Page 143 of Between Hate and Desire

“Ew!” I laugh. “Are they all sexual innuendos?”

“Ninety-nine percent, yes.”

“Tell her about Cale,” Maddie says with a smirk. “He’s myfavorite.”

“Cale got blocked,” she says matter-of-factly.

“Oh c’mon! I was having fun with him.” Maddie cackles.

I look back and forth between them. “Oh God. You let Maddie talk to him?”

“She couldn’t handle Cale, so I handled him for her. Turns out Cale didn’t have as big of balls as he said.”

“What did you do, Maddie?” I ask pointedly.

“He asked to see a picture of my tits and ass.”

I cringe. “And?”

“I sent him a picture of a chicken’s breast and a donkey. He wasn’t amused.”

Shaking my head, I laugh. “Then what?”

“I told him if he could name the US state capitals in alphabetical order, he would earn the right to see one nipple,” Maddie explains.

Furrowing my brows, I can’t even imagine where this is leading. “And?”

“He asked how many capitals there are,” she deadpans.

“Ha!” I laugh, about to pee myself.

“I told him sixty-nine, and then he started listing off random ones, and when I told him he failed, he started calling me all kinds of names. Then I said I liked being called those things in the bedroom, but too bad he’d never get to do that since he probably couldn’t find my clit even with a map.”

“What’re they teaching you at dance school?”

“I was born in the social media era, Lennon. I’m not a dummy.”

Sophie snickers, and I pray for the guy who ends up with Maddie. She’ll make them fight hard and test them at every corner. Part of me is proud that she won’t give herself up to just anyone, but I’m also protective of her. I want her to stay as innocent as possible.

A minute later, Hunter walks in wearing his work clothes, and I swear everything inside me comes alive. Ever since he told me how he feels—how he’salwaysfelt—a month ago, it’s been hard not to react around him. I’ve actively had to stop myself from imagining him next to me in bed, touching me, cuddling like we did in Utah. I won’t even admit how many times I’ve had to resort to my vibrator when fantasies of him take over.

The day after Hunter confessed his feelings, things were awkward between us. I didn’t know how to act around him without creating tension. I feel guilty as hell because I can’t return his feelings right now. My and the baby’s well-being have to come first right now. Above anything, I don’t want to hurt him. I wasn’t sure we could move on from this even though I wanted to more than anything. We need each other, but I wasn’t sure how to go forward after that confession—ourconfessions.

Hunter, being the resilient and amazing man he is, sat me down and told me there was no reason for things to be weird. We promised each other our friendship could go back to how it was before Utah happened. In an effort to do that, I’ve tucked them away for when I’m brave enough to relive them.

But as soon as those thoughts hit me, guilt floods in, and I feel sad all over again.

“Hunter,” I say almost breathlessly. “You came.”

“Of course.” He stands in front of us and shoves his hands into his pockets as Sophie and Maddie openly eye him. “Sorry, I’m a few minutes late. I had to go by the apartment quick.”

“No worries. They should be calling me back anytime now,” I tell him. “But since you’re here…” I stop myself, knowing it’s a bad idea to bring it up.

Hunter doesn’t let it go, though.

“What?” He pulls on his black slacks before kneeling in front of me. “What do you need, Lennon?”

The way he focuses all of his attention on me has me sucking in a deep breath. Hunter’s gaze is so intense, I have to remember to breathe and act normal. He reaches a hand out and rests it on my knee.

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