by Kennedy Fox
“Lennon, if you changed your mind—” His voice is soft, but when his words stop, I look up and see Hunter in the doorway. “Shit, sorry.” He closes his eyes and spins around. “I thought you’d be dressed by now.”
I look down and realize I’m standing in only my bra and jeans. After hating the last shirt I tried on, I took it off and threw it on the floor.
“Considering I walked in on you naked, you were probably just waiting to get even with me,” I tease, though I know he didn’t do it intentionally.
Hunter’s shoulders shake as he laughs off my comment. “Not true. I’m not Rachel,” he says, mentioning that episode of Friends that we joked about last time. “I was just checking to see if you had changed your mind. If you don’t wanna go anymore, it’s okay.”
I inhale a deep breath and sigh. “It’s not that. I just can’t figure out what to wear. A lot of the things I like remind me of Brandon,” I tell him honestly.
Hunter bows his head and nods, keeping his body turned away from mine. I find it pretty funny and ironic, considering he’s probably seen dozens of naked women in his lifetime.
“What about that one dark blue shirt with the three top buttons and your black jeans?” He says it so casually that I’m shooting him confused looks, though he can’t see me. “I swear I haven’t been creeping in your closet.” He chuckles to ease my mind. “I just remember how nice they looked on you the last time you wore them.” His words are coming out choppy almost as if he’s nervous to admit that.
“That’s actually a good combo.” I dig around for the shirt and jeans and tell him I’ll be out in five minutes. Hunter leaves, and I dress, admiring how it looks in the full-length mirror on the back of the door. They’re actually a little loose on me since I haven’t been eating much these past couple of months.
When I meet him in the living room, I notice he’s dressed in dark wash jeans and a nice gray shirt. Though when I see how tight the sleeves are on his arms, I burst out laughing. I can’t help but glance at his tattoos when I look at him.
“What?” He shoots me a look.
“Don’t bend or move because I’m pretty sure that shirt will rip to shreds.” I smile, grabbing my purse. I stuff my phone inside, then slide on my shoes.
Hunter looks down at his shirt and flexes his arm. “Damn thing shrunk in the wash.”
“I’m sure.” I smirk. “You’ve worn tight shirts for as long as I’ve known you.”
“Well, how do you think I got all those tips?” He shoots me a grin, and it brings me back to the first night we met.
“I think it’s time to go up a size.” I look him up and down.
He grabs his wallet and stuffs it into his back pocket before taking his keys off the table. “There’s the bossy Lennon I’ve been missing,” he taunts, opening the door for me.
“I was never bossy,” I defend.
Hunter locks and shuts the door. “And I’m a virgin.” He deadpans.
“Oh, look. Rude Hunter returns.” I narrow my eyes at him, scolding.
He laughs it off, shaking his head. “Not true and you know it.”
We walk to his truck and get inside. I haven’t been in here since the day of the funeral, and the whiplash of memories hits me full force. A tear slips down my cheek, and I’m not quick enough to wipe it away before Hunter notices.
“Lennon.” His voice is soft and tender. “We don’t have to go.”
I keep my eyes locked on my feet, trying to find the willpower to do this. I know I can’t stay cooped up in the apartment all summer, but this feels like a big step.
“No, let’s go. They’re all expecting us,” I finally say.
“Look at me,” he demands, and I blink up at him. “I don’t give a shit if the president himself was expecting us. If you’re not ready, we’re not going.”
Hunter looks at me like I’m his to protect, his to take care of. I’m not sure if he’s just doing this because Brandon was his best friend, but I need to stop reading into his actions so much. The dynamic of our relationship is different, and I’m appreciative for how much he’s been there for me.
“I’m good.” I smile. “Let’s go.”
We drive in silence to Home Base, a sports bar similar to the Coliseum. It has a restaurant inside with a full bar. As soon as we walk in, my mood lifts. The music’s loud, and people are everywhere. By the size of the crowd, I know it’s definitely a Friday night. The guy at the door knew Hunter just like he said and told him he was waiting for two more. Sophie and Maddie arrive a few minutes later, and as soon as Maddie gets through, she fist pumps the air.
“No drinks,” I warn her, pointing. “You’re in here to hang out.”
“Soph already gave me the lecture.” She pouts. “Are Mason and Liam here yet?”
Hunter checks his phone. “Should be in five minutes.”
We walk to one of the bar top tables and all take a seat except for Hunter. He’s standing next to me with his arm around the back of my chair. “You want me to get you something?”
I turn, and his face is directly in front of mine. Leaning back a little, I nod and tell him to surprise me. He then asks my sisters what they want, and then he’s off to get our order.
“I like this place!” Maddie bounces in her seat. “Lots of fresh meat.”
Sophie and I laugh at the way she’s eyeing every guy who walks by.
“You’re like a cat in heat. Ready to mount the first thing that purrs at you,” I tease.
“Worse, she’s the one purring, calling for a mate,” Sophie adds, and we laugh.
Maddie gives us death stares but doesn’t deny it. “You two suck. I hate you both.”
A moment later, Liam and Mason arrive, and Hunter returns with our drinks.
“Where’s ours, asshole?” Mason asks.
“Get your own shit,” Hunter tells him. “I’m not your bar bitch anymore.”
I laugh at their banter, knowing it’s all harmless fun.
The six of us sit and hang for a while before a song comes on that has Maddie out of her seat, begging for one of us to dance with her.
“Hulk…” She drags his name out to taunt him. She knows damn well Liam ignores her every chance he can. “Come with me?”
He grabs the neck of his beer, then brings it to his mouth, shaking his head at her request. He rarely talks to her, yet she tries to get his attention regardless. It’s this weird game of how many times can she hit on him before he finally gives in to his attraction. Though he pretends to be annoyed by her, I’m pretty certain I see the lust in his eyes.
“I’ll go with ya,” Mason finally breaks the tension and offers. “No backing that ass up on me, though.”
“Why you gotta be a mood killer?” I hear her asking him as they walk off.
Liam releases a breath, and the three of us take notice. “What?” he asks as if he doesn’t know.
“When you gonna stop pussyfooting around and just admit you like her?” Hunter’s words come out rugged as if they’ve had this conversation before, which takes me by surprise. I thought Soph and I were the only ones who knew.
“She’s way too much for a guy like Liam.” Sophie smirks, holding back a laugh.
Liam drops his eyes to her and shoots daggers. “When you gonna stop looking at Mason like you’re a lost puppy and ask him out?”
I nearly spit out my drink just as I take a sip of the Jack and Coke Hunter got me.
Sophie’s jaw drops, eyes widening. She smacks him on the chest, which has me laughing and Hunter follows.
“I do not look at him like that, you bastard.” Sophie narrows her eyes at Liam, scowling. “He doesn’t even acknowledge my existence.”
“Yeah, and it drives you insane,” he throws back with a chuckle, and I feel like I’m missing something.
“Someone wanna catch me up?” I ask, then finish the rest of my drink.
“They’ve been going on double non-dates,” Hunter fills in.
“What?” I gasp. “How come
no one told me?”
Sophie tilts her head, and her silence is all I need to know. I haven’t exactly been the best company.
“We just ran into them a few times,” she finally explains. “Then hung out and whatever. Nothing really.”
Liam snorts. “It was mostly Sophie trying to talk to Mason who then talked to everyone except her.” He laughs.
“No, you mean it was mostly you trying to ignore Maddie anytime a guy hit on her. You’re such an ass.” She pushes his shoulder when he tries to sit closer. “Go away, jerk.”
“Soph, you don’t mean that,” he taunts, sticking out his lower lip.
When the hell did they grow so damn close?
Not that I’m remotely mad about it. I’m just sad she felt like she couldn’t tell me.
“So,” Hunter lingers, pointing his almost empty beer at the two of them across from us. “Sophie wants to bang Mason except he put her in the friend-zone, and Liam wants to deflower Maddie, but he’s afraid he’s not man enough for the job.”
I burst out laughing when Hunter shrugs and smiles at his own summary.
“Alright, I think I’m caught up now.” I can’t stop laughing.
“Both of you suck. No, all of you do.” Sophie frowns, taking her drink and chugging it.
“For the record,” Liam begins, looking at me, “I don’t think that. I’m plenty confident.”
I snort. “Trust me, Liam.” I pat him on his rock-hard shoulder. “We know.”
Mason and Maddie are dancing, and for a moment, I’m brought back to when Brandon and I used to dance together when we’d go out. We’d have so much damn fun. He’d spin me around and rock our hips together to the rhythm of the music, and we’d laugh the night away.
A numb feeling hits my gut knowing the last time we danced together was the final time. I always assumed there would be another time we’d go out and have fun. There’d always be more kisses and hugs, ass grabs, and we’d wake up next to each other every morning for the rest of our lives. Though we always exchanged I love yous like it was our last time, I knew we’d say it later. Never in my worst nightmares did I think I wouldn’t get to tell him again.
“Lennon, you okay?” Hunter’s voice has me blinking away the fog. I see the concern on his face. With pursed lips and brows pulled together, he studies me.
I swallow, shaking my head lightly. “Yeah, fine.” I force out a smile. “Anyone want a refill? Next rounds on me.”
“Yeah, I’ll go up with you!” Sophie offers. “Hulk, you need another drink?” she teases.
Liam groans, handing over his empty beer. “Better watch it, woman.”
“Or what? You’ll actually man up?” She chuckles, grabbing his bottle and walking with me to the bar.
I can’t deny how much I love hearing my sisters laughing and having a good time. I know they both work so hard, and it puts a small smile on my face when they can let loose.
“Should we cave and get Maddie a drink?” I ask, half-joking.
“We could get her a diet cherry Coke and tell her there’s alcohol in it, and she’d never know,” Sophie says, laughing. “Let’s do it and see if she notices or pretends to be tipsy.”
“We’re going to sister hell,” I quip, chuckling with her.
“It’s our obligatory duty to tease her.” Sophie shrugs, then orders.
While we wait, Sophie looks at me with an odd expression on her face. I give her a confused look in return.
“So you gonna tell me what’s going on with you and Hunter?”
Chapter Sixteen
Hunter
I watch Lennon and Sophie walk to the bar and think about how good it was to hear her laugh again. She looks gorgeous, as always, and I’m actually shocked she went with the outfit I suggested. I thought for sure she’d tell me it was a bad choice, but the moment I saw her walk into the living room, I had to remind myself not to react.
The fact she’s letting her guard down gives me hope that someday she’ll be able to move on and find happiness again. It’s all I’ve ever wanted for her. It’s all Brandon ever wanted too.
“You know she’ll always be off-limits right?” Liam’s words have me snapping to him in an instant.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask roughly, not appreciating his accusing tone.
“Lennon,” he clarifies as if I’m a fucking idiot. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but she’ll always be Brandon’s girl. No matter what.”
I swallow hard, not wanting to lose my cool with Liam. Fuck, I wish I had my beer right now.
“Nothing’s going on,” I reassure him. “I’d never cross those boundaries, and for you to think otherwise is pretty fucking shitty, man.”
“Look, I’m only calling it like I see it. You two are getting chummy, and I know how vulnerable she must be right now.”
“We lost someone close to us,” I harshly remind him. “She lives in my apartment that she barely leaves, so yeah, we’ve grown closer over the past month or two. Doesn’t mean I’m going to fuck her.”
Liam shrugs. “Doesn’t mean you don’t want to, though.”
“What’s your deal?” I’m ready to snap.
“Hunter, calm down.” He keeps his eyes locked on mine. “You’re more transparent than you think.”
My jaw clenches. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means Mason and I knew you had feelings for her before. Whether or not you still do, I’m not sure, but now that you two are getting closer, I’m just reminding you not to act on those feelings. You can’t.”
Liam, the relationship wizard. Pfft.
I want to ask him how the hell they knew when I never told a damn soul other than Hayden. Didn’t make it obvious as far as I knew, considering I was an asshole every possible chance I got. Doesn’t matter that he’s right because I’m not going to confirm anything.
“Just like you’re not acting on your feelings for Maddie? What’s up with that?” I turn the tables, not wanting to talk about this anymore.
He scoffs, then laughs. “Don’t change the subject.”
“Then stop talking about it.”
“Okay, then let’s talk about how you haven’t hooked up with a chick in two months.” He gives me a look that dares me to prove him wrong.
“Are we gonna paint each other’s nails too? Or maybe I can braid your hair while you text scandalous crotch shots?” I quip, turning toward the bar, wondering where the girls are when I see a guy standing next to Lennon. He’s too fucking close, and she looks uncomfortable as hell. I wait to see if she or Sophie will tell the guy off or not.
“You still dating that Jenna chick?” he asks.
“We were never dating. And no.”
“Hmm.” He flashes a grin, and I’m ready to smack it off his face.
“Fuck off,” I tell him.
Mason and Maddie finally return just as Sophie and Lennon return with drinks.
“Which one’s mine?” Maddie asks.
“This one. We decided to put a little something in there for you.” Sophie hands her a glass.
“What, really?” Maddie takes it and sips it. Her eyes widen, and she lights up. “This is delicious!”
Lennon snorts, obviously holding back a full-on laugh. She stands next to me as she continues handing out beers.
When she gives me mine, I lean in and whisper, “What’d you girls do?”
“Nothing.” She struggles to contain her smile.
I tilt my head at her and grin. “Liar.”
Shrugging, Lennon takes a sip of her drink. “She thinks we gave her alcohol.”
“And did you?” My brows perk up.
“Not unless grenadine is alcoholic.” Lennon breaks out into a smile. “It was Sophie’s idea.”
I shake my head at her, smiling at how she’s finally letting loose. I know it’s only temporary, but that’s how grieving typically works—with constant ups and downs. But for now, I’m going to soak in these moments.
“Did you forget me?” Mason asks with a pout.
Lennon looks around the table and notices two beers in front of Liam.
“Oh, were one of these for you?” He smirks, taking a swig from both bottles. “My bad.”
“You fucker,” Mason says.
“Liam!” Lennon laughs. “You’re buying the next round now. Hold on, Mason. I’ll grab another one.”
I give Liam a look. He’s being a next level asshole tonight.
“Rough week,” he offers.
I ignore him and take a drink of my beer, glancing over at Lennon. The same guy moves toward her, and I watch as Lennon takes a step away, but the motherfucker gets closer.
My fists clench under the table, and it’s taking all my willpower not to get involved. I stand, wanting to go over there so I can hear what he’s saying. The others are too busy chatting to notice me leave, so I inch closer to the crowded bar.
“So you here alone tonight, baby?” the guy asks her with a slur. Asshole’s wasted.
“No, my friends are here.” Lennon’s response is short.
“Ah okay, cool. You wanna come hang with me for a bit?” Fucker has balls of steel.
“I don’t wanna ditch my friends.” Lennon’s being way too damn nice for her own good.
“Oh yeah, cool. Well, are you single? You could give me your number, and we could hang out another night.” My jaw tightens, ready to get in this dude’s face. Lennon’s showing no signs that she’s even remotely interested, yet he continues to push.
Lennon freezes, and I know she’s lost in her head right now. She’s always been able to say she has a boyfriend, and I bet she’s wondering how to answer the question.
When she doesn’t answer, I know she needs an out and say fuck it and walk up to her other side. “You okay?” I ask her, purposely ignoring the other dude.
She looks up at me with tears in her eyes. Yep, I knew she was thinking about how she’s single but not by choice and how much that hurts.
The bartender finally comes up and apologizes for taking so long. I slap down a five-dollar bill, and Lennon grabs the beer. She turns, and we begin to walk away when the guy speaks up.
“Fuckin’ whore,” he nearly shouts.