“I know you’re not him,” she whispered.
One cup of tea … it seemed so small and inconsequential, but in reality, it was a huge fucking neon sign. A monolith standing like a beacon to the past, it represented everything that had been wrong with her relationship. Kevin had been the voice in her head, provoking her, and she’d gladly taken his hand to let him dictate her future.
“God damn it, I know you’re not him,” she said again, this time with conviction in her voice. She banged her fist on the table, causing the porcelain to rattle a little. “You have never said one snarky thing to me. You have never made me feel inadequate. You have never criticized one thing about me. You’ve never done all that, yet I’ve continuously judged you. Compared you to him.”
“Madeline—”
She held up a hand. “Wait. Before you say anything nice to me, I want to show you something.”
Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Oh yes?”
“Will you come with me?”
“Now?”
Madeline nodded.
“Oh,” he replied, looking around. “Sure. Let me pay for the tea.”
Ten minutes later they were driving away, back toward her home. She was very aware of Hunter glancing at her, but she kept focus on the road. The epiphany from the tea burned brightly through her, urging her to show Hunter what was no doubt something very insignificant. Yet it stood for everything. At least, it did in her mind.
Once she pulled into her garage, she hurried him along until they both stood in her kitchen. Madeline grabbed a coffee mug and put tap water in it before placing it in the microwave. Two minutes later, the beep sounded and she carefully took it out. Then she opened a tea bad and dunked it until the liquid turned dark.
“This,” she said, bending down to open a cabinet door. She took out a bottle of cheap brandy. “This is how I like my tea. A shot of brandy and nothing else. Obviously I can’t drink it in public, but when I’m home I like to have it before bed. Or, I used to. Kevin didn’t like the smell of brandy, so I never drank it around him. Eventually, I stopped it all together and put the bottle away.”
She opened it, sniffed it, and then poured about a shot into the hot tea.
“I understand,” he murmured.
Madeline looked at him. “Do you?”
He nodded. “You don’t have to hide who you are from me, Madeline. Your opinions, your feelings, your likes and dislikes. They’re a part of you. And I love you.”
The albatross of Kevin’s ghost disappeared, leaving her feeling strangely light. The urge to kiss him overtook her, and she rushed into his arms. He crashed his mouth down onto hers in a moment of raw, unfiltered desire.
She was free.
Free to feel.
Free to hope.
Free to love.
Epilogue
“Jesus!” Jason moaned. “You’re supposed to be a dude. How much crap do you have?”
Hunter hefted another box out of the moving van and walked toward Madeline’s house. “Quit your bitching.”
“He can’t help but bitch,” John replied.
“Yeah,” Jake said, nodding. “He bitches so much his middle name is Bitch-Boy.”
Jason shot them the finger.
Sarah patted him consolingly on the back. “Poor baby. They picking on you?”
Jason gave her puppy dog eyes and nodded. Sarah leaned over and kissed his cheek.
Lacey rolled her eyes at the lovebirds. “Come on, Jason Bitch-Boy, help John carry this dresser.”
He shot her a nasty look but complied, bending at the knees to lift one side of the dresser. Hunter stepped to one side to let him and John pass as they met in the doorway. As they disappeared inside, Portia barked excitedly. She had been in her cage all day, but it was best since the front door was wide open and no one could supervise her.
Hunter snagged Madeline around the waist and pulled her into him to kiss her on the mouth. She slipped her arms around him.
“Good?” he asked.
She nodded. “I’ve been looking forward to this for a while.”
“What? Me moving in?”
“Yes.”
“Me too,” he admitted. “So where are we going for these great Fourth of July fireworks?”
“The park,” she said. “We’re higher than the Strip so we can see everything for miles.”
“Bring some beer and sit back to enjoy the show?”
“Yep,” she said. “Sounds perfect.”
“The first of many perfect nights.” He wrapped his arms around her. “I love you, Madeline.”
“And I love you, Hunter.”
The End
www.bethdcarter.com
Other Books by Beth D. Carter:
www.evernightpublishing.com/beth-d-carter
If you enjoyed this book, you may also like:
Courting the Opposition by Claire Matthews
Drummer Girl by Andi Bremner
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