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By the time we reach the top of the stairway, Hunter has figured out where we are.
As we exit the doorway, his eyes widen as his gaze locks on Zay. “Were you just in the basement?”
“Yep.” Zay doesn’t even bother stopping; he just storms through the kitchen. “I’m going out for a bit.”
Hunter’s brows dip. “Huh? I thought you were training …” He trails off as Zay exits the room.
Moments later, the front door slams, hard enough that photos on the wall shake.
SEVEN
RAVEN
Hunter shakes his head from side to side, looking away from the doorway and to me. “What happened?”
I lift my shoulder. “I’m not sure.” It’s a lie.
But I feel weird telling Hunter about Zay’s panic attack. It’s a personal thing, and if Zay wants Hunter to know, he’ll tell him.
Although, I think Hunter might know since he says, “Is he okay? I mean, he went into the basement …” He leaves the silent question hanging out there.
“He went to check it to make sure no one was hiding in there,” I explain. “I went with him because, I don’t know, just because. No one was there. But I guess that’s pretty obvious.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.” He eyes me over in a way that makes me squirm. “Are you okay?” he finally asks.
I nod, confused. “I’m good.”
He bobs his head up and down with his teeth sunk into his bottom lip. “Did Zay say anything about why he went into the basement? I mean, I know he was scoping things out, but usually, whenever we go down there, we have to go through this ritual to get him down the stairs, which takes a bit.”
I shake my head. “I don’t know why he went down there. I even suggested he don’t go, but he seemed pretty determined.”
“Weird.” The corners of his lips tug downward as he contemplates something. “I’m going to have to talk to him when he gets back and make sure he’s okay.”
“Where do you think he went?”
“Who knows?” He remains silent for a bit before he blows out a breath, shakes out his shoulders, and offers me his hand. “Enough with the intensity for a bit. You want to help me plan a party?”
I smile, but worry still stirs inside me.
Zay may piss me off a lot, but I’m still worried about him.
“Sure.” I take Hunter’s hand. “Did Jax leave already?”
He nods as his fingers lace through mine and guides me across the kitchen. “He went to get you a new phone. He’ll be back in a bit.”
“He’s okay, though, right? He seemed upset this morning.”
“He’ll be okay. He just has some things he needs to work through.”
I assume he means the cutting thing, but I don’t want to pry. He must not want me to, either, since he changes the topic.
“So, today, I get to teach you how to decorate for a party,” he says as we enter the living room.
We plop down on the sofa, still holding hands. It feels sort of weird holding his hand when I have a hickey on my neck, but Hunter knows about Jax and me kissing. And friends can hold hands, right?
“By decorating, I’m guessing you don’t mean balloons and streamers and shit like that,” I say as he opens his laptop.
A fire is crackling in the fireplace, and the air smells sugary, probably from a candle burning on the mantle.
