“Why can’t you just say thank you?”
“How many times are you going to say thank you to Sera for reading to you every single night, huh?”
Turning to him, Matty looks at Hunter with a puzzled look. Kind of like Hunter is asking him a trick question. I try not to grin.
“I say it every night.” He looks at me. “I tell you every night, don’t I? I love reading Harry Potter with you! Thank you, Sera!” Little arms wind around my neck and I get a sloppy kiss on my cheek.
“You’ll understand when you’re older, kid. Just remember what I said for now.” Hunter looks at me again, smiling. He looks really good, despite his sugar being high. “C’mon, buddy. Go brush your teeth, and put some socks on. I’m starting with or without you in five minutes.”
Matty scrambles out of bed, taking a flying leap off the far side, closest to the door and Hunter, colliding with his Dad’s sweatpant-covered legs. The little guy just pushes off his Dad and heads for the bathroom.
I have a hard time swallowing what little saliva I have left when Hunter steps up close to me and crouches down so we’re eye-level. Gulp.
His hand winds at the back of my neck, warm and steady and comforting.
“How are you?”
I frown. “I’m hungry, actually.” I don’t ask the question I need to know. How long were you standing there, anyway? Like for a second, or did you hear my whole pathetic little speech?
“S’not what I meant, but I’ll give it to you this one time.” He kisses me on the cheek, then at the corner of my mouth, then smack on my lips. When he pulls back, his eyes are warm pools of blue, and he has this tiny smile on his face that I feel is just for me.
“We have to talk, you and I.”
“Alright,” I say, swallowing hard. My hands have fisted in my sweats, and I lick my lips, watch his eyelids get heavy, and his gaze zeroes in on my mouth.
“Another time. When you can have the space you need to do what you need to do.”
I scowl. “Cryptic much? You’re worse than The Riddler, you are.”
His smile turns sad. The corners are still turned up, sure, but the rest of his face falls, and whatever bit of happiness was glowing out of his face before is no longer there for me to see.
“I have to be. You’ll understand soon.”
I hold up a hand between us. “As of this moment, are you a drug dealer?”
“No.” Good answer.
“Do you have a criminal record?” Hunter shakes his head. “Do you think you should have a criminal record?”
“Depends who you talk to.”
I frown again, feeling that heat that burned my body plummet to subzero.
“Uh, not inspiring confidence over here.”
“I wasn’t the best of people when I was younger, alright? I promise you that my life has changed since then. I just need to tell you so you know whose mouth you’re kissing.”
I nod reluctantly. “Have you killed anyone?”
“Not me.”
There’s something there in that answer, I know it, I can feel it in my gut. I rationalize it away. I knew Hunter was a badass, but I guess he was involved in some shit before he met me, before he had Matty.
He wouldn’t want to ruin a potential future with Matty, now would he? I mean, suspicious activity, nefarious activity would bring the cops here and Matty would go to foster care!
Over my dead body.
“You swear to God you’re not involved in any more illegal activity? Like you’re a hundred percent squeaky clean?”
Hunter gets closer to me, forcing me to open my legs so his stomach and torso hit either side of my inner thighs as his arms wrap around my back.
“I’ll swear to Bruce Wayne if you want. I promise you that is all over with.”
“Then why all the secrecy? What could be so bad about what happened years ago?”
“I want you to know about me, the bad and the repulsive. Only then will I be deserving of you. I swear to Christ I’ll never let you down. Ever. You can count on me.” His eyes are blazing and his mouth is set in a sharp line. His whole body is tense, waiting for my answer. Maybe even willing me to believe him.
I stare at his beautiful face, and go over my options. If he says he’s clean, then he’s clean. And I mean, no one has a perfect past, right?
“I need you to answer me first.” Hunter nods. “You think I’m important in your life?”
“Absolutely.”
“Do you think I’m important enough and Matty’s important enough in your life that whatever happened in the past will make me run away from you both?”
He clenches his jaw. “Yeah.”
I nod slowly. “And you think once I know the truth, and nothing but the truth, I’m going to run away screaming, right?” He nods again. “And you’re hoping I can perform some sort of miracle and stay with you?” Another nod. “Well, who the hell do you think I am?”