Page 38 of Between Hate and Desire

His chuckling only angers me more. I wouldn’t be so damn pissed if I weren’t starving, with a bottle of wine swirling around in my empty stomach.

“Fuck it, I’m ordering food,” I mutter mostly to myself as I open the delivery app on my phone.

“Sweet. Where’re you ordering from? I could eat.”

I slowly glare at him so hard I’m sure my eyes will pop out of my face. “Are you fucking kidding right now?”

Hunter holds up his hands in a mock surrender. “Fine, geez. Someone needs to get laid.”

Taking a seat on the chair, I ignore him as I scan through my food options, then finally pick something.

“Speaking of laid, my date and I were on that chair earlier.”

I leap up so fast, I nearly lose my balance. “You’re a goddamn pig.”

He’s sitting on the other side of the couch, and when I walk past, I smack him in the head and don’t even feel bad about it.

“What the hell was that for?” He rubs it as if it actually hurts.

“For having sex in the living room! Don’t you have any decency? What if Brandon or I walked in when you were naked and…” I shudder, unable to finish my sentence and walk down the hallway to my room.

“For the record, I wasn’t naked! Blow jobs don’trequirenudity,” he shouts.

I want to scream, but instead, I go into my room and slam my door. I can’t wait until Brandon and I move out, and if it’s not sometime in the very near future, I might choke Hunter in his sleep. Hell, knowing him, he’d probably think it was foreplay and enjoy it.

Thirty minutes later, the doorbell goes off and I’m relieved my food is finally here.

“Our dinner is here,” Hunter singsongs, rushing toward the door and beating me there.

“Fuck off.” I push him with my hip, and he chuckles, backing out of my way.

“C’mon, you’re the one who said we’re supposed to besharing.”

“I wouldn’t share with you even if we were the last two people alive during an apocalypse.” I scowl, grabbing the door handle.

“You know then I’d just eatyou,” he taunts. “And not the pussy kind of eating either.”

Rolling my eyes, I mutter, “Go away.”

When I finally open the door, I’m stunned to see two police officers instead of a delivery driver.

“Hello, I’m Officer Fisher, and this is my partner, Officer Schmitz. We’re looking for the family of Brandon Locke.” His tone is flat, and the second he says my boyfriend’s name, my heart stops beating.

“We’re his roommates,” Hunter answers before I can get out any words. I hadn’t even realized he was still standing behind me.

“I’m his girlfriend,” I finally speak. “What’s wrong? Did something happen to him?”

The officer briefly looks down before making eye contact with me. “I’m sorry to inform you of this, miss, but Mr. Locke’s been in a serious motorcycle accident. The paramedics were unable to revive him.”

CHAPTER TEN

HUNTER

I catchLennon before she collapses to the floor. There’s a loud gasp and then she’s hyperventilating, unable to catch her breath. I’m on my knees, holding her up when the officer’s words repeat in my head. They don’t seem real. They can’t be. I saw him this morning before work, and now he’s…gone.

My throat threatens to close, but I push back the feeling. With Lennon falling apart in my arms, I try to be strong for her.

“Lennon, breathe,” I remind her softly as she gasps for air. She’s going to pass out if she doesn’t.

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