I’d fucked Leo while staring Hunter in the eyes.
Then I’d turned to Leo when those men broke into the cabin.
At the cusp of passion, I had looked to Hunter.
At my utmost terror, I had looked to Leo.
And they knew this.
And I couldn’t deny it.
Why did I do it? I didn’t know. I didn’t understand myself. I just knew they were hurting for it. Each in their own way.
Maybe that was why Leo wasn’t around.
Maybe that was why Hunter had shut me out.
The more time passed, the more that hole within us began to fill with poison and pain.
When Hunter finally slipped back into the car, his face was void of emotion, but his jaw was locked. He was simmering in anger as he gripped the steering wheel and put us back on the road. The silence was worse than before, and it didn’t help he cut his eyes to me every few moments, his glare deepening, his hold on the wheel tightening until his knuckles were white.
I glanced at him, meeting his eye, feeling my heart bottom out. My breaths came out short and fast as darkness shrouded us, its cold touch settling deep, too deep to push out.
I couldn’t handle this feeling between us.
This acidic misery hanging in the air.
It wasn’t us.
I was desperate to erase it.
Unable to stop myself, I reached out for him, skimming my fingers along his free hand as it rested on his thigh. His teeth clenched and he shook his head, but he didn’t bat my touch away. I ran my finger along his knuckles, staring at him.
“Fuck…” he whispered, angry, but I had a feeling he was angrier at himself.
He turned onto the private road leading to Leo’s. Obscured in darkness, trees on both sides, he didn’t go all the way. He pulled over on the side of the path, under the cover of a tree where the rain couldn’t pound the roof of the truck. He put the car in park and just sat there, staring ahead as his chest rose up and down, eyes blinking closed as I continued to run my fingers over his hand.
He turned his hand over, palm up, accepting my touch. His fingers ran over mine, and I let out a puff of air, feeling like I wanted to cry because his coldness was ebbing away. I was getting through to him.
“I’ve been missing you,” I finally said in a whisper.
He opened his eyes and looked at me, frowning. “Yeah.”
“I can’t deal with not seeing you, Hunt.”
He nodded once, repeating, “Yeah.”
I looked out the window, counting the streaks of rain as they slid down. “Leo said on my birthday that we don’t have anyone but each other. He’s right, and he’s hurting, too.”
A puff of breath left Hunter’s lungs, but he didn’t respond.
“We miss you,” I continued, feeling a tear well in one eye. “I’m lost without you, and my heart is hurting.”
“So what do you want then?” he asked suddenly, his voice taking on an edge as he looked at me.
I looked back. “I want to see you like before—”
“No,” he snapped, cutting me short as his brows came together. “No, Skye, I’m talking aboutnow.You called me—”