I considered it a moment, then nodded, even though everything in me recoiled at the idea.
She held out her hand. “I’m Elle.”
“Hunter,” I said.
We talked for a while about nothing in particular. She slid her hand up my thigh, inching closer to my dick. I tried to act like I was interested, tried to make myself participate.
She leaned over, her breath warm on my ear. “Come with me.”
I lifted a shoulder, letting her drag me by the hand. I didn’t want to do this, but I had to do something. It wasn’t like I wanted to go home to my empty house. A house filled with memories of Lauren. A house that was beginning to feel more like a shrine to our relationship, a reminder of what had been. And more importantly, what could’ve been.
I needed to put her out of my mind. I needed to purge my home and my heart of her. I needed… I just needed to not feel so lost anymore.
Elle tugged me inside one of the bathrooms, attacking my lips with a kiss. I tried to get into it, tried to feel something as I placed my hands on her hips. Lauren’s face popped into my mind, and I moaned her name.
Elle pressed her hands to my chest, eyes flashing with anger. “Did you just call me by another woman’s name?”
I hung my head and nodded. “I’m sorry. I’m—” I reached for her then stopped myself. “I can’t do this.”
“Asshole,” she huffed before stomping out of the bathroom.
Alone, I gripped the edge of the sink as the music pulsed through my brain. I looked like shit, and I was pretty sure I saw two of myself in the mirror. I needed help.
I jabbed at my phone, finally texting my driver. Somehow, I made it home, staggering inside. As I glanced around, seeing all the things that reminded me of Lauren, all the memories, I cracked. I grabbed a nearby lamp and threw it to the ground before hurling a picture frame against the wall.
Riley’s dog toys were piled up in the corner, and I ripped them apart, pulling out the stuffing like a madman. I just kept doing it, destroying everything like I’d destroyed my relationship with Lauren. What was wrong with me? Why did I continue to fuck everything up?
* * *
Even with my eyes closed,I knew someone was in the kitchen. The coffeemaker hissed, and the rustle of a plastic bag was grating on my frayed nerves.
“Lauren,” I croaked, my mouth dry. My head was pounding.
“Nope.” Kate rounded the corner, and my heart sank despite her cheery disposition. “It’s me.”
“Kate?” I blinked my eyes as if she were an apparition.
She was navigating her way through the living room, stepping delicately over the broken glass—and were those ripped dog toys?—strewn across the floor.
She plopped down on the floor next to me, folding her legs beneath her. “Hunter, I’m worried about you.”
“Me?” I scoffed, attempting to sit. I groaned and lay back on the couch. “I’m fine.”
Even with my eyes closed, I could feel her glaring at me. “You don’t seem fine to me. In fact, since you and Lauren broke up, you seem… Well, I’ll just say it. You’re a mess.”
I puffed out a breath, folding my arm over my face. “Why are you here?”
“Because I care about you. I love you. You were there for me when things fell apart with Xander. Let me be here for you.”
“I’m fine,” I ground out, attempting to sit, successfully this time.
The room spun, the sunlight bright and harsh.
“Under what definition is this—” She swept her arm wide to encompass the debris littering the floor. My home, like my life, was a complete disaster. “Fine? Hmm?”
“I had a stressful week. I was just blowing off some steam.”
“Mm-hmm.” She crossed her arms over her chest, her expression stern. “I’m calling bullshit.”
