“Wait a second, what are you even talking about? Hunter can't be with me.” I really must have missed something last night.
Cooper nodded his head. “Well, he does. He told us last night.” Coop glanced over to see my reaction.
Taken back by this, I said, “It doesn’t matter if he does or not. There will never be a Hunter and me. He would not do that to you guys.”
“Mason still hates the idea. I don’t have a problem with it as much as he does, but I still don’t like it. I know he has always been there for you when we couldn’t but you are our sister and it’s just not right.”
“Yeah, well, you guys have nothing to worry about.” I stormed past Cooper.
Bentley was hanging at the house with a few of his friends. They were going out for the night so he told us to make ourselves at home. Hailey pulled out the vodka and poured me a shot. She knew I was still a little upset and, when I needed her, she was always there.
I went into the freezer and, much to my surprise, Hunter had replenished my ice cream supply. I shut the freezer door and Hunter was standing there.
“Damn it, you scared me.”
“You hanging in there?” He said with a sad smile
“Yeah. No tears today, right?” I was trying my damnedest all day not to think of what I would have to deal with when I got back home.
After everyone settled, we started the movie, but I didn’t last long. I was exhausted from not getting much sleep and being at the park all day. I was awakened by someone running a finger from my temple down my neck and back again.
When I opened my eyes, Hunter leaned over me. I glanced around the room. Everyone was gone except Cooper who was asleep on the couch across from us.
I snuggled into his touch and asked, “Can you tell me what happened with you and Mason?”
He hesitated as if he had to decide if he wanted to tell me or not. Then he finally said, “I told him I loved you and that I have for a long time.”
My eyes went wide with surprise. “Why did you do that?”
“It just came out.” He checked to make sure Cooper was still asleep. “I was pissed at Dominic for proposing to you. I lost it when I left your room.”
I sat up; I couldn’t believe this was happening now. God, I wanted him, but why now? This was too much, too soon.
“You shouldn’t have told them that.”
“I know, I didn’t mean to just blurt it out like that. Mason was pissed.” He looked down to the ground. “I know you don’t need to deal with any more shit right now.”
“You’re right. I don’t, not now.” I curled away from him.
He sat on the floor next me, but, before he returned to his room, he whispered.
“I’m sorry, CC.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The next morning things seemed to be less intense between everyone. Mason seemed to be in a much better mood, and I’m sure Hailey was to thank for that. We all hung around Hunter’s until lunchtime when Mason and Cooper had to leave to go back to school.
We were all saying our goodbyes when Mason pulled me aside. I knew this was coming.
“I don’t like it, Kenz.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I know you don’t understand. You might be pissed, but I’m just protecting you. You just had your heart broken; I don’t want to see you go through that again.”
“Mase…”
“I know you have feelings for him. I’ve known since last summer.”
Shit.
How embarrassing.
“I told Hunter to stay away from you. I know he broke your heart that night because he didn’t have the balls to tell you back then that he loved you. I’m just protecting you.”
This is why Mason and I have a love/hate relationship; sometimes he was too overprotective.
“Mase, I love you, but sometimes you need to let me learn my own lessons. You can’t always be here to protect me.”
“Well, while I’m here now. Please, for me, stay away from him. Give yourself some time. I know he told me he loves you but he hasn’t told you.”
He was right. Hunter didn’t tell me directly that he loved me. I understood where Mason was coming from. I wasn’t ready to think about loving someone else right now. I needed to concentrate on me. No one else but me.
“Get over here and hug me goodbye.”
After they left, Hailey and I went back inside to help clean up our mess and then had Hunter take us back to the dorms.
God, I didn’t want to go back there.
Before we left, Hunter asked me to take a walk out on the beach with him. I slipped off my flip-flops and stepped into the sand. I loved the way the warm sand massaged my feet. Hunter came up behind me, wrapped his arms around me, and held me for a while.
Hunter rested his chin on my shoulder and said, “I know you need space, so I’m going to give it to you. But know I’ll be here waiting for you when you’re ready. There is no one else who has ever had my heart like you. I’m sorry I never told you how I felt before.”
I didn’t answer him right away.
“Why now?” I asked.
“After what I saw that asshole put you through, I can’t have you going through that again. It is killing me seeing you like this.” He took a deep breath and then let it out. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“I get it, I do, but you hurt me too. I cannot go through that again. I need time.”
“You’re right, I did and it’s been killing me ever since that night. I thought leaving you alone was the right thing to do. You met Dominic when I left for school, so I thought you were over me and I stayed away.” He kissed the side of my head then continued. “I’ll be here when you are ready to talk, but I didn’t just say what I said because I was pissed that Dominic was asking you to marry him. I mean it, CC.”
“What did you tell Mason? I want to hear it from you.”
I needed him to tell me those three words more than I ever needed anything.
“You’re not ready to hear them again.”
He let go of me, reached for my hand and walked us back to the house. I was slipping my flip-flops back on when he said, “When you’re ready to hear those words I’ll tell you. I’ll tell you a million times, but I need you to know I mean them when I say them.
That was the problem; I needed to hear them now. He wouldn’t tell me. I couldn’t handle that. I was already broken. I couldn’t let him break me anymore then I already was. I needed time to figure things out.
“Okay then. I want to go home.”
***
Over the next few weeks, I concentrated on myself, school, work, and nothing else. I was lucky enough that I had not run into Dominic at all since that night. I did see him a few times around campus, but I always turned and went the other way. Hunter, on the other hand, I still saw. We would still go to lunch after class, but that was it. I never went over to his house when Hailey hung out with him and Zeke. I wasn’t trying to be a bitch, but I needed time to deal with all my shit.
Tuesday after class Hunter, Hailey, and I were going home for Thanksgiving break. I couldn’t wait. I missed being home. I had been talking to my mom a lot lately, trying to plan different things for Chloe’s baby shower that weekend. That was a huge distraction for me. I knew once I was home, I would be busy. We were having everyone over for dinner Thursday, going shopping on Black Friday, and then Saturday was Chloe’s baby shower.
Hunter called to make sure we were packed and ready to go on Tuesday. He wanted to get on the road before rush hour traffic started.
“Hails, are you ready?” I called. “Hunter is on his way over.”
“Yes, let’s get the hell out of here,” she said. “I miss my bed back home.”
I raised my eyebrows at her. “Is that all you miss?”
“What else would I miss?” She asked, sitting on her bed, twirling her hair around her finger.
“Oh, I don’t know, maybe my brother?”
She started to blush and I knew that she was missing him like crazy.
There was a knock at the door. I shouted for Hunter to come in.
It wasn’t Hunter.
It was Dom.
Hailey jumped off her bed. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I came by to say Happy Thanksgiving to Kenzie and to make sure she had a ride home.”
“Yes, Hunter is giving us a ride home. Now please leave.” Just as I finished my sentence, the door flew open and Hunter walked in with a murderous look on his face.
“What the fuck are you doing here? I thought I made it pretty clear to stay the fuck away from her.”
Hunter shoved Dominic towards the door.
“Chill out. I was just checking to make sure she had a ride home. I know Chloe’s baby shower is this weekend, and she is looking forward to it. I would have called, but she changed her number.”
“Yeah, well, she did that for a reason, Dom. Now get the fuck out.”
Dominic gave me one last look before leaving. I didn’t understand why he was trying to hang onto me.
He
did this to us, not me. He was expecting a baby in a few months for Christ’s sake.
The ride home was fairly quiet. I sat up front with Hunter while Hailey curled up in the back and fell asleep. I was not in the best of moods. Hunter could sense it, but he let me be. I was trying to get comfortable enough to take a nap but I just couldn’t find the right position. Finally settling in, Hunter reached over and grabbed my hand, linking our fingers together. I fell asleep within minutes.
Hunter squeezed my hand. “CC, we’re home.”
I yawned. “You coming in to say hi to everyone, or are you going to head home?”
“I’m going to drop Hailey off then head home. Mom and Jaylinn are waiting for me. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Ok.” I put my hand on the door handle and dropped his hand that was still holding onto mine, but stopped before I got out. “Thanks again for everything, Hunter.”
He smiled that smile that I loved so much and said, “Anytime.”
I got out of the truck and made my way around to the truck bed where Hunter met me to hand me my bags. Before I could grab it, he reached over, pulled me into a hug and he kissed the top of my head.
I hugged him back and said, “Bye, Hunter. When you wake Hailey up, tell her I will call her tomorrow.”
“Sure.”
I waved goodbye before sneaking inside. Mom was reading on the couch and my dad sat next to her watching TV.
“There’s our baby girl.” Mom jumped up.
“Hey Mom, hey Dad, I’m exhausted. I’m going to head on up to bed. We’ll talk more in the morning.”
“Ok, you need me to make you anything to eat?” Mom asked.
“No, we stopped before we got here. I just need some sleep.”
I went up to my room, loving the comfortable feeling being home already gave me. As soon as I opened my door, I dropped my bags, went to lie on my bed and fell into a peaceful sleep.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
The next morning after I got up and took a much-needed shower, I made my way downstairs. My mom was in the kitchen making breakfast. My entire family, including Hunter, Hailey, Jaylinn, and Mrs. McCormick sat at the table.
“Well, look who decided to finally grace us with her presence,” my dad said as he got up from the table to wrap his arms around me.
“Morning, guess I was more tired than I thought I was. “I blushed. “So Chloe, are you ready for this weekend? How’s my nephew been treating you?”
“Girl, he never stops moving. I’m so uncomfortable. I cannot wait for this to be over. I have to wake Jackson up all the time because I keep getting bad back cramps and I can’t get up out of bed.”
“Aww, he’s getting tough before he comes into this family. He’s gonna need his muscles with all his uncles around,” I said.
“I just can’t wait until I get to finally hold him in my arms.”
“I bet. So what’s the plans today, Mom?” The only open seat was next to Hunter. He murmured a
good morning
as I sat. I replied by reaching for his hand under the table and giving it a squeeze. I ignored Mason’s glare.
“Well,” Mom had a list already prepared. “You and I need to get all the decorations for the shower and stop by the hall and check it out real quick. Then we’re going to come back and pick up all the girls and go get pedicures.”
That sounded relaxing and just what I needed. “Ok, sounds good.”
As the others talked, Hunter and I found small ways to touch each other. I was developing much stronger feelings for Hunter, but I knew for sure that every time I was with him, I felt safe and at ease. I guess my heart had finally started to heal.
After cleaning up from breakfast, Mom and I headed out to get the chores done. When we pulled back into the driveway, Jackson was outside, pacing back and forth.
“What’s going on?” I asked, grabbing some of the bags from the trunk.
“Chloe is having back cramps again and she keeps crying because they are causing her so much pain. She just kicked me out and told me to go take a walk.”
Mom called him over to help. “Calm down. You’re making this worse for her. Help me and your sister get these bags in the house and then I’ll go see if she wants to go to the hospital.”