Surviving Regret (44 page)

Everyone went back to our house where we decided to order some pizza and just hang out. Mason and Hailey disappeared after the pizza arrived, and Cooper and Jay were sitting in the living room watching Duck Dynasty. Mom and Dad headed upstairs to get some sleep.

Alone, and after a retelling of their bumbling crib-construction, Hunter pulled me into his lap.

“Come away with me for New Year’s?”

I stared at him trying to gauge where this was going. We always celebrated at my house with everyone, so why would he want to go away?

“Where?”

“I want to surprise you with something.” He placed a kiss on my lips to keep me from arguing.

“I hate surprises, Hunter; you know this.”

Smirking at me through his dark, thick eyelashes, he said, “I know but you’re not going to hate this.”

I smiled and kissed him. “And what are we going to tell everyone? We don’t need another argument like Thursday.”

“Let me take care of that. I know someone who can help us out.” He winked at me.

“All right, as long as everyone is ok with it.”

“Don’t worry. They’ll be fine with it.”

Hunter left a little after that with Jaylinn. He told me he we would come over tomorrow to pick me up because we had to head out around lunchtime to go back to school. I really was not looking forward to going back to school.

The next morning, my mom woke me up early. I wanted to sneak over to the hospital before anyone else since I was leaving the earliest.

“So, you and Hunter, huh?” She asked as we pulled up to the hospital. I was surprised she hadn’t asked before then.

I smiled and got out of the car. I couldn’t exactly answer her since Hunter and I actually have not made anything official. I didn’t want to jinx anything by talking about it too much before it actually became true.

“Well, are you at least going to tell me what happened with Dominic?” She asked.

I scuffed my shoes against the hospital floor. It still hurt to talk about it.

“He…cheated on me…and got the girl pregnant.”

“Oh.” Her eyes widened.

“It’s ok, I’m fine. I was lucky enough to have everyone there with me when it all went down. It hurts, but that was just the hand I was dealt.”

Mom gave me one of her big smiles, wrapped her arms around me to give me a hug and said, “I’m sorry, baby girl. Just remember everything happens for a reason. We just have to pick ourselves up, and look on the bright side of life.”

I shrugged. While it still hurt, I was grateful Hunter helped to ease the pain away. If he hadn’t been there, it would have been a lot worse.

Mom and I visited with Jackson, Chloe, and Alex for a little while before the rest of the family started showing up. Chloe really hoped her parents would show, but Jackson didn’t seem to think they would. Once she had told them she was pregnant, they had completely cut her off.

Before we left, I asked mom if she would do something with me. She agreed, of course, not even knowing what I was going to ask. I asked a nurse where Dominic’s room was to finish what needed to be finished.

“Why is Dominic in here?” My mom asked.

I didn’t know if I should tell my mom the story or not, but I was sure she would have put two and two together anyway.

“Hunter got into a disagreement with him on Thanksgiving. I didn’t know he was here until yesterday I want to give him closure so he can get over this. He has a kid to think about now, you know?”

She smiled. “I’m so proud of the young lady that you’re becoming. You make your dad and me so proud.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Mom waited outside Dom’s room. His mom sat near his bed. Dom didn’t look great. Two black eyes, a broken arm, and stitches on the bridge of his nose and above his eyes.

Dominic’s mom excused herself from the room.

“Good luck.” She said to me on the way out.

Dominic didn’t look at me. He turned away as best he could. I regretted coming.

I took a seat and let him be in silence. I had no idea what I wanted to say.

His voice was low. “I’m sorry, MacKenzie. I didn’t mean for this to happen to us. I never wanted to hurt you. You were my everything.”

“I know.” I said, barely above a whisper.

“When I left home, I was so excited to be on my own and with you in the same building every day. As the first few weeks passed, things changed. I started drinking almost every day, and going to parties with the guys. I didn’t really think about anything other than that. Then the girls started throwing themselves at me. I got careless. I don’t remember what happened. I came back the night after your brothers’ surprise party, and she started flirting with me. Things got out of hand. I didn’t know how to tell you.”

I nodded. He sighed.

“I told her it couldn’t happen again. She was pissed and said I was only using her. We had a big fight, and I haven’t talked to her since. When you said you needed your space, I knew I had to give it to you or I would lose you. During our time apart, I realized what I had and I wanted you…forever. That is when I realized I wanted to marry you. I figured if I could get you to agree to marry me, then we could get over what I did.”

How could he think that? Did he think I would just look the other way?

He reached for my hand. “When I showed up at that party and she told me she was pregnant, I knew I had made the biggest mistake of my life. I didn’t even care about my football career anymore. All I cared about was you. I knew I had hurt you and that was the last thing I had wanted. You were always there for me, cheering me on.”

The tears started. As much as I had wanted to be strong, I couldn’t prevent them anymore.

He rubbed his thumb over my ring finger. “I still love you, MacKenzie. I think I always will, but I know I need to let you go. I know you are in good hands. Just look what those hands did to me,” he said with a chuckle.

I laughed; yeah, I was in good hands all right. I just hope they wanted me as much as I wanted them.

“I love you too, Dominic. Thank you for not involving the police in all this. I hope everything works out for you.” I gently kissed him on his forehead.

Mason, Hailey and Hunter waited for us at the house. We got his truck all packed up with our stuff and said goodbye to everyone. I was going to miss being here and miss Alex too, but winter break was only a few weeks away.

The dorms were gloomy. I didn’t really want to be there. It brought back too many memories.

Hailey sighed behind me; she must have been thinking the same thing. “Do we really have to stay here?”

Hunter glanced at her through the rearview mirror. “You guys can always stay with me. You know Bentley doesn’t mind.”

“You would be ok if we stayed the night?” I asked.

“Of course, or I wouldn’t have offered.” He leaned over and whispered. “I get you in my bed. I’d be a damn fool to pass up that opportunity.”

Hailey groaned from the backseat. “Will you two please knock that shit off.”

Later that night, Hunter set Hailey up in the spare room. I took a long hot bath. I had my iPad playing music, a candle, and a glass of wine.

Hunter knocked before coming in. He bent down and captured my lips.

I pulled back and he moaned.

“Get in with me?”

I should feel nervous since I was naked in front of him but I wasn’t.

He didn’t move at first. I was expecting him to fight me, but he slowly stripped. Hunter had no reason to be ashamed. His body was perfect, all the way from his perfectly messy hair, his defined chest, his abs to that V between his hips. He was watching me rake my eyes up and down his body. I felt the flush reaching my cheeks, but he was too sexy for his own damn good.

Smirking at me with those bright blue eyes of his, he said, “See something you like?”

“What isn’t there to like? You are absolutely gorgeous.”

He stepped into the tub, and I scooted up so he could sit behind me. Oh God, maybe this was not such a good idea. Hunter pulled me back against his chest. I moaned at the contact of our skin.

We sat there for a while, maybe a little unsure of what the other wanted. Hunter took the lead by helping me sit up. He reached behind him to grab the body wash, poured some in his hands and started washing my back. He rubbed circles from my neck all the way down my back to my ass. I whimpered a little when he stopped, but then he pulled me back against his chest again and started the same process again on my front. He caressed my shoulders, and paid special attention to my breasts, lightly pinching my nipples. When he did that, I arched my back at the sensation. Sliding his fingers up and down my stomach, I shifted my hips and tried to get him to go down further to the spot I wanted him the most.

When my hips shifted, I heard him take a quick breath. He grabbed my hips to keep me in place. “CC, don’t move, baby.”

“Please. I need you to touch me. This is killing me.”

He chuckled. “Not tonight, babe. You’re not ready.”

Not ready, is he kidding? I was more than ready.

He kissed my shoulders and neck for a few minutes before he reached down, let the water out of the tub and then turned the shower on. He helped me rinse the soap from my body and helped wash my hair. As much as I wanted Hunter to touch me, he never did.

I used the body wash to massage Hunter’s body. He had me so worked up. If he refused to touch me, then I’d leave him wanting this as badly as I did. I started at his broad shoulders, moved down his pecs, and then traced his well-defined abs with my fingers before following the V between his hips. I met his hooded eyes.

He looked so intense that I knew he would not stop me so I took my chances. I wrapped my hand around his length. His head fell back, and a hiss escaped through his teeth. I stroked him a few times before I continued down his legs and then back up and washed his hair.

We dried each other off and Hunter gave me one of his shirts to sleep in. We climbed in bed and fell fast asleep, cuddled in each other’s arms.

I could only hope that whatever was going on between us lasted, but for now, I would take anything he would give me.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Three weeks had passed since Hunter kissed me in the rain on Thanksgiving and things had been blissful, perfect really. Hunter and I have practically been joined at the hip. Christmas was a little less than a week away and I was looking forward to going home. I wanted to spend time with my family, especially baby Alex. Chloe, Jackson, and my mom were always texting me cute little pictures of him.

More importantly, I couldn’t wait to get away from school and spend some alone time with Hunter. We only saw each other when we are on our lunch together during the week and on Sundays. He worked nights at the bar every night except Sunday and I worked Monday thru Thursday night at the library. Hailey still hung out with Zeke, so he kept us entertained when Hunter couldn’t.

Hailey and I decided to hang out the Friday before we headed home. We asked a couple of girlfriends if they wanted to come along too.

Hailey and I took a cab to the bar. We passed a couple fighting in the parking lot—the typical college drama—but the two looked almost like Logan and Brittany. I ignored the shouting and we headed to the door.

Hunter spotted me the second I was in his view, and a shit-eating grin spread across his face.

“CC, what are you doing here?”

I shrugged. “The girls and I wanted a night out, so what better place to come than here?”

He waved to everyone behind me. “Hey, girls, give me your hand, and I’ll stamp you in.”

After dancing for a little while, we went to the bar for a drink. Hailey and I ordered a soda since we were not old enough to drink, but the bartender made us our own real drinks and refused our money, pointing towards the door.

Hailey cleared her throat from beside me. She nudged me with her elbow. Brittany and Logan sat at the end of the bar. What in the hell was she doing here?

“Hails, isn’t that Logan? What’s he doing with Brittany?” Gracie asked.

“Yeah, and I have no idea and I don’t really care.” Hailey responded back to her.

“I thought Britt was pregnant? Why in the hell would she be here?” Zoey asked.

I shrugged. I wasn’t here to worry about Brittany and Logan. I grabbed Hailey’s hand and started back towards the dance floor. While Hailey and I danced with Gracie and Zoey, Hunter stood, watching my every move. I decided to tease him a little and give him a show. I grabbed the guy who had tried to dance with me all night and started grinding on him, throwing my head back, and crawling up and down his body with my own. I stared back at Hunter.

My dancing partner shouted over the music. “Is that your boyfriend? He’s been eye fucking you all night.”

“Nope.” I told him as I turned him and circled around his body until I could get Hunter back in my view.

“You sure?” He leaned in to ask me.

“Yeah.”

Suddenly, the guy I was dancing with disappeared, and I was in Hunter’s arms.

I was completely shocked at what happened. He dragged me to a back room, away from the dancing and lights.