Chapter Thirty
CHAPTER THIRTY
HUNTER
I wake up with Lennon in my arms. The curve of her body presses against me, and I want to stay here all day and hold her because once we get on that plane and head back to California, everything will go back to normal. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. I’m not sure we can go back to normal after this, but I’ll try my damnedest, for her sake.
Lennon shifts, and she lets out a hum.
“You awake?” I whisper, and she shakes her head, which makes me chuckle. “Better get up, so we don’t miss our flight.”
She lets out a sigh, then I slide out of bed and go to the bathroom. When I come back, she’s sprawled out, looking beautiful as always. Her shirt slides up her body and reveals her belly, and I can’t help but smile. That baby has no idea how lucky it is.
“Lennon…”
“I know, I know,” she tells me in her cute sleepy voice as she pushes herself up. After tucking her messy hair behind her ears, she then stretches before standing. She walks out, and by the time she comes back into the room, I’m dressed and ready for breakfast. When she passes me by, her eyes slide up and down my body. She doesn’t say a word, though I have an inkling of what she’s thinking.
Lennon may be able to suppress her feelings, but she can’t hide her physical reactions from me—never has—even when she hated me.
She swallows hard, then forces her eyes away. “I’ll meet you downstairs,” she says, digging through her suitcase.
I give her a side grin and a nod, wishing I could read her mind. As I walk out of the bedroom, I hear her parents’ laughter in the distance. The house smells like bacon, and my stomach growls thinking about it. Lennon’s parents greet me with a cheery good morning when I enter the kitchen.
“I’m finishing up breakfast. Will Lennon be down soon?” Mrs. Corrigan asks as she begins plating the food.
“Yes, ma’am,” I tell her as she sets a large spread in front of me. She even made homemade waffles. “Wow, Mrs. Corrigan. This looks amazing. You’re spoiling me.”
She smiles and pours me a cup of coffee. “I’m going to miss you two being here.”
“I am too,” her dad adds. “It’s been great having kids in the house again.”
This causes me to laugh just as Lennon enters. She’s thrown her hair into a sloppy ponytail, and when our eyes meet, the electricity streaming between us seems to pull her closer. She places a sweet kiss on my lips, then sits down next to me where her mother put a plate piled full. I don’t miss the fact that she initiated a kiss this time. Fake or not, but the way she looks at me is genuine.
“Ready to go back to California?” her dad asks.
A smile barely touches Lennon’s lips. Her eyes meet mine before shifting them to him. “Yeah, but it’s been a perfect visit.”
I couldn’t agree more, but I don’t admit that aloud. Leaving means our fake relationship is over, and everything we pushed aside these past three days will need to be dealt with head on.
“Honey, you two can come back anytime you want.” Mrs. Corrigan beams. I notice the twinkle in her eyes when she looks at Lennon and me. It’s easy to pretend this is real when everyone believes it so easily. If only our innocent lie were the truth.
“I’m sure we’ll be back,” I offer.
“We’d like that,” Mr. Corrigan tells me.
We make small talk for the rest of the time, and when we’ve finished breakfast, Lennon and I go upstairs to pack. As soon as we step inside the bedroom, I notice a rogue tear spill from her cheek. Carefully, I study her, holding back the temptation to kiss away her tears.
But fuck, I want to.
“Pregnancy hormones, I think. And I’m not looking forward to the flight,” she explains.
I pull her into a hug, and I swear she breathes me in as she rests her head on my chest. We stand there until my vision blurs, and I know we have to get going. The less stress Lennon is under, the better.
After we pack, I swing my bag over my shoulder and grab her heavy suitcase. As I go to walk out of the room, Lennon reaches for me and pulls me close. I turn to her, feeling her breath brush against my skin. Instead of ruining the moment with words, I stare into her crystal blue eyes and wait.
“Hunter…” she says. Letting out a ragged breath, she pulls her bottom lip into her mouth, almost begging for me.
Considering this might be the last time I kiss her, I place my palms on her cheeks and pull her mouth closer. When our lips finally touch, the fireworks we watched on the Fourth of July cannot compare to what I feel. We’re lost in each other, falling then floating, in a reality where nothing else matters. It almost hurts to stop kissing her, and I allow every emotion I have to release because our facade ends here. As soon as we’re in the car, I’ll go back to wearing a mask and pretending we’re only friends.
When we break apart and Lennon places her fingertips over her lips, I think I might’ve kissed away her ability to speak. By the way she greedily twisted her tongue with mine behind closed doors confirms something more simmers between us, even if she doesn’t want to admit it. I hold on to the dream of her being mine, as wrong as it is. For a second, she looks as if she’s lost in her head, and it causes the guilt to drip over me.
“I’m sorry. I?—”
“No,” she firmly stops me. “Don’t be.”
Maybe I’ve overstepped the boundary or pushed her too far, which causes my mind to rush a million miles per hour, but she did too.
“Ready to go home?” I ask, changing the subject, escaping the silence that lingers between us.
“I’m ready to walk around braless, eat junk food, and sleep late,” she admits with a smirk.
I laugh, the sound bouncing off the walls as we exit her old bedroom. Lennon insists on grabbing the smaller suitcase, and when we go downstairs, her parents are waiting in the sitting room. I hurry and load our bags into the car, then come back inside and tell them goodbye. Hugs and kisses are exchanged between Lennon and her parents.
“We followed your Instagram account so we can see all your updates. Let us know as soon as the baby’s born, and we’ll come to visit right away,” Mrs. Corrigan says. Her happiness radiates like sunshine.
“It was nice to finally meet you,” I say honestly.
Her dad gives me a hard handshake and a grin. “Glad to have a son now. Happy you’re a part of the family.”
The smile on my face doesn’t fade, and I can’t help but feel like a piece of shit for deceiving them.
Lennon doesn’t wait for a beat before speaking up. “Well, we gotta go. I love you both so much. See you soon!”
They follow us outside and wave goodbye when we get in the car and back out of the driveway. I beep the horn a few times as Lennon waves, and soon, the two-story house fades in the distance. As we enter the highway, Lennon lets out a long sigh, which makes me laugh.
“I’m kinda sad we’re leaving,” she finally says.
“Me too.” I don’t reach for her hand even though I want to. Instead, I keep both hands tightly wrapped around the steering wheel.
“They liked you a lot. Thank you again for… everything .” She grins, then looks out the window.
“Lennon, you know you don’t have to keep thanking me, but you’re welcome.” I meant every word, every touch, every kiss. The guilt I pushed aside for the sake of getting through this slowly returns to haunt me as we drive away from our personal haven. A place where we didn’t allow ourselves to feel remorse for what we were doing—what we had to do—and what I’d do ten times over again if I had to. Instead of pouring my soul out to her, I turn on the radio and try not to ignore the way I feel. A piece of my heart will remain in Utah, a sliver of what’s always been reserved for Lennon.
Once we reach the airport, we return the rental car and get through security in hyperspeed, but a delay in our flight means we won’t get home until after dark. I wish we had known beforehand and could’ve spent time in Salt Lake City. But instead, we sit and wait. With every passing hour, Lennon grows more anxious, and so do I. By the time we have lunch, we find out we’ve been delayed even longer, so the entire day has been spent sitting and waiting. Lennon falls asleep on my shoulder, but I remain wide awake as I process the past three days.
Eventually, we board the plane, and I’m sure every passenger who steps on is pissed. I shove Lennon’s suitcase in the storage compartment and almost worry it won’t fit because it’s stuffed to the max. Lennon packed as much as she could of her mother’s gifts, though she’ll still be shipping packages to us.
As the plane lifts into the air, Lennon takes my hands in hers, and we interlock fingers. Though it’s a small gesture, touching her feels like home. Whether she does it out of habit or comfort, I brush my thumb across the top of hers, and she leans her head against my shoulder, falling asleep. My mind is in marathon mode as I think about how holding Lennon under the booming fireworks will forever be etched into my heart. And brain.
So many people commented on how in love we were, and it’s something I can’t seem to shake.
Was it all pretend for her too? Was she acting the entire time?
Regardless, it can’t turn into anything real, though a part of me knows or rather hopes it were.
Not once did our act falter, and we performed together so well, we both deserve Oscars. But the reality is, I didn’t have to pretend. For the first time ever, the walls I’ve been so adamant about building have crumbled to rubble. Being able to kiss and touch her and openly love her came naturally and too easy.
Before we came to Utah, I already had it bad for her—but now I’ve completely fallen.
I’m so fucking doomed.
Once we land, we deplane and grab our bags from the carousel. On the way back to the apartment, we’re both yawning. The past few days were nothing short of exhausting. Between meeting new people, waking up early, and trying to impress Lennon’s parents, I’m ready to pass out. We pull into the apartment complex, and I manage to carry all the bags up the stairs in one trip.
“I could’ve helped, you know.” Lennon unlocks the door, and we step inside. Our sighs happen in unison, and it causes her to smirk.
“Home sweet home!” she says, removing her bra and dropping it on the floor. “That feels so much better.”
“Just let it all out.” I chuckle, and she shrugs, going to the bathroom.
I bring her suitcases to her room and throw my bag on the floor. I’m pissed I didn’t take off work tomorrow. The reality that our rendezvous is over hits me in full force. The line in the sand reappears, reminding me of where we were before Utah, before Brandon’s death, before it all. Lennon needs to be kept at arm’s length, but the thought causes my heart to skip a beat. The sound of her voice startles me.
“Now that we’re home, can we discuss the Jenna thing tomorrow?”
Fuck, she’s jumping straight into that.
“Yes,” I say. Giving her a small smile, I know we’re back to the real world already.
“Perfect. I’m gonna take a shower if that’s okay.”
I nod, then watch her walk away.
When the water comes on and I hear her singing, a smile hits my lips. She takes the shortest shower ever, and I decide to take one too. I’m sure she was saving hot water for me, which has me holding back a laugh because we’ve come so damn far from the days of fighting over it.
After I finish washing my body and get dressed, all the lights in the apartment are turned off other than the lamp in the living room. I turn it off, and when I walk past Lennon’s room, I crack the door open.
“Good night, Lennon.”
“Night,” she says sleepily, but I hear the smile in her voice.
When I lie in my bed, my room feels like an empty box. Tossing and turning, I search for sleep, but it doesn’t find me even though I’m tired as hell. Maybe the small-ass bed we shared wasn’t so bad after all. I find myself missing the way her warm body feels, the smell of her hair, and how she fit so perfectly against me as I held her all night.
Rolling over, I force my eyes closed and try to steady my breathing when my phone vibrates on my nightstand. I’m half-tempted not to grab it, but I do. When I see a text message from Lennon, I’m confused.
Lennon
My bed is way too big.
My laughter bounces off the walls of my room, and I know she heard me.
Hunter
I’m sure we can get you a smaller one if you want.
I know what she wants, and I want it just as much as she does, but I refuse to offer. She’s going to have to ask me to lie with her. I can’t always be the one to reach out. My heart races at the prospect of it, of being close to her again, because right now, I want nothing more.
Lennon
You’re going to make me beg, aren’t you?
I grin, playing dumb.
Hunter
What are you talking about?
Lennon
Okay, never mind.
A light chuckle escapes me as I imagine the expression on her face.
Lennon
I just heard you laugh!
She giggles, and I love that I'm the reason for it.
Lennon
Fine. I’ll play your game.
Hunter
What game?
I’m smiling from ear to ear.
Lennon
Please come sleep with me.
Hunter
I’m not sure I got your text. What did you say?
She groans loudly, then shouts, “Hunter Manning!”
I change into a shirt and jogging pants, then grab my phone and go into her room. She rolls over and looks at me, the glow of her phone illuminating her gorgeous face. Sitting up on her elbows, she gives me a playful eye roll. “I knew you’d come.”
“How’d you know?”
“Because friends don’t leave friends in need.”
Though the word is like a knife digging into my heart, I force a smile. “You’re right.”
Lennon pats the bed and lies down, and I crawl under the sheet next to her.
“Thank you,” she says sweetly, placing her head on my chest. Pulling her into my body, I hold her tight as though if I close my eyes and wake up, she’ll be gone. Her breathing quickly steadies, and I know she’s already asleep. It takes no time before I’m drifting off and dreaming of a life where we can be together without worry, care, or guilt.