“C’mon, tell me,” he says, placing his hands on my hips and pulling me closer.
“Do you …. Do you love me?” I say, hesitantly.
It’s quiet after that. Hunter just stares at me. The silence is deafening.
It says enough.
Averting my eyes, my heart drops into my shoes.
“I …” he stammers.
“No. Don’t,” I say. “I don’t want you to feel forced to say it. Then it’s not real.”
Hunter puts a finger on my lips. “I don’t feel forced. I’m just baffled. But if I say it now, you’ll think it is.”
“Why are you baffled? It’s not weird, is it?” I ask, swallowing away the lump in my throat. Oh God. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything. This is embarrassing.
“No, of course not.” He pulls me closer and puts his lips on my forehead. “I just can’t imagine someone could.”
I frown, confused. “But you’re Hunter Bane. Everybody …”
“Everybody what? Loves me? No. They only love my attitude, my looks, or what I offer. They don’t know me. They don’t like my personality, they don’t want to know about my problems with school. And they definitely don’t know anything about my family or my past.”
“And I do?”
He gazes down into my eyes with a look that could stop hearts. “A bit. At least, I hope you do enjoy my company.”
I chortle. “Of course I like you. I meant about the ‘past’ thing.”
“Right, about that … I still need to tell you something …” he clears his throat, and I suddenly feel anxious. “Remember those guys at the restaurant?”
“I don’t want to remember them, but I have no choice, really.”
“It’s been bugging me for some time now. I didn’t want to tell you this, because I was afraid you’d hate me for it. I just can’t live with it anymore.”
“What?” I say, chewing on my lip.
“I was there for a reason.”
I knew it couldn’t have been a coincidence he was there to save me.
“I was supposed to do an exchange with them,” he says with a sigh.
My eyes widen. “You what?”
“They’re customers of Alpha Psi. I was waiting for them to finish their meal, and I didn’t notice them leaving until I heard your scream.”
I’m shaking.
“Please don’t be mad,” he says, grabbing my arms. “I didn’t know they were going to do that. I would never have let them leave the restaurant if I had. And I refused to have anything to do with them after it happened.”
“I can’t believe it …” I stammer.
“Yeah, me neither. They’re probably pissed as hell after what happened. It wouldn’t surprise me if they got their revenge sometime soon. Especially when the boss finds out what I did to them.”
Hunter lifts his finger and brushes a strand of wet hair from my face, gently caressing my cheek.
“I will never let anyone hurt you,” he says. “Even if it means getting my ass whooped.”
I chuckle at his comment.
“So, you’re not mad?” he says.
“Maybe a little …” I say with a devilish grin and a squint. “I mean, you should have told me sooner. But I’m glad you did the right thing.”
Half a smile forms on his lips, and then he pulls me closer so he can kiss me on the forehead. “Good.”
Suddenly a gut-wrenching scream fills the halls.
Hunter’s eyes skid through the bathroom. I’m on high alert. We’re both looking at the door. My eyes widen.
Oh God.
I recognize that scream.
Evie.
Chapter 23
Unforeseen Casualty
Every bone in my body screams. I need to get to her. Now.
I almost want to run out naked, but Hunter holds me steady. “Put something on first,” he says.
“It’s Evie!” I yell.
“I know. I heard it too.” He turns off the shower, while I’m already grabbing the towels.
“I have to go to her!” I throw the towel to Hunter and start rubbing my own skin fairly hard, trying to get dry as fast as possible. “I’ve never heard her scream like that. Something’s wrong.”
I barely have my robe on before I run out the door looking for her. “Evie?” I shout her name, but she doesn’t respond. I look around the hallway and the notice the faint sound of her whimpers. She’s in the bathroom.
My breath hitches as I run down the hallway. Rushing to her, I pull open the door and call her name again. She stops crying for a second.
“Autumn?”
When I hear her voice, I let out a sigh of relief. At least I know she can still talk. “What happened?”