Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
HUNTER
Dorothy gasps. “No, Hunter. I don’t need anyone to help me. I’m fine. I just need to rest.”
“I’m already on my way. Let me take care of you.”
“Um…okay.” Something moves over her receiver, causing static. She says something , but her voice is muffled.
“What was that? I couldn’t make out what you said.”
She clears her throat. “I asked how soon you’d be here.”
“Ten minutes tops.”
“Ten minutes. Um…okay. I’ll see you then. Bye.”
“See you soon.”
We hang up and I shake my head at her nonsense. As if Dorothy could stop me from taking care of her. She has no choice in the matter. She’s sick and needs me, so I’m going to be there for the woman I love.
I answer a few messages as we pull onto her street. I grab my coat and slide into it while I wait for my driver to let me out.
The door whips open, jerking it almost off the hinges. A shiver runs through me as I step out of the car. The wind is wild tonight as the cold air moves in.
I’m fixing my wool collar tighter around my neck when I catch a glimpse of Dorothy peeking out her window behind her closed drapes. Despite the chill of the air, it makes my insides warm that she’s excited to see me.
With a smile on my face, I go inside. I step out of her stairwell and into her hall, surprised to find her waiting for me at the door. I stride to her faster because I need to feel her in my arms.
“Beauty, what are you doing out here when you don’t feel well?”
“It’s cold, and I didn’t want you to be waiting.”
“Get back inside. You’re already sick and the chill isn’t good for you.” I step up and kiss her on the cheek.
She lowers her head as I pull away. Her shoulders are slumped, and she still appears weak.
“Come on. Let’s get inside.” I press her door fully open and guide her into her loft. “Go rest on the couch. I’ll make you some hot chocolate. We can snuggle while you fill me in on your doctor’s appointment.”
She slinks away with a subtle nod and drags her feet as she goes to her sofa. I take my jacket off and throw it over the coat rack.
She crawls under a blanket. “What are you doing back so soon?”
“I did what was required and came back early. I’m needed here more than any event, so it made sense.”
As I’m making her drink, I notice two glasses in the sink. One has lipstick smeared on the edge, and the other doesn’t. That snake, Jamison, will pay for that.
My blood boils instantly. “Tell me about your week. Any visitors you’d like to tell me about?”
“Yeah. My brother surprised me. He’s in town for a couple of days.”
I shake my head at my paranoia and work myself back into a civil state. “He’s already cleared for travel?”
“I was as surprised as you. He says he’s fine and wanted to come to visit while he’s on medical leave.” She sits up and faces me as I finish making her hot chocolate.
When I’m done, I take the two mugs and make my way to her. “Why isn’t he here?”
“He’s out with Melanie right now.”
“Melanie? How did that happen?” I hand Dorothy her cup. “Careful, it’s hot.”
“Thank you. I haven’t made hot chocolate since last year.”
She takes it from me and blows on it. “Melanie was here last night for dinner. He showed up at my door and surprised me. We ended up going out instead. You know how she is. She hit on him and things took off from there.”
“It sounds like something she would do.” I sit next to Dorothy and place my drink down. “Is he staying here?”
“No, there’s not enough space.” She cups her mug in both hands and lowers her head again. She seems upset.
My stomach tightens. “Forgive me. I should’ve asked about your appointment first. You said it didn’t go well. Tell me about it.”
I shift and slide my arm around her shoulders, my fingertips tracing along the top.
“As I suspected, I have a UTI. It’s a bad one. They found blood in my urine.”
“So that’s what’s been causing you all this trouble.”
She reaches forward, places her drink down, and grabs a tissue to wipe her nose. She’s trembling and holding back tears.
Something’s wrong with her. But before I have time to ask her about it, she bolts off the couch and locks herself in the bathroom.
This woman confuses the fuck out of me.
Should I chase her or wait?
I lean over, resting my arms on my legs. She hasn’t done this since we first got together, so I’m not sure which is best.
For about five minutes, I ruminate over what I may have said that upset her. It’s been long enough, so I go to the bathroom door and knock.
“I’m sorry if I upset you. Will you please come out and talk to me about it?” I rest my palm against the doorframe and lean into it, staring at the knob.
The door slowly cracks open. As she comes into view, I see her eyes are bloodred from crying. She falls into my arms, and my heart cracks for her.
I wrap my arms around her, wishing I could take away her pain. “Tell me how I can help.”
“You can’t help. There’s nothing anyone can do.” She goes limp in my arms.
She’s sick and clearly emotional, so I carry her to her bed. “You need to rest. You’re pale and weak. I think you’re pushing yourself too hard.”
I place her on the bed. She lies down and rolls to her side. “Don’t you see, Hunter? I’m single-handedly going to ruin the launch with all my missed deadlines. I can’t focus on work because I’ve been sick. Everything is falling apart.”
“We have more than enough people who can help with the things we need for the launch. I’ll do them myself if I have to, so nothing is falling apart.” I sit beside her and move her hair aside.
She swats my hand away and pushes up. “I have endometriosis and a UTI. My body is punishing me for being so selfish. I can barely eat anything. I’m exhausted and can’t work out to get rid of this anxiety.”
She leaps off the bed, crazed with something I’ve never seen in her. I’m shocked, so I remain quiet.
“My brother’s in town, taking Melanie out to hide the fact that she and Jami are dating. He isn’t satisfied with just her, so he’s dating a bunch of women on some dating app. He’s only speaking to me because he has to. He doesn’t care about our relationship, and why should he?” She spins around, fisting her hair .
“Calm down, Dorothy. This isn’t good for you.” I stand behind her and place my hands on her shoulders.
She turns to me, and her stormy green eyes scan wildly across my face. “You need to fire me. I’m not doing any good there. Rumors fly around the office, so nobody respects me anymore.”
“That’s not true.”
“It is. Jonah looks at me differently now. Not only does he think I fucked Jami in my office, but he still suspects I’m sleeping with you. I can see it in his eyes, so don’t deny it.”
In a split second, I resolve to clear up all the rumors about her. I step back because I’ve never seen this side of her, and quite frankly, it’s a little scary.
This is more than her fiery temper and childish rebellion. This is all that, mixed with deep-seated sadness. She shakes her head and spins away, facing the window.
“You asked me to marry you a while back. Am I really someone you want to marry?” She plants a hand on one of her hips and slaps the other to her chest.
She’s still facing away from me, so I don’t know what to make of all this. I’ve never been in a relationship this long, so these emotions are foreign to me.
It’s like I’m in China without an interpreter. And we’re not technically together anymore, so I don’t know how to answer any of this.
When I don’t answer, she turns to me with her brows drawn tightly together. “I’m not, am I? After all I’ve put you through, you don’t want me anymore, either.”
Either?
Now, I understand what has her so upset. Jamison must have cut ties with her, just as I requested. It doesn’t feel nearly as good as I expected.
I want her to be with me because she loves me and wants to be with me. Not because he threw her to the wayside. I’m still processing it all as I stare blankly into her eyes .
She huffs a crying laugh. “There’s no way I’m the one you want on your arm at those events. That’s why you take Ava. She’s the picture of perfection—the daughter of the world-renowned ethics advisor who happens to be your dad’s best friend.”
“I don’t want Ava.”
“I used to believe you when you spoke about her, but it’s so clear now. They want you two together, so that’s what’s going to happen.”
My gaze widens and resolve snaps over me like armor. “No, that’s not anywhere near the truth. She’s a business ally, and that’s it.”
“Have you ever slept with her?” Dorothy's eyes maniacally dart around my face.
Goddamn, she’s all over the fucking place.
“Dorothy, you?—”
She clenches her teeth. “Answer the question.”
“I’ve begged you not to lie to me, so I’ll give you the same courtesy. We used to hook up, but it hasn’t happened in a long time.” I hold her furious gaze. “Trust me. I have no interest in Ava like that.”
“Yet you’re with her almost every week, attending events as a couple.” Dorothy stomps to her sofa and slams herself against the cushions. “I’m so stupid.”
I must have gotten out of my car in some version of hell.
A discussion about Ava and me is a delicate topic. I can’t risk Dorothy knowing what Ava has over my head. If it gets out, I’m ruined. There’s nowhere I can go with this.
“Beauty, you need to trust me. I gave it to you when the situation was reversed, so I’m asking you to please give it to me.” Walking slowly, one foot in front of the other, I approach Dorothy.
She’s a trapped feral animal, and I don’t want to spook her into another wild attempt to escape whatever has her fighting for her life .
“I’m at my breaking point, Hunter. I can’t take any more.” She covers her face with her hands.
“It’s going to be alright. I’ve always told you I won’t let you fall. Just tell me how I can help ease your worries away.” I go to her and take her in my arms.
She sobs uncontrollably while I stroke the back of her head.
Damn, this is rough.
It’s like I went through a reservoir glory hole and came out on the other side. This situation has me tossed around and drowning.
I’m so discombobulated. I have to work to get my mind straight or else she’s going to shatter.
It takes an hour to calm her down. She’s lying with her head in my lap, trying to steady her bouncy breaths as I gently caress her arm.
She rolls to her side and places her hand on my chest over my heart. “Can I ask you a question and you promise to answer it honestly?”
“I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Where are you with wanting kids?” She pushes up so we’re at eye level.
Not the question I was expecting, but I’ll roll with it. “I want to give you anything you desire. That hasn’t changed.”
“You’ve said that before. But deep down, what do you want?”
“I want what you want. As long as we’re together, I can get on board.”
I have a lot of work to do before I’m where she wants me to be, but I’m trying to get there. I’ve even enlisted more help from my therapist.
Therapy’s been difficult since Dorothy and I aren’t together. And this behavior from her tonight is more than erratic, leaving me on guard.
Her gaze drops to her lap. “If you don’t want kids, it’s not a deal breaker anymore.”
What the fuck?
I’m back to being confused out of my mind.
I dip my head to find her eyes. “You have my full attention. What happened that has you wanting to give up on having children?”
“Fair question.” She peeks up and slightly nods. “You know I miscarried before.”
She takes a breath and stills herself. This sensitive subject has ended with her leaving me more than once, so I’m walking a tightrope right now. I reach for her hands and take them in mine.
I run my thumbs over the top of her knuckles. “Go on.”
She swallows and drops her gaze. “Having endometriosis means there’s a higher risk for miscarriage.”
“I know you would worry about that, but I know nothing about women's issues. I’ve avoided them most of my life. Can you help me understand what this all means?”
“I don’t want to go through another loss like that ever again.” She pushes off the couch and mopes toward the window. Her hand slides over her mouth as she sucks in a sob. “I can’t do it, Hunter. I don’t think I want kids anymore.”
This is such a sudden shift that I’m sure I got out of my car in the wrong universe. I try to piece it together, and it’s not adding up. I go through everything she’s said since I got here when she interrupts my thoughts and lands with the answer.
“When I went to the doctor today, they did a bunch of tests. After that, the doctor told me I’ll be high risk if I ever get pregnant. I don’t want to be pregnant and worried every day that something bad is going to happen.”
“That’s not something I would want for you either.”
“I realized that if I go down that path, there won’t be a day I’m not terrified I’ll lose it. I can’t function like that. And let’s just say I’m lucky enough to get the limited chance I have of getting pregnant.”
She spins to me. “I’ll have to carry it to full-term and give birth. If I’m lucky to make it through that part, I’ll have to raise it and keep it alive. I’m a nervous wreck just thinking about it. Can you imagine what I’d be like if it were real?”
Fearing this is a trap, I remain where I am. “I think you’re stronger than you’re giving yourself credit for.”
“No, I’m not. You don’t get it. I’m ruining everything by hanging on to that hope.”
She rushes to a picture on her fireplace mantel and picks it up. It’s one of her and her family.
“Dorothy—”
“They had kids and I’m not sure they wanted us. I think we were pawns in their war. I won’t be like them. Aiden disagrees, but our relationship can work if I don’t bring children into it.”
It starts to make sense. She must have had a major blowout with her brother about us being together.
Add Jamison cutting ties and picking up the pieces by taking out women from a dating app, and Dorothy’s an emotional wreck. Her doctor’s appointment must have been the final straw, causing her to hit rock bottom.
My heart hurts for her, so I do what I’ve longed to do for over a month. I rise to my feet and pad toward her. I take her in my arms and lean down, pressing my lips against hers.
She waits a millisecond before she opens her mouth, welcoming me in for a meaningful kiss for the first time in a long time. Relief floods my body.
She needs me and is finally seeing how it can work between the two of us. A surge of excitement zooms through my body as our tongues frantically work around each other.
I thread my fingers into her hair as she throws her arms around my neck. She leans into me, pressing her hips into me like she can’t hold back anymore. I know her body. She finally wants to welcome me back into her bed.
I pull away with my eyes smoldering into hers. “Beauty, let me make love to you. Let me fill you with my love until you know with all your heart that I’m yours and you’re mine. It’s what we both want.”
Her eyes have me captured as they flicker with need. I’ll do anything to make her feel better. I lean down and cradle her in my arms. Our lips meet as I carry her to her bed. I lay her down and tear off my shirt.
She gets on her knees and pulls her sweater off. We race to undress until we’re skin to skin, rolling around on her little bed. For once, I don’t curse it because it’s keeping us close.
We pant between our kisses as our bodies rub against each other. She reaches between my legs and strokes me perfectly. It’s been so long since I’ve been with her, I’m afraid I won’t last.
It takes all my might to pull away. “Do you have condoms here?”
When she realizes what we’re about to do, she flinches like she’s being splattered by hot oil. She pulls in a deep breath as her eyelids flutter.
She twists off the bed, scared and shaking. “I’m so sorry, Hunter. I just remembered I can’t do this.”
That was the strangest response I've ever heard.
The mattress dips as I push myself up. I tilt my head, studying her every move. “What did you just remember? And what does that have to do with why we can’t have sex?”