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Hunter
Iwake and leave her alone in bed. Sometime during the early morning, Jay’s truck moved up the drive. I debated going downstairs and taking the easy way out, but I couldn’t tear myself away from her. Like a teenager, I take another small step, and the wood of the stairs creaks under my foot.
“Want a coffee, Hunt?” Jay asks.
“Motherfucking shit,” I mutter under my breath. I brush a hand through my hair and enter the kitchen. Straightening my clothes, I roll my eyes, who the fuck am I kidding.
I catch my reflection in the window. He’s gonna punch my lights out.
Jay gives me a once-over as I lean against the island counter. Who would buy the idea that I came in through the front door wearing yesterday’s clothes? I mean, why would I even be here at seven—no, fuck—six-thirty? I’m never up this early on a Sunday and he knows it.
“Coffee?” he asks again.
“Thanks, Jay,” I murmur, taking a seat at the kitchen table.
I need to explain to the man who has been like a father to me the last ten years that I’m screwing his daughter, and with my track record, things aren’t looking great for the both of us. “Jay,” I begin.
He holds up his hands. “Save it, Hunt,” he says, leaning against the kitchen counter. “I want her to be happy, even if it’s with an asshole like you.” He snorts.
I take the coffee from him. I can’t give Jay the finger and bullshit him; he would smell it from a mile away. “I’m falling in love with her,” I tell him, looking straight into his eyes.
He quickly averts his gaze, and stares into his coffee cup like he wants to break it in two or smash it against my forehead. He takes a deep breath before focusing his attention on me again. “Take care of yourself,” he murmurs, the muscles in his jaw twitching.
I frown. I didn’t expect that from him. “What do you mean?” What’s the old man talking about? Me taking care of myself? What the hell is going on?
He sighs. “I mean…”
“Good morning, Dad,” Sky says. She’s fucking radiant in her jeans and white shirt.
“Sky,” Jay nods, giving her a long look she ignores.
I turn from Jay to Sky, then look at the clock. I slide my chair in reverse. These standoff situations are not my cup of coffee so I do what I do best—get the hell out of Dodge.
“I’m going to get ready for practice. Drew is probably wondering where I am,” I tell them, passing Sky. I let my hand skim hers. She gives me a wink, and I close the door behind me.
I grab the porch railing when I’m outside. What the hell just happened? I’d anticipated Jay punching my lights out. I thought he’d beat me up for sleeping with his daughter, or for checking her out the way I’ve been doing.
“Sky,” Jay says, sounding sad and angry at the same time.
“Leave it,” she bites back.
He slams his fists on the table. What the f…? I want to open the door and march back in but something makes me wait.
“It isn’t fair to…”
“Jay.” Her voice is calm, much calmer than his.
“Don’t ‘Jay’ me. Don’t act like you’re the only one hurting here, Sky. You can’t use him like this.”
“Dad, please. I’m a grown woman; he’s a grown man.” She pauses. “What do you want me to do? Stop seeing him? Stop being with him, loving him?”
She loves me? Really loves me? No, I probably didn’t catch that part right.
I take a step to the door. Both are quiet.
“I don’t know anymore,” Jay says, his voice cracking.
My hand hovers above the doorknob. It would be so easy to step inside. But I turn around and head to my own place.
