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Overtook my senses and made my every breath almost painful whenever he was near.
No longer myself, I lived for Hunter.
But then again, it had always been that way. Even as kids.
Maybe more so then.
He was home. Here. With me.
We’d been thick as thieves and a part of each other’s daily lives. Even when he hit that awkward teenage growth spurt that came with a squeaky voice for a few weeks, I was the one he always sought out. And with all those crazy imperfections—the changes from child to man—I cared for him as much as my young heart would allow.
For weeks, I couldn’t make heads or tails over the flutter in my belly when he was near, nor the way his smile brightened my day. It was innocent. My feelings were/are pure for him, but that doesn’t mean a part of me no longer knew if she wanted his sudden change of heart.
Believed that he finally saw me.
“What is she doing here?” Emi hissed from beside me, fingers crushing the red plastic cup in her hand. Up until last night, I’d kept my crush on her brother nothing more than that. An infatuation from a girl that looked up to someone she trusted and viewed as important. “God, I can’t stand her plastic ass. Always up his, and never amounting to anything more than the title of his ex. It’s all she will ever be since he’s in—”
“Tell me how you really feel, squirt.” Had to interrupt. Hope was a dangerous thing, and something I didn’t want to dabble in when it came to him.
To us.
I’d done that once and walked away with a broken heart.
It took everything in me to pull up my invisible courage panties and confront him. Tell him in not so many words how I felt.
Emily bristled beside me at the use of her childhood nickname but didn’t reply. Nor did she comment at my snort that followed. We were too busy watching the scene before us unfold.
Watching how overdramatic this reunion was set up to be. A torturous train wreck.
This very moment would hurt to witness, but maybe it was necessary on my end. Would help me keep my heart protected. If he welcomed her affection after my confession all those years ago, it would be the end.
The final nail before we even had the fortune of having a beginning.
“Erica didn’t deserve your commitment or affection, Hunter. She’s a bitch, plain and simple, and yet you forgave it all. Ignored all the rude looks and snide comments she sent your sister and me. By the way, we forgive you for that.”
He entered high school and then things changed. She caused that change.
Erica Simons.
All legs and pin-straight, strawberry-blonde hair—hazel eyes with peaches-and-cream complexion. She was perfection wrapped in a fake bow.
Popular, she was that it cheerleader. The girl everyone wanted, and who pretended to be a sweetheart with those she needed inside her pocket. Those important enough to further along her high school career—to be the envy of those around her.
He ignored the way her distaste for us was plain as day to see, but then again, Hunter was too busy watching her tits bounce to recognize her bitchy attitude.
“Give me a minute, B. Just a minute.”
They met, and the boy I loved was no more. He became distant—withdrawn, no longer interested in hanging out with the two lowly preteens that worshipped him.
Emily, because he was her older brother.
Me? Well, me, because I loved him. Still do.
“Just make sure that the next woman you’re with makes you happy. Deliriously so, and I’ll do the same with whatever guy I choose. Good luck.”
Even to this day, I still found him to be the most beautiful male specimen I’d ever seen.
Tall and lean, but well defined. Muscular in a way that showed the time he put into taking care of himself without it being too much. Hunter was hard all over, but still looked like the best kind of cuddle after a nice ride.
