25. HUNTER
25
I stop in front of Charls’s house, and the corner of my mouth lifts, watching her on the swinging bench. It’s her favorite place in the whole world. She loves our spot at the creek, and she likes hanging out with me in the truck, just doing nothing. But I know she’s the happiest when she’s sitting on her swinging bench, reading a book.
She gets up, and my breath catches in my throat when I notice the sliver of skin separating her white tank top from her jeans. I already know I’m going to find an excuse to run my hand over her bare stomach today, my mind not even fighting the aching in my fingers anymore.
She crosses the front lawn before she climbs into my truck.
“Hey, babe.” I smile from under my sunglasses, her sweet flowery scent instantly lingering around me, elevating my good mood to epic proportions.
“Hey.” She returns my smile, buckling up, and I put the truck in reverse to maneuver it back onto the road.
After that day at the quarry, the lines have blurred. She still shuts me up when I flirt with her, but there’s desire reaching her eyes instead of a scowl. She doesn’t correct me when I call her “my girl,” and there’s not even a reprimand when I touch her without any real reason. She’s basically giving me a fucking hall pass and I’m taking full advantage of it .
Any chance I get to wrap my arms around her, stroke her cheek, or even plant a kiss on her hair? I take it.
My soul has been throbbing impatiently, waiting for a do-over of that kiss. It’s been three weeks, but I can’t fucking stop thinking about it. I’ve just been too much of a chicken to give it another shot. What if it was just a friendly kiss, nothing more? A loud voice is thundering like a hurricane, telling me that’s bullshit. She wants me to kiss her again. I can see it in that taunting sparkle of her gaze that haunts me at night.
But I haven’t built up the nerve. Not yet.
“I just need to go home real quick. Have a brief shower, and get some clothes, alright?”
She turns her head to meet mine. “Yeah, sure. You’ve been in the gym all day?”
Her eyes slowly drag up and down my torso, my body still damp from the workout I just had, and I notice how she swallows hard, licking her lips. Her body language could be totally innocent, but fuck me—it’s playing tricks with my dick at the most inconvenient of times. Subtly, I try to adjust it in my pants, glad I’m wearing sunglasses so she doesn’t see the discomfort that has to be written all over my face.
“Yeah, been training with that ex-marine. He’s been teaching me some real good shit.”
“That’s good! When’s the next fight? Tomorrow?”
“Yeah, are you coming with?” My eyes plead.
“Of course.” She grabs my arm, squeezing a little. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
The last few months she’s come to almost every fight, and it creates a newfound energy as soon as I walk into the spotlight of the cage. The knowledge that she’s waiting outside for me has changed the game. The goal. The future. As more time passes, I come to the sheer conclusion I want her there for every fight. I want her to be the first thing I see coming out of the cage with or without pay-per-view cameras on my face.
I still want to get the hell out of this one-horse town as fast as possible, starting over and making new memories.
But I want to do it with Charlotte.
I said we could never be more than friends, knowing I’ll never be good enough for her. But every day I get more selfish about it, shifting the lines.
What if I can make it work?
What if I can have her ?
The thought has crossed my mind daily.
I take the moment to turn my palm up, grabbing her hand so I can link her fingers with mine. Without looking at her response, I hold her hand as we drive toward my house in silence. My thumb gives in to the temptation, stroking her skin, searing the softness of her palm into my membrane.
Every chance I get.
“My mom is home,” I explain when I park my car, letting go of her hand.
“So?” I love how casual she sounds. “We’ve met. She’s a bitch. Let’s go.” Before I can stop her, she slides out of my truck with a faint smirk on her kissable lips.
“Are you coming?” She doesn’t wait for my reply, sauntering toward the front door while I exit my truck and follow behind her with a smug grin lifting my cheeks.
Since the first day Charlotte met my mother, she hasn’t been impressed one bit. She also holds her own like a pro, barely replying to my mother’s snarky comments. If my clear weakness wasn’t already a dead giveaway of how I felt about this girl, the smart-ass yet polite comments she throws at my mother truly convinced me I hit gold when she walked into my life. I’m definitely keeping her .
I follow her up the front porch, before I open the door. A cautious glance has me scanning the living room. Please let her be gone, please let her be gone.
“Ma?”
Her messy head pops above the couch, her face turning into a scowl when she notices Charlotte standing behind me.
“You brought that witch with you again?” Bloodshot eyes look feral.
“Don’t fucking call her that!” I protectively wrap my arm around Charlotte’s neck to tug her with me as I make my way upstairs. Away from the mother figure with more gin in her veins than blood at this point.
“Hey, Linda,” Charlotte drags out with a dull look on her face, offering her a short wave.
Little sassball.
“Where the fuck you going? There better not be any fucking in this house! I’m not gonna be taking care of your kid when you knock up that little witch!”
My mom’s frantic shouts have my molars grinding together by the time we reach the top of the stairs, but Charlotte beats me to it.
“Don’t worry, Linda! We only fuck in his truck.”
I laugh, then grab her face in my hands, planting a kiss on her forehead.
“You’re the best,” I muse, beaming, softly pushing her into my room.
My mom shouts some other shit, but I slam the door shut, blocking her from my ears.
“Is she coming to graduation next week?”
Graduation. I can’t believe I’m graduating. It’s bittersweet, knowing it marks so many endings. At the beginning of the school year, I wasn’t even sure I was graduating, but it turns out study dates with Charls have been a great motivation for that cap and gown.
“Pff,” I huff, “probably not. She’ll have a date with her bottle.”
There used to be a time not so long ago when those words would feel like a parasite. But lately, they haven’t been cutting as deep. I’ll be leaving soon anyway.
Charlotte turns around, shooting me a troubled look. “I’m sorry, Hunt.”
“It’s okay. I’m used to it.” I ruffle her hair with a smile, just something to keep my hand busy.
“It’s not o-kay .” She pushes off of me with a scowl, looking adorable as hell.
“I’m gonna go take a quick shower, you chill, okay? Five minutes.”
“Sure.”
She flops on my bed, and I hold still for a second, blinking, noticing how good she looks there. Her slight tan sticks out on the dark blue sheets, bringing out the colors of her eyes. I’d wanna spread her wide, my dick agreeing with me once more.
Baby steps, Hunt. I’m getting more confident about the possibility of claiming her as mine, but jumping her in my childhood bedroom with my spitting-mad mom downstairs might tip the scale the other way around. Spinning on my heels, I bite my lip, trying to calm myself as I close the bathroom door behind me.
I quickly undress before turning on the shower and placing myself under the warm water stream. The fatigue hits me, relaxing every muscle in my body except for the one between my legs. The one that’s still thinking about the girl lying on my bed.
My girl.
My hard shaft is bobbing against my stomach, and without a second thought, I place my hand over my dick while I rest my arm on the cold tiles, my forehead pressed against the wall .
I softly start stroking my shaft, imagining it’s Charlotte’s hand that’s moving over my body. I swallow hard when the sensational feeling grows, pretending it’s now Charlotte’s luscious lips, playing with my balls as I keep moving into her mouth. My jerks quickly speed up, fueled with my fantasy displayed on my bed in the other room, until a growl forms in the back of my throat, and my release splatters all over the white tiles while I bring both my hands up to the wall, trying to catch my breath.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, feeling flushed.
My lungs inhale and exhale at a ragged pace until, finally, my dick relaxes. I give myself another minute to crawl back to reality, pushing away the desire to crawl on top of the blonde of my dreams instead.
Breathe, Hunt, breathe.
Knowing I’m already taking too long, I briefly wash my body, then turn off the water. I dry off, putting on my jeans that were lying on the bathroom floor. Running a hand through my wet hair, I glance into the mirror, then I open the bathroom door just in time to watch Charlotte come out of my closet. I swear, sometimes I wonder if this girl is sent out here to torture me. Roaming her long legs until I reach the hem of my dark gray hoodie, and my dick springs to life again.
Dammit.
She stops in her tracks, swallowing hard, as she fixates on my bare chest. In a torturous pace, she lowers her gaze, bits of my skin burning up as her vision roams down inch by inch. Chest heaving, I focus on her, mirroring the lust I spot in her eyes.
“What?” She finally clears her throat, rapidly averting her gaze, though her flushed cheeks show her awareness of the damage already done.
“You’re wearing my hoodie.”
Her eyebrows move up in surprise. “Oh, I thought you wouldn’t mind? ”
“Not at all.” I might jump her in the next ten seconds, but I sure as fuck don’t mind. I walk past her, into the closet, grabbing a dark green shirt off the shelf, then tug it over my head. When I walk back out, she’s leaning against the doorpost of the closet, eying me with suspicion.
“Are you fucking with me?”
I groan at her choice of words, then shake my head. “Definitely not.”
But trust me, babe, I wish I was.
“Then what?” she screeches while I slowly close the distance between us, staring into her green eyes.
“Nothing.” I lean in, resting one arm against the doorpost above her head, bringing my lips barely an inch from hers. “Looks damn good on you.”
“Stop flirting with me,” she says, even though there’s a hitch in her voice.
“Can’t.” I shake my head, pushing her back into my room. “You look too hot.”
She lets out a frustrated groan, flopping back onto the bed, clearly trying to create some distance between us.
“Are you ready?”
“Not sure. Can’t we just stay here?”
“You basically put me in a headlock to go!”
Yeah, stupid Hunter.
“I take it back. Let's just stay here and watch a movie.” Netflix and chill, probably a dumb suggestion.
“Hunt, it’s the last bonfire before graduation. Half of our class will be off to college soon.”
“You can’t stand half our class.”
“I know, but I already missed so much.” My heart tenses at her gooey eyes.
“You can’t look at me like that. ”
“Like what?
“Like that!” I gesture at her. “With those puppy eyes.”
She snorts. “I’m not looking at you with puppy eyes!”
“You are! You’re looking all cute and adorable, not to mention fucking hot in my hoodie.”
“Hunter!”
“What?” I scoff, feeling bold. “Can’t say you’re hot, Charls? Because you look very hot,” I tease. “Extremely hot . In fact, can I help you out of my hoodie? You look a little flushed. Wouldn’t want you overheated and all.” It’s a joke. It’s always a joke, but really, it’s anything but.
Her soft cheeks turn a rosy pink, her lashes fluttering as she throws a pillow at my head.
“Stop! Please. ” Her plea does very different things to my still very much active groin, and a loud growl rumbles through the room.
“Fine.” I look around the room for my wallet, spotting it on my dresser before I put it in my pocket. “Ready. Let’s go.”
After we go through the drive-through of the Burger Shack, I take us to the edge of the woods, where the boys have set up the final bonfire as seniors. It’s the last Saturday before graduation, and I had to convince Charlotte for days to come with me.
A decision I now wholeheartedly regret, because having her curled up against my chest, watching a movie, sounds so much more appealing than making small talk with people I’ll never see again after next week.
I point my finger at the tree line in front of us when I notice Julie getting out of the car with Jacob. “Julie’s here. What does she see in that guy?” He has that same arrogant grin on his face, strolling around like he’s better than us just because he’s a sophomore in college. I swear, I have no clue how he and Jason are even related.
I catch Charlotte’s frown from the corner of my eye. “You don’t like him?”
“I’d like him better if he showed up as roadkill one day.”
“Why? He’s Jason’s brother. How bad can he be?”
“You do not want the answer to that question.”
“That bad?” Her head tilts at me with wide eyes.
“We’re hoping Jacob is adopted,” I deadpan. Biting my tongue, I temper my possessive streak, the one that wants to growl and tell her to never come within a ten-foot radius of Jacob Spencer. “Just do me a favor? Stay away from him. He’s bad news.”
“He’s dating my best friend. How do you expect me to do that?” Her lashes flutter with a little bit of incredulity, her plump lips parted, just enough for me to imagine what they would look like wrapped around my…. Fuuuuck, Hunt. Shut up.
I rub a hand over my face, a groan vibrating against my palm. “I know. Just… tell Julie to be careful. Please?”
I tentatively hold her gaze, our eyes locked, as if she’s trying to look for answers in my features. Finally, she nods, then offers me a sweet smile, melting my possessive heart within a second.
“I’m gonna hang out with her for a bit, okay?”
“Sure. Come find me after?”
She nods in response, then exits the truck, jogging toward her friend. My eyes trail her movement as she launches herself at Julie. I let out a chuckle as I lock my truck and make my way to Jason and the rest of the boys, giving them all fist bumps in greeting.
“Where’s your girl?” Jason asks, a smug grin on his face.
“Hanging out with your brother’s girlfriend.”
My eye catches the shift in his jaw as a feral expression hits me. “Don’t even go there.”
“I gather you haven’t told her. ”
“I told her to be careful. She told me she was a big girl.”
“Ouch.” My brows knit together.
“Hey, I tried, man.” Jason throws up his hand, but he can’t hide his disappointment. It’s set in his tight smile and the quick glance thrown Julie’s way.
“She’ll figure it out. She’s smart.” It’s a fucking lie, because she’s been hanging out with Jacob for weeks and is still not fed up with him. In my book, that’s the equivalent of sticking a red flag to his forehead and choosing to pretend it’s not there.
“Let’s hope so. Anyway…” Jason’s smirk gives away the subject he wants to address, and my eyes roll to the back of my head hard enough to fall to the floor like marbles.
“Everything good with you and your girl?” His dirty blonde eyebrows flick up and down.
“She’s not my girl, man.” The lie makes it hard to hold back the grin tuggin’ the corners of my lips.
“Yet, you know exactly who I’m talking about. Besides, you didn’t correct me just two minutes ago. Just admit it. She’s your girl.”
“Shut up.” I chuckle.
Jason takes a pull from his beer, eyeing me from above the bottle.
“What?”
“You know, I took bets at the beginning of the year. Saying she’d be your first girlfriend by the end of the semester.”
“Well, I sure as fuck hope you didn’t put a lot of money on that.”
“I didn’t, thank fuck.” He looks up to the sky with a look of gratitude, then turns his gaze back to mine. “But I still think it’s true, though.” He pushes me a little farther toward the tree line, out of earshot of anyone else, lowering his voice. “When are you finally going to make it official? ”
My chest burns up at those words, feeling busted as fuck. Jason isn’t the type to gaslight me into anything. I know he likes Charlotte, and it’s no secret he’s been suspicious of our relationship from the beginning, but hearing him encourage me to go for it... to officially make her mine? It does weird shit to my organs.
“I don’t know, man,” I say, simply because I’m not sure what to say. Denying it would be a lie. But I also don’t want to tell him anything if I’m not a hundred percent sure Charlotte and I are on the same page.
“Look, I have no clue what she sees in your dumb ass, and I think you should thank God on your knees for the fact that she forgave you after what you pulled at the last bonfire, but fuck me. Stop torturing yourself, man.” His hand drops forcefully on my shoulder with a firm grip. “You love her.”
The word love has me snapping my head toward him with a deep frown. Like… do I care about her? More than anything in the world. Is she special? I’m sure heaven has a special corner for people like her. But love? That doesn’t exist in my vocabulary.
“I don’t love anyone. Love is bullshit. Yeah, she’s my friend. And I care for her. And I’m not gonna deny that I want to throw her against the wall and fuck her like she’s mine. But I’m not sure I can’t do that. Not without risking what we have, and that’s what matters most.”
He folds his arms in front of his body, giving me a blank look as I hold his gaze. A lump forms in the back of my throat, as if I just poisoned myself, and I do my best to push it away.
“But what if you could be more?”
It’s a simple question, one I’ve been asking myself for a while now. It sounds as easy as two plus two, but in my head? The outcome is never four.
“I need to figure out shit with her first, so I’d appreciate it if you drop it until then,” I say, my tone final. I won’ t risk my friendship with Charlotte just to find out how she would feel underneath me. It’s not worth it. No matter how badly I want it. If we’re doing this, I need to be confident I won’t lose her in the end. I need to make sure we’re both ready.
“Alright, man.” Jason slams his hand on my back in a friendly way, and we walk back, dropping the conversation like I asked, talking about sports for the rest of the night.
When the twilight kicks in, I’m still hanging out with them while Charlotte is talking to Julie. Jason never brings it up again, but for some reason, his words keep lingering in the back of my head.
What if you could be more?
I glance at Charlotte, on the other side of the fire, her dark blonde hair shining from the reflection of the flames. As if she can sense my eyes on her body, she turns around, locking her eyes with mine, shooting me that gorgeous smile that is the first thing I think of when I wake up.
The corner of my mouth curls up in a pleased smile as she starts to walk toward me, keeping her eyes focused on mine. There is a longing in her eyes that I haven’t seen before, and I suck in a deep breath as she reaches us.
“Hey boys,” she says, and they all greet her in union. “Can I borrow him for a while?”
“Sure,” they all bellow with a suggestive tone, making me chuckle a little behind my ginger beer.
She reaches out a hand, and I quickly take it, linking our fingers as she leads me toward one of the logs around the fire. I squat to take a seat on it, my legs folded out in front of me, before I guide her onto my lap, resting my hand on her hip.
“Are you having fun?” she asks, glancing at me over her shoulder.
“Yeah. You? ”
“Hmm, I am now,” she muses in a way that makes my insides swirl. An eyebrow cocks up, wondering if she’s flirting with me now.
“Why is that?” I clear my throat, sounding husky as fuck as she turns her face to look at me again.
“Well, we’re graduating in a week. Mama is doing alright, it’s summer, and I’m spending the night with both of my best friends. That’s a win in my book.”
“It definitely is.” Having her on my lap is a win too, but let's not push too hard right now.
We sit like this for about half an hour, until the night has fully set in, and most of the people have already left, yet I’m not planning to leave, feeling completely content with her close to my body. I close my eyes, every now and then resting my lips on her back, that’s covered by the fabric of my hoodie, wishing it was her bare skin.
As if she can read my mind, she finally moves the piece of clothing over her head, and I let out a small groan at the sudden torture fest that’s about to occur.
“What are you doing?”
“The flames are hot.”
I suck in a sharp breath, my jaw ticking when the safe boundary formed by the piece of clothing is now completely lifted, exposing the soft skin of her shoulder, as she’s wearing nothing more than a tank top. Even though I know I should resist, my mouth keeps brushing her soft skin, wanting more with every touch, while a different question gets louder in my head with every passing minute.
What if we’re ready to be more?