“Fine, but I want a whole three chapters tonight! Even if I fall asleep, you have to wake me up so you can read!” Matty grumbles, no longer kicking the back of my seat.
“Kid- what did we say about asking and telling?” The leather around the steering wheel groans as Hunter looks back in the rear-view mirror. “Ask Sera nicely to read to you tonight. Please.”
“I don’t want to! I want to come with you and Sera! Please? Why can’t I?”
Hunter sighs, scratching his cheek; sounds like he has stubble.
“Stop it right now. You’re going to grandma’s and that’s it. Deal.”
I keep quiet. This is not my place, to interject in Hunter’s parenting skills or whatever. Not like there’s a guidebook or a Parenting for Dummies or something like that to help him out. He does as he sees fit. He’s Matty’s Dad and I’m just... uh...not his Mom.
I stay in the car when we drop off Matty, and the kid is going berserk, kicking and punching and howling like he’s a wolf who’s got his paw caught in a trap. Awful to hear and the familiar guilt comes back like a long lost old friend, hot and heavy in the pit of my gut.
“Sorry. He’s been wigging out all day long. I think he had a bad day at daycare or something,” Hunter says, closing the door and cranking the car over again. He’s quiet for a time, the only sound the engine and slight whistle of wind coming from my open window. I’m content enough to watch the scenery go by; streetlamps burning amber, people and kids walking in the dusk light laughing, enjoying summer at last.
“I’m not a bad Dad,” he says.
I whip around to look at him, and his eyes flash at me a second a before he turns to look forward again.
“I never said you were.” I worry the hem of my Wonder Woman red tank, and chew on my lip. “I can’t judge you, Hunt. You’re doing the best you can.”
He huffs out a breath from his nose and turns on the radio. I think I said what he needed to hear.
I’m not sure how it works, but we’re all struggling with something, and I have no right to judge what he’s going through because I haven’t been there.
Still, I’m nervous of what’s going to happen tonight. I really, really, really want my buddies to like him. S’all I need, five people yelling in my ear that this guy is no good for me. I’m at the point that no matter how much bitching they do – I’m going for it. I deserve this small slice of happiness, even if it’s only for a little while.
Walking into Alex’s duplex, we’re greeted by Tommy, Josh, Eli (another Greek) and Katie passing around wine. Alex smiles and kisses me on the cheek when I hand him over a homemade strawberry cheesecake.
Alex owns the upstairs part of the duplex and lives with his girlfriend, Teresa. Having just moved in, the walls are bare and white, but the living room is spacious enough for two giant leather couches, and a humongous flat-screen TV on the far wall, hooked up to a couple of gaming consoles, speakers on either side.
When the room goes quiet, I know they’ve spotted Hunter. I’m glad Alex has taken the cake tin away since my palms start to sweat and my blood pounds in my ears. I’m turning red, and biting the inside of my cheek so I don’t give into the insane urge to yell out that Hunter is hopefully going to pop my cherry sometime in the near future.
“Everyone, this is Hunter. My next door neighbour.” In my head, Rocky raises his arms in victory, bloodied and hardly able to see.
The boys come forward first, doing their weird handshake, fist-bump thing. Katie gives Hunter a kiss on both cheeks - as we always do when we greet each other - but I still can’t help the little heated flare of jealousy that burns inside my chest cavity. In the fairy tale world, yeah, Katie and Hunt would be perfect for each other –two exceptionally good looking people.
Bloody hell, Katie wasn’t there, taking him to the hospital, or rubbing honey into his gums. I did that. Me. So he’s mine. He’s mine!
I’m distracted by being petty when Josh comes to stand in front of me. “Hey, beautiful,” Josh says, giving me a hug and loud kisses on both my cheeks. “Is he really your next door neighbour?” he asks with a grin, the second part of the question implied, arms going around my shoulders.
“I didn’t pay him to escort me to the housewarming, Joshy. I’m not that far gone yet.”
Josh smiles, kisses my cheek with a smack loud enough that Hunter looks at the both of us, eyebrows low on his face. I don’t think it’s normal that I find his badassness so hot.
“Hey, kitten.” Tommy says, kissing me on both cheeks, when Josh moves back to go to the kitchen. “So? Where did you get this guy? He doesn’t look like a biker to me.” He jerks his thumb behind his shoulder, indicating Hunter. “Although he does look rough around the edges.”