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Indignation swept over me as Hunter stood there silently, matching Steven’s threatening glare.
“Yes, it does.” I instinctively grabbed Hunter’s hand, threading my fingers through his, and squeezed it. No way would I stand by as someone insulted my best friend and his mom. I might not have understood what was going on here, but I knew I couldn’t let him hurt Hunter like that. “This is their town, too. And there are people here who love them.”
Steven’s gaze flicked to mine for a mere second before it returned to Hunter’s. Apparently, he’d classified me as a non-threat. It didn’t matter. I’d stand by Hunter’s side for anything. Even for a charging bull.
Or, a raging lunatic.
“All right, that’s enough.” The man from the mechanical bull came striding over and planted his hand firmly on Steven’s muscular shoulder. “This is a family event. If you can’t behave, you’ll be asked to leave.”
Steven shrugged off the hand with a disgruntled noise, his mouth twisting into a cruel smile. “Family’s overrated. I’m out of here.”
He marched toward the exit, leaving Hunter quivering from head to toe and rage swirling in his eyes. I looked around. Most of the bar and grill had quieted down for this little scene and still stared at us like we were monkeys in a zoo. My gaze landed on Sarah, perched at her bar stool. Her expression mirrored Steven’s disgust, her eyes glued to where my hand held Hunter’s.
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” I said, tugging Hunter toward a nearby hallway.
He needed somewhere to cool off. And we needed to talk.
The hallway was lit by a single weak lightbulb hanging from a cord. We passed a men’s restroom and then a ladies’ room. At the end stood a heavy black door. I pushed through it, unsure where it led, but not really caring in that moment. All I wanted was to get Hunter to a safe place. Away from prying and judging eyes. To a place where he could return to the gentle and protective Hunter I knew—the one that didn’t look like he had murder on the mind.
“Oh, look. It’s a storage room,” I said, flipping on the dim light and shutting the door behind us.
It was about the size of my bedroom at home. The walls were lined with shelves overflowing with jars and canned goods. A couple buckets of corn sat stacked near the door. And several large bags of rice had been thrown in a heap in the far corner.
“Come on.” I pulled him toward the bags and took a seat, tugging him down with me.
He’d been festering with silent rage this entire time, his eyes still blazing with heat. I knew he wanted to explode. I could see it in his face. But that wasn’t Hunter. He didn’t lose control. His self-control was pretty amazing. And it wasn’t until we were sitting side by side, my hand still holding tightly to his, did he finally punch the bag of rice beside him with his left fist.
“I hate that guy,” he muttered, punching the bag again. “I hate him so much. I wish he’d leave this town. No, wait. Scratch that. I wish he’d never been born.”
I reached over to grab his arm, halting his assault on the grains. “What was that, Hunter? What happened between you guys? Why do I have the feeling you didn’t tell me everything?”
His gaze flicked to mine, holding so much grief and guilt that it nearly knocked me over. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. With a hesitant intake of breath, he squeezed my hand.
“Steven...was beating up on my mom.”
I inhaled sharply and pressed my free hand to my mouth. That was the last thing I’d expected to hear from him. “He hurt Bree?”
Hunter nodded, the muscles in his jaw flexing. “She hid it from me for months. I didn’t find out until I walked in on it one day after freshman year. She’d accidentally opened up some of Steven’s mail. He smacked her with the back of his hand, giving her a bloody lip.”
Sorrow fell over me like a wave. How anyone could hurt Bree was beyond me. She was unbelievably wonderful. She deserved better.
“What did you do?” I asked in a hushed voice.
His grip on my hand tightened as his eyes darkened with memory. “I did what any kid would do if he saw someone hurting his mom. I ran at him, fists flying. It barely fazed him. He ended me with a coldcock to the temple. When I woke up, he was already on his way to work a nightshift. Mom and I packed up that house in less than a half hour. We told everyone Grandpa had broken his leg, but we were just trying to escape.”
His confession shook me to my core. I stared at the loose grains of rice on the floor, my brain trying to catch up with my ears.
“Wait—that’s why you left so fast?”
He nodded. “I guess hitting me was the last straw for Mom. She knew he wouldn’t leave us alone without a fight. So, we went to Texas and Grandpa helped us find a lawyer to make him move out. According to the protection order, he’s not supposed to come within thirty feet of either of us, but I guess that jerk doesn’t know how to read.”
I felt unbelievably sad and angry at the same time. Angry that Steven was so completely awful. And sad that Hunter had gone through all of this without me. I was his best friend. We were supposed to tell each other everything. He’d been hurting and I’d been totally blind to it.
“W-w-why didn’t you tell me?” Tears filled my eyes and I tried to blink them back. “I could’ve helped you.”
Defeat entered the tired lines on his forehead, and he
leaned forward on his knees to frown at the ground. “Char, I just couldn’t. He pounded me into the ground like a puny ant. I was weak and pathetic. I didn’t want to tell you that. I didn’t want you to think less of me.”
