Chapter 1
I MISS HER
HUNTER
I can’t do this. I can’t find her. I can’t confront him.
Can’t.
Can’t.
Can’t.
“You can’t… or you don’t want to?” her voice whispers to my left, and something inside my chest tightens.
Groaning, I sit up, my feet sinking into the soft carpet.
The memory fades behind my eyelids, but my heart pounds in my chest. I lean forward, elbows on my knees, and rake my hands through my hair, tugging at the straight ends.
Fuck.
I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I took too long, I left, stayed gone without a word, too lost in my own demons. But I did what I had to do. My heart feels lighter, more accepting of where I came from… yet heavier with the weight of where I want to go.
With her.
God, I missed her.
I blink, my eyes adjusting to my musky room. Nothing’s changed since the last time I was here. My dark gray sheets are still rumpled, the top drawer of my dresser hangs open, clothes spilling out from the hasty packing job I did six months ago.
“Hunter! Hunter! Hunter!” Little feet pound down the hallway, calling my name in excitement. “Do you have a dog?”
My door swings open, and all I catch at first is the blur of little feet tripping over my open duffel bag lying by the door. My reflexes kick in, and I lunge forward, my hands hooking under his little arms before he hits the floor.
“Whoa, lil guy,” I say gently, picking him up and setting him on my bed. “You gotta watch where you’re running.”
He looks at me with wide, brown eyes, his round cheeks flushing red as he catches his breath. The shock of tripping, almost falling, and being caught all cross his little features at once. I ruffle his wavy hair, then gently take the toy from his hand.
“Remi! What have I said about running inside houses?”
Turning toward the voice, my lips curve, and my shoulders relax as I step back from Rem. “He’s alright, Sarah.”
“Yeah, Mommy. Hunter always catch me.”
My chest fills with a lightness at his words, and a shaky breath slips out before I can stop it. But it’s the way Sarah’s eyes ping between us, the little crease forming between her brows, and how she hesitates at the door that has the doubt seeping back in.
Clearing my throat, I turn to hand the dog toy back to Remi. “I don’t have a dog,” I tell him, keeping my voice light, “but one of my buddies, Connor, does. His name’s Ace, and they’re here all the time.” I smile down at him, and just like that, his whole face lights up.
“I’m sure you’ll get to meet Ace soon,” Sarah says, stepping further into the room, her voice gentle. “Why don’t you go back to the kitchen and finish the snacks Hunter got you?” She crouches down and picks up the bag Remi tripped over.
“’Kay, Momma! I do that,” Remi says excitedly as he hurries off.
I step over to Sarah, reaching for the duffel just as she hands me a stack of envelopes.
The sight of them makes my stomach drop.
I stuff them back inside the bag without a word, like burying them deep enough might keep them from suffocating my thoughts.
She offers a small, knowing smile and shuffles toward the bed, watching as I jam the bag back into the closet.
“You’re going to have to show her those, you know?” she says softly.
“Yeah,” I murmur. “But not today. Her birthday is coming up, and I don’t want to drag her down again. Asher said she’s doing good right now, and her art store is officially open… I just…” My voice trails off, and I drop down next to her, sighing as I go.
“You want to protect her. I get it. But she’s older now.
Stronger, from what you tell me. She has Asher.
” She pauses, giving her words time to sink in.
“Keeping those letters from her now? That’s not protecting her.
That’s you hiding them because you’re avoiding the hard part.
” Her eyes flick toward the closet. “Have you even read your ones yet?”
My eyes dart over to hers, narrowing, and my heart hammers in my chest. Damn her for calling me out.
I stand abruptly, walking around the side of my bed to my nightstand.
Grabbing my phone, I check it, looking for any missed calls or texts.
The air stirs behind me as I feel her approach.
Everything in me tightens, the room suddenly feels stuffy, and my neck itches, heat crawling up the back of it at being put on the spot.
“I’m not going to tell you what to do here.
” Her cool hand wraps around my arm, her understanding easing the tension in my muscles.
“Just know I’ll be here for you and Halle in a heartbeat.
By the sounds of it, you’ve got other people here who will be too.
But you’ve gotta let them in.” Her hand slips away, and she takes a step back, giving me space.
The loss of her warmth sends a chill down my spine, and I spin quickly.
“Sarah,” I call softly, and she pauses at the doorway.
“Thank you,” I say. “For coming back with me.”
Her smile lights up her whole face, dimples deepening. “I think it’s Remi and me who should be saying thank you. If you hadn’t been in the diner that day… I don’t know where we’d be right now.”
My stomach sinks. Flashes of her panicked eyes finding me in the back of the diner, the bruises peeking out from the edge of her uniform, purple and yellow hues fading across her soft skin.
A fire rages inside me, curling under my ribs.
Shoving the unwelcome memory aside, I slide my phone into my back pocket and glance around my room, making a mental note to clean the mess up later.
“Come on.” I gently usher her out the door. “How about we go clean Remi up and head out? I want to surprise Halle.”
“Do you think she’ll remember me?” Sarah asks, her words coming out too quickly. “Do you think she’ll love Remi?”
I chuckle softly at her unnecessary worry, my hands landing on her shoulders as she walks in front of me, squeezing until she releases her panicked breath.
She’s been unsure about this move ever since I asked her to come back to Sunlit Cove with me.
It took some convincing, but the moment I saw her, I knew I wouldn’t be leaving town alone this time.
Not like before. No, this time, I was doing it the right way.
I ran from a monster twelve years ago, leaving my little sister and our mom with that abusive bastard of a stepdad. I was nineteen, beaten down, lost, and in a world of pain—physically and emotionally. I thought leaving, carving out a new life, was going to save them.
Fuck, how wrong I was. Sarah was always there for us. My best friend. Losing her, too, killed me. But she understood. She pushed me to go. I know she tried her hardest to keep an eye on Halle and Mom, but life happens, and it took her away from them, and now she’s worried Halle won’t forgive her.
“Of course, she will,” I say, bumping her shoulder with mine and smiling. “She’ll love Remi, too. How could she not?”
Picking up the plate Remi left on the table, I carry it over to the kitchen sink and wash it.
He’s got his head down, completely absorbed in the coloring book we got him for the drive here.
His tongue pokes out in concentration, his hand flying across the page, lost in his world of imagination.
A soft warmth spreads through my chest, and my mouth twitches with a ghost of a smile.
He reminds me of Halle and the way she would spend hours disappearing into her sketchbooks.
“Let’s clean you up. We’re gonna go explore.” Sarah’s voice pulls me out of my nostalgia.
She moves around the table, packing up Remi’s things, stacking them neatly, and helps him put his shoes on. I can’t wait for everyone to meet the little guy. He’s going to have Halle, Madi, and Tessa wrapped around his tiny finger. I just hope the girls welcome Sarah, too.
The thought of Madison sends my heart into overdrive.
My phone feels heavy in my pocket. All her missed calls and unanswered texts are a weight I’ve been carrying, one I should’ve faced by now.
I should have had the courage to answer her.
Told her I was okay and just needed space.
Instead, I went radio silent on everyone, except Asher.
Because he knew. His demons recognized mine, and he saw what I needed.
I slip my phone out and pull up the contacts. My thumb hovers over her name—Madi, still saved with the little pink heart she added herself.
The ache in my chest twists. That stupid heart feels broken now.
It’s been a month since her last call. Her silence screams at me, and I think of calling her first. But the thought makes my stomach turn. Because deep down, I know why she hasn’t tried again.
She’s done.
How could I blame her? How long can someone stand still, waiting for a man?
I have no idea how she’ll react when she sees me again.
Will there be anger in those beautiful eyes, or nothing at all?
The little hope I have of her running into my arms is slim, but it’s something I’ll keep hanging onto because a life without Madison seems bleak.
I couldn’t give her my all before, but now I’m ready, and I’ll fight for her if I have to.
Every damn day, I’ll fight to be the man she deserves.
I just hope she still wants me, still needs me like I need her.
“Ready?” Sarah calls from the front door, Remi bouncing at her side.
“Yeah,” I say, stuffing my phone back into my pocket. “Let’s do this.”
I crouch down to meet Remi’s eyes and smirk. “Hey, want a piggyback ride?”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” he shouts, already launching toward me.
“We’re not driving?”
I turn around and motion for Remi to climb on. His arms wrap tight around my neck, and I hook my hands under his legs, making sure he’s secure on my back before straightening.
“No,” I say with a small shake of my head, a smile tugging at my lips as I pull the door open for her.