“Hunter.” His name had barely crossed my lips before he drove himself into me. It was fast and deep and out of control. He gripped my shoulders and anchored himself to me, plowed deeper. The words escaped my lips before I could stop them. “Hunter, I love you.” He paused for a split second. Fear that he would stop forever knotted my stomach.
“I love you.” He caught my mouth with his, kissed me hard and impaled me on his cock until I rode the edge of release.
I clawed down his back and moaned into his mouth as the first wave of my orgasm ripped through me. Hunter came with me. He stiffened, growled, shuddered and slammed me until we were both spent.
Hunter edged himself in beside me and drew me close. We lay in silence for a minute as we caught our breaths.
“Did you just smell my hair?” I asked, smiling, because I couldn’t stop even if I wanted too.
He lifted his hand from my hip and ran his fingers through my hair. “Maybe.”
I shut my eyes and drank in his presence. We didn’t talk about what we’d said a few minutes ago. He snaked his arm around me and pulled me in tighter. There would be plenty of time for talking later when the party cleared out and we were alone.
Chapter Thirteen
“How do I look?” I pulled my panties up, then smoothed my dress.
Hunter grabbed me by the hips and pulled me close. “Like you were just fucked.”
I laughed and pushed away. “Then I guess we better leave separately.”
His lips hovered close to my ear. I shivered as his breath grazed my skin. “Mingle for ten or fifteen minutes, then make an excuse to leave the party. Wait for me in your room. I’ll meet you there.”
“Can’t get enough of me, can you?”
His kiss was lightning. There and gone. His voice was thunder, so deep it filled me as it rumbled. “Never.”
He pulled away, winked and left the room. I looked at the clock and added up the minutes until Hunter and I would be alone and I could tell him my news. Half an hour. In half an hour, I’d be in his arms. I could whisper it to him. It’d be our secret then. I caressed my flat stomach before I smoothed my dress and slipped out of the room.
Hunter had been right. No one seemed to notice our absence. I grabbed a glass of sparkling water and circulated the room, though much of the party had moved to the large yard. My mom was outside. She hung off her new husband’s arm as they laughed and talked with his family. Now it was hers. I smiled to myself. This was my family now too, and my baby’s.
It should have scared me—the idea of having a baby before college was over. All I felt was joy. Life with Hunter was nothing like I’d ever experienced before. I knew in my gut that everything would be okay.
A warm hand grabbed my arm above the elbow.
“Can’t stay away from me, can you?” My smile morphed into a scowl when I turned and realized it was Mitch, not Hunter, who held me. I yanked my arm away. “What do you want?”
Mitch pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He grabbed a wad of cash and pressed it into my hand. “That should cover it.”
Puzzled, I looked at him. “Cover what?”
“The abortion you’re going to get.”
Dumbfounded, I stared at him. So many awful thoughts ran through my mind, but I couldn’t say a single word. After what seemed like an eternity, I shoved the money at him. “I’m not getting an abortion,” I hissed.
Mitch grabbed my arm and pressed the money back into my hand. “Yes, you are. You’re not saddling me with support payments for some squawking brat.”
“It’s not even yours.”
Mitch narrowed his eyes at me. “Get rid of it, Summer.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, Summer, fuck you. All you girls are alike. You’ll claim it’s not mine until the day it pops out, then you’ll hit me up for child support.”
I was so angry I couldn’t speak. People looked at us now. They watched the entire scene unfold. I wanted to sink into the dirt and die. I hated that I’d let this slip earlier. I should have known Mitch would find some way to fuck with me. I opened my mouth to say something, but caught sight of Hunter. His gaze locked on mine for a moment, then he shook his head and disappeared into the crowd.
No.
No. No, no, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. “Hunter, wait.”
I threw Mitch’s money at his feet and then took off after Hunter. I didn’t care who saw me chase after him. It didn’t matter anymore. I had to find him. I had to make him understand.
I caught up to Hunter on the stairs. He had his jacket and car keys in his hand.
“Hunter, please.” I reached for his arm, but he yanked it away. The look on his face crushed my soul. “Everything is so messed up. Let me explain.”
He shook his head. “There’s nothing to explain, Summer.” He pushed past me and kept going.
I followed him outside. I ran in front of him and pressed myself against the driver’s side door of his car. “Hunter, please, I don’t know what you think you heard, but it’s not what it looks like.”
“Are you pregnant?”
“Yes, but—”
He cut me off. “Then there’s nothing to talk about.”
“Just listen to me, will you,” I pleaded even as he moved me out of the way. I struggled, but with every second that passed, my resolve to make him listen faded. “The baby, it’s yours, Hunter. Yours and mine.”
He looked at me as if I’d just told him his dog had died. “Then why was Mitch giving you money for an abortion?”
“Because he thinks it’s his.”
Tears streamed down my face. I didn’t bother to wipe them away. If Hunter was going to turn his back on me, I was going to make sure he remembered my pain.
“So he knew before I did. Why would you tell him first if it’s mine?” I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off again. “Save it, Summer.” He moved me out of the way and then got into his car.
“Where are you going?”
Hunter didn’t answer me. He wouldn’t look at me. How could he? He hated me. Love had turned to hate in a matter of minutes all because he wouldn’t listen and I lacked the power to make him. I stepped back and watched him leave. A crowd had gathered. Everyone stared. Everyone whispered. Everyone except Mitch. He smiled with his hands shoved into his pockets.
There was no way I could walk through the crowd of people. I turned and headed down the driveway. I wouldn’t let them see me cry anymore. I wouldn’t stand by while they whispered about Hunter and me.
I found a secluded part in the garden and sat on the bench by the pond. It wasn’t long before my mother found me. She sat next to me, draped her arm over my shoulders and pulled me close.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
I sniffled, then shook my head.
“Can you listen?” After I nodded, she continued. “Mitch was a jerk to do that to you, but don’t worry about him, honey. Even if he doesn’t want to be there for you and the baby, know that you have our support. David and I will always be here for you, no matter what you need.”
I wanted to laugh, or cry, but everything crumbled away and all that remained was an emptiness so complete it numbed me. I didn’t care that everyone thought Mitch was the father. It’d be easier to explain than the truth.
“I’m tired. I’m going to bed.” Mom didn’t follow me. She knew I wanted to be alone.
I slipped into the house unnoticed and then crept up the stairs. Mitch waited for me outside my bedroom.
“What do you want, Mitch?”
“The offer still stands.” He held the wad of cash.
“It’s not yours, Mitch.” I covered my stomach with my hand as if I could hold it even closer and protect my baby from Mitch and his awful words.
“Oh, I know it’s not.” He shoved the money back into his pocket and the corner of his mouth turned up into a grin. He took a step toward me. “I didn’t at first. I thought you were trying to fuck with my head, play some kind of mind game
with me. Then I saw Hunter come out of the study. He never leaves a party unless it’s for a piece of ass. I wanted to see his score, so I waited. Imagine my surprise when you came out of that room with that freshly fucked look.”
“Congratulations, you figured it out. You figured out my secret, then ruined everything. Hunter is gone, Mitch. You can leave too.” I tried to step around him, but he blocked my path. He towered over me, stared me down, tried to intimidate me, but I was beyond being intimidated now. “Why, Mitch? Why did you do it?”
“Karma? Maybe.” He leaned closer. “Revenge? Who knows?”
He stepped out of my way and then disappeared down the stairs. I slipped into my room and looked around. I clamped my hand over my mouth as I suppressed a sob. Memories of Hunter were everywhere. He was gone, but his presence surrounded me, filled me, yet his absence was deeply felt.
I dug a suitcase out of the closet before I tossed my clothes into it. If there was one perk about my new stepfather, it was his bank account. I’d beg to be sent away somewhere for the summer. I’d beg him to rent me a cottage in the woods or an apartment in the city. I had to get away. I couldn’t start over while I was still surrounded by all the memories. I’d raise this baby by myself.
Chapter Fourteen
“You should give him a chance, Summer.” Felicity was giving me the face again. The round puppy dog eyes and full, pouty lip. “He really likes you.”
“Yeah, everyone wants to date the pregnant ones. They know we put out and they can’t knock us up. I’m a horn dog’s wet dream,” I scoffed.
Even though I wasn’t noticeably pregnant yet, dating wasn’t high on my list of things to do. My plan was to complete the first semester of this year, then return the following fall when the baby was a bit older.
“Come on, Summer. You’ve barely left the apartment all week. Besides, Craig isn’t like that.”
“I’m too tired to leave the apartment.” I sank into the couch and grabbed the remote. I flicked through the channels, but Felicity took the remote from me.
“You’ve been hiding.”
“I have not.”
Felicity raised her eyebrow. “Really?”
I sighed and shut my eyes. “Fine. I’ve been hiding. I deserve to hide.” My hands went to my stomach. “I’ve had a lot to think about.”
Felicity took my hand and held it. “I know life threw you a pretty big curve ball, but you can’t let it stop you from living.” She grabbed my cell phone off the coffee table and thrust it into my hands. “Call him.”
Felicity was right. I knew she was. I hadn’t seen or heard from Hunter since the reunion. As fast as he’d bolted out of there that night, I was gone the next morning. Felicity had taken me in, and I’d moved into her new off-campus apartment. Hunter hadn’t so much as sent me a text message. It was time to move on.
My hand hovered over the phone, but I dropped my hands onto my lap. “I can’t go on a date with some random guy, Felicity.”
Felicity’s hand came to rest on my thigh and she gave me a sympathetic smile. “Okay, I get it.”
“Do you?” I raised my eyebrow. Felicity wasn’t known for her flexibility. Once she made up her mind about something, she was relentless.
“I do, but you do need to get out of this apartment.”
“I do?” I groaned. Felicity had already given up her matchmaking plans. She wasn’t going to leave me alone until I agreed to participate in some sort of social activity, though. I looked down at my sweats. “Does this mean I have to get dressed?”
Felicity grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet. “Yes, and I get to dress you.”
“No,” I whined. Felicity had a special way she liked to make me look. She said it was glamorous, but I always felt like a tramp when she was done. I rolled my eyes as she dragged me into her room. “I want something that covers more than twelve percent of my body.”
“Relax, Summer. You’ll look like a million dollars when I’m done with you.”
An hour later, I followed Felicity down the street. True to her word, I looked gorgeous. She’d dug deep into her wardrobe and had dressed me in a polka dot blouse with a wide silver belt and a black skirt that hit me just above the knee.
“Where are we going, anyway?”
“A friend of mine is playing at Marquee tonight.”
“Isn’t that place almost impossible to get into?”
Felicity grinned and gave me a playful shove. “Not when you’re with the band.”
Half an hour later, I was settled into a booth. I sipped a soda and watched her grind on the dance floor. This was her idea of me being social. Ignoring advances from half-drunk nitwits and watching her get her groove on. Truthfully, it could be worse.
I leaned back in the booth and shut my eyes. At least the band was decent, and Felicity looked happy. She jumped up onto the stage and wrapped her arms around the guy on bass guitar. She kissed him long and deep, and the crowd went wild.
I felt a twinge of longing. I shouldn’t miss Hunter after what he’d done, but I couldn’t help myself. I pulled my phone out of my purse and stared at the screen. No missed calls. No unanswered texts. I wanted a drink, something strong enough to knock me on my ass. I didn’t want to think anymore. I took a sip of my soda as Felicity threw herself onto the seat across from me. She was breathless and flushed from her efforts on the dance floor and her tongue-swallowing act on stage.
She took a long swallow of her beer, then leaned across the table. She narrowed her eyes and studied my face. “You’re not having fun, are you?”
“I am.”
Felicity leaned back and crossed her arms in front of her. “You’re not. Admit it.”
I sighed. “I’m sorry, Felicity. I want to have fun, but it’s just,” I waved a hand, “this really isn’t my scene right now. I can’t drink, I don’t dance and I’m not into looking for some guy to hook up with.” The corner of my mouth upturned in a half smile. “But the music is good, at least.”
“I’m sorry I dragged you here, Summer.”
“It’s fine, Felicity.”
“Are you sure? Because you look miserable.”
“I’m sure. My misery has nothing to do with you.”
Felicity grabbed my hand. “Come on, Summer. I’ll walk you home. We can have a Netflix marathon.”
“That’s the best idea you’ve had all day.”
The sun was just sinking below the horizon when Felicity and I left the bar. The heat of the day had vanished and a slight chill blew in.
“We’d better hurry,” I said as I noticed the way the leaves turned over in the wind. Their light green undersides shimmered in the fading sunlight. “Looks like it’s going to rain.”
Felicity didn’t respond. Instead, she chewed her lower lip. It was something she only did when she was deep in thought.
“Is something wrong, Felicity?”
She glanced at me, opened her mouth, then shut it again. She looked away and kept her gaze focused on the street. She was silent for half a block before she finally answered. “You miss him, don’t you?”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter if I miss him. He obviously doesn’t miss me.”
“What if he did?”
“If he missed me, he’d call, he’d text.” I swallowed the knot of pain that clogged my throat. “He hasn’t done either.”
“What would you say if he did?”
It was my turn to not answer. The truth was, I didn’t know what I’d say if he called. Part of me wanted to believe that I’d be strong enough to quit him for good, but if that was the truth, I’d have done it already. The painful reality was that I wanted Hunter almost as much as I wanted the baby, our baby. I was pathetic, but if he wanted me, I’d take him back. Instead of saying any of that I told her I didn’t know.
If Felicity saw through my lie, she was a good enough friend to not call me on it.
Finally home, Felicity grabbed the doorknob, but didn’t open it. Her forehead creased and she bit her lip. “I di
d something that you might hate me for.”
She curled her fingers into a fist and banged on the door. Two loud knocks. She opened it and then stepped out of the way.
Balloons. Flowers. Our apartment looked like a gift shop had exploded in it.
“What’s all this?” I took a tentative step through the door, then stopped in my tracks. “What are you doing here?”
Chapter Fifteen
He looked like hell. His face was pale. The bags under his eyes told me he’d been sleeping about as well as I had been—not at all. He hadn’t shaved in a while and he looked as if he’d lost the eight pounds I’d gained.
He took a step toward me. “Summer, please. I’m sorry. I just want to talk.”
My brain told me to say no. I should make him leave, but before I could think, I nodded and dropped my purse onto the counter.
Felicity threw her arms around me and gave me a squeeze. “I’ll have my phone on if you need me, Summer.” She shot a sympathetic look to Hunter as she slipped out of the apartment. I twitched when the door clicked shut behind her.
Hunter reached for me, but I stepped back. “Why are you here?”
I crossed my arms and walked to the other side of the apartment. I’d forgotten the power he had over me. He’d barely spoken a word, but I wanted to wrap myself up in him. Despite my best efforts, I’d failed to hate him.
“I screwed up.”
I laughed. “Did you just realize this? How did you even find me?”
“I called Felicity. I figured she’d know where you were.”
I groaned and sat on the couch. “She swore not to tell anyone I was here.”
“She was worried about you.” Hunter grimaced. “She put up a hell of a fight, though, if that makes you feel better. I thought she was going to kill me over the phone.” He paused for a long time as if he searched for the right words and came up empty. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
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