Page 105 of Between Hate and Desire

He gives my father a friendly handshake, and my mother hugs him. I think I even catch her squeezing his muscles.

“So is this my surprise, honey?” she asks, grinning wide.

Hunter lets out a hearty laugh.

“So now you know where Sophie and Maddie get it from,” I tell him, my cheeks heating.

Mom’s eyes light up. “So you’ve met all my girls?”

“I have,” he tells her, but before the conversation can go any further, my father suggests we head inside, which I’m grateful for. Hunter swings his duffel bag over his shoulder and grabs my carry-on as Dad takes my giant suitcase. As we’re walking to the door, Hunter places his hand on the small of my back, making my entire body light up. I’m trying so damn hard to find my confidence as we step inside.

I keep my left hand hidden and so does Hunter, not wanting my parents to notice the rings until we’re ready. Dad suggests we go into the sitting room and catch up.

“Do you guys want some coffee? I’ll get a pot ready,” Mom asks, and we both nod, though my heart races because she’ll definitely notice that I’m not drinking caffeine.

“That’d be great, Mrs. Corrigan,” Hunter says.

Dad takes a seat as Mom heads into the kitchen. Hunter and I sit on the sofa across from him. We chat about the flight, my job at the school, and he asks how Sophie and Maddie are doing. Hunter’s as calm as can be, keeping eye contact and loosely resting his arm around my waist, but I feel as if I’m unraveling one thread at a time.

It’s easy to lie to them over FaceTime, but I’m not sure I can do it to their faces. So much rides on this week, though, so I try to swallow down my insecurities.

Mom comes back and sits next to Dad. I know the real grilling will begin now.

“So…are you the Hunter I spoke to on the phone a few months ago when Lennon was avoiding me?” She’s being direct, almosttoodirect.

Hunter’s smile doesn’t falter a bit. “Yes, ma’am, I was. I didn’t want you to worry.”

Mom nods. “I appreciate that because I was, especially after everything that had happened with Brandon.”

I was hoping she wouldn’t bring him up so quickly. The color drains from my face as I think about this trip and how I was supposed to be here with him. The guilt of what we’re doing stabs me in the gut, knowing how different it’d be with Brandon by my side, but it’s too late. It’s now or never. Mom continues, but I’m lost in my head until I hear her next words.

“Are you Lennon’s new boyfriend?” She looks accusingly between us, her brows furrowed as if she’s trying to solve a mystery.

I open my mouth, but I can’t seem to get the words to come out. I choke, knowing I need to say something, but I’m at a loss.

“Actually,” Hunter speaks up when he notices I’m freezing. Moving a few inches closer, he tightens his grip on me, then grins. “I’m her husband.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

HUNTER

When I admitto being Lennon’s husband, her parents become eerily quiet. Lennon’s mentioned her strict and traditional upbringing, and their stunned reactions are the first hint of that. They sit like statues, in complete shock. I pull Lennon closer, and she lets out a nervous laugh before looking at me. For a second, panic flashes in her eyes, so I lean over and place a sweet lingering peck on her lips, hoping to once again pull her out of her head and back to me. Kissing her feels so damn natural that I have to remind myself it’s all pretend even though I feel her shiver against me.

She’s clearly freaking out, and the hard news—telling them about the pregnancy—hasn’t even come out yet. Their response will determine if she talks about the baby now or later when things have calmed down. We never discussed when we’d tell them the news, but it’s why we’re here after all. If my head is slightly spinning, I know theirs are too.

“Surprise!” Lennon finally speaks with a sheepish grin and turns toward her parents. I quickly grab her hand, and her mom notices our rings.

When I meet her father’s gaze, he looks as if he’s chewing rocks, and his jaw clenches. I’m almost scared he might kick us out on our asses, considering it’s one of Lennon’s biggest fears. The air in the room seems to evaporate, and I’m not sure what else I should say or if I should speak at all. Lennon’s parents care deeply about her, that much was obvious the moment we arrived. However, right now, they’re completely unreadable. Her mom and dad look at each other, holding a silent conversation. Lennon sits quietly, waiting patiently for them to say something, so I follow her lead and stay still too.

Mrs. Corrigan smiles and shakes her head. “I’m sorry, I’m just a little surprised. It seems so…quick. How did this all come about?” I can’t tell if there’s judgment in her tone or just curiosity. It might be a combination of both. I try to be understanding and put myself in their shoes. If my daughter brought a random man home and told me they were married, I’d be shocked too.

Lennon squeezes my hand so tight she might break my fingers off. I rub my thumb across her knuckles to remind her I’m here and that we’re in this together, and I feel her slightly relax.

Starting from the beginning, Lennon tells them what we rehearsed verbatim, but it sounds so natural coming from her. When she explains how we fell in love and couldn’t be without one another, Lennon smiles so damn sweetly. For a moment, I almost believe it—want to believe it. I swallow down those emotions because she has no idea how I wished it were all true, and she was my wife—mine.

Mr. Corrigan watches Lennon closely as she speaks about the details of our relationship and marriage. I wonder if he senses our lies, but she’s speaking so effortlessly that I highly doubt it because even I’m buying the story she’s selling.

“When you find the person you’re meant to be with, you just know,” she tells them, squeezing my hand as her blue eyes meet mine. For a moment, we’re the only two people in the room, and her breath hitches when her eyes meet mine. Did she feel an electric current too? I’m brought back to the first night we met at the bar and how I knew how special and amazing she was then.

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