Questionable Love (A Love Beyond Labels #2)

by Danielle Rocco

  “Hunter Daniels?” Jace says.

  “Yeah, I’m Hunter, and I think you need to leave her the fuck alone.”

  “Watch your mouth in front of my girl.”

  “Your girl? The one you haven’t bothered getting in touch with for the last four days, making her go fucking crazy?”

  Jace starts walking closer to him, and I’m seeing our nightmare happening all over again—only this time it’s Hunter, not Cole.

  “I told you. Don’t talk like that in front of my girl.”

  “What the hell?” Jules says, running down the path. “This is why I didn’t want you showing up here!”

  “What? Jules, did you know Jace was back?”

  Jules looks panicked as she glances over at Jace. “Yes, I just found out. He called me.”

  I start walking away from them. “Baby?” Jace tries to stop me. “I’m so sorry. Please, don’t walk away from me.”

  I keep walking past Jules. “Shay?” She holds her hands out.

  “I can’t believe you wouldn’t tell me he was coming here,” I say, not stopping. Hunter stands, looking among all of us, and I walk right up to him. “Can you get me out of here, please?”

  “Of course.”

  “Shay? What are you doing?” Jace asks in a panic.

  “I’m leaving!”

  “You aren’t leaving with him, Shay,” he demands.

  I look up into Hunter’s eyes as tears fall down my face. “Please, get me out of here.”

  “Let’s go,” Hunter says quietly. I start walking, and he puts his hand on the small of my back as I walk up the steep walkway.

  “Take your hands off my girl!” Jace yells, taking long, quick strides behind us. “Don’t you ever put your hands on my girl again.” Hunter turns around and looks at Jace. “I don’t think you have any right to this girl now after what you put her through.” Jace’s eyes widen, fists form, and panic finds a place. I can’t breathe. Jace steps back and tightens his jaw as Jules grabs his arm to hold him back. “Don’t do this to me. Don’t leave with him.” I look at him as he cries, and I can’t help the hurt and pain I’ve felt the last four days and the picture I saw.

  “Don’t do this to you? What about what you’ve done to me?” Burdened with the heaviest heart I’ve ever felt, I turn around and keep walking. Hunter follows me, and Jace keeps calling my name. When Hunter and I get to the front of the house, he puts me in his car. I look around, seeing my boy’s bike and my fierce anger softens for a moment. I turn my face out the window as we drive away and see Jace running out of the house, out of breath, and staring at me drive away.

  “Oh my God, what did I just do?”

  “What do you mean, what did you just do?”

  “I hit him, Hunter. I smacked Jace across the face.”

  “He deserved it, Shay.”

  “Take me back to him. I can’t breathe.” I pant. “Take me back to Jace.”

  “Calm down.” Hunter tries comforting me as I roll down the window.

  “I just left him.”

  “Jules is with him,” he says.

  “I don’t care. I’m hurting him by leaving with you.”

  Hunter’s phone rings, and he grabs it, putting it on speaker.

  “What the hell is going on? My sister’s boyfriend is here getting on his motorcycle, getting ready to go after you to get Shay.”

  “Oh my God, Beau. Stop him before he gets hurt,” I blurt out.

  “Relax, Shay. The princess is talking to him. He’s a damn wreck over here.”

  “I’m not worried about him right now after what he put your sister through. I’ll take care of Shay. Just make sure Jace doesn’t end up back in prison.”

  Hunter ends the call, and I look at him with pleading eyes.

  “Hunter, take me back to him. I love him. I just panicked.”

  “No. He needs to wonder where the hell you are for a while. He needs some of his own damn medicine.”

  “He’ll be at my house in five minutes waiting for me. Trust me.”

  “That’s why I’m taking you to my house.” Hunter smiles.

  I put my head back against his seat. “I can’t believe Jules didn’t tell me.”

  “I can’t believe Jace told me to watch my mouth.” He shakes his head. “He shows up out of nowhere, telling me to watch my fucking mouth?”

  “Jace doesn’t like people swearing around me. He’s been like that since we were kids,” I admit. Hunter glances at me when I turn my head to him.

  “I will say I’m glad Jules held him back. Your boyfriend is one tough-looking dude.” He laughs.

  “If he would have reacted, he would have been right back in prison, Hunter. It’s not funny.”

  “I wouldn’t have pressed charges, Shay. Relax.”

  “I can’t ever lose him like that again.” I turn toward the window as we get off on Laurel Canyon Road.

  “Well, he didn’t hit me, so stop worrying about something that didn’t happen.”

  “I will always worry about him being taken away from me again,” I whisper.

  FANCY-ASS SPORTS CAR

  SHAY JUST LEFT ME standing here. I watch as Hunter’s fancy-ass sports car takes off down the long driveway carrying my entire life. I walk briskly to my bike when I hear Jules call over my shoulder, “She’s in shock, Jace.” I turn around as Beau starts walking toward me.

  “Bro, where the hell have you been?”

  “Not where I was supposed to be. That’s for damn sure. I already went to see your dad before I came to Shay, and I will apologize to the rest of the family for worrying them, but right now, your sister is my only concern.”

  “I’m just glad you’re okay.” He slaps my back.

  “I’m far from okay with what just happened.”

  “I need to check on Shay,” Beau says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. I nod and start my bike.

  “I’m going to the condo, Jules,” I say. She smiles, nodding, and I take off after my girl.

  TAKE ONE FOR THE FRIENDSHIP TEAM

  WE WALK INTO HUNTER’S Studio City house, and he moves past me, turning on the lights.

  “Nice place.”

  “Thanks. My mom follows all those girls on Instagram that post their house stuff for ideas. I give her the money, and she has fun doing things.”

  “She sounds fun.”

  “Yeah, she’s cool. She’s my biggest fan.” He smiles. “You could come back here in a few months, and the whole place will look different.” I look around at what she’s done for him. “Do you need a shot of tequila after what you just went through?” I shake my head no. “I’m having one. I saw my life flash before my eyes when Jace started walking toward me. He’s not a small guy. I’m six feet, but not as built as him.” He pours himself a shot.

  “Jace is six-two, and he has always been naturally built. He does a lot of pull-ups and sit-ups.”

  “Yeah, you can tell.” He chuckles and downs his shot. “Why doesn’t he model?”

  “Jace isn’t into that kind of stuff.”

  “All he would have to do is stand there in his underwear. How hard is that?”

  “Do you have a crush on my boyfriend, Hunter?”

  “Hell no, I’m not gay. I’m just saying—”

  “Well, trust me. Jace would never be comfortable doing that. He’s a very private person and not into materialistic things.”

  Hunter pours himself another shot as I go sit on his couch.

  “I need to go home, Hunter. Jace will be worried.”

  “Shay, he left you wondering where he was for four days. I’ve watched you in a state of panic. Do you really think he deserves to just walk back into your arms after putting you through that?”

  “No, I don’t, but I can’t help but want him there. You don’t understand what we mean to each other.”

  “Do you really want me to take you home? I will, if that’s what you really want.”

  “I guess sometimes you can’t have what you want, right? And righ
t now, as much as I want to wrap my arms around Jace, I’m not going to, because he broke a promise that meant the world to me. I know if I go home, my love for him will overshadow the hurt, and I want him to know what he did was not okay. Plus, you just did two big shots of tequila.”

  “Let me grab you a blanket.” He pauses with a smile. “Unless you want me to keep you warm? I can do that. You know, take one for the friendship team.”

  “Nice try.”

  “Man, I was hoping for a friends with benefits, but after seeing the boyfriend, I think it’s in my best interest to lose that thought.”

  I slip off my high heels as he hands me the blanket, covering my bare legs and lying down on the couch. “Hunter, can I be honest with you?”

  “Yeah, of course.”

  “I like you. I’ve always admired your work in music, and your movies. When you released your first song, Jules and I loved it. We used to dance around my room in our bathing suits singing along with you.”

  “You did?” He smiles mischievously, and I nod.

  “I think you’re a great guy, and I want us to always be friends, but I meant it when I said that if you don’t respect mine and Jace’s relationship that I couldn’t be friends with you. I know you’re kidding around when you flirt, but Jace will never find that funny.”

  “Trust me. I get it. I barely touched your back to guide you up the steps, and he was ready to kill me,” he says sincerely. I give a tight-lipped smile.

  “I hate that Jace’s time in prison will give him a negative light. Yes, he is tough as nails, always has been, but that’s because he had to be. He didn’t have help growing up, or loving parents. He struggled and had to take care of himself. He has always been perfect to me.”

  “He hasn’t the last four days,” Hunter chimes in, sarcastic.

  “No, his actions haven’t been perfect, but from the day I met him, he has been gentle and loving, respectful, and even through this nightmare the last few days, I know he will always remain the boy I fell in love with. It’s just who he is, and that’s why what has happened is so out of his character.”

  “Did he tell you where he was?”

  “He said he was in Oregon.”

  “What the hell was he doing in Oregon?”

  “I have no idea, but I plan on finding out as soon as I calm down.”

  “As soon as you’re ready to go home, just come get me.” He gets up and walks around the couch.

  “Thanks, Hunter.”

  “By the way, I don’t want to lose our friendship either. I won’t say or do anything that could cause me to do that.”

  “Thanks.”

  He smiles and walks out of the room as I sit in the dark and cry for the boy that I ran away from.

  WHAT PICTURE?

  I KNOCK ON HER DOOR over and over again.

  “Answer the door, baby.” She doesn’t answer. My phone rings in my pocket, and I grab it quick, hoping it’s Shay. “Hello?”

  “Just checking if everything’s okay with your reunion.”

  “No, Landon, it’s not fucking okay. She’s so upset that she left with that fucking Hunter Daniels, and she won’t answer her door.”

  “Maybe you just need to give her space. Come back to my place.”

  “Did you hear me? She left with that guy! She walked away from me, got in his car, and took off with him. I’m not leaving until I see her.” I hang up the phone and call Shay. It rings and rings, and she doesn’t answer. “She won’t answer any of my calls,” I mumble to myself. Pissed, I hit Jules’s number. “Where’s my girl? She won’t answer her phone or come to the door.”

  “She won’t be answering her phone. She shattered it into tiny pieces yesterday after she saw a picture of you with some girl.”

  “What picture?”

  “Come on, Jace. You were clearly in the picture with some girl leaning on you. You look like you’d been drinking.”

  “I wasn’t with any damn girl! I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”

  “Well, I have the proof, so you can see it for yourself.”

  “Where the hell is Shay?”

  “I’m sure Hunter brought her home. Maybe she just needs a minute to breathe, Jace. She’s been in full-on panic mode, and you just show up.”

  “You have no idea the panic mode I’ve been in myself. I want my girl in my arms.”

  “Well, it might not be that easy for you.”

  “I got to go, Jules,” I say, frustrated.

  I hang up the phone and keep knocking on her door. My phone beeps, and I grab it quickly, opening it up and seeing the picture Jules had been telling me about. That panic I was feeling the last few days hits an all-time high when I see what Shay saw, and what she must think. Holy shit! My girl thinks I was with someone. I keep knocking and knocking. With sore hands, reality hits me. Hunter didn’t bring her home.

  I’VE MADE THE BIGGEST MISTAKE

  “HUNTER, YOU NEED TO take me home.”

  “It’s early,” he says, opening one eye. “Did you sleep at all?”

  “No.”

  He sits up and shakes his head. “Let me throw on a shirt.” I back away from his bed, and he gets up. I don’t even look at his shirtless chest. I’ve seen it enough in all his videos over the years.

  “Can you believe you are in Hunter Daniels’ bedroom while he’s shirtless, and you have no desire to get him back in his bed and take advantage of him?”

  “Yes, I can believe it,” I tell him, earning a chuckle from behind me. I turn around as he’s pulling a T-shirt over his head, then shakes out his dirty blond hair. “Girls would die to be in your shoes right now.”

  “Well then, I can check this moment off my bucket list as a huge accomplishment,” I tease. He laughs.

  “Let’s go.”

  WE MAKE THE DRIVE in silence. As Hunter pulls to my curb, I say, “Thanks.”

  “If you need me, just call,” he says as I jump out of the car. Dragging my high-heeled feet to my condo and sucking in a breath when I see my heart and soul sleeping against my door, I stop and just stare at him.

  “I love you, baby, and when I unwrap you, I will treasure you forever.”

  I take my shoes off, kneel down, and reach out, running my fingers over my boy’s cheek that I smacked with all my strength last night. Startling me, his strong, perfect hand goes to mine, and he holds it against his cheek, like he did last night. His eyes slowly open. “You have the prettiest pink toes, baby,” he says in a thick, sleepy voice. His gaze leaves my bare feet, and when his eyes meet mine, happiness and relief fill me. We stare at each other. “I love you, Shay.” Those three words spoken from the voice I’ve longed to hear makes the breath I’ve held for the last four days release freely.

  “Did you love me when you walked out of prison and didn’t keep your promise?” I ask harshly. With his hand still holding mine to his cheek, he softly kisses my palm.

  “I love you through every single breath I take.” He keeps kissing my palm, and I let him for a moment because I just want to feel his lips.

  “You’re not getting any more from me right now.” I stand up, putting my hands on my hips like I used to do when we were kids, trying to be tough. He stands up, and just the sight of my beautiful boy looking down at me makes me weak at the knees. He runs his fingers through his sexy head of hair, and it takes everything in me to not push it back. But, I won’t give him the comfort he took away from me. He throws his hair back, and his eyes go straight to my hands on my hip.

  “Your charm bracelet,” he says with soft eyes, pointing down to my hand. I look down at my bare wrist, and with my strong stance firming in place, my voice cracks, because no matter how tough I want to be, my heart is hurting for my charm bracelet’s absence.

  “It’s gone, just like you were.”

  “I was never gone.”

  “To me you were.”

  “Was I gone from your heart? Because you will never be gone from mine,” he says quickly. I stare at him as
a tear rolls down his cheek. “Put your charm bracelet back on, Shay.” He reaches for my wrist. “Why would you take off my love? You know I always want you to look at my love, especially when I was away from you. I realize I’ve made the biggest mistake, but I need to see your bracelet on your wrist.”

  “I can’t. I lost it.”

  “You lost it?” He lets out a quiet sigh.

  “I can’t find it, just like I couldn’t find you the last fours days. It was on my wrist one day, and then out of nowhere, it was gone, just like you. Here one day and gone the next. I lost it…just like I lost you!”

  “You will never lose me!”

  “Oh, but I did for a few days, didn’t I?”

  “Shay…”

  “Did you think about what it would do to me when you got released and didn’t tell me? Did you think about what you promised me, Jace? Did you not care?”

  “Did I not care? You are my entire life, Shay. I can’t even express in words how much I love and care for you.”

  “But you broke your promise,” I say, staring into my boy’s soulful eyes.

  “Yes, I broke my promise to you, and I will make that up to you for the rest of my life.”

  “Why did you break it?”

  “I was hurt, confused, and couldn’t grasp what Landon told me.”

  “So, you believed what he said?”

  “I didn’t say that. I was hurt and didn’t want you coming back to that prison. I just wanted to take a real shower and get out of those damn prison-issued clothes, then I was coming straight to you. I wanted to surprise you, baby.” He starts to cry. “My intentions were good. I promise you that. I was insecure after what Landon told me about you and Hunter. How was I supposed to feel, baby? I’m locked up for a year, and I already know you are spending time with this guy, and then my friend tells me there are pictures of you two kissing and leaving a club together in the middle of the night.” He pauses and pulls at his hair.

  “You thought that justified a broken promise to the girl who has stood by your side and loved you with her whole heart since she laid eyes on you?”