Hate Sober (Love Me Duet 2)

“Where you off to?” he asks, pushing off and stepping closer to me. He kept his distance to start with, making sure not to startle me. He knows, thanks to Alec, that when someone is too close or when my back is turned, I freak out. So far, I haven’t been able to contain the anxiety that creeps over me in those two scenarios.

“Off to help May move.”

He raises an eyebrow, looks down the road, then back to me. “Can I help?”

His words shock me because I can’t imagine him wanting to do this at all. “Are you sure? It’s going to be boring.”

“You’ll be there, right?”

“Well, I would hope so,” I say with a smile.

“Well, then, it won’t be boring.” He opens his door and waves for me to slide in. I step closer and he takes my arm, helping me in the car. My skin burns where he touches me, and it takes everything in me not to tell him so. To tell Gunner to remove his hand because I’m having a reaction to him. A reaction where I’d like to wrap my arms around him and lock our lips together.

That could be bad.

Slow.

We need to take things slow.

The slower the better.

He walks around and gets in, looking over at me. “To May’s place?” I nod as he starts the engine and drives off.

“You didn’t have to offer to help, you know,” I say to lighten the mood. I can feel the tension, it’s sexual and he’s reserved.

He turns to face me. “Of course I did.” And that’s all he says the whole drive. We pull up and I spot May out front with Ryan carrying her suitcases out. When she spots the car, she stops and her eyes zoom in on us.

“Ev?” she asks.

I look at Gunner and leave my purse in his car as I step out.

May waves, then looks to the driver side as Gunner unfolds himself from the car. “And you’ve brought help,” she says as she turns to Gunner.

“Yeah, he offered. I hope that’s okay?” May crosses her arms over her chest and eyes him up and down.

“You won’t be causing trouble today, will you?”

Just as she says that, Buck walks out with the mattress over his shoulders, his muscles bulging as he carries the weight. We all watch as he drops it in the truck, then turns and offers us a wave, but when he notices who’s standing with me, his hand drops and he walks back inside.

“Hi, I’m Ryan.” Ryan steps up and offers his hand to Gunner. Gunner looks to it, and at first, I think he’s going to leave him there with his hand in the air and not touch him, but he quickly changes his mind and lifts his hand, shaking it.

“Gunner,” is all he says.

“You two a thing?” Ryan asks, looking between us.

Neither of us answer, and thankfully May saves us by butting in, “Can’t believe you came. But thanks, Gunner, we need all the help we can get.” May grabs Ryan by the arm and turns with him to head back inside. I stand there and face Gunner, my hands sliding into my jeans pockets as I look up at him.

“You can still bail if you want.”

His dark eyes lock onto mine. His hair is tied back and everything in me is screaming to kiss him, but I don’t listen to that voice, it’s the one that got me into this mess with him in the first place.

Reason wins out and I take it slow.

No kissing the delectable man standing in front of me, who I know can kiss very, very well.

“No, I’m here for you.” He turns and starts walking in the direction that May went, and I manage to catch up with him. As we walk inside, I hear Buck’s voice. “No, I think it’s time I go.”

Damn, I feel bad straight away. I never want him to feel uncomfortable. When he turns to us, he pauses, then walks straight past us and out the door.

I turn, going after him, not caring that Gunner’s here. “Buck,” I say when it’s just us outside.

He stops walking and spins around to face me. Before I can speak again, he holds up his hand. “I knew it, Everly. I could see you weren’t over your husband, and clearly, he isn’t over you. I just hoped…”

“I’m sorry.”

He looks over my shoulder then back to me. “It’s fine. I’m a survivor, I’ll move on. I wish you the best, though.” He steps up, kisses my cheek, and lingers a touch before he pulls away. I smile as I watch him get into his truck and drive off.

When I turn around, Gunner’s at the door watching me.

“You’re impossible to move on from. He’s going to have a tough time. Trust me, I’ve tried,” is all he says before he starts walking to Ryan’s truck to load the suitcases he has in his hands. I smile at his words and follow him back inside.