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"I don’t repeat myself, Zara."
Zara, not Fire.He called me Zara earlier, but not like this. Not with his attention focused on something other than me. Not with his jaw hard. Not with an invisible barrier he seems to have pulled down between us. What happened? Did I finally succeed in pushing him away? It’s what I want. It’s what I’ve been trying to achieve since I met him. I succeeded and now, I already miss him. He’s sitting in front of me, but it’s as if he’s not with me anymore. This is how it feels to not be the cynosure of Hunter Whittington’s attention. It feels like all the warmth in the room has drained out. Like an avalanche has dumped ice all over me, and now I’m frozen, unable to feel my limbs, while my heart flutters in my chest like a caged bird.
He glances up from his phone suddenly, and our gazes connect. And his eyes? Oh, god, his eyes are a cold blue, a glacial frostiness in them that I’ve only seen reserved for others. And now, he’s aiming that aloof politeness at me.
"Don’t you want the rest of your breakfast?" He glances at my plate, then at me.
"Not hungry," I murmur.
He seems like he’s about to protest, then catches himself. "Fine." He rises to his feet and brushes past the table.
My jaw drops. I watch as he stalks out the door of the pub without waiting for me. He didn’t wait for me to finish. So, I told him I wasn’t hungry, but he could have, at least, asked me if I really meant it. Is this how it’s going to be from now on? Isn’t this how I want it to be from now on?
I jump to my feet, grab my bag, and march through the doorway. I walk outside and into the parking lot to find him talking to Ralph. When I reach them, Ralph nods at Hunter. "I’ll follow you back to the office, Sir." He nods at me and says, "Ms. Chopra," then walks toward one of the two black SUVs parked next to the car Hunter drove us in.
"You’re heading to the office?" I turn to Hunter, who slides my car’s key fob from his pocket and holds it out.
I take it, and he retrieves his hand before our fingers touch… And why do I feel so deprived?
"Goodbye, Zara." He takes a step back.
I want to jump forward and grab his sleeve but stop myself. "It doesn’t have to be like this, Hunter."
"Like what?"
"Like… Like this…" I point between us.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about."
"If you’re going to be so immature about this—"
"I’m merely giving you want you wanted. You don’t want us to have a relationship? You don’t want to be seen with me? This is how it looks."
"Can’t we be friends?"
"Friends?" For the first time since he took his phone out in the restaurant, his eyes turn more green than blue. "With what I feel for you, we can never be friends."
35
Zara
"That’s what he said? That the two of you can never be friends?" Solene asks from the screen of my phone.
"That’s what he said." I pour myself a cup of coffee and carry it to the window of my office.
It’s been three weeks since Hunter threw those words at me and took off in his car. He left one of his security detail behind, who insisted on following me on the drive back to London. They ensured I was safely inside my house before they left. I felt protected by Hunter’s gesture, that despite the fact we parted on what were not the friendliest of terms, he insisted on making sure I got home safely.
At the same time, it’s not like he asked me if his team could escort me home. He simply assumed I’d be fine with it and ordered his team to to it. I could hardly tell the team not to do so when they approached me. To do so would have made me appear churlish. Besides, I was glad they were following me home, given how treacherous the roads still were after the snow last night. So, I accepted their offer.
Which meant, ultimately, he won, even though he agreed to walk away from me, just as I asked him to do. And he did. And now, I feel his loss so deeply, I feel like the biggest loser of all. Instead of feeling joyful to have escaped his clutches, I feel empty inside. Like I had a chance and wasted it away. Like all that’s remaining in my life now is empty evenings and nights in a bed that feels too big and too cold, like… I’ve lost a part of me, a part I could have had but refused.
"Zara, you there?"
"Eh?" I turn to my phone. "What did you say?"
"It’s not like you to be so pissed off over a man’s words."
Only, he’s not just any man. He’s Hunter. He’s the man who I can’t stop going toe-to-toe with, the man who I was sure I didn’t like; the man who gave me the most memorable night—okay, nights—of my life.
