Page 27 of Always You

I’m the lucky girl who gets this version of Hunter Hansen.

The one who has feelings.

The one who lost somuch.

The one who he doesn’t show the world.

The one who seems to be reserved just for me.

My lips show the faintest of a smile as I look into his eyes.

“I’m here, Hunter.” I place my hand above his, softly squeezing it. “I’m here. And I will always stick up for you.”

His eyes linger on mine, and the air grows thick as we get lost in each other’s gazes. My lips part, taking shallow breaths, and for a moment in time, it feels like the world slows down around us. Like we’re sucked into this vortex that’s meant for just me and him.

The intensity is as exhilarating as it is scaring the shit out of me, and snapping myself out of it, I bite my lip and turn away to break our connection. He clears his throat, placing his hand back on the wheel as if nothing happened.

But I know it did.

He knows it did.

“You wanna go inside or eat in the truck?”

“Truck is fine,” I reply, happy he tries to change the mood.

I’m not a car eating person. In fact, I think it’s messy and annoying, but I know the Burger Shack always holds at least a dozen people from our high school, and I like having Hunter to myself. I like our little picnics in his truck, where I don’t have to worry what anyone thinks of me. Even if the tense moments are becoming more common, not sure what to make out of that, I wouldn’t want to trade it for anything in the world.

They’re ours.

And I cherish them.

He pulls up to the drive-through and places our regular order without asking. It’s an awareness that warms my heart, loving the small things we know about each other that someone else wouldn’t know or pay attention to. It tells me he listens to me, even though he could listen to anybody else.

“Double cheeseburger for the pretty girl. Bacon and cheese burger for me.”

He hands me my burger, and I grab the one sitting in his lap as he turns his truck back into a lot. I unwrap both our burgers before placing the side of fries in the center console, then give him back his burger.

“So,” he starts with a full mouth and a playful glimmer in his gaze, after he tears off a chunk of his burger, “how many drunk mothers have you handled in your life? You looked like a pro back there.”

I snicker, chewing my burger, waiting until I swallow, getting ready to open my mouth. But before I can voice anything, his phone starts to ring over the Bluetooth, the sound echoing through the car.

Liza, I read, automatically rolling my eyes.

“Shit,” he mutters. “Hold on.” He answers the call, keeping his eyes focused on mine. Something he always does. He keeps it short, and his attention is never off me for more than five seconds. The amount of interest he has from girls is insane, and something I knew before we started hanging out. But I didn’t expect him to give the feeling they don’t matter at all when he’s with me. It makes me feel special.

“Hey.”

“Hey, baby,” she purrs through the car, obviously unaware I’m listening too. “You never answered my question.”

I cock an eyebrow at him, curious as hell about what question she’s talking about.

“What question was that?”

“You want me to come tonight? I would love to see you all sweaty and heated.”

I roll my eyes, fake gagging in his direction. A grin stretches his face, as he grabs a fry, and tosses it at me, making it hard for me to not burst out in laughter as I sling it back into his lap.

Asshole.

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