Or at least that was the line we were feeding him.
The truth was, I knew he was onto something. I could feel it deep in my gut. But I also knew this wasn’t just business—it was personal. He’d created an app for cancer patients, and it was fucking brilliant. It had resources to help with prevention, to navigate diagnosis and treatment, and to foster a community so patients wouldn’t feel so isolated.
And after watching Preston go through what he had, I wanted to ensure others like him had the support they needed. Cancer didn’t just attack your body; it destroyed relationships. I’d witnessed firsthand how many of our so-called “friends” had stopped calling, stopped coming around after his diagnosis.
I need to own this app. I will own it.
“Hunter,” Toby snapped, returning my attention to him.
“What?” I shrugged, marching down the hall toward my office.
We were in Midtown, and despite the summer heat, July in New York felt nothing like LA. There were no palm trees, for one, but it was more than that. Both cities were congested, filled with concrete and high rises, but the vibe was different, the energy was different. And I found myself missing home a little more every day.
“Hunter,” Toby said, shutting the door behind him. “You can’t push that hard. He’s going to walk.”
“If I don’t, who will?” I glared at him, knowing I was the bad cop in this situation. I always was.
I liked winning. I was used to getting what I wanted, when I wanted it. Call me spoiled or privileged or any other name, but I’d worked hard to get where I was.
Yes, I had a trust fund. And yes, my dad was a senator and my mom an heir to a luxury brand. But I worked just as hard—if not harder—than anyone in my office. I’d busted my ass, and I wasn’t about to sit back and let this deal slip through our fingers. It had too much potential. It was too important to me personally to even consider letting that happen.
Toby cocked his head to the side. “What’s up with you lately?”
“Nothing,” I ground out, keeping my eyes focused on my laptop as I crouched over the desk.
I’d been off my game since the night Kate’s world had burned to the ground. Add in the little thief, and I’d been…unfocused.
He crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the edge of my desk as I typed in the password to check my emails. “Seriously, man. I can tell something’s going on. You need to get your head on straight if we’re going to make this happen.”
I gripped the edge of the desk. “Don’t fucking tell me what I need to do, Toby.”
I could feel him staring at me, and I knew I’d gone too far. I was acting like an ass, but I wanted this deal done. I was ready to move back to LA for good, to see Kate and reassure myself she was okay.
When I’d gone back for my birthday, something seemed off. I wondered if it had to do with the fire, but my gut told me that wasn’t it. I checked in every night, even if only briefly. And she’d been acting strangely, evading my questions. I suspected she was keeping something from me, but I wasn’t sure what it was. So I was trying to be patient. I was trying to let her come to me.
I loosened my grip, pushing off the desk. “I’ll be nice, I promise.”
“You sure? Because I can finish this deal without you.”
“I’m sure. And I didn’t mean to snap, but fuck—” I ran a hand through my hair, the movement jagged. “I haven’t gone this long without sex since I was fifteen.”
I had some pent-up aggression, sure. But I was more worried about Kate than on edge from my current celibate status.
Besides, Toby was a good business partner. But as far as friends went, he wouldn’t be winning friend-of-the-year any time soon. He was great to work with, fun to blow off some steam with, but I’d never talk to him about anything real. Anything deep.
Shit. Deep feelings?What the hell is wrong with me?
Toby chuckled, his shoulders relaxing. “Well, whose fault is that? You’re the one who made the bet.”
Toby knew all about the bet I made with my best friend, Preston. When Preston goaded I couldn’t go a month without sex, I justhadto try to prove him wrong. At the time, I figured it would be no big deal.
I was right, of course. But I was also wrong.
Going without sex for a month wasn’t difficult in the ways I’d expected. I was horny, sure, but it forced me to stop and think about some things. For instance, the way I’d been treating women, relationships—sex. And after my one-night stand turned cat burglar, I’d been leery about inviting a woman home again.
Great.Now, I wasn’t just horny but also grumpy.
Add in my recent birthday, and I questioned what the fuck I was even doing with my life. I’d graduated college, started a business, and now… I wondered what came next. Obviously, continue building my business. Continue purchasing apps that would change people’s lives for the better. But surely there had to be more to it than that?
