Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 100478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
“What? Where?”
“I’m going back to the house. I never should have stayed. I let you think it meant I would stay forever.”
“You won’t even try?”
“I can’t.”
I began to walk away when she spoke. I didn’t turn around, letting her words hit my back like sharp knives piercing my skin.
“You’re a coward.”
I didn’t reply. She was right.
“Love is always scary, Hunter. Staying is always scary. I think you love me. I think that’s why you’re leaving. Not because you have to but because the thought of admitting you love me, admitting you need me, frightens the shit out of you. And instead of admitting it, you’re walking away.”
I glanced over my shoulder. She stood, her chin lifted, her shoulders back. My fierce Little Dragon. Brave and strong. She’d survive this. Survive me.
“Take care of yourself, Ava.”
This time, she turned away.
Chapter 22
Hunter
The next two weeks passed in a haze. The days started to wind down, the house project coming to an end. Everything was almost complete. Ava had been right, as she always was, and Liv had done a great job. She found a local furniture maker and bought an entire line of display model samples. They were crafted of wood, resembling Stickley furnishings with the heavy wooden bases and thick, padded cushions. The sofa and chairs were comfortable, durable, and attractive. The tables reflected the heavy wood trim on the furniture, giving the house a masculine appeal, yet not over the top. The king-size bed in the master bedroom was a sleigh bed she had painted white to “soften it.” We reused the dressers that were in the house and upgraded the handles and painted them to match. The guest rooms had queen-sized beds, wrought-iron headboards, and simple furniture. The scatter rugs were soft underfoot and easily cared for. Practical dishes and glasses were in the cupboards, and the necessities were in place. I had to admit, it was a style I liked a lot and could easily live with. Somehow, Liv had nailed it on the head without much direction from me. Ava would love it.
I hadn’t seen her since I’d walked out of her house that night. I’d packed my duffel bag, took the filing box from the cupboard, and left. She had already disappeared, and I knew she was on the beach, no doubt staring at the water and cursing the day I entered her life.
I would always feel the opposite. I was blessed to have met her.
I missed her more than I ever expected to. It wasn’t a feeling I was used to experiencing. I had never cared about anyone enough to miss them. I felt a continuous hollow feeling in my chest, and the yearning for her, instead of diminishing as I thought it would, only grew daily. I had to keep Cash tied on his lead to stop him from going to her house. At times, I wished someone would do the same for me, the desire to head down the path and be with her overwhelming me to the point I would find myself at the trail behind the house, unsure how I’d gotten there.
I ran a hand over my face, the silence around me deafening. The boom box was unrepairable, and the bottom compartment that held my small collection of tapes had broken open as well, the rain-soaked cassettes unusable and dead.
Much like my heart.
The sound of footsteps made me rush to the front door, wondering if it was Ava. But the footsteps were too heavy, and when I opened the door, I wasn’t surprised to find Ronan there. I waited, wondering if he was going to punch me, but he brushed past me.
“You look like shit,” he muttered. “Even worse than my sister.”
“Is she ill?” I asked, feeling panicked.
He looked over his shoulder. “Only for you, asshole.”
I followed him, not commenting.
He set down a file on the table. “I have your bill, including Liv’s portion.”
“Okay.”
“I expect full payment before you leave.”
“I’ll have it tomorrow.”
He asked the burning question I knew he had been wondering since the project started.
“How are you affording all this, Hunter?”
“My grandfather left a nice chunk of change to me, as well as the house. I figured it was as good an investment as any.”
“So, you’re not leaving because of money.”
“No.”
He leaned on the chairback, looking at me. “You’re throwing away the best thing in your life. The best thing you will ever find.”
“I’m not good for her.”
“Bullshit. Right now, I want to put a beating on you so bad, your broken ribs will feel like a tickle. I promised my sister I wouldn’t touch you. But I can speak my mind.”
I owed him, so I remained silent.
He stared at me, his shoulders suddenly losing their tension. His voice was surprisingly kind when he spoke.
“Hunter, what are you doing?”
“What I should have done months ago. I’m leaving.”