Page 47 of The Rise

“I love you.”

“Again.”

“I love you, Hunter.” His mouth slams against mine in a searing kiss that causes my knees to weaken. It’s a kiss unlike any other I’ve ever felt. It all feels right. My heart feels full. It’s like every fucking wrong that has happened to me in the past has been set right with Hunter in my arms.

Chapter 21

Hunter

There was never a time in my life when I thought about love. There’s always been so much hate and anger that love didn’t seem possible.

Yet, Lana stands here telling me she loves me. Love for guys like me is rare. We don’t look for it because we’re likely never to find it. And yet, when she’s here with me, I feel whole. I don’t feel as empty when she’s by my side.

I didn’t say it back, and I don’t think she expected me to either. Because I’ve never known love, and I don’t know what that feels like.

I keep her tucked into my chest, just holding her because I don’t know what to say. I don’t know what to do or how to feel.

“You’re suffocating me,” she mumbles against my chest, causing me to laugh. I let her pull back before I smile down at her.

“There’s no turning back now,” I tell her.

“I didn’t want to.”

“Good. I need to get ready,” I tell her. She nods her head, and we both walk back to the room, where I get a bag and pack a few things. I don’t like the idea of leaving her here, but I can’t risk taking her with me either.

Hoax and I have a general idea of where they are, and now’s the time for us to act on it. We need to get there and hit them when they’re least expecting it.

Once my bag is packed up, I pull my black hoodie on over my shirt before hefting the bag over my shoulder. I hold out my hand for Lana, and she slides hers into mine. I pull her along with me out into the main room where the others are waiting.

I drop my bag and pull her face to mine, kissing her before I go.

“Don’t get hurt,” she whispers against my lips.

“Oh, come on, little rebel. Where’s the fun in that?” she doesn’t laugh or smile at me, and I know this is hard for her. “I’m going to be fine.”

“What’s going to happen when you come back?”

“Same thing that happens to all of them,” I answer her truthfully. She nods her head, although I can see the look in her eyes. She isn’t sure how to handle this and I understand it to a point. That’s her family by blood, but we’re her family now. She doesn’t need them anymore when she has us.

“If you don’t want to see them, you don’t have to.”

“I just don’t know what to do. I don’t know if I want to see them after everything that’s happened.”

“I get that. You have a few days to think about it,” I tell her. She nods her head before wrapping her arms around me and holding me tightly. I love every second of it. I love having her hands on me. I love her just being here.

When it’s time to go, we pull apart, and I reach down, grabbing my bag once more. I toss it over my shoulder and turn, following the guys out the door.

We walk out and toss our stuff into the back of the SUV before climbing in. I see her, standing at the doorway with the other girls watching us leave.

“You better not come back dead, man. Lana will kill us all,” Silas says over the seat.

“Didn’t plan on it.”

“You sure about this? Something seems off,” Rylan adds.

“About what?”

We pull out onto the road and head on our way, but we keep talking as we go.

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