Van nodded. “It’s coming together.” A huge smile crossed his face. “And here is the woman who can provide the finishing touches.”
I turned and met the smiling face of Liv, Van’s wife. She had been the head designer at BAM before she retired. Her taste and eye for detail were impeccable. I was pleased to see her in on the project. She would make the house lovely. She stopped and brushed a kiss to my cheek.
“Hello, Ava.”
I smiled. “Liv.” She headed to Van, stopping to pat Hunter’s arm. She knew he wasn’t much of a hugger, although he was better than he used to be.
Van greeted her as if he hadn’t seen her for months, not hours. He swept her into his arms and kissed her, his eyes dancing. “Hello, wife.”
She laughed and pushed him away. They were like my parents. Like all the second gen, they were openly affectionate and still deeply in love.
I met Hunter’s gaze, trying not to laugh as he rolled his eyes at their display of affection.
“I’m going to look around while you chat with Liv.”
I walked through the empty rooms, noticing the new windows that let in the light and how the porch wrapped around the entire house. The patio doors in the guest room, a late addition to the plan, added a nice focal point. In the master bedroom, I gazed at the back deck, imagining sitting out there watching the water and the sun, enjoying the peace. It was still my favorite view anywhere. The French doors were a great feature on the new wall, showcasing the surrounding nature.
As I was standing, lost in the view, I heard Liv.
“Tell me your style, Hunter. What you want in the house.”
“Does my style really matter?”
Her voice was surprised. “Of course it does. Your home needs to feel like you. What you like. The colors you want on the walls. The type of furniture you prefer.”
“My style is simple, I guess. I want neutral colors and sturdy furniture.” He paused, and I could imagine him scratching his head in confusion. His next words shocked me, and I had to grab the wall to stop from falling. “But it’s not my home—it’s going to be a rental property most of the time, so I need easy maintenance and durable.”
There was a beat of silence, then Liv spoke, her voice smooth.
“Maybe something with slipcovers, then. Easy to wash and get out marks. Washable rugs. Simple lighting. Heavy tables.”
“Yes.”
My heart thumped erratically in my chest. Rental. He was still planning on leaving. He simply hadn’t mentioned it. He knew he was going—he’d never made a secret out of the fact—so he’d stopped bringing it up. I’d taken his silence to mean something else. I thought he was settling, when in reality, he was simply going forward with his plans.
I had misconstrued it all. My feelings for Hunter were far stronger than his for me. I knew he cared, he’d admitted that much, but the bottom line was, he didn’t care enough.
I wasn’t enough. Usually the men in my life told me I was too much, but this time, I was lacking.
And he would leave me.
Hunter strode into the room, his ankle fully healed. “There you are. I need your help, Little Dragon. Liv is bringing out swatches and catalogues. I can’t with that stuff. Come rescue me.”
I blinked, looking away, not wanting him to see the hurt on my face. “Sure,” I managed to get out.
He frowned. “Are you all right? You’re pale.” He stepped closer. “Really pale.”
“I’m fine.”
“Ava—”
I waved him off. “I said I’m fine. Let’s go see what Liv has up her sleeve.”
I brushed past him, his scent swirling in the air.
I would miss that. I would miss him.
I wasn’t sure how I was going to survive his goodbye.
* * *
Hunter
Something was off with Ava, but I couldn’t figure it out. The past few days, she’d been quieter than I was used to. Almost withdrawn. She smiled at the right time, laughed if I made a joke, but she wasn’t herself. Her smiles didn’t reach her eyes, her laughter sounded forced and hollow to my ears. In her bed, she was right there with me, but her lovemaking had an almost desperate feel to it. I was certain I had heard her crying in the middle of the night, but when I reached for her, she was completely still, not reacting to my touch or my quiet whisper of her name. She’d always been so open and honest with me, and I was puzzled.
“Hey,” Van greeted me as he walked in.
“Hi.”
“Liv is coming over in a bit to show you some stuff she picked. If you like it, she’ll order it.”
“Great.” I was pleased that Liv was going to help put the place to rights. It was looking better than my expectations had hoped. It would be a warm, welcoming place when it was complete. I was surprised at my lack of enthusiasm about the project finishing, though. My main focus since I arrived was to get the house done and move on. By the time this was done, I would have been here for a lot longer than I planned. It was time to go.