Chapter 21
The place is packed as we move to the most shadowed corner of the club. With the dim lighting and music pounding, we move incognito among the throng of partygoers. Our table is in a discrete spot in the back, surrounded by an oval leather couch. While the guys chat, drinking from their champagne glasses, Abi eyes me curiously.
“Since when did you get that?” she says, pointing at my necklace. Nothing ever escapes her.
As I palm it, a smile teases my lips, and a surge of happiness instantly overcomes me. “Hunter surprised me with it today.”
She elbows me playfully. “He has good taste. But again, he went for you. Finally.”
Mia stands up and starts dancing, gesturing for us to follow her to the dance floor. Surrounded by my girls, with the guys watching over us like hawks while absorbed in deep, amicable conversation, a sense of peace envelops me.
We all giggle when a few guys approach us, but they hurry away just as fast at the dark energy radiating from our men.
Three songs later, my bladder is full, and my friends accompany me to the bathroom. After I wash my hands, they all stop and look at me knowingly.
Mia smiles brightly. “I don’t know what you did to my brother, but I’ve never seen him like that.”
I blink, having trouble discerning if this is real or not. “Am I dreaming?”
“No, you’re not. You deserve all the best things. I might be biased, but Hunter’s the type who would lay the world at your feet,” Celine says assuredly.
“But you warned me off him,” I remind her.
“And I am glad you didn’t listen. I was trying to protect you from that distant, cold side of him… I don’t want either of you to get hurt.”
“I love him.”
“Really? Wouldn’t have noticed,” Abi says with a touch of worry. “But opening up for love means you’re inviting heartbreak too. And I will—” Mia and Celine cast an intent look her way, and Abi inhales deeply. “Fine, a bit of torture if he hurts you.”
“I think my brother has realized some things, and I doubt he’ll hurt you,” Mia says earnestly.
“We should go before they barge in,” Celine suggests, and we all quickly reapply our lipstick.
When we return to the table, the guys are huddled around in hushed conversation.
Abi shakes her head at them. “I’m sure they were planning how to come after us.”
“We can never fully relax,” Celine sighs.
Mia nods. “But soon, hopefully.”
Suddenly, all four of them stand up, seemingly ready for battle. It’s only then the guys see us standing nearby.
“What were you planning to do?” Abi asks knowingly.
Dane pulls her to his side. “No walls could keep me from coming to you, princess.”
The night passes by too quickly as we drink and dance, swept away by the music and partying together. By the time we reach the cabins, nostalgia fills the air. Our vacation is approaching its end.
***
The next three days are all about snowboarding or skiing, and enjoying group activities like playing games every night.
Tonight, we’re gathered at Kaden and Celine’s cabin. It’s so funny how competitive Kaden, Celine, Abigail, Dane, Blake, and Hunter are while Mia and I have to play referee. Such sore losers, acting like kindergarteners. Rematch is thrown out while we play freaking Charades.
“They could take over the world while competing and not realize it,” Mia says to stop their bickering. “We’re playing Pictionary next.”
A groan follows, but not even five minutes into the game, I laugh as Abi and Celine move to the boards. While Abi draws intricate circles, Celine draws a single dot. Instantly, Kaden says, “Center.”
“What the fuck? That’s not fair,” Dane shouts and points at Abi’s drawing. “That’s the center. You’re amazingly talented, sweetheart.”
“Thank you,” she smiles sweetly at him, then throws her arms in the air, pinning Celine and Kaden with a glare. “And I wasn’t finished.”
“Then stop trying for a masterpiece. And FYI, Kaden’s first thought is always that I’m the center of his world,” Celine retorts.
“You know it, Sky,” he winks at her.
Blake and Hunter are up next. Mia and I inhale deeply as our men taunt each other. They outdo themselves while drawing a ship.
“Let’s have some fun,” she suggests, and I am all for keeping it playful.
“A whale,” Mia says to mess with Blake, and I barely suppress my amusement when his eyes bulge out.
“Silver, look again. I know you know the answer.” He thrusts his finger into the board while Mia tilts her head, pretending to ponder.
“You have this, kitten,” Hunter says, full-on smirking. I bet he’s so sure we’re going to win.
I shrug. “A sausage?”
The shock is so sudden that his jaw hangs. It’s a miracle I don’t burst into laughter.
“I’ll show you sausage.” His tone is low, with an undercurrent of threat that makes me all hot and bothered.
“A pile of shit, that’s what this is,” Dane mumbles behind us, throwing his back onto the couch.
“Come on, we don’t have forever,” Kaden says, tapping his foot.
Celine’s eyes spark. “We’ll win anyway.”
Abi shoots up, pointing at Mia and me. “It’s a freaking ship, even though you two suck at this. Now move. We’re next.”
“I guess our attempt backfired,” I say as Mia and I shake our heads at them.
To keep the peace, we switch to girls versus boys, though the guys won’t stop mumbling, “Cheats.”
When we win, they groan and accuse us of distracting them. We don’t, of course—we’re fully invested in the game—but they’re sore losers. For the third time, I remind them that it’s a freaking game.
***
On the flight back, the mood is downcast, and we are all silent. Reality makes us all expel a deep sigh, knowing what we have to go back to.
When the jet lands, a Sprinter van awaits us, effectively ending our vacation. As we take our seats, every mile brings us closer to our life back in Greenville.
The driver parks in front of the estate, and Samuel welcomes us inside. He leads us to the formal dining room, where Cassandra stands in front of the fireplace, sipping from a glass of wine. Her eyes find mine, and her expression is thoughtful as she holds my gaze for a long beat before she plasters a smile on her face.
“How was your vacation?” she asks, gesturing for us to take our seats.
“Too short,” mumbles Blake.
“And all of you were complaining you didn’t want one,” she smiles, appearing pretty proud of herself.
“Anything new?” Kaden asks.
She waves her hand in the air. “That can wait. I want to hear all about your vacation first.”
“Eye-opening and thoroughly satisfying,” says Hunter, smirking. Heat crawls up my neck and cheeks, and I pinch his side. He’s so relaxed he doesn’t even react. He just places a hand on my thigh and leans back.
We move into easy conversation about the trip as dinner is served. My phone vibrates in my pocket, and I pluck it out inconspicuously. An avalanche of texts from Eric floods my screen. When we went on vacation, I made sure we were untraceable, making the signal ping-pong from one city to another. I also made sure that we were the only ones who could communicate with each other and Cassandra.
“What the fuck does he want?” Hunter asks, and I put my phone away.
“End it, or I’ll end him,” he says, cutting into his steak with more force than necessary.
While the others engage in conversation, I can’t shake this nagging feeling when Cassandra glances my way. Whenever she looks at me, she frowns as if she doesn’t know what to do. The whole situation makes me squirm in my seat.
I force my food down, glancing at the grandfather clock, wishing time would tick by faster. This is definitely a first.
After dinner, we go to say goodbye, and once again, Cassandra’s gaze lingers on me, unsettling my nerves. “Is there something wrong?”
“I need to talk to you. I’ll let you know when.” She dismisses me and worry coats my insides, making me jittery.
Outside, Hunter leans against the Sprinter van, waiting for me. “What is it?”
I shrug, clutching my necklace—it brings me instant comfort. Strange how that piece of jewelry has such a powerful impact on me.
We’re all quiet on the drive back to campus. Everyone unloads their bags and makes their way into the house. As Hunter carries our luggage inside, I open my bedroom door, and he places mine down. Insecurity descends over me. I want him to stay but don’t want to come across as clingy. He cups the back of his neck, opening and closing his mouth several times.
“See you,” I blurt out.
Incredulity flashes in his eyes. “What the fuck? See you?”
“You look like you’re about to freak out, so I spared you,” I say, the hurt clear in my voice.
“Fuck. No. Bailey, look at me.”
It takes everything in me to hold his silver gaze.
“I’m moving in,” he states. His serious tone brooks no argument.
I blink in total disbelief at this development. “What?”
“What did you expect, kitten? Ah, right. You thought we’d go back to how it was. Forgive my stupidity. That was before accepting that I covet you. I don’t know what I am doing, but no more fucking around.” His feet eat the distance between us, and he kisses me, blowing my doubts to smithereens.
He brings back to life every molecule in me.
“Okay,” I say with a bright smile, reflecting how I feel inside—relieved, overjoyed, and excited.
He takes something out of his luggage, and turning over his palm, I see a small snow globe with two crystal human forms melting into each other in their embrace. It looks precious and unique, with golden snow and the bottom recreating the night sky.
“Another present?” I ask, emotions getting the better of me.
“I want you to remember when we gave into each other. Like the globe protects its precious insides, I will protect what we have with everything in me. Never doubt me or us. I’m yours. And you’re mine.”
“You’re mine. And I’m yours,” I say breathlessly, taking the globe from his hand and pressing it to my chest.
The moment he’s gone, I place the snow globe on my desk with the fullest heart possible.
Sitting down, I power up my laptop and screens. While I enjoyed the time away, I am sure Felix hasn’t lost a moment thinking about how he can get us. That knowledge gnaws at my happiness.
Another text distracts me. It’s Eric again.
Someone told me they saw you coming back. Don’t I deserve to know about that as your friend and future boyfriend?
This guy has issues, but I can’t keep ignoring him. I don’t want to alarm Eric or make him suspicious.
We just got back. I am tired.
Where were you? I couldn’t get a hold of you.
I don’t owe you an explanation.
I need to see you. I miss you.
Sure. I bet Felix would love to know where we have been. No, thank you. While I know Eric may feel something for me, I can’t trust him. I don’t want to be sidetracked again.
I’ll let you know when we can meet this week.
Hunter is so going to be pissed. And I can’t keep this from him. I check Eric’s call history and one conversation makes me pause—it’s between Eric and my mother.
I am done waiting. She was promised to me. Where is she?
I can’t tell you , my mother says. She doesn’t know either. My insides knot at the knowledge that she’s communicating with him, and I palm my belly to soothe the growing unease.
When she returns, I’ll have a serious talk with her. And then we can announce your engagement .
I jab a shaky finger on the stop button when Hunter walks inside. The shift in the air announces his presence, and my senses prickle with awareness.
“I knew I’d find you at your desk,” he says in a playful tone.
I can’t bring myself to respond to him. My finger is still suspended over the play and pause button. That phone conversation runs circles in my head.
In one swift move, he rolls my chair around. “What happened, Bailey? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
He whips his head toward the laptop.
“Don’t.” I should know that he won’t listen, but I am too shocked to stop him.
His nostrils flare, his entire posture changing as he listens to the conversation. “Over my dead body. Did he contact you again?”
“Hunter, we can’t blow my cover.”
“Fuck that. I’ll torture the information out of him. They can’t bloody marry you off. I’ll never accept that.”
“Baby, I would never marry him, but I need to know why my mother is involved.”
I don’t want to believe that she was the one who helped Felix, but I have never believed in coincidences, either.
There’s a knock at the door. I startle, which makes Hunter even more agitated. When I say, “Enter,” my friends all spill inside. Gone are their carefree faces from vacation.
“Cassandra is keeping something from us,” Kaden says, jaw tight.
“And when I called her—you know, as her daughter—she said, ‘Not now,’” Celine says, a line digging between her brows.
Blake purses his lips. “She looked at you conflicted.”
“Of course, she would want us gone so she can get busy with her own mission,” Abi sighs.
“Probably, but can you fault her? Her entire goal is to keep us safe,” Mia adds.
“Yeah, but she was chatty today. And that’s unusual,” Dane notes.
“I think it’s because of this,” I say, pressing play.
Silence crashes down as they listen to the recording.
“And Cassandra told me she needs to talk to me,” I add.
“It was your mother who helped them,” Kaden says, pacing around, brows bunched together in deep thought.
“Why the sudden marriage though?” Hunter asks, leaning against my desk with crossed arms.
There are just too many unanswered questions.
“We’ll find out soon enough,” Celine says.
Of that, I am pretty sure.
The moment our friends leave, Hunter curses. “Fuck. Fucking shit.”
I stand up and lift on my toes, locking my arms around his neck. “We’re not in the dark this time. We’re ahead of them.”
“There are too many variables. I hate these bloody secrets and corrupt legacy.”
I don’t want to talk about that any longer. I just want to forget for a while.
“You know how you make me feel?”
That piques his interest because he arches a brow.
“Like it’s a dream, and I am terrified to wake up.”
His features soften. “It isn’t, Bailey. We lost enough time as it is.”
I tilt my head, smiling. “It was foreplay.”
He places a soft kiss on the tip of my nose, brushes his nose against my cheek, and inhales me. “You had me with that sass. I hated when you ignored me.”
“Entirely your fault.”
“I bring out the worst in you.”
“Nope,” I say, popping the “P.” “You saw me for who I was and pummeled at those walls until I freed myself.”
“Fuck, kitten…” His thumbs caress along my cheek. “One more fight and afterward, we’ll finally win the war. I promise you’ll never want to dream again because I’ll make our reality so much better.”
“Promise?”
“I vow. Because I am yours.”
“Then let me have all of you, even the darkest parts. Let me know you like no one ever has or ever will.”
His sharp features melt with vulnerability. “I could not survive you looking at me differently.”
This is the moment of truth that will inevitably lead to a monumental shift. The seed of us was planted when our eyes clashed that very first time, but the ground was too rough for it to grow. Despite all the adversity, it blossomed.
I palm his cheeks, risking it all in my need to make sure he knows what I feel for him. “I love you, Hunter. Please, let me love you for who you truly are. All of you, even the parts you think do not deserve love.”
His eyes glisten, blinking away the tears, but they still slide down his cheeks. I have never seen him so raw. I hug him, wanting to embed all my love into him so that he accepts I’ll always be there for him. His heart pounds a merciless beat, and I kiss his chest, wanting to soothe him.
“You can’t take that back.”
“I promise I won’t. Give me the chance to prove that you’re safe with me. I’d rather die than hurt you.”
“Don’t leave me. Swear you won’t leave me.” His choked voice twists my insides.
Tears blur my vision. His confession will shred me apart. The desire to avenge him, kill whoever hurt him so badly, sparks to life.
“I don’t want to make you cry. Don’t cry for me, angel.”
“Of course I’d cry for you. I love you and your pain is my pain.”
“You broke every defensive wall in me. I am bare to my soul in front of you.”
I look up at him to show him all the emotions written on my face. “Me too. You said I am beautiful. Well, you’re beautiful to me too. You brighten my life. There’s nothing that could change that.”
“I need a drink for this. Make it a bottle.” He turns around, but I climb on his back, holding onto him. It’s the nerves talking and while I understand that, he doesn’t need to numb himself. What he does need is to finally face what has been tormenting him.
“No, you don’t. Don’t let those demons win. Fight back.”
He casts a dejected look my way, shutting his eyes for a moment. “What do you think I have been doing for years?”
“So you channeled your fighting so you can—” I can’t even say the word, but he does.
“To survive.”
The first fracture rips through my heart as if it’s weathered glass. His silver eyes lock on mine, pleading. For the first time, I want to tell him to keep it inside, but he won’t get better if he does.
Sliding down his back, I move in front of him and take his hands in mine. “I’m here. I won’t leave. I love you with all of me.”
“You better because I am splaying myself open for you.”
He loves me, too, and his next words confirm it.
He brings our hands to his chest, resting my palm on his beating heart with his on top of mine. “I love you, Bailey. But my love is the mad, obsessive kind. You can’t leave me. This is for life. Tell me you accept that. I am already yours, and I am a selfish asshole who wants you just for myself.”
For life. I can’t believe I finally got what I have been longing for my entire life, even when I denied it for so long because I was afraid it’d never become reality. It’s easier to vocalize that you don’t want something, too afraid you’ll never get it than to do everything it takes to make that seemingly impossible dream come true.
“For life. I want nothing less with you than that.”
“And what if there is more afterward?”
“You’ll have me even then. I won’t leave you, not even when we’re nothing but dust carried by the unforgiving wind of time. I need you too. Mad together.”
“Mad together. I love that.”
I pull him toward the bed, and we both sit face-to-face on the edge.
He opens his mouth, and my chest splinters in that one second, full of despair.
“I was raped.”