Hunter (Broken Bad Boys 1): A New Adult Bad Boy Romance (19 page)

“That’ll have to do then.” She stands up and shuffles over to me. She looks at the schedule. “This is so annoying, always those recipes, always having to figure out what you do and don’t have in the house. But they’re only ideas, luckily I’m allowed to eat the same thing multiple times in a row. Or I would have never finished one of these.”

“Well…” I take a closer look at it. “Depending on how long you’re planning to stay here, we may need to get some food shopping done.”

Lizzy’s eyes go wide and she starts playing with the sleeves on the shirt.

“Or not?”

“I don’t…” She looks away. “I don’t normally do any shopping. Not everyone trusts me to actually get the right stuff.” The bitter tone to her voice betrays that this may have been an ongoing struggle.

“
Can
you go shopping?” If it isn’t an actual issue, but more a fear from others, then we should be able to do this.

“Yeah, but…” She shrugs. “Maybe not today?”

With her fever and all. “Of course. You write down what you need, with the brand if that’s important, and I’ll get it for you, yeah?”

She nods, and I put my hand under her chin, urging her to look up at me.

“I don’t do this because I want to make it harder on you. I do this because I don’t know everything. I want to help, but you’ll need to help me help you, yeah?”

She nods again, a shy smile on her lips. “Thanks.”

I lean forward, nearly kiss her before I catch myself and step back again, but Lizzy wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me closer, carefully putting her lips on mine. I wrap my arms around her waist and my body comes alive, but I ignore it. This is not about that, this is about closeness.

Lizzy’s phone starts, but she ignores it, then my phone starts ringing.

I regretfully let her go. “I think someone wants to talk to one of us.”

“Yeah.” She frowns.

“I’ll take the call, you make some breakfast. That a good idea?”

“Just as long…” She lets out a sigh and opens the fridge. “You know.”

“I won’t say anything.” My phone has already stopped, but I grab it and see that it was Lola. I call her back and she picks up immediately. “Good morning.”

“How is she?” Lola’s voice is rushed.

“She’s fine. She got caught in the rain yesterday, so she’s running a little fever. But other than that, she’s fine.”

“She’s got a fever?” A touch of panic touches Lola’s voice.

“Just a little, some painkillers are taking the edge off, so she should be fine.” I eye Lizzy as I sit on the edge of the bed. “How are you?”

“Nothing high-dose, right?”

“She’s being good, she told me about that herself. I know how to take care of someone.”

That stops Lola. A little gasp reaches me through the phone and I cringe at my own stupidity. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t even mean it in a serious way, it’s just that I know how to take care of people.

“I’m sorry. If you want to know how much she wants to be better, she’s making breakfast right now.” I can’t help but smile as Lizzy glares at me. Hey, I gotta give her sister something.

“Really? Wow.” I hear Lola move around. “And you’re not going to tell me where she is?”

“No.”

“But you’re with her?” I can totally hear her annoyance rise.

“Yes.”

“Fine.” Lola lets out a sigh. “She’s going to need things though—food, clothes, stuff like that.”

“I kinda like her in my T-shirt.”

“Hunter!” The twins yell at me at the same time and I can’t help the grin.

“Don’t tell me things like that. I’m still not convinced this is a good idea. You and her.” Lola’s being totally serious, and I know this already.

“Yeah, yeah. But I need breakfast now. So I’m hanging up.” Just for a few moments I’d like to not think about how Lizzy and I are not good for each other. Just for a few moments.

“Message me when you’re on campus. I’ll bring a bag with things for her.” I get Lola’s annoyance, her disappointment, but I ignore it for now.

“Okay. See you later.” I hang up the phone and when I look up, Lizzy is staring at me, panic in her eyes. “She’s not coming here, I’m meeting her at the college.”

“Okay.” Relief flushes over her.

I wouldn’t betray her like that. I put the phone away and grab myself something to eat, and then I sit down at the table opposite her. “There should be dry clothes in the dryer. I washed them last night. That should tide you over for the moment.”

“Thanks.” Lizzy smiles slightly. “I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing. Positive forward.”

Lizzy opens her mouth, frowning, then she lets out a sigh. “Like what?”

“Like, you’re going back to bed for a couple more hours because you’ve got a fever.”

“Yeah.”

“And I’m going to do some homework.” Because I really need to.

“Okay. I’m going back to bed then.” She stands up, but instead of walking past me, she reaches out and touches my hand. “Thank you.”

“My pleasure.” I smile and Lizzy blushes, but I pretend that I don’t realize it, because that would mean I’d have to acknowledge that it turns me on… And this morning, that isn’t really something that I need to think about.

W
hen I wake up again
, Hunter is sitting on the couch, surrounded by papers and other things. He’s scribbling away in a notebook and then typing on his laptop. I stay in the same position I’ve been in for a while longer, just so I can look at him, observe him. He looks so serious. I didn’t realize he could be serious like that. Sure, I’ve seen him annoyed-serious, or worried-serious, but never working-serious. He’s so focused that he doesn’t seem to realize that he’s got his tongue between his lips and a giggle escapes me. It’s cute.

Hunter looks up at me, confused. “What?”

“Nothing.” I sit up. The fever isn’t as bad as it was this morning, but I do know that I’ll have to take more painkillers soon. I don’t want to change back into a zombie, no matter how much Hunter cares for zombie me.

“Right…” Hunter doesn’t look like he really believes me, but he sits up straighter. “How are you feeling?”

“Eh. Can’t complain, I guess.” I check the time and can’t help but sigh.

“What?” Hunter tries to get out from under all his work.

“I need to eat again.”

“Really?” He stops as he looks at me. “That seems… often.”

“I need to gain weight, not sustain it. So I need to eat more.” I get up and check my bag. There should be some bars in here still. I find one and open it, slowly eating. There is no use rushing. When I look up I find a piece of paper on the counter.

“Ah, yeah, if you could add to that what you need. Just for today and tomorrow. I already wrote a couple of things down, but you’ll know better what you need.” Hunter is close behind me and my skin starts to tingle.

“Okay.” I check the list and keep the eating schedule next to it. It sounds good. I add a few more items and some brand names to the list. “Done.” When I turn around, I find Hunter staring at me. “What?”

“Nothing. I guess I never really had to think about food and what eating or not eating means.” He flashes me a smile and then grabs a bag.

I shrug. It’s not something most people think about, even when I do. I sometimes forget that others don’t automatically add up calories in their heads to see if they can actually eat something. We all have our issues.

“Here.” Hunter hands me some painkillers. “You may want to take one of these.” Then he starts to pack his bag.

“Thanks.” I grab a glass of water and put one of the pills in my mouth. Then I take a big gulp of the water to flush it away. Gross. So, so gross.

Hunter comes back over. “If you need anything, grab what you need, and if I don’t have it, message me. That way I can get it later, yeah?”

I nod and slowly reach out, putting my hands on his chest. Hunter tenses under my touch as his breath goes shallow. When I look up, his eyes are dark.

He licks his lips as he takes a deep breath. Then he steps closer and puts his hand against the side of my face, holding me as he moves closer and closer. “For someone who can’t stand being touched, you definitely do a lot of touching.” He covers my lips before I can say anything and my answer gets lost in the feelings. The feeling of his lips against mine, his hand, his touch, his breathing. The feeling of my heart hammering away as a warmth spreads through my belly. Whoa. My fingers tighten in his shirt as I hold onto him tightly, not wanting to do something stupid.

When he pulls back slightly, his breathing is erratic and he caresses my cheek with his calloused fingers. Fingers that have explored places that no one has ever touched before.

My skin heats, and it’s not from the fever. I clear my throat as I avoid his gaze. “I’m sorry I can’t come to class with you.”

“No worries. You get better first.” He gives me a quick kiss on my cheek. “Now, don’t do anything too rash. Just get better and I’ll be back with some clothes that actually fit you.”

I look down. I’d almost forgotten that I’m wearing Hunter’s clothes, they’re so comfortable. But I agree, I’d like some of my own clothes, because I definitely can’t go outside in these. “Thanks.”

“No need. I’d do anything for you.” He smiles and then steps away.

I immediately miss him, his touch, and a small whimper leaves me.

Hunter looks at me, a look in his eyes that tells me he knows exactly what I feel. “See you later.” He grabs his leather jacket and pulls it over his broad shoulders. From this angle the jacket accentuates both his shoulders and the way his ass fills the jeans.

I swallow hard. I want to touch him again—after last night, I want to explore him. More than I can do in a shower stall.

Hunter stops moving and when I look up, I realize I’m caught checking him out. He grins, a smile that is definitely predatory. “Like what you see?”

I blush hard, my skin flushing hotly, as I nod. “Can’t help but appreciate a good piece of art.”

Hunter laughs and then grabs his bag and his helmet. “Well, we could do something about that later.” Then he nods and is out the door.

The house is quiet immediately, scarily quiet. I almost feel like an intruder, even though Hunter made it clear that I’m welcome here.

* * *

I
don’t feel
like going back to bed, I think I’ve spent enough time in there for now. So I grab my bag and make myself comfortable at the table. I should probably get some work done too. I don’t want to get behind, not any further than I am right now.

My phone vibrates and I glance up from the notes in front of me. It’s from Lola.

“How are you feeling?”
How am I feeling? Didn’t she just talk to Hunter a few hours ago?

“Fine.”
I turn the phone upside down so I don’t have to look at the screen anymore.

When the phone buzzes again, I ignore it, letting it be. But then another message comes in. And another. I flip it over and stare at it, daring it to buzz again.

The screen starts to blink and the phone starts ringing, there is a name splashed all over the screen.
Hunter.
Okay then… I pick up. “Yeah?”

“Hey, just wanted to let you know that I met up with Lola and that I’ve now got a bag with things for you.” His voice is quiet and I hear other voices in the background. He’s probably somewhere at the college now.

“Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet. It’s heavy. I’m not sure what she stashed in it, but it can’t be much good.” He groans and my body immediately reacts. He didn’t mean it like that, but I think my body has gone a bit haywire. “How are you doing?”

“Working.”

“Ah. If you need any books, there should be some on the shelves upstairs.” He’s quiet for a moment. “Anyway, I should go. I’m not sure Prof Cartwright would appreciate me being on the phone during class.” I can hear the smile in his voice.

“Yeah. Good luck. See you later.” I stare at the small set of stairs that go up to the loft.

“Get enough rest. See you later.” And he hangs up.

I put the phone down and stand up. Now that he mentions it, I’ve been curious about what he stashes upstairs ever since I had a look at it earlier. It looks mostly like a workshop, but everybody’s place is different. A workplace says a lot about an artist, about what they feel is important, about what they treasure above all.

I make my way up the stairs, looking up and I’m immediately greeted by a beautiful portrait of a young woman. Her hair is an unnatural shade of red and her full lips are curled into a slight smile. I walk up and stand closer to it, not daring to touch it. Her eyes are a light green and she has a smatter of freckles on her cheeks. It’s almost as if I’m looking at a photo, but I’m sure this is drawn. Is this Hunter’s skill? Wow. That’s even better than I thought he was. No wonder he laughed when he saw my doodles—he’s amazing at realistic drawings.

A ball settles in my stomach when I look around and see many more images of this stunningly beautiful woman. It doesn’t take much to figure out who this is.
Tessa.
Which is no wonder. Of course, a man like Hunter had a beautiful girlfriend like this. If there is any proof that I don’t belong with him, this is it. I swallow hard, ignoring the burning behind my eyes. I quickly glance around, searching for the shelves with books. I finally find them and go over. Let’s hope he’s got the book for art history in here and not somewhere else. Because I don’t think I want to have been up here for nothing.

The shelves are filled with books, from books on art technique to books on specific artists and then, luckily, the book we need for art history. I grab the book and my eye falls on something that is stashed behind the heavy tome.

I can’t help my curiosity and reach behind the books. My hand folds around a small box and I pull it out. It’s very pretty and my heart starts beating loudly. I’m pretty sure I know what is in here. And no matter the heartbreak, I still open it.

Inside the box is a ring, a thin band set with a sparkling stone. A wedding ring. I swallow hard, ignoring the way my vision fills with tears and I quickly close the box. Pushing it back where I found it.
He was going to marry her.
I swallow down the bile that comes up and try to calm my ragged breathing. I can’t replace her, I can never be as good as her, as beautiful as her. So why do I even torture myself like this? Why do I even try?

I blindly turn around and nearly fall face forward onto the floor when my legs get caught in something. I blink hard, willing the tears away. Then I recognize the fabric that I’ve wrapped my legs into. And the tears start all over again. I pull my legs free and hold the fabric up.

It’s the dress that Hunter made for me. Anger swells. I thought that he got rid of this. I don’t… This isn’t what he should have done. When I look where I found the dress, there is more. A drawing of me. One side is me in my normal clothes, and the other side is me in the dress.
Fuck.
So much for trying to maintain a normal friendly relationship. I put the dress over the drawings and pull the book under my arm. I can’t keep doing this. I need to get away from here. There is nothing but pain here, pain for me. This whole place is filled with Tessa, it’s all about Tessa, and then there is this little corner with things that he made for or about me… Neither of which is good for my heart or my head.

I stumble down the stairs and dump the book on the table in front of the couch as I let myself fall onto the couch. I wrap my arms around myself and just let the tears go. Let the pain go.

I always knew Tessa existed, I know about her. But I never really thought about what she looked like, or what she was like. But just seeing those images, I can see Hunter’s love for her. The love he still holds for her. The love I’ll never be able to compete with.

I stop myself. No. I should never
want
to compete with. There is nothing about him that’s right for me. Just like I’ll never be right for him. I need to talk to him, need to set boundaries. I need to stop thinking of him like that. Even now, my body is aching to touch him, to hold him, to be held by him.

Dammit.

* * *

“
G
ood morning
, sleepyhead.” A voice wakes me from my fitful slumber and for a moment I don’t know what is going on. “What are you doing on the couch?”
Hunter.

I slowly open my eyes. They’re still raw from crying. “What time is it?”

“Nearly six in the evening. How are you feeling?” He reaches out, but before he can touch my cheek, I pull back. Even if I don’t want to, I still catch the flash of pain that flits over his face at my actions.

“I’m good.” I sit up and stretch. “We need to talk.”

“Sure, but you may want to change into something more comfortable first.” He holds out a bag and puts it on the floor at my feet.

Ah, the bag Lola prepared for me. “Thanks.” I don’t meet his eyes, not being able to right now. Not with what I have to tell him. I open the bag. There are some clothes, a couple of books and even a box of protein bars. Well, that should help me out for at least a while. “I’ll get changed.” I grab the bag and take it with me to the bathroom. There I dig through it for some clean underwear, a skirt and a comfortable top. I undress and when I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I can’t help but look. I’m not sure if something has changed, or if it’s just me… I put my hands on my stomach, in the exact place where Hunter held his hand last night, looking between what I see when I look down and what I see in the mirror. It’s different, that’s for certain. I slowly slide my hands down, but before I touch anything, I pull my hands away, my heart beating loudly. No, no. I can’t do that. I can’t.