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Livia
It’s been three hours since Hunter left and I’m still struggling to calm down.
I’ve come to my room because I can’t face my parents’ questions. They might have taken themselves off somewhere, but they’ll have heard everything Hunter and I said to each other. We weren’t exactly being quiet.
I turn over on my bed, staring out the window.
How could he think that of me? I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve asked myself that question, but seriously… how could he?
Why would he think I’d want to ‘cozy up’ with Miles Hampton? He knows perfectly well that I don’t like the man.
And to think… I was actually going to call Hunter this afternoon. I’d even told my mom. That’s probably why she showed him straight into the living room; because she knew I intended to speak to him.
I startle at the sound of a gentle knocking on my door.
“Come in,” I say and it opens. My mom appears, followed by my dad, the two of them standing on the threshold.
“Is everything okay?” Mom asks.
“No.”
She comes a little further into the room and Dad steps up behind her. “We heard you and Hunter arguing.”
I sit up, making room for Dad to perch beside me, while Mom goes over to the window seat, getting comfortable.
“I can’t believe what he said to me.”
“We gathered he didn’t like Miles being here,” Mom says, frowning slightly. Her confusion is easy to understand. None of this makes sense to me, either.
“No, he didn’t. He accused me of cozying up with him.”
“Cozying up?” Her lips twist upwards, although she quickly brings them back into line again.
“Yeah. He seemed to think Miles had spent the night here… or at the very least, that I’d invited him to visit. Well, I’m done being judged by him.” My voice cracks as I’m speaking, and tears fill my eyes.
“Did you honestly believe Miles when he said he’d come to talk about the termination of your contract?”
“Of course not. There’s nothing to talk about, and he didn’t even mention the contract at all… not once he’d got his foot in the door.”
“No. I noticed that.”
Dad leans in to me. “D—Didn’t that make you wonder?”
“About what?”
“Why he was really here?” I turn slightly, looking up at him. “Miles was so clearly interested in you. Hunter probably saw that, too, even if you didn’t.”
“And? That doesn’t make me guilty of anything.”
“No, but imagine how you’d feel if you saw Hunter with someone who you thought was interested in him. Even if it wasn’t reciprocated, how do you think you’d feel?”
“Oh… God.” I don’t need to think, I already know.
“What?” Mom sits forward slightly.
“I’ve just remembered.” I look over at her and she raises her eyebrows, waiting. “There was a woman…” I stop talking as I realize I can’t tell them about the stalking. They’ll be livid I’ve kept it to myself all this time, and I can’t face going through it all again. Not now.
“What about her?” Mom says, prompting me.
