of my face.

I shrug. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

I stare into the goldish depts on my glass, then take a sip. The sweet notes of the whiskey are not numbing my turmoil as I had hoped. In fact, it’s only making me crumble more, taunting me with thoughts of what could’ve been alternated with the painful aches of what should’ve been.

Today life stared me in the eye and saidfuck you. Again.

Getting shitfaced at the local bar is my fuck you back, but so far I have a feeling I’m on my way to a hangover without the buzz I’m supposed to be paying for. I shift on the leather barstool, my back sore from crying on my bathroom floor half the morning.

“Am I a bad person?” I ask.

“What? No! Why would you even say that?” Her blonde hair swings over her shoulder when she turns her face to me.

“Because part of me is relieved it happened?”

“That doesn’t make you a bad person, Charlie. That just–” Her attention darts to the entrance of the bar before her gaze grows big and she swallows her words.

Focusing on her glass, she puts the straw in her mouth and takes a big sip with her eyes bulging from their sockets like they are about to fall out.

I adjust my position to look over my shoulder, but she rapidly grabs my arm.

“Breathe.”

My brows knit together, my lips parting to ask her what the hell is going on but a shift of energy behind me quickly shuts me up. The hairs on the back of my neck trail up, just like they always do when he’s watching me.

No.

I smell him before I hear him. A potent mix of a citrus, woodsy cologne that penetrates through the stuffy, alcoholic scent of the bar. A scent that’s forever imprinted in my soul, even though I’ve tried to scratch it off with force.

I swallow roughly, while my heart races, afraid of the seconds to come.

“Hey, babe.” His voice is deep, warming every inch of my body in a way it shouldn’t.

My instinct tells me I should tell him tofuck off. To pick another day, any day, but nottoday.But my heart has taken control over my muscles, turning under protest of my brain before it stops all together when I look into his eyes.

My favorite eyes in the entire world.

I could pretend that’s not the case, but while his hazel-brown eyes peer down at me, I just can’t. I wish it wasn’t the truth, but it is. His eyes are still the most mesmerizing thing I’ve ever seen, with copper swirls dancing around his irises, capable of letting me make stupid decisions and do things I’d never do without him.

In short, I’m still fucked.

“What the fuck?” I hold his gaze like a warrior, even though I know it will become harder with each passing second.

Hunter Hansen has that ability over me. A 6’2” frame with a devastating smirk and eyes that speak louder than words. He can make me crumble with one single look.

I hoped that if we’d ever stand face to face again, I’d be immune to his energy that effortlessly sucks me into his space. But it’s not surprising that I’m out of luck today.

Like an unavoidable vortex, I barely stand a chance.

“What’s up, Julie?” He averts his gaze from my eyes, giving my friend a nod over my head.

Momentarily relieved from the intensity of his vision on mine, my attention lowers to his lips as he licks them before his eyes snap back to me. His lips curve, noticing where my focus is, sinking his teeth into the soft cushion in response.

“What’s up, asshole?” Julie replies with not nearly enough aggravation, as if this is the most normal thing ever.

---