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“Oh stop, you stupid girl!” he snapped, cutting me off. “I don’t want to hear it now. Just get out there and start mingling. The election is coming up this year and I need you to win hearts and minds,” he told us.
I knew my part as Edward led me around the room. I had been playing it for some time now. I smiled at the right times, made small talk, but for the most part kept my mouth shut and allowed Edward to play his part too. It was exhausting, and the heels I had worn were agony to walk in. Two hours in and all I wanted was to slip off my shoes and collapse in a corner.
This pregnancy wasn’t like my first with Willow. This one was draining me of all I had, it seemed. For the first three months I had done nothing but vomit constantly. When that passed this bone deep exhaustion set in, and it was persistent. It didn’t help that I had never slept very well. As a rule I got around three or four hours a night. I figured it was a side effect of the many unsafe places I had lived in as a kid, never daring to sleep more than absolutely necessary for fear of what would happen to me when I was out, but whatever it was, it had stayed with me for life. Usually I managed just fine, but with this life growing within, I was worn out and run down.
“Excuse me a moment,” I asked politely, looking to the police chief’s wife who I had been chatting with. I slipped away, headed for the ladies room. I just needed to sit down for a few moments and I’d be better, I was sure.
I was almost to the ladies’ rest room, off to the side of the ball room, when a huge body stepped right in front of me. I only just managed to stop short of ploughing into him.
“I’m so sorry,” I hurried to apologize as I looked up, praying I hadn’t almost collided with someone Frank would deem important.
“Maddie?” The voice came just as I met those dark brown eyes I knew, but hadn’t seen in so very long. With a gasp I took a step back, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from those beautiful chocolate depths. “It is you,” he said softly.
“Wh-what are you doing here?” I asked as my brain reeled and tried to take in who stood before me. .
“I had a meeting with the chief of police and he invited me along. It’s so good to see you. I didn’t believe it was really you when I saw you across the room,” he told me.
I didn’t know what to say as I took all of him in. Hunter Coleman. One of the guys who had abandoned and destroyed me so many years before. He was even more handsome than I remembered, his hair the same dark color but now neatly cut into a longer-on-top style. He was dressed in a tuxedo that fit him like it was made for him, and underneath his body was broad and very obviously toned. He had to work out a lot to look that good, I thought to myself.
Every feeling I had ever had about him flooded me at once. He was still so handsome and attractive, and instantly I felt the crush I had always had on him – on all four of them, actually – hit me hard. I felt the comfort and safety, that having any of them close had always made me feel, flood right back in and I wanted nothing more than to have him wrap his arms around me and comfort me. Then I felt the anger and hatred that had brewed within me since the day I actually accepted the fact they had left me behind without a word,
“How are you? It really is so good to see you,” he told me, his face filling with that smile that had comforted me after some of the worst moments of my life. He had a strong angular jaw, covered with stubble I was sure he styled just so. It made him look older than I remembered him, but not in a bad way. No, there was nothing ‘bad’ about the way Hunter had matured.
“Is it really?” I asked as I lifted my chin and glared at him, deciding it was my best option to stick with anger.
“Of course it is. We’ve been so worried about you. We hated leaving you…”
“Then why did you?” I demanded, cutting him off. “In fact, don’t even answer that! I don’t even care anymore. Just leave me alone, Hunter!” I snapped as I stormed past him, but he reached out and grabbed my arm, stopping me.
“Maddie, please. Just let me explain,” he started, but before he could go on someone else appeared at my side.
“Maddie, everything okay here?” Nico asked. I looked up at him, so handsome and suave looking in his black tuxedo. It was straining over his wide shoulders, which just made him even sexier. Even in the chaos of my thoughts on seeing Hunter so unexpectedly, I couldn’t deny the attraction I felt for Nico as I took him in.
“Not really,” I admitted as I fought not to allow any more emotion out before Hunter. No way I was going to let him know how much he and the others abandoning me had destroyed me.
“I suggest you take your hand off of her, Hunter,” Nico growled.
“You know him?” I gasped as I looked to Nico.
“Yeah. We served together and his company supplies all of our body armor. What’s going on?” Nico asked as he grabbed my other arm and pulled me closer to him. I didn’t argue, since I felt better with him at my side.
“Are you two together?” Hunter demanded as he glared at Nico.
“He’s my boss, not that it’s any of your business!” I threw back angrily.
“What’s going on? Do you guys know each other?” Nico asked.
“No!” I said, at the same time Hunter nodded.
“Maddie!” Edwards angry hiss had me turning to face him as he stormed towards us. “What the hell do you think you’re doing? You walked away from the damn police chief’s wife!” He stood at my side then glared down at where Nico was holding my wrist loosely between us.
“I’m sorry. I just needed a moment. I wasn’t feeling well,” I hurried to explain as I pulled my hand free of Nico, and fought not to look at Hunter again.
“Don’t even start that bullshit! We don’t have time for it!” Edward spat angrily as he grabbed my arm and squeezed it hard. I tried not to show the stab of pain on my face, knowing Nico would be watching.
“Don’t speak to her like that,” Nico snapped as he glared at Edward. “She’s pregnant and she feels unwell. Don’t you think you should be taking care of her instead of being a dick?”
“Nico, it’s fine. I’m okay.”
