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“No, I understand,” he hisses. “No, I’ve tried that, but … Look, I told you last night that it probably wouldn’t work. Yeah, I guess I can try that, but … I don’t know … Does doing drugs interfere with that sort of stuff …? No, I have everything under control. That’s not going to happen … No one will find out … No, she doesn’t remember what happened.”
That makes me pause.
Is he talking about me and the death of my parents?
I’m not sure, and I don’t get any more info because he says goodbye and ends the call.
Still, I can’t help thinking about how the guys want me to help them figure out why my uncle, aunt, cousin, and me are off the grid. Is my uncle aware of this? Did he do it? How?
Sighing, I hurry toward the front door. As I pass the living room, I spot my aunt sitting on the sofa with her face pressed against the window.
Is she staring at the guys?
What a creeper.
I reach for the doorknob to the front door, hoping I can just sneak out without her noticing.
She lets out this wistful sigh and says, “God, to be young again and have potential lovers showing up at your door. I miss it.”
I’m not sure if she’s talking to me or not, or what the hell she’s talking about, but instead of saying something, I hurry out the front door and into the freezing cold air.
Damn, it’s cold here. It wasn’t this cold yesterday. I probably shouldn’t have worn shorts, but I’m not about to go back inside to change. So, I suck it up and march forward, only to grind to a halt again.
Dixie May is standing in front of Hunter, all decked out in a dress and high heels, her hair curled. She’s chatting animatedly and, while I can’t see her face, I’m sure she’s giving her flirty smile.
Hunter is listening to her with this weird look on his face that I can’t decipher, and Jax is staring at the dirt with his hands stuffed into his pocket.
For a second, flashbacks of all the times Dixie May humiliated me in front of people flash through my mind.
I’ll admit, I almost bolt back into the house, but Hunter spots me, and I swear relief washes over his features.
“There’s my new BFF.” He hurries away from Dixie May and toward me with a bounce in his step—the dude is so bouncy. When he reaches me, he wraps his arms around me and hugs me, startling the heck out of me. “Oh my God, please get me away from her,” he whispers in my ear.
I laugh, but the noise sounds a bit strained due to the fact that Hunter has his arms wrapped around my midsection where the cut is.
He abruptly pulls back and worry creases his features. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I lie, gripping his shoulders stiffly.
He frowns. “Are you sure?”
I nod and make myself to relax. “Yeah, just not thrilled that I have to deal with my cousin this morning.”
“That makes two of us,” Hunter agrees as Jax steps up beside us.
“Can we please get the hell out of here?” he whispers, casting a look over his shoulder at Dixie May, who’s staring at us with her jaw practically hanging to her knees. “Before her yapping melts all of my brain cells.”
When I giggle, Jax reveals the tiniest of smiles.
Hunter smiles, too. “Yeah, let’s get out of here.” Then he drapes an arm around my shoulders, which feels super weird. Not in a bad way, but in an unfamiliar way. I wish I could completely enjoy it, but that voice of doubt is whispering softly in the back of my mind.What if this is all a prank?
That doubt fades a little as Dixie May continues to stare at the three of us in shock. When we near her, she manages to collect herself, sneaking one glare at me before smiling at Hunter.
“I didn’t know you guys knew my cousin,” she says, chewing on her bottom lip.
Hunter stops in front of her and, since his arm is around me, I have to stop with him. “That’s weird,” he says. “Why did you think we were at your house then?”
Her smile fleetingly falters. “Oh, I don’t know. I just thought maybe you were …” She struggles for an answer then straightens her shoulders. “I just thought I’d come out and say what’s up. You know, introduce myself, since I didn’t get to yesterday.” She smiles sweetly at him.
