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"I guess it couldn't hurt."
"You love him, Luna." She gives me a hopeful look.
"Does that really matter?"
"It does, and he loves you, too. He came clean with the truth. I hate what he did and that he hurt you so badly with his plans, but he told you the truth." She places emphasis on those last words. "No one had to out him or expose his plans. He told you himself. He also tried to find Layla. And you might not want to hear this, but I think we stand a better chance of knowing what's going on with his help. Hunter knew that for you to understand your father's dirty dealings, he had to incriminate himself as well and come clean with his part. He told you he wanted to be with you, so I think he deserves a chance."
Her words grip me, all of them, and I consider each one.
Everything she said has entered my mind several times over the last few days, but hearing her say them out loud carries more weight.
I sigh and drop my head in contemplation, then lean against the counter.
"I'm still so hurt," I whisper.
"I know. And you'll probably be hurt for a long time to come, but don't throw this away. Hunter has done everything to make things right between you. But the thing I admire the most about him is that he's here."
My eyes snap wide, and I search hers, checking to make sure that what she said is what I heard.
"What? He's here?" I glance at the door as if he's going to magically appear. Then I look back at her.
"He’s in the living room. He called while I was out, wanting to know if he could see you. I figured you still weren't answering his calls, so I told him to meet me here."
I glance at the door again and breathe past the longing in my heart.
"I think you need to see him. It's clear that he truly loves you, or he wouldn't be here."
In my heart, I know Emily is right. I know she's right about everything, and even if I feel disappointed and aggrieved by what's happened, I should at the very least go and speak to Hunter to hear what he has to say.
"Go on, Luna. Go see him," Emily urges in a gentle voice, and I nod.
She gives me a little smile of encouragement, and I leave her side. I make my way to the living room on shaky legs, my heart pounding.
When I see Hunter, my heart triple beats, speeding up like I've been running a race and the end is in sight.
Hope sparks in Hunter's eyes at the sight of me, and damn me, it fills me, too, rousing all the love I feel for him.
"Hi," he says first, fixing his eyes on me.
"Hi."
“How’ve you been?”
“I’ve seen better days.”
"I had to see you.” His tone holds the same longing I feel. “I couldn't wait another night. I had to tell you again that I'm sorry and that I never, ever meant to hurt you."
"You hurt me deeply, Hunter." My voice is heavy with the sadness still weighing down my heart. "Thinking that none of what we had was real and knowing you were going to leave me to marry someone else is not something you just get over."
“I know.” The pain from the other day returns to his expression. "But you know it was real between us. You know this. If I can look at you and know for myself, then you must be able to do it, too. And if you know that, then you know in your heart that I could never be with anyone besides you.”
He draws in a ragged breath. “Your father nearly took everything from me. I wasn't thinking about anything else but revenge when I first planned to ruin him. Then I met you and fell for you. By then, there wasn't a question in my mind on whether or not I needed to be with you forever."
The determination in his voice melts away my worries, and my heart lifts when he reaches into his pocket to pull out my bucket list. I left it at home.
In my state of angst, I didn't even remember it. Hunter walks up to me, and I gasp when he drops to both knees before me and holds up the list.
He points to the sections that aren't ticked off yet. The sections with the kids and all the things that mean everything to me.
