"So," Hunter said, the shadows on his face sharp as the sky darkened into the deepest colors of twilight. "When are you moving in?"
I laughed. "You don't do things halfway, do you, Jamison?"
He just grinned. His phone rang. With a sigh, he stopped petting Stevie, who nudged my hand, and retrieved his phone from his pocket. He muttered a curse before picking up.
"Yes, Antonio?.... No, I told you. Nothing yet.... When I'm ready, I'll let you know.... I don't care of they're offering a billion dollars. I'll come back when I want to come back."
The other end of the call raised his voice. Antonio must be fuming. Hunter just held the phone away from his ear until the ranting ended, then he said, "No." And hung up.
The phone started ringing again. Hunter turned it off and dropped it on the table.
"Are you sure that's okay?" I asked.
"Positive," he said. "I have more important things to do."
His roguish smile made me curl my toes. "Antonio wants you back in the cage."
"Mhm." Hunter shifted until he could wrap his arm around my shoulders and pulled my legs across his lap. Stevie ended up on his other side, right on top of my feet, warming them up. We were one cozy pretzel. The porch lights flickered on. The air was growing chillier as the day darkened to night, but I was warm.
He threaded his fingers in my hair, slightly rubbing my scalp. My eyes fluttered close, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. Peaceful.
"My entire team wants me back in the cage," he grumbled.
"What do you want?"
He kissed my forehead and mumbled, "I want to stay like this forever."
That made two of us. "No, seriously. Do you want to go back?"
"I am serious. I put everything on hold two years ago because I realized that my personal life was going to shit even when I have a successful career. And that's not all I wanted from life."
His words echoed my thoughts and my situation. I took it as a sign that I was doing the right thing.
"And now your personal life is...?"
"On the right track. Now it's on the right track," he said. "So maybe I'll go back to the damn cage and see if I actually want to spend more time there or just call it quits."
That reminded me. "I want to see your photographs," I said.
He chuckled. "They're not really great. I just shoot whatever I feel like it."
I raised my head to see his sheepish look. "I still want to see them later. If you want."
"I'll show you."
I yawned. I was toasty and full. And at peace. My eyelids grew heavy, and I surrendered to sleep.
*** **** ***
I wasn't in my studio.
That was my first thought. I blinked. A beam of light cut right through the darkness and fell on a framed photograph on the wall. My mind slowly trudged out of the mud, and memories came back.
Right. Hunter.
The sound of water running. It stopped, and the beam of light grew larger. I sat up and pushed my hair back. The mattress was a cloud beneath me. I was disoriented.
"Did I wake you up?" Hunter asked, coming out of the lit room. A bathroom. He turned on the bedside lamp next to the bed I was on.
"Where the hell am I?" I asked, looking around. The covers on my lap were a dark blue color, and the bed could fit in ten people. Five, if they were Hunter's size.
"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."
He'd bought this house almost two years ago. Two years of walking past these pictures. I wouldn't have been able to do it.
I turned and looked around the bedroom. There was a seating arrangement right next to the French doors. I walked to peek through the blinds. "You need lights in the backyard. It's dark out there."
"I know. I keep telling myself to get the backyard done, but something always comes up," he said over the mumble of the TV in the background.
I turned to say something, but it fled my mind at what I saw. My eyes widened. "You have a secret enclave?"
Hunter chuckled, watching as I headed towards the small opening next to the French doors. It wasn't visible from other angles. There was actually another room in there. It was a long room, mostly empty except for a black chaise lounge and a bunch of boxes.
"What do you plan to have there?" I asked, walking back to the bedroom.
"I was thinking some reading nook?" he said, patting the bed next to him. "What do you think?"
"A reading nook. Cute," I said, jumping on bed. This thing was so big, I had to crawl all the way to sit next to Hunter. I chuckled, shaking my head. "This bed is ridiculous."
He opened his arm, and I tucked myself in, as if we'd done it a thousand times before. My phone rang. It was on the bedside table next to Hunter. He handed it to me, and I groaned.
"It's Scott," I grumbled, muting the phone.
Hunter grinned. "Let me talk to him."
I scoffed. "If you want him to hunt you down..."
"He changed," Hunter said after a long pause. "Well, not much. But when it comes to you. He's more protective than I remember."
I sighed. "That's my fault, I'm afraid. When I was first diagnosed, I kept it a secret from everyone. But I had to notify Sam at one point. And then they all found out. Scott was mostly hurt. He's loud and obnoxious, but he's really sensitive."
Hunter raised a dubious eyebrow. I chuckled. "No, he really is. He got overly protective after that."
"Can't say I blame him, to be honest," Hunter said, his hand squeezing my shoulder. "Promise me something."
"What?"
"If you feel the slightest bit off, tell me. Don't hide it."
I opened my mouth to snap a joking response, but hesitated. If I'd been in his place, I would be worried sick. More worried than I was for myself. So I nodded. "I will."
"Good." He kissed my forehead. "What do you want to watch?"
It was close to midnight, and I was bright-eyed. But I needed to sleep. I had a busy day tomorrow.
"True crime," I told Hunter.
"What's that?"
I grinned. "That's how I fall asleep."
I found a good true crime documentary and put it on. Hunter gave me a look. "You fall asleep to this?"
I nodded. "Usually it's just a podcast, but a documentary helps too."
He shook his head in disbelief. "I think I'm going to spend the night on the couch, after all."
But he tightened his arm around me, turned off the lights and we watched the show. After several minutes, I yawned. I glanced at Hunter, his eyes were wide awake and focused on the show. I guess he liked it. With that thought, I fell asleep.
*** **** ***
"Oh my God! You did not!"
She talk with Lia about s**.
I really should've known better than to call Lia first thing in the morning. She'd replied with a grumpy 'morning and a threat to kill me for waking her up early on a Sunday. But her bad mood soon vanished when I told her about me and Hunter.
I was driving one of his cars to work. The garage hosted a total of six cars. I took the smallest, which was a black sports car that handled like a dream. Lia's squeal filled the sleek interior. There was a masculine groan on her end.
"Sorry, babe," she whispered. The line went quiet for a moment. After some rustling, she came back with a more cheerful voice. "I knew it was only a matter of time!"
"Uh-huh. Sure," I said. "By the way, do you know anything about Stefan and Hunter meeting a couple of years ago?"
"What? They met?" she asked. "Hmm. Your brother didn't tell me anything."
I bit back a smile. She was going to skewer Stefan. "That's fine."
"Uh-huh. Sure." She sighed. "I'm really happy for you Sapph. You deserve to be happy."
My heart warmed. "Thanks, Lia. I'm... trying my best. It's not easy to let people in after years of nothing."
"Damn, I never thought I'd say this after what happened ten years ago. But I like Hunter."
I smiled and manoeuvred the car into a parking spot. I liked him too.
"So..." Lia said. "Did you jump his bones?"
I groaned. "Goodbye, Lia."
"No, I'm serious!"
"I am, too. And no. I did not jump his bones. He did not jump mine. And when that happens, I'll certainly not tell you about it."
"Hey! I'm your best friend," she said. I could hear the glee in her voice. She enjoyed teasing me way too much.
"Goodbye Lia."
Ending the call at her giggle, I headed to my clinic for another day's work.
All throughout the day, I got a phone call from Stefan, then Emma, then Sam, then Jason, then Scott. My friends and family were a nosy bunch. It felt like everyone had just been waiting for Hunter and me to get together.
Scott was by far the most dubious of the bunch. I was walking into the gym that evening when I got his call.
"Are you sure about this?" He asked.
I looked around the gym. It was decently crowded this evening. Hunter was shadow boxing in one corner. Af if feeling my gaze on him, he turned. His eyes met mine and he smiled.
"Yes, Scott." I smiled. "I'm sure."
I pointed to the locker room. He nodded. I went on my way. Scott was quiet on the other end of the line. Finally, he said, "I'll see you later."
"Hey, Scott," I said. "I love you."
He huffed. "I love you too. I'm still gonna beat his ass."
I chuckled. "I'm counting on it."
And that was that. I changed my clothes and went for a warmup. As I stepped on the treadmill, an older man entered the exercise room from the fighting space and scanned the room. His eyes fell on me, and he made a beeline straight for me.
As he got closer, I recognized him as the man who'd been speaking to Ava the other day. Antonio.
In my memory, his features had been a blur. But seeing him up close cleared up the fog and dragged his image in Steve's gym ten years ago to the forefront of my mind.
He had looked at Hunter as if he knew the bright future that awaited him and wanted everything to do with it. I guess he succeeded.
He was older, grooves lined up his skin and carved a permanent scowl on his face. He was dressed in an expensive brand sweat suit, his feet in brand shoes, his head bald and his wrist adorned with a golden watch. Someone had an expensive taste.
I didn't want to judge... But I guess I did.
He stopped next to me. Standing on the treadmill, I was taller than him. I didn't step down.
"You're the girl he'd been with ten years ago, aren't you?" he asked outright, his voice that of a person who'd spent the better part of his life smoking.
I raised my brow. What a weird way to say hello. I didn't want to not like him, but he was making it difficult. Still, I could be polite. "Hello to you too. What can I do for you?"
His left eye twitched. "Hunter's been out of the cage for too long," he said. "If you care about his future, you let him come back."
This conversation didn't bring up pleasant memories. The last time an older man tried to make me convince Hunter do something he didn't to do want was ten years ago, when his father tried to bribe me. That hadn't turned out well for either one of us.
My hackles rose. "I'm not making him do anything. The last time I checked, Hunter is grown man. He can make his own decisions."
"Not if he's thinking with his dick, he can't."
I squeezed the life out of the treadmill's arm. I couldn't believe this guy! I threw polite right out the window. These bullheaded old men didn't understand polite.
"I don't know who's thinking with his dick, but it sure as hell isn't Hunter. And last time I checked, you worked for him, not the other way around. So how about you keep your mouth shut and do your job, instead of trying to push him to do something he'll do when he damn well pleases."
Okay. I may have gone a bit overboard. But he brought up bad memories.
Antonio's eyes looked comically wide. He opened his mouth and closed it, like fish out of the water. I punched the button on the treadmill and started running, ignoring him. Prick.
Antonio whirled around and stalked off. He hesitated halfway to the door. Hunter stood there, looking between me and Antonio in a frown.
Antonio continued on his way, his shoulders tense. Hunter didn't look away from the older man as he brushed past him and out of the exercise room.
My newly acquired boyfriend approached, his brows still pulled together. He was sweaty already, but he jumped on the treadmill next to mine and started walking. "Did he talk to you?"
"Good evening to you too," I said, increasing the pace in an attempt to run away my frustration.
"So he did," Hunter said.
I just ran harder, and Hunter stayed quiet until the last bit of frustration melted away with my sweat. Slowing my pace to a walk, I caught my breath. Hunter stopped, hopped off his treadmill and came to lean on mine. I stopped.
"Hey," I said, catching my breath.
He smiled. "I missed you."
I smiled and, because I now could, leaned forward and kissed him. His hand held the back of my head, holding me to him. Pulling away, he rubbed his nose against mine and smiled. "Hey."
I chuckled. We were acting like lovesick teenagers.
Hunter touched the scrunchie around my wrist. It was the pale blue scrunchie he'd given me ten years ago. Putting it around my wrist had been easier than I expected, and the look on Hunter's face was worth it. He looked... happy.
"Want to punch something?" he asked.
I grinned. "You know me too well."
He kissed my cheek and stepped back. "Come on."
Hunter held mittens for me, and I beat the crap out of them. I felt so... free today. As if the past's hold on me was growing loose after yesterday's decision to let Hunter in and take a leap of faith, faith in my myself and my ability to deal with whatever life threw my way. I was no longer running away, and it was empowering.
If I'd thought Hunter forgot about Antonio, I was wrong. After I could no longer hold my arms up, I sat on the floor, Hunter crouched next to me. He brushed away wet strands of hair that stuck to my neck, the pads of his fingers leaving trails of heat against my sweat-cold skin.
I caught the eyes of a couple of girls who'd been training nearby. They gave me thumbs up and fanned themselves. I grinned at them. Yeah, Hunter was hot. And I was one lucky bish.
"So what did he want?" Hunter asked, oblivious to the attention.
"Who?"
"Antonio."
My good mood evaporated. I blew out a breath. It wasn't fair to Antonio. True, I didn't like him, and I didn't appreciate the way he was speaking about Hunter as if he was a kid who didn't know any better. Hunter had ran away from the last person who tried to control his life that way. He didn't need another asshole like that.
Still, maybe Antonio was just worried about Hunter. I should give him the benefit of the doubt. However, I wouldn't lie to Hunter. I wouldn't hide anything that had to do with him from him.
"He said you've been out of the cage for too long," I said. "And that I should let you come back."
Hunter's expression thundered. He rubbed his hair. "Fucking asshole. Brings back memories, doesn't it?" Hunter said.
I nodded. I guess I wasn't the only one who was reminded of his father's attempt to secure my cooperation.
I held Hunter's fingers. "You told me before that you had to do something before going back to fighting. Does it have anything to do with me? This thing you had to do."
Hunter closed his fingers around mine. "Yeah."
I slowly nodded. "I'm not saying this because of Antonio, but I'm here now. You don't have to keep your professional life on pause."
He blinked those dark browns and smiled slightly. "You are here."
"And I will be here if you want to go back to fighting," I said. "So, do what you want."
He leaned over and kissed my forehead. "I guess I should go back and see how it works out. If I even want to keep doing it."
"Okay."
--- ---- ---
Thoughts?
Another chapter coming in very sooooon!
I'm finishing up the story, I only have the Epilogue left to write. So the updates will be more frequent. Keep voting and commenting. I appreciate you all!
Much love <3 <3 <3
M.B.