The Boy on the Bridge

“Anyway, I wasn’t worried about if this is a good deal for Hunter,” she says, rolling her eyes. Focusing all her concern back on me, she says, “I only care that it’s a good deal for you.”

“It’s a great deal for me,” I assure her.

“But you didn’t want to be his girlfriend. Surely you have a good reason.”

“I do. I did. But…” I sigh, trying to think how to explain. “My hands were tied. I wanted to say yes, but I needed to say no. Now… Hunter has made it so that I can’t. He really just freed me up to do what I wished I could do anyway. We’re all good. I want this.”

“You’re sure?” Mom asks.

“Completely sure. And, how’s this for a bonus? We’re all invited to Italy for spring break.”

Mom blinks. “What?”

I nod, taking her arm and gently leading her back toward the kitchen. “Hunter comes with perks. But also costs. He wants my Friday nights from now on. Like, not just a date night—he wants me to spend the night with him at his place every Friday night.”

“His place?”

“His mom’s dating some guy in Miami, so she’s never around anymore. Hunter basically has the whole place to himself.”

“How comforting,” she says wryly.

I pat her hand. “It’s all worth it, trust me.”

She doesn’t appear to be entirely convinced, but I’ve ushered her through the worst of the doubt. I’ll let Hunter do the rest.

Ray looks between us as we come back into the kitchen. “Everything good?”

I nod, flashing him a smile. “Yep.”

He looks to my mom for confirmation.

Less enthusiastically, she nods. “You can start the steaks. I guess Hunter’s staying for dinner, after all.”

Ray accepts this and goes to grab the meat and head outside, but Hunter looks to me.

I wander over to him, sliding my arms around his neck and leaning against him. I’m not entirely comfortable with such public affection, but I think it’s important for my mom to see me loving on Hunter to ease her guilt about the money.

“Everything okay?” Hunter asks, draping his arms around my waist and holding onto me.

I nod. “I only wish I had known you were the investor. We wouldn’t have cooked at all. I would’ve made you do it.”

Hunter’s apprehension eases, an easy smile tugging at his beautiful lips. “Oh yeah?”

I nod more vehemently, then pull back so I can turn around and look at my mom. “We’ll have to have Hunter over for dinner one night and let him cook.”

“Hunter can cook?”

“Hunter can cook,” I assure her, with feeling. “I’m not talking boil boxed pasta and heat up jarred sauce, either. He can cook with real ingredients. His talents are pretty much boundless. It’s ridiculous. But the cooking I’m very happy about. If all of his other career options fail, he can open a restaurant and he’ll do very well for himself.”

Mom regards us skeptically. “I do like good food…”

I nod eagerly.

Hunter slides his arm around my waist now that we’re side by side and regards my mom. “And, I don’t know if Riley told you, but I’m buying her a car. Soon, it’ll be too cold for her to walk everywhere. I don’t know if you enjoy car shopping, but I do know you like spending my money, so if you want to take her out this week to help her pick one out…”

Mom’s eyes narrow in consideration. “I do like spending your money…”

Hunter looks over at me. “Did you tell her about Italy?”

I nod.

He looks at Mom.

She sighs. “I like Italy, too. I mean, I’ve never been there, but I imagine I’d like Italy.”

“I’m sure you will. It’s beautiful. Obviously, I spent some time there. I’d be happy to take you guys around, show you the sights.”

Mom still looks a bit conflicted. Her concern doesn’t ease when she looks at me and her gaze drops to my neck.

I’m wearing the Scorpio necklace Hunter sent over on the first day of school. He saw the box on my dresser and put it on me after I agreed to his terms.

Partially, it’s a pretty gift and technically his initial. Partially, it’s a symbol of ownership.

She wouldn’t have any sense of that part if I hadn’t let her read that note, but since she knows this necklace wasn’t given to me as a nice gesture, its presence around my neck does little to ease her anxieties.

I don’t try to ease them right now. I’m not sure how. My own anxiety about the arrangement hasn’t even eased yet, but Hunter seems pretty confident that this is the right course. He said I’ve gotten in the habit of saying no to him, and we need to break it so we can get back to our natural rhythm.

He might be right, but it’ll take some getting used to.

Chapter Fifty Eight

Riley

As it turns out, life is a whole lot easier with Hunter running the show.