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It was all amazing. I grasped for words but couldn’t find them.
“You okay?” Ramsey asked.
“I can’t believe you made all of this happen. Because I asked.” It was so much.
He settled his hand on the small of my back. “Of course I did.Youasked. The cause is as important as it gets as well, but…”
I kept my mouth shut, waiting for him to finish the thought.
Hunter leaned in. “But you are and always have been at the center of his universe,” he said softly.
Was that envy I heard in Hunter’s voice?
“Ah. Violet.”
I cringed at the woman’s familiar voice, but pasted on a flat expression before I turned to face her. “Debbie.” I extended my hand. “Good to actually meet you.” For all I knew, she was a nice person, and the other night really had been an honest mistake.
Her grip was too firm, and her hands hot and dry. Her smile looked painted on. “Same. Will we be seeing a lot of you, going forward?”
“Absolutely.” Ramsey spoke before I could consider the appropriate answer.
Why wasn’t that my default reply?
“Fantastic.” Debbie’s smile was as fake as the little rhinestones glued to the roots of my nails. She gave all her attention to Ramsey. “I need to borrow you for some photos. I promise to return you intact when I’m done.”
“No problem. I’ll catch up with you two soon.” Ramsey was cool and professional, as he walked away.
That was new. Sure, he wore a mask in public when we dated, but he never shied away from contact. Small affections. Except the equation was more complicated now. Did that devour Hunter—having to hide who he was? Who they were? I already didn’t like it.
“Debbie seems nice.” I couldn’t think of anything else to say.
Hunter looked at me with surprise. “Really?”
“Shouldn’t she?” So I wasn’t the only one she rubbed wrong.
“To each their own. I’m not a fan, but she’s the best at her job.”
“Being pushy, possessive, and bitchy?” I should have kept the thought to myself, but Hunter wouldn’t mind.
He laughed. “Getting people elected. Never doubt for a moment that I’m the queen of possessive and bitchy in Ramsey’s life.” His tone was light, but it tugged on his comment from earlier, about me.
“I’m not trying to move in on your relationship.” There were more people now, so I kept my comment vague.
“I know.” Hunter steered me to the edge of the room, away from the staff. “I also know when Ramsey sets his sights on a goal, he doesn’t stop until he’s met it. His sights have never left you.”
Ramsey’d moved on, though. “But you and he…” Weren’t just close, they also shared bits of their life I’d never be a part of.
“Yeah.” Could Hunter read my mind? Or did he recognize both halves of the equation? “And I believe him when he tells me how he feels about me. But there’s always a sliver of envy and resentment.”
“For me?”
“I assume the question is rhetorical, but yes.”
Hunter’s statement gripped me hard. I didn’t want to be that stumbling block in someone else’s relationship. It made me feel dirty and uncomfortable, and the fact that Hunter had been part of the sex made it worse. Had I been fucked a guy who didn’t like me? Who didn’t want me around? But he’d assured me it was fine. “You said… about the last two nights… Was that…” A lie for Ramsey’s sake?
Twelve
“Was I being sincere?” Hunter filled in my unfinished question with a very different response. “Absolutely. That’s what you wanted to ask, right? Because you don’t assume I’d use you.”
