by Tia Siren
No matter how much I wanted to deny it, I knew what I had to do. There was little hope of this working out the way I wanted it to. I had started to get some pretty intense feelings for Lexi, and I knew I shouldn’t. I needed to cut things off in a way that was easy for both of us. I needed to protect her, Kam, and myself before this went so far that everyone got hurt. Lexi’s heart was on the line, Kam’s feelings and his relationship with his daughter were on the line, and for me—well, everything was on the line for me. I would have a broken heart, a tarnished reputation, and I would lose my best friend, all in one fell swoop. It was starting to look like nothing I could do would save what we had .
Chapter Ten
L exi
I t was another crazy Monday morning at the café with my best friend. I was so glad that I had her by my side, and with everything working out so well with Hunter, we had more than enough to talk about. The place was busy, though, busier than a normal Monday. So, at first, I barely had time to say anything to her. Customer after customer came walking off the elevator with their usual Monday faces. No one in the entire community at the Avalon ever seemed to be happy when facing the beginning of the week, and most of them walked around showing just how hard they partied during the weekend. I had never seen so many middle-aged people with hangovers in my life. It was like working at a college dorm after a long weekend, watching everyone walk around looking half-dead. I felt great, though, and was in a chipper mood despite the fact that my father had woken up grumpier than usual .
When the morning rush finally died down and there were only a few people peppering the café, Mandy and I went to work restocking for the lunch rush. I pulled out the muffins and cakes and replaced them with the sandwiches for the day. Mandy ground coffee beans and readied the pots for fresh brews as soon as the crowd hit .
“So, how is Hunter?” she asked .
“Good,” I gushed. “It has seriously been, like, the best two weeks ever. We go out, talk, laugh, make love, explore the city and the surrounding areas. When we’re together, it’s like nothing else in the world matters. We’ve made an art out of being alone together and keeping my father from catching on. We went berry picking way out in the country where even our cell phones didn’t work last weekend. We had lunch on a blanket in the field and just enjoyed being with each other. It’s really refreshing, starting a relationship without anyone else being a part of it. It’s like all the stress of family and friends is lifted and you can really just focus on each other .”
“Yeah, except the reason no one knows is because it will cause huge issues,” Mandy said. “I don’t know. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love to see you happy, but I feel like you’re going about it the wrong way. Regardless of how much fun you and Hunter are having, it’s really irresponsible to be putting your other relationships on the line for some guy you like to laugh with .”
“I know,” I said, instantly feeling guilty .
“I’m sorry,” Mandy said. “I’m not trying to hurt you or be a buzzkill, but no one else is going to tell you the truth of the matter. I know if you continue this little escapade, you are going to get really hurt. In the end, what if you end up with no Hunter and your father cuts you off? It just feels like a no-win situation to me .”
I understood what she was saying, loud and clear, and there wasn’t any way that I could really argue with it. The thing was, I was starting to realize that it was a more than just a fun time. I was starting to develop feelings for Hunter, and that was definitely not what I had intended when the whole thing had started. I sighed and went back to filling the stations, knowing I would regret it if I didn’t have it done for lunch .
I trudged through the afternoon, looking up at the clock and wishing it was time to go. It was the first time I had ever clock watched, working at Avalon Café, but with a sinking feeling in my stomach, I just wanted to be alone .
Mandy realized that my mood had taken a dive since she’d started talking about how bad my and Hunter’s relationship was. She smiled at me and tried to lighten the mood. She joked around, hip-checking me and pulling a smile from my face. I knew she felt bad, but I also knew what she was saying was right, whether I wanted to admit it or not. I looked up and smiled as a tall, middle-aged man walked toward the counter. I had never seen him before, but that wasn’t unusual since a lot of people from outside would come to grab a cup of coffee from the café. He scowled at me as he walked up, looking up at the menu above my head .
“How may I help you today?” I asked .
“Can you not see I’m reading the board?” he snapped .
God, what a dick. I understood that it was Monday, but this guy had taken an extra dose of douchebag this morning. I stood quietly, gripping my hands in front of me, squeezing them tightly so that I wouldn’t snap back at him. Usually I would recommend things, but this guy was an ass and could fend for himself. I stood there waiting, watching as Mandy rung the other customers up on the other register. I wasn’t used to having someone not know what they wanted by the time they got to the front. He didn’t seem to give two shits that he was holding up the whole show, either. Finally, he lowered his head and looked at me with disdain .
“I’ll have a white chocolate mocha,” he grumbled. “Who are you? I’ve never seen you here before .”
“My name is Lexi,” I said awkwardly, looking down at my name tag .
I rang up his order and moved to the side to prepare it. I glanced up at him as I poured a shot of espresso in his cup. He was staring at me, but not in an “interested in how I made the coffee” sort of way. He was studying me, looking over every inch of me, and it made me completely uncomfortable. My eyes shifted over to the security guard across the room, and he followed my glance, smirking and chuckling to himself. He seemed to think he was a really cool guy, coming into the café and harassing me just because I worked behind the counter. I dealt with my fair share of asshole customers, but this guy just made me feel uncomfortable to the core. I walked back over and handed him his drink. He tossed his card at me, and I grabbed it from where it fell on the counter. I looked down at the name, Patrick, which I didn’t recognize. When the receipt came out, I handed them both to him and smiled .
“Lexi,” he repeated. “You wouldn’t happen to be Kam’s daughter? Kam who owns the financial firm ?”
“Yes,” I said carefully .
I looked the guy up and down, trying to figure out if I knew him from anywhere. Nothing rang a bell, but he obviously knew who my father was. He also had to know that he lived here. Otherwise, why would he ask me such a specific question ?
There had to be thousands of Lexis in New York City, so him asking me that question made me realize he knew more about my father and my life than he was letting on. His strange change in tone from asshole to nice guy was a severe red flag in my eyes. I nervously glanced over at Mandy while I stood there, waiting for him to leave. He was creeping me out, and I didn’t like it all. Mandy furrowed her brow and looked over at him, catching his eye. He looked back at me and tapped his knuckles on the counter .
“You ladies have a nice day,” he said with a strange smirk .
He seemed satisfied, his mood completely changed as he walked away. He glanced back at me, chuckling to himself as he meandered toward the doors, and he tossed his full coffee in the trash can. I looked over at Mandy, who was watching him, too, and shrugged my shoulders .
“What did he ask you?” Mandy asked .
“He asked if I was Kam’s daughter,” I said .
“Just like that? Like he called your dad by his nickname ?”
“Yeah,” I said. “It was weird. And he just threw his coffee in the trash .”
“Lexi, that’s strange,” she said. “You think you should tell someone ?”
“I don’t know,” I said, sighing. “I just want to survive this day first .”
She smiled sympathetically and patted me on the shoulder. I had started out the day in a great mood, but now, between Hunter and the creepy
guy at the counter, I was feeling worse than ever. A big part of me wanted to call Hunter and talk about it, knowing he would listen and make me feel better, but with everything going on, I figured it probably wasn’t such a good idea. I knew that once I had some time to myself to think, I would feel better, but for now, I had to just keep pushing through .
Chapter Eleven
H unter
I was glad this week was halfway over. I didn’t know how much more I could take. My mind had constantly been on Lexi and the conclusion I had come to when out golfing with her father. I hadn’t been able to bring myself to call her over since, in my heart, I really didn’t want to break things off with her. Still, there was so much at stake, and our relationship had the possibility of completely taking down all of it .
I sighed and reached over to the side table next to the couch, where my phone was vibrating. Electricity fluttered through my chest at the sight of Lexi’s name on the screen. I didn’t want to take the call, but I knew ignoring her wasn’t an option .
“Hey,” I said, answering .
“Hey. I wanted to see if I could come by,” she said .
“Sure,” I replied. “The door will be open .”
“Okay,” she said. “Be there in five .”
When she walked in the door, I looked up from the sofa and smiled. She looked adorable in a pair of short knit shorts and a tiny T-shirt with a rainbow on the front. She pranced over into the living room and climbed on top of me, straddling me as she kissed my neck. I closed my eyes for only a second, realizing I needed to stop this before it got out of hand. I pulled her back by her shoulders and moved her to the side before standing up and taking a deep breath .
“What’s wrong?” she asked .
“Lexi,” I said, rubbing my face, “we can’t do this anymore. All of this is way too dangerous for everyone involved. When I went golfing with your father, he seemed so out of sorts, so worried about you on every level. He just wants what is best for you, and so do I. I want what’s best for all of us, and I’m afraid if we keep this up, we’re all going to get hurt. You need to listen to your father .”
“Hunter, where is this coming from?” She looked perplexed and hurt. “My father wants to control me. Just because he is my father doesn’t mean he is handling my life the right way. Threatening me with cutting me off if I date anyone is typical. He has ruled through fear my entire life, and I don’t care anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad, but he would have made a lot more sense if he would have talked to me on an adult, emotional level, not like he was the police .”
“I know,” I said, shaking my head. “But it’s not just your life that this has the possibility of affecting. Your father has been by my side for years. The last thing I want to do is see him hurt and betrayed. It just wouldn’t be fair to him .”
“Hunter,” she said, her voice lower, as she stood up and walked toward me, “I know you don’t want to hurt my father, but what about our happiness? Why don’t we get a chance to have a beautiful life together? I don’t want to be with anyone else, only you .”
I stood there staring at her hurt eyes and her beautiful face, and I couldn’t help but melt at her feet. She was right. Why should we sacrifice our happiness because Kam was extremely overprotective and overdramatic? I cared about Lexi on a whole new level, and I didn’t want to be with anyone else either. I reached up and ran my hands down her arms .
“You’re right,” I said, leaning in and kissing her. “I don’t want to let you go .”
I grabbed her wrist and walked her back to the bedroom, where we got comfortable and curled up in bed. For this occasion, there was no sex, no dirty talk, and no flirting. We simply lay together, feeling how close we were to each other. Lexi was curled up beside me, her head on my chest, and I stroked her long blond hair. I pulled the covers over us and thought about how perfect this moment was with her in my arms and silence around us. This moment told me everything I needed to know about the decision I had just made .
My attraction to Lexi was more than just physical. Beyond the absolutely mind-blowing sex we had on a regular basis, we actually had a lot in common. We were both dreamers, stuck in a world that expected more from us than we wanted to give. Instead of dwelling on the past, we looked to the future, pointing out every part of the road we wanted to travel down. We both had dreams bigger than we could wrap our heads around, and it was something that really drew me to Lexi. Our minds worked the same way, and our passion was unstoppable—and not just our passion for each other .
Money had always been something that came between me and most girls I dated. I had mostly given up on dating because it seemed as if every girl I came across was more concerned about my bank account than me personally. Lexi came from money, and even more importantly, she didn’t give a shit about it. Sure, she liked shopping and all the rest, but she didn’t care about her father’s money. She wanted to support herself, even if it wouldn’t provide her with the lavish lifestyle she was used to. I never had to question whether Lexi was in this for the cash or not. She’d made it more than clear that she was in this for me, and only me, no strings attached. I had a hard time believing I would ever meet someone with that same mentality, especially someone who had so much to lose by being with me .
Lexi might work at a café to appease her father, but she was incredibly intelligent. I loved that we could sit and have a deep, educated conversation about the world, politics, and just life in general. I hadn’t found anything so far that she wasn’t aware of or educated on, and not just from college, but from her own willingness to learn for herself. She was independent in that way, never relying on someone else to teach her what she could learn on her own. That independence extended to everything in her life, and I could feel her wanting to break free at all costs. In the end, she was just an extremely sweet person who looked out for others more than she looked out for herself. It was extremely endearing .
When we were together, it was a constant back and forth of witty banter. She had something to say for everything I threw at her, and it had almost become a challenge to see who could stump who first. We laughed uncontrollably whenever we were alone and forgot all the unimportant crap around us. She was funny, witty, and extremely sarcastic, which matched up to me perfectly. Lexi’s sense of humor was amazing, and I never had to worry about offending her or saying something over her head .
I lay there next to her thinking about all the amazing things I felt, not even realizing I was edging closer to a conclusion I had pushed to the back of mind. Slowly, my hand stopped stroking her, and I pulled it up to my forehead, shaking my head. I realized this wasn’t a crush or a lustful desire. I was actually falling in love with Lexi .
The revelation struck me like a thunderbolt. My heart was cheering “yes” while my brain was screaming “fuck!” With any normal relationship, I would have been over the moon about realizing I was falling in love, but with Lexi and me, it absolutely terrified me. If I was in love with Lexi, that would make it impossible for me to give up our relationship. It was only a matter of time until the truth revealed itself. When that happened, all hell would break loose, and not just for me. I had to be absolutely sure that we were supposed to be together before I was forced to make a choice about standing by our relationship or pushing it off. I already knew, though, that there was no way I would be able to push her away .
I looked down at Lexi, who was now sleeping with her head pressed against my chest. She was so beautiful and looked so peaceful. It no longer mattered to me if all hell broke loose, because I knew that I couldn’t bear to not have this woman by my side. She had become a part of me, and that was cemented in my heart, no matter what the consequences would be .
Chapter Twelve
L exi
L ight peeked through the blinds in Hunter’s bedroom, waking me from my deep sleep. I could feel Hunter’s arms still wrapped around me, and I smiled, feeling more comfortable than I ever had before. Everything about him filled me up inside,
from the way he handled my nervous outbursts to the way he made me laugh on a regular basis, even how much passion we had between us. Waking up in his arms, in his bed, in his apartment felt more right than anything I had ever done before .
I ran my hands up and down his arms, listening to him stir behind me. I turned over and faced him, kissing his nose and waiting as he slowly opened his eyes. He pulled me in closer and smiled, realizing I was still there and we were still wrapped up together underneath the covers. He glanced over at the clock and then plopped his head back down beside mine, running his fingers through my tangled mess of hair .
“Good morning, handsome,” I whispered .
“Good morning, beautiful,” he said, smiling. “I’m glad you’re still here .”
“Me too,” I said happily. “I’m so glad that you changed your mind. I know it has to be hard on you because my father is your best friend, but I know everything will turn out all right in the end. Being with you these last few weeks has been the best time of my life. I’ve come to know you as my best friend, and I couldn’t even start to imagine what it would be like if you weren’t the first person I called when I was happy, sad, angry, or whatever. I know it’s crazy, and it isn’t what either of us had in mind when we started this whole thing, but I don’t regret where it has gone .”
“I don’t either,” he said, kissing my lips. “I want you by my side all the time, and if we are going to face the repercussions for it, I know that as long as I have you by my side, we will be okay .”