Unbroken

“Yes, and no, and…I’m sorry.”

He pulled out of the parking lot. “Ididmessage you back, Skye. Maybe turn your cellular data on.”

“I was connected to WiFi.”

He didn’t respond, simply drove. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, sort of desperate to prove I didn’t get his message. I switched my data on, and refreshed my inbox—

Ah, fuck, there it was, at the top of the screen.

HUNT:ill be there.

I cleared my throat, slipping it back into my pocket. “I guess the WiFi was being glitchy or something,” I said quietly.

He simply grunted in response, stopping before a red light. I glanced at him, trying to read his mood. He was obviously pissy, and I didn’t know if I was responsible for it.

“Are you upset with me?” I wondered, tensing.

He looked at me and shook his head once. “Just tired, Nugget.”

At the sound of my nickname, my shoulders relaxed. “Long day?”

He nodded. “Long day.”

I miss you.I wanted to say but didn’t.

We rode down main street, the town was still lit up, but the streets were empty. We continued down the oceanside road, turning along with it to climb up the hill that overlooked the harbour. We were still quite a distance from Leo’s place, and I felt a little guilty for not offering to pay gas.

The roads were dark, barely any cars out. I was thinking of something to say that would diffuse the silence when the truck suddenly jerked from the driver’s side. Hunter looked up at the rear-view with a frown, and then directed the truck to the side of the road, coming to a slow stop.

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“Something’s wrong with the tire,” he answered, stepping out. He shut the door, and I sat in the quiet as the rain continued to fall. I shuffled over to his seat and glanced out as he squatted at the wheel, inspecting it. Standing back up, he went to the bed of his trunk and climbed into it. I turned, watching as he began shuffling things around, stopping at his large metal toolbox he took for work every day. He flipped it open, rummaging as the rain drenched him, and all the while, his lips remained tightly closed, not a single curse to be uttered. Because that, too, was Hunter. He just went with it. Whatever bullshit came his way, he didn’t stop to bitch about it, or get furious about it—not like I just did.

He grabbed a few things and jumped off, returning to the tire. Man, I felt like shit because he wouldn’t be having to do any of this if I didn’t ask—demand—he pick me up.

When had I become such an expectant asshole?

My mind answered.Because eight weeks ago everything went to shit, and you’re desperate to fix things.

Never did I think those few days at the cabin would result in this horrible tension and distance. Never did I think that fucking them both meant being torn in half. Or that I’d see them change so swiftly when those men attacked us.

Reach out to him, I told myself.

I jumped out in the rain and rounded the truck, standing over him as he worked on the tire. “Do you need any help, Hunt?”

He didn’t look up. “I’ve got a flashlight under my seat.”

I opened the driver’s side door and rummaged under his seat, finding the small flashlight straight away. I turned it on and aimed it at the tire where he was unscrewing the air valve cap.

“What happened?” I asked.

“It’s been going flat lately,” he replied. “Must have hit something sharp recently.”

“Do you need to change the tire?”

“Just gonna pump it up for now, wait until the morning to change it. It’ll get to Leo’s just fine.”

With a portable tire pump at his side, he pumped it quickly as I stood by, waiting. By the time he was done, we were soaked through, and his hands were black and filthy, and it was all over his plain white shirt.