The Enemy Contract (Westbrook #2)

12. Hunter

Chapter 12

Hunter

T he quiet, mindless hum of my condo felt suffocating. My kitchen was a complete mess due to the fact that it was mid-remodel, and my heart was broken over the way things had gone with Avery.

The longer I sat there by myself, the louder the silence grew—and it echoed all around me.

I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t think about anything other than Avery.

I needed to fix this, and it needed to happen now.

Glancing at the clock on my wall, I reminded myself that I only had two hours before my scheduled lunch with Betsy at Westbrook Meadows.

I thought about what it would feel like to sit across from my mother while I pretended not to be in agony. The idea made my stomach churn.

I couldn’t make it through something like that, and I knew I needed to see Avery right away.

With no idea how to express what I was feeling, I wasn’t sure what kind of impression I’d make when I showed up. But I had to find out.

It was hard to explain how a fake romance had turned completely real.

As I drove to Avery’s apartment, I gripped the steering wheel harder than I’d intended to. Feet turned into miles, stretching endlessly. Street signs blurred and my mind began to wander with possibilities.

What if I’d ruined things?

What if Avery wasn’t open to hearing me out?

I replayed every conversation we’d had. I thought about every stupid thing I’d said, every sarcastic joke I’d made.

I’d take them all back now if I could.

By the time I parked outside his complex, my heart was pounding, drowning out the sound of the street noise around me.

As I took the stairs two at a time my mind raced with insecurities.

What if my efforts were too late?

What if he wouldn’t see me at all?

I reached his door and hesitated before knocking. I needed to take a deep breath and calm down before I accidentally terrified him by banging on the door.

Breathe.

Finally, I knocked.

Nothing.

I knocked harder the second time.

Still nothing—not a peep.

I looked down the endless hallway lit by flickering florescent lights.

As I spoke, my voice echoed down the hallway.

“Avery?”

I heard a door open and glanced over to see Avery’s next-door neighbor, an elderly woman with a perfectly coiffed bob poke her head through the crack in her door.

Her eyes widened and she froze as she stared at me, almost as if she’d seen a celebrity—or a wild animal.

“Oh, my goodness,” she said, beaming from ear to ear. “Are you Hunter Westbrook?”

I was completely caught off guard, blinking as I tried to compose myself.

“Yes, I’m looking for Avery Ashford.”

Her expression turned from soft to smug in the blink of an eye. “Well, you’re just as handsome as they say in all the local papers.” She paused and eyed me thoroughly from head to toe. “Avery left a little while ago—with a bag. Looked like he was heading out of town.”

My stomach flipped and my heart sank. “Did he happen to say where he’s going?”

Her smile was apologetic as she shook her head. “I’m afraid not, dear. But evidently, he was in a hurry. If I’m not mistaken, you just missed him.”

A bag? Leaving town?

I must have scared Avery off for good.

Now everything was going to be ruined, the deal, the inheritance, the relationship with Avery.

She eyed me suspiciously. “Avery is such a lovely young man. Far too good for any unnecessary drama.”

I couldn’t help but think that was a dig.

She arched an eyebrow and frowned. “Are you the reason he left?”

I forced the politest smile I could muster and ignored her apparent jab. “Thank you for the information.”

As I turned and walked away, panic rose in my chest. I had no idea where Avery had gone thought I couldn’t blame him for not having told me he was leaving. After the way my mother had been orchestrating his life lately and the way I’d spoken to him on the dock, he probably didn’t want to ever see a Westbrook again in his life.

Making my way back to my car, my thoughts began to blur as I tried to piece everything together. I had to admit to myself that I didn’t care nearly as much about the inheritance as I’d first thought when we started this charade.

The only thing I wanted in my life was Avery.

I’d have been perfectly happy going back to the travel industry, starting over, and earning my keep on my own—with Avery by my side.

I had no idea what Mother wanted to discuss with me at Westbrook Meadows, but I knew it was going to be difficult to keep my composure. In fact, I might just end up giving Betsy Westbrook a piece of my mind.

She’d orchestrated this entire thing, and it was killing me.

And killing Avery.

Then again, I thought as I finally got near my car in the parking lot, without Betsy, I’d have never meet Avery.

Our families ran in the same circles, but we’d managed to be strangers for both of our lives.

Unlocking my car, I hopped in and slammed the door, steeling myself for a conversation with Betsy wherein I’d need to contain my rage.

It wasn’t going to be easy.

I was no longer in the mood to be treated like a circus act. To jump when told to jump, dance when told to dance.

It was no way to live.

And it needed to end.

If Avery had left because of me, I needed to fix it. And if I couldn’t fix it, I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to forgive myself.

The gardens at Westbrook Meadows were imposing labyrinths in which it was easy to get lost. Repeatedly.

Mother’s cryptic message had instructed me to meet her “where the gardenias whisper and the sun is crisp like champagne.”

Completely typical.

I was in no mood for whimsy. I’d spent the entire drive from Avery’s apartment complex stewing over the predicament we’d found ourselves in. Being summoned by the queen and dictated to like henchmen.

But that was all coming to an end today.

Whether Betsy realized it or not.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Avery and where he might have gone. Maybe he’d given up on the charade too and made peace with the fact that we were never going to successfully pull off this sham.

Or maybe I’d crushed him, and he’d ran away hurt.

Finally finding the correct garden, I pushed open the wrought iron gate and stopped dead in my tracks.

Before me, stretched a vision straight out of a fairytale—or perhaps, in this case, Alice in Wonderland.

Mother had arranged a small, intimate table in the middle of the rose garden, surrounded by beautiful flowers of deep reds, bright yellows, and blushing pinks.

Adorning the table were cascading floral arrangements, obviously hand-selected by my mother’s private gardener. Surrounding me, the scent of the flowers mixed with the gentle hum of bees and petals blowing in the breeze.

Goblets made of crystal sparkled in the sunlight, casting fragmented rainbows on the pristine white tablecloth.

And there, sitting at the table with a smile on his face, was Avery.

He was grinning from ear to ear, his smile brighter than the sunlight that filtered through the leaves around us.

My heart nearly stopped beating at the sight of him. Dressed casually in a white button-down, his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

It was as if someone had pressed pause to hold this moment for us.

“You’re late,” he said, his tone warm and gently teasing.

“I…” I started, but my brain stumbled. “I, uh… what are you doing here, Avery?”

Before Avery could say a word, Betsy appeared. Her entrance was as theatrical as ever; she walked out from behind a massive hedge, carrying a glass of something red and looking overly pleased with herself, which was nothing new to me.

“Darling, why must you always lead with questions?” she asked, gesturing to the chair across from Avery. “You’re not an attorney dear, although I always wanted you to be.”

I froze, unsure of what was happening.

“Have a seat, dear,” she said. “This is a celebration.”

I cautiously lowered myself into the seat. “What’s the celebration for?”

Mother’s eyes practically glowed with mischief. “I’ve done it! I’ve finally sold Harborstone—for four hundred million, no less. Full asking price!”

She sipped her expensive wine, savoring her words.

My jaw dropped and before I could process what she’d said, Avery chimed in.

“Mom and Dad called me earlier,” he said.

Betsy interjected. “They called just a few minutes ago and spoiled my surprise! I wanted to tell you both at the same time.”

Avery chuckled as he looked me in the eyes. “My parents also told me about my share. It’s what I expected, and it’s… life changing, to say the least.”

Hearing the joy in Avery’s voice sent pleasure coursing through me. That’s what I’d wanted all along. The charade, the appearances; it had all led us to this. Even still, sitting here with him now, it felt like it didn’t matter nearly as much as the smile on his face.

That was priceless.

“As for you, Hunter,” she said, shaking me from my thoughts. “We both know you’ve earned your reward as well, don’t we?”

She placed her glass on the table and leaned forward. “Thirty million dollars. That’s your inheritance, dear,” she said as if she was handing out allowance to a teenager. “Consider it a personal thank you for not botching my plan.”

I was stunned. “Thirty million?”

“Darling, do not make me repeat myself,” she snipped. “It’s unbecoming of a Westbrook to appear impressed by wealth, dear. Besides, you must have seen this coming, it’s the same amount I bequeathed to your brother Logan.”

“Mother,” I said, nearly breathless. “Thank you.”

She nodded and grinned. “And now for the next topic of discussion. Did you think I dragged the two of you out here for a business announcement?”

I turned and looked at Avery who seemed just as perplexed as I was.

“Please!” she scoffed. “You know I love a good romance. Consider this,” she said, gesturing toward the stunning garden around us, “my magnum opus.”

She twirled dramatically as she turned to walk away. “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” she added, “I have a very important spa treatment to attend. Both of you can thank me later, preferably by giving me grandchildren. Ta-ta for now, boys!”

And just like that, Betsy disappeared into the maze of hedges leaving behind only her triumphant laugh and the scent of lavender perfume.

“Well,” Avery said, his voice soft, “she’s nothing if not entertaining.”

“Entertaining doesn’t begin to cover it,” I said, pushing my hair out of my face. “She’s written the entire act for us.”

Avery laughed, the sound warm and rich, like music made specifically for me. “So, this is it, huh? Everything we worked for.”

I took a step forward, shaking my head. “Not everything, no.”

“What do you mean?” he asked, furrowing his brow.

My words rushed out like a confession, surprising even me. “Avery, I was wrong when I told you we should let things simmer. I was confused, and I thought I was doing the right thing by keeping us focused to protect the sale. But I didn’t protect the one thing that’s most important to me.”

Avery remained silent, but his eyes frantically searched mine. For a brief moment, the weight of everything I’d held back felt as if it might crush me.

“You, Avery,” I said. “You’re what matters most. And if you’ll have me, for real this time, no charades, no acts… I’m yours.”

His smile faded into an expression deeper, more vulnerable. “Hunter, you have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to hear you say that.”

I reached out and took his hand in mine. “Then let me say it again, Avery… I love you. Not for show, not for some big plan. I love you because I can’t picture my life without you in it.”

His hand tightened around mine.

“I love you too,” he said, his eyes shimmering. Then he winked and added, “You’re such a pain. Do you know that?”

“Painfully charming?” I asked, my smile growing as well. “Maybe?”

Avery laughed and it ushered in something new for us. Something lighter and truer. Roses whispered behind us in the breeze, and the weight of all we’d been through dissipated, leaving only the promise of what could be. Me and Avery, together.