Chapter 33
Chapter Thirty-Three
Cassidy
“ D amn it, Hunter! What the hell do you think you’re doing!” I yell, and see Hunter physically flinch. With my hands wrapped around his enormous arm, I pull him back.
Dom is on the floor, holding the side of his face where Hunter decked him. He stands and brushes himself off, trying to appear unaffected. It’s hard to appear that way when someone’s punch just launched you off your feet and onto the floor.
Granted, he had it coming. I was minutes away from slapping him myself. Even if I hadn’t, there was a line of girls behind me that would have.
Hunter follows me as we slip into the crowd and walk past watchful eyes. A bouncer who was making his way toward us just nods at me as I drag Hunter behind me. I must look pissed, or Hunter must look pathetic because no one has stopped us or said anything.
Once we break the threshold, I take a sharp turn and walk a few paces down the street. I find a quieter spot with an open park bench and shove Hunter down onto it. He moves without resistance, sitting immediately and clasping his hands together in front of him.
“Cass,” he starts but stops as I put up a hand.
“I get it, I know what you saw. I understand why it upset you. I can’t sit out here and fight with you tonight. I don’t have time, and I need to focus on the girls.”
He nods at almost every word as I speak.
“Yes ma’am.” How can a large man seem so little? He was just towering over Dom and just about to beat him to a bloody pulp. Now he’s timid and careful.
While I understand why Hunter did what he did, part of me is threatened by that fact. He doesn’t have the right to be upset. He doesn’t need to defend me. I don’t want to find comfort in a man, it makes me uncomfortable and uneasy. It makes me feel like the person I have always been is changing, and I’m not looking to do that.
I am happy with who I am.
I am happy with how I do things.
I am happy sleeping in the middle of my king-size bed alone at night.
I am happy to be able to travel at the drop of a hat if I want to.
I am happy to be able to make decisions for myself without having to consult anyone.
I am happy Hunter came out to just give me a kiss and punched Dom in the face.
Wait? What? No, I’m mad about that.
The internal struggle with my feelings only upsets me more and Hunter sitting in front of me is about to take the brunt of it. I’m ready to unleash all my anger when I hear Lynn’s laugh and Georgie’s voice slicing through the air like buckets of cool water.
I take a deep breath and look down at the man who is fiddling with his thumbs. He looks up to my eyes and we lock our gaze.
What am I going to do with this guy?
I’ve never been in this kind of predicament before. If I cuss him out now, the girls will hear, and the night will quickly shift.
“You don’t need to ‘yes ma’am’ me. I just need you to understand that I’m obviously not happy with the situation, but it’s not the time for it. It’s late.” I open my purse, fish out my keys, and hand them over to Hunter.
“Here’s the key to my place. Just go there and get some sleep. It’s better than driving all the way back home.” He takes the keys and stands.
I know the girls are watching so as much as I just want to shove him off and send him on his way, I’ll never hear the end of it.
“Georgie has my spare, so you can leave them on the counter if you like when you leave.”
Hunter runs his strong hand gently down my arm. The same large hand that just sent my coworker flying is now handling me like a delicate piece of glass. His movements are wary and calculated, careful not to overstep. I place my hand over his.
“Can I wait for you to come back?” he asks quietly.
“I don’t know when I’ll be done with the girls, we’re supposed to have brunch.”
“I can wait.” He drops his head to mine and waits there.
“I’m not making any promises.” I pull my head away from his, trying to give myself some space.
“I’m not asking for any.” I see the worry all over his face. This has been more than enough of a show for the girls. It’s time for him to make his exit, and for us to move on to our next bar .
“I better get back to the girls.” I move to step out of his grasp, but his hand tightens a degree.
“Would I be burying myself if I went in for a kiss, Cassidy?” I stiffen at his words.
I think back to the message I just sent him. Did he even get to read it before he came barreling over to us? I don’t want to argue with him, but I also am in no mood to receive a kiss from him.
Standing up on the tips of my toes, I lean in and kiss him on his stubbled cheek. I smell traces of his farm on him. I smell it over the city, over the perfumes and colognes that mix in the club, over the smell of cigarettes from the smokers standing outside. It smells comforting and reassuring.
When I take my step back Hunter is as still as a statue, but quickly shapes himself up to leave. He looks over at the girls and gives them a nod and smiles before turning and walking in what I assume is the direction of his truck.
I’m left standing there by myself, unsure of how to process it all. This isn’t the time to try and figure it out. I have a party to get back to. As I walk back over to the girls, two-thirds of them are grinning ear to ear. Georgie is the exception to this; she has concern written all over her face. She knows it’s not the time, and I know she’ll get her explanation sooner rather than later.
“On to the next bar ladies, the evening entertainment has finally come to a close,” I joke.
I link arms with Mary and start marching in the direction of the next bar only three stops away from our last.