Learning to Live

Chapter 40

"In my room," Hunter said, sitting on the edge of the massive bed. There were three doors. The bathroom, what must be a closet and the double doors entrance. Dark blinds covered the French doors of a balcony. I looked at the massive bed again.

"What kind of size is this bed?" I asked him. "It's obnoxious."

Hunter chuckled. "Alaskan king. Brownie and Stevie sleep with me sometimes. I need the space."

My mind was coming awake. I ran my hand over the soft sheets and gave him a grin. "Aha. And all the girlfriends appreciate the space, I bet."

He reached over and tweaked my nose. "You're the first person to ever come into my room."

"You should be flattered," I said.

He chuckled. "Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"Nope."

I guess Hunter had carried me upstairs after I passed out. I must've been exhausted if I didn't even wake up. I pushed off the covers and got out of bed. I was no longer wearing my coat and my socks. My toes sank in the lush rug. Hunter watched me with an amused, slightly dazed look.

"Your stuff's in the closet," he said, pointing to the door next to the bathroom. "You can use the shower if you want."

A shower sounded nice. Without overthinking things, I went into the closet to get a change of clothes.

The closet was all light wood and warm lights. His clothes filled one half of it, the other half was empty. The empty half made my stomach flutter. It was for me. My heart melted. Hunter really knew how to charm a girl.

My bags were on top of the island in the center of the closet. I got a change of clothes.

The closet was connected to the bathroom. Gray double-sink counter, glass shower, and a tub right next to a floor to ceiling window that overlooked the garden. The mirror was foggy, and the place smelled like Hunter and his distinctive shampoo scent.

I made quick work of my shower, feeling as if I was in a dream. In this beautiful bathroom, in Hunter's house. I'd agreed to give this thing between us a shot. My stomach cramped with the thought, but whether it was due to the hot water or the magic of the night, the sensation passed quickly.

Dressed in a sweatshirt and flannel pants, I dried my hair and stepped out. The bedroom lights were on, and Hunter was sprawled on the bed, watching a fight on the flat screen on the wall. I finally took in the bedroom.

Downstairs, the house was bare and impersonal. But this space... this space was Hunter. The wall next to the door was a gallery of framed photographs of various sizes. I stopped in front of it and froze.

It looked like a display of Hunter's life. Pictures of all the different places he'd been in, signed with the name of the country and the date at the bottom right corner. Shots of Brownie and Stevie. A picture of Tux, his mistrustful golden eyes staring right at the camera through the bars of a cage. It must've been in the shelter. There were also shots of Stella, Benjamin and Thalia. Their dog, Brando.

Tucked between them were pictures I recognized all too well. Hunter's very first shots.

A picture of us together on our last date before he left. A shot of me and Scott in our old kitchen, arguing about something, with Jason holding his stomach and laughing to the side. A shot of me with bulging cheeks and a fry sticking out of my lips in that old diner we went to after our workouts. Another shot of us sparring in Steve's old gym. I wondered who took that picture? Must be Fernando or Brandon.

I rubbed my chest. "How long have you had these up?" I asked, my voice slightly thicker than normal.

"I had them in an album before. After I bought this house and put together the room, I put them on the wall."