38. Hunter
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
HUNTER
A shlie claimed the window seat on the plane last night, and the innocent bliss on her face as she watched the clouds turn purple in the night sky did something to me. Made me feel things. This was deeper than shielding her from exes at the club or defending her to her parents. It unearthed some protective brute inside of me that has clearly been biding its time.
I want to keep her softness safe from anything with the potential to eclipse her light. Be her refuge, her safety. Hers . That’s what this all boils down to. Being completely hers is the only thing I want, which makes watching her exchange intimate whispers with Trevor over brunch right now an absolute nightmare.
“You rethinking that bet after seeing her with her boyfriend over there?” Willa raises her brow as she looks at me over her water glass.
The fuck ? How does she know about the bet ? “I don’t know what you’re?—”
“Save it. I already know, and I won’t say anything to the lovebirds.” She nods toward Chase and Kayla. “Or her boyfr?—”
“Naw, stop calling him that. He’s not her…” The words catch in my throat. I don’t know that. I don’t know anything about their relationship, really—haven’t wanted to. The whole “out of sight, out of mind” aspect has been working for me. There hasn’t been a need to feel jealous when he’s a seven-hour drive away. But this —her smiling while he slides his hand over her arm—this might tip the scale.
“You two are ridiculous. Why did you agree to that?” She shoots her eyes across the table and back to me.
“I didn’t want to be another person telling her what she should do.” I reach for my cup and try to wash down the lump forming in my throat. It grows. The look in Willa’s eyes falls from condescension to sympathy, and I drop my gaze to discourage the knot clustering in my stomach. “And you know how skittish she is. I didn’t want to scare her off.”
“Aw. That’s actually really sweet, Hunter.” She smiles and nudges me with her elbow. “I still don’t think it’s going to last with him, by the way. You have the advantage here; no one knows about your situationship. If you wipe that scowl off your face, it can stay that way. It’s just for the weekend. You can hash it out with her when we fly home tomorrow.”
I nod, knowing she’s right about my advantage and my face. I’m no good at pretending I’m happy when I’m not, but I’ve got to pull it out from somewhere because this weekend isn’t about me or us. The food comes, and I focus all my energy on hiding the agony rifling through me, just long enough to eat and get back in the car.
When we pull into the hotel parking garage, Willa hops out of the backseat quickly, leaving me alone with Ashlie. “She knows about the bet?” I ask, glancing at her.
That thumbnail goes to her mouth as she flashes a nervous smile. “Yeah… She saw us holding hands on the way to lunch on Wednesday.”
I bob my head, silence filling the air as she gnaws away. After several seconds, I can’t take it anymore. I pull her nervous hand from her mouth and move it across the armrest with mine.
“What’s wrong?” I wiggle my fingers into her fist until she lets me fill the space in between hers.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s clearly something. You’ve been in a mood since yesterday, and if you take one more bite of that thumbnail, you’ll need stitches. So tell me.”
“You’re mad about the Trevor thing…”
“I’m not.”
“You’ve been shooting fire daggers from your eyes all morning.”
I snort at the imagery. “What the hell are fire daggers, Ash?”
“Whatever. You know what I mean. You’re mad, and I’m just worried about tonight.” She slips the other thumbnail between her teeth.
“It sounds like you’ve got some fun things planned…” I try to deflect. She’s not entirely wrong. I’ve been pissed all morning. I don’t want her to know, but seeing them together has made me hate this stupid-ass bet.
“I’m not worried about the bachelorette party. I’m worried about you and Trevor being stuck together all night.”
“You think I’m going to, what? Challenge him to a duel?” I smirk.
She gives me a side-eye and tilts her head. “A duel is just a bet with weapons. I don’t put anything past you.” Letting out a heavy sigh, she turns toward me. “Look, I don’t know what to think. Just…don’t start anything, okay?”
“Me? Start something? Never…” I joke.
“I’m serious, Hunt.” There’s tension in her voice as she meets my eyes without an ounce of humor. “I know you’re mad. You won’t say it, but you are.”
“Hey.” I kiss her temple. “Nothing’s going to happen on my end. I swear.”
“Bruh, one month. You ready?” I clap Chase on the shoulder and reach for my beer.
He nods and takes a swig from his bottle. “More than ready.”
“Are you gonna cry?” Trevor asks.
“Of course he’s gonna cry,” I say. “He loses it over that penguin movie.”
“Hey, that was one time when I’d had a rough day.”
“Okay, but what about that other penguin movie?” I smirk.
“Another bad day…” Chase says, chuckling before taking another drink. Trevor’s laugh roars across the table, joining my chuckle.
Ripley’s sport’s bar has three big screens, each showing a different game. Small alcoves house pool tables and dartboards. Brown-stained concrete floors and dim track lighting make this place feel a few steps above a cave, but it’s still been a pretty fun time. After a few rounds of beer, billiards, and way too much shit-talking, we’re slowing it down back at one of the high pedestal tables. My scowl has gone back into hibernation, despite having to deal with the unsuspecting enemy across the table. It turns out, Trevor isn’t too bad to be around. He’s goofy as hell, but chill—when I set aside the fact that he’s also vying for Ashlie’s affection.
“Alright, well, you two don’t need me for this roast. I’ll be back.” Chase leaves the table, and I realize just how much he’s driven the conversation tonight. I have nothing original to say to Trevor, so I grab my beer and drink, just to help the quiet make sense.
“So, you’re around Ash a lot, yeah?” Trevor asks, cracking open his water bottle.
Ash . I don’t like that. I don’t want to think he knows her well enough to use a nickname. If he only knew how much time I spend with her, and what we do with that time, this would be a completely different conversation. I snort a sarcastic laugh. “You could say that.”
“What can you tell me about this guy she’s seeing? How serious is it?”
Pretty damn serious . Locking eyes with him, I consider being an asshole and laying it all on the table. I’d enjoy seeing his face fall after having to watch them together all morning. But I won’t, because Ashlie specifically asked me not to, and I want what she wants.
“Naw.” I shake my head, taking another swig from my bottle. “No idea. She hasn’t brought him around yet.”
“But she talks about him, yeah?”
“Not to me. You might try her sister, though.”
“Huh…” His eyebrows cinch skeptically. “Damn. Thanks anyway, bro.”
“What’s up?” Chase slides back into his seat, turning toward Trevor.
“Ah, nothing. Just trying to get some dirt on my competition. Ash has been kinda distant the last few weeks…”
“I’m telling you, man, whoever she’s seeing in LA won’t last long. Not with you in the mix. She hasn’t even talked to Kayla about him.”
Well, damn . I know I can’t really be upset about this. I haven’t told Chase anything about mine and Ashlie’s setup. The last time I talked to him about it was after that first dinner date. I lied and said it didn’t go as planned, that I decided to let her go. It was the only way to get him off my case and demolish any possibility of him asking more questions.
“Guess we’ll see at the wedding,” Trevor says.
I whip my head back to Trevor. “What’s happening at the wedding?”
“Ah, yeah. I asked Ashlie to be my date to the wedding a couple months ago, just to lock in my position.”
My mouth drops, and I hide it by grabbing that faithful bottle, drinking the last dregs of my beer. Sweat prickles across my scalp as I painstakingly regain composure. Fucking Idiot ! Why didn’t I think of it first ? Of course he asked her. He’s been preplanning dates with her for months. Why would the wedding be any different? Why didn’t she tell me ?
Flexing the frustration through my fingers, I catch Trevor’s puzzled gaze dipping to my hand and back to my face. I scan the room to avoid him, focusing on the big screen to calm myself. As if she was summoned, Ashlie stomps across the floor, high ponytailed curls bouncing with each determined step. She’s wearing a white crop top and jeans, her waist beads prominently on display. My back goes ramrod straight as I adjust from my slouch.
“You guys ever heard of phones?” Her feisty scowl circles around the table. With a hand on her hip, she settles her eyes on Chase. “I called all three of you.”
“Eh, that was my bad,” Chase says. “We turned them off at my request.”
“You need to come with me. I’ve been trying to reach you for twenty minutes. It’s Kay?—”
Chase is out of his seat before she finishes saying the last syllable in my sister’s name, and I’m up a split second later.
“Is she okay? What happened?” Chase asks.
“I haven’t seen her this bad in a long time. She’s had a lot to drink.” Ashlie starts for the door, with Chase right beside her. I’m a few steps behind, trying to keep up with the details. Kayla doesn’t get drunk. She’ll have a drink here or there, but for her to get plastered is unheard of.
We make it outside, and I’m surprised Ashlie’s keeping stride with how fast we’re walking. “Did something happen?” Chase asks.
“She’s freaking out about the wife thing.”
Chase stops suddenly, brows furrowed. “What wife thing?”
Ashlie swipes her palm across her forehead with a sigh. “She didn’t talk to you?”
“This is the first I’m hearing about a wife thing…”
“Shit. Okay.” Ashlie tugs his arm, coaxing him to continue across the street. “She’s been stressed about becoming a wife, and all the changes it will bring.”
“Wha—nothing’s changing. We’re basically married already.”
“That’s what I said, and I told her to talk to you about it, which she clearly didn’t do.”
When we reach Chickies, the brighter atmosphere is blinding. Soft purple lighting glistens off the chandelier at the center of the bar. A karaoke stage sits in the corner, surrounded by ornate white floor tiles. Plush seating surrounds low round tables throughout. The two of them head to the back while I stop at the bar for some bottles of water. If she’s as wasted as she sounds, she’ll need it.
I pass Willa at a table full of ladies packing up their things, and she points me toward the closed party room door. Chase and Ashlie are standing on either side of the doorway.
“What’s going on?” I ask, looking back and forth between them. Choked sobbing seeps from under the door as Chase tries to push it open.
“She’s sitting against it.” Ashlie pounds on the door with her fist. “Kayla, girl, move so we can open the door.”
“No! Leave me alone!” Kayla’s voice shakes as a loud wave of emotion erupts out of her.
Chase knocks lightly. “Kayla, baby, please. Let me in.”
Kayla’s muffled growl is accented with a bang against the door. “I told you not to get him, Ashlie!”
“Then you shouldn’t have locked yourself in there!” Ashlie fires back.
“Baby, please…” Chase pleads.
“No. You’ll just get upset.”
“I promise, I won’t. Just…open the door?”
“No!”
“ Fuck’s sake ,” I mutter, handing the water to Ashlie. My sister’s as stubborn as I am, but I won’t hesitate to use brute force to get in this room. Nudging Chase out of the way, I plant my feet. “Kayla…” I ram the door with my shoulder and gain a few inches, wedging my foot in the gap. “You know I’ll push you out of the fucking way. Open the goddamn door.” I shove again, and there’s a responding yelp as glass crashes on the other side. The few inches I gained disappear as soon as she recovers and pushes back against it. “Kayla! I swear-to-Go ?—”
“ Fine !”
The door swings open, banging against the wall. Kayla stands in the middle of the room, shoulders slumped, her locs covering half of her face. Her cheeks are shiny from tears. Shit . I haven’t seen this version of my sister in a while. Her Type A personality can hide a lot, but every few years, something tips her anxiety off the edge. Wedding planning broke the camel’s back, apparently.
I lean against the doorframe as Chase rushes in, crunching over the shattered bottle of wine on the floor. He walks her to a nearby folding chair, squats in front of her, and wipes her cheeks with his thumb. Watching him display this easy, intimate act of care—so similar but wholly different from the PDA I’m used to seeing from them—makes something click in my head.
This is what I want, this unapologetic display of love and devotion. The protectiveness I felt on the plane last night, the jealousy at brunch this morning, it all amounts to this. I want to be everything for the woman standing across from me with worry etched across her face as she stares at our best friends. I have half a mind to step over and comfort her, secrecy be damned. But this moment isn’t about me, or us, so I slide my attention back into the room.
“Baby…” Chase sweeps the hair out of Kayla’s face and reaches for a cocktail napkin. “We don’t have to do this.”
“Yes, we do. It’s a month away. We’ve already paid for everything.”
“You think I care about any of that shit? Kay, I’ll shut it all down tomorrow if it’s not what you want to do.”
“I do want to.”
“Then what’s…?” Chase looks to the ceiling and blows out a frustrated breath. “Please, talk to me.”
Kayla doesn’t answer right away, and I glance at Ashlie, who shrugs, hugging the bottles to her chest. Just as I’m about to step closer, Trevor sidles up next to her and peeks into the room. Heat flames in my chest when he rests his hand on Ashlie’s back. Stop . Fucking . Touching . Her . Trying to ignore the fiery rage building inside, I clench my jaw, molars grinding hard enough they squeak in the process. Resisting the reflex to spring forward is getting harder by the second, but reacting would make me look like a controlling prick.
“Here, let me hold those for you.” Captain Gentleman grabs the bottles from her, then turns to me. “I closed out the tab at Ripley’s, and I’ll drop those two off at home whenever they’re ready.”
I tip my chin up to acknowledge what he said before turning my attention back to the room. Trevor leaves, but my impulse to stake my claim doesn’t.
“What if I’m not good at it?” Kayla whispers, eyes cast to the glazed concrete floor.
“Baby, you’re already good at it. You’re the best damn wife I’ve ever had,” Chase teases. “If it’s a technicality causing all of this turmoil, then I don’t want it. Just say the word, and I’ll cancel it all.”
“But—”
“But nothing. I’ll do anything for you, including taking marriage off the table. I love you. My only priority is you and your happiness. Screw everything else.”
My eyes shift to Ashlie at Chase’s profession of love and dedication, and a split second later, she looks at me too. Chase has always been a pro at expressing exactly how he feels. I try to siphon his words from the air, transmitting them into a coded message for the eyes I could stare into forever.
I love you . My only priority is you and your happiness .