Page 47 of Always You

“Charls,” he repeats with a little more force this time, but it doesn’t match my mood. I’m livid and he’s the source. He can go fuck himself.

If only he’d have the patience to let me be. Not Hunter. He gets what he wants, when he wants. Myself included. My teeth drag over my lower lip to stop myself from opening my mouth, still hoping he can take my hint of silence and just drop it.

“Charlotte Roux! You’re not walking home by yourself. So, you can get in my truck or I’m following you. Up to you. babe.”

I raise my hands up in desperation, whipping around, fuming.

He stands there, handsome as ever. A strand of his caramel brown hair refuses to be tamed by product, bouncing on his forehead. Thick lashes frame his intense gaze that’s now troubled and filled with regret.

“You were not supposed to be here, Hunter!” I take long strides toward him. “I told you not to fuck it up for me, and what do you do? Youcompletelyfuck it up for me!”

He runs a hand through his hair, biting his lip. “I’m sorry, okay.”

“No, you are not!”

“I am!” he howls. A deep frown creases his forehead as he swallows roughly.

“Cut the crap, Hunter. You got what you wanted. I doubt any guy in this town will date me now.”

“I didn’t mean to ruin your date.”

“Yes, you did! That’s the whole fucking point!” Desperation is etched in my voice. “You don’t want to date me, but you can’t stand me dating anyone else!”

He purses his lips with a guilty grimace, laced with a tiny spark of surprise. Like he’s busted, caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“What the fuck did you think was going to happen if you sabotaged my date?” I add, incredulous.

For just a tiny moment, I think he’s going to confess what I’ve been waiting for.

What really pushed him to drive to Call’s tonight. But as quickly as I see it below the surface is as quickly it disappears back into the dark pools of his eyes when his stance changes again.

“Oh, come on. If he can’t handle a bit of difficulty from your best friend, he doesn’t deserve you, anyway.” There is a sharp tone in his voice that raises my anger to rage.

“That is not your decision to make, Hunter!” I exclaim. “You’re being ridiculous, and it’s fucking unfair. You don’t see me telling you who you can or can’t date, and trust me, those bimbos won’t make it through my list of approval check points either.”

His eyebrows pop up, a pleased grin showing on his face. He needs to fucking stop doing that.

“Approval check points?”

Oh, dear Lord, I’m going to kill him.

I let out a wail of frustration, showing my teeth as my nostrils flare.

This boy is impossible.

“What are you doing, Hunter? We saidfriendsfirst!”

Finally, it seems to hit him. For the first time, he seems to be lost for words. I don’t know how long I can keep this up if he’s giving me nothing to work with. If he wants to be my friend, he has to be my fucking friend. If he wants to be more…. well, he better fucking tell me.

“Okay, I’m sorry.” He scrubs his hand over his face with a pained expression. “I am. I swear. I’m sorry. You’re right. I’man asshole.” His chest slowly moves up and down as he keeps staring at me, waiting for me to say something while I take in his words. When I don’t, he blinks in innocence, trying to break the tension. “I wouldn’t mind you approving my girlfriends, though?”

“Jesus, Hunter!” I can’t believe him. “Friends first, remember?Youstarted that!”

“I know!”

“Well, friends don’t do that to friends!”

“I know! I know,” he concedes, then quickly reaches out to pull me closer. I let him tug me into his chest, but fold my arms in front of my body to keep myself from wrapping them around his waist while I look up at him. “I’m sorry. You’re right.Friendsfirst.”

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