“Where’s Hunter? Have you heard from him? Seen him?”
Jones shifted the weight between his legs, his gaze shooting away from mine.
The foreboding turned into full-blown dread. “What?”
He rubbed nervously at his chin.
“Tell me, Jones.”
He huffed, his light green eyes falling back on me. “He doesn’t want you to know.”
“Know what?”
“I promised him, Jayme.”
I stepped up, grabbing Jones’s T-shirt collar, rolling it around my fist and pulling him in close. “Tell. Me. Now.”
“Damn,” he exclaimed, looking down at my hand then up to my no-nonsense expression. “You’re not as timid as you look.”
“Jones,” I warned.
“Fine.” He uncurled my fingers and stepped away. “He’s leaving.”
“Wh-what?” I sputtered. “What do you mean leaving?”
“Leaving town.”
Dread swelled in my throat and slammed my heart against my ribs. I was right. It had been a goodbye. “When?”
“Right now.” Jones pinned his lips, then blew out, pointing toward the front entrance. “He actually just dropped off my house keys. He might still be in the—”
I heard nothing else Jones said; my feet were already sprinting for the door, knocking into anyone in my way.
“Move!” I bellowed, not caring who I rammed into. The lunch hour created a clog of human bodies near the door. From the day I returned after the accident, I’d felt watched like a caged animal. Today was no different.
“I said move!” I shoved a huge guy who stood staring at me. All I could think was with every second they deterred me, Hunter’s truck could slip out of the parking lot. Gone for good. I broke through the front doors, pausing for a moment at the top of the steps, my gaze scanning over the parking lot. Rain sprayed down, denting the puddles of water between the cars.
Panic gurgled in my throat when I couldn’t find Hunter’s blue truck. The parking lot was still, only the sound of rain tapping on the roof above my head. The realization I missed him, he’d left without saying goodbye, hollowed me out like a gutted pumpkin. Oh my god. He’s gone.
I couldn’t move. I barely registered people watching me through the windows and open doors. I stood staring at the beads of water dripping off the overhang, sorrow enfolding me in its arms.
Then deep in the parking lot, behind an SUV, a car engine turned over, headlights breaking through the gloom. My head snapped up as I stepped forward. Hunter’s truck slowly backed out of the spot.
“Hunter!” I bellowed, forcing my legs to move down the steps quicker than they wanted. I hit the sidewalk and bolted for the lot, dodging and diving between cars.
The truck shifted into drive and began to head for the exit.
“No!” I felt the moment slipping through my fingers.
“HUNTER!” My throat burned with the force I used. Keeping the car in my sights, I darted through a row of vehicles and splashed through puddles, legs aching, air burning in my lungs.
Only yards from the exit, the truck curved, heading to the school gates. I jumped in front of it. Headlights blinded me as brakes squeaked, the hood of the car stopping just feet from me. Rain cascaded down my face, and I licked my lips with a sigh of relief.
The truck door opened.
“What the fuck are you thinking, Jaymerson?” Hunter roared, stepping from the truck, exploding my heart. Deep black circles rimmed his eyes, and his nose and the side of his face were bruised and puffy from his scuffle with his father. He looked amazing to me. Dressed in a thin black shirt, jacket, dark blue jeans, and boots, he came barreling toward me like an angry bear. “I almost hit you. You want me to live with that on my conscience too?” Rain fell heavy, dripping off his face and hair. “What are you doing?”
I marched up, putting my hands on my hips. “You first.”
He cocked his head wearily.
“You were going to leave. Without saying goodbye?”
He stepped back on one leg, rubbing water off his face. I was fully aware of the audience watching us from the cafeteria window and the front stoop of the school. I didn’t care. Nothing mattered except us.
He ran a hand over his wet hair, his eyes darting away. “I can’t stay.”
“You can’t leave.”
“Why not?” He kicked at a puddle below him. “I have no home. My father kicked me out last night.”
Jesus, Mitch Harris was a bastard.
“I’m sorry. But you said it wasn’t your home anyway. Stay with Jones. Doug. Krista.”
He glanced away.
“What about Cody?”
A sardonic chuckle came from his chest. “Now that my mother knows the baby is Colton’s, she wants to step up and help. Be a true grandmother. Help Krista with bills.” I could sense the hurt under every word. “Funny, when she thought he was mine, she wanted nothing to do with him.”
It was hard not to hate his parents when I thought about the pain they caused him, the blatant favoritism and cruelty. It made me even more determined to show him I was there for him. No matter what.
“I will still be there for both of them. Whenever they need me. Cody will have a father.” He crossed his arms. “Right now, though, I need to get away from all this for a bit.”
Did that include me?
“Where are you going?” Water poured from my lashes and lips no matter how much I wiped at my face.
“Have a cousin who lives in San Diego. There’s a huge Supercross and Motocross crowd there.” He waited for a second before he shook his head. “I can’t do this again.” Pain flashed in his eyes, retreating for the car. “I can’t keep doing this with you, Jayme.”
“Wait!” I reached out, my finger digging into his jacket. “Don’t go.”
He took in a deep gulp of air but kept his gaze off me. “Don’t do this. It’s too late,” he said quietly and reached for the door handle.
My heart thumped in my chest, ringing in my ears. “No!” I grabbed his arm again, swinging him back to face me. “You were the one who said we have to fight harder. You are not going to walk away. Not after all we’ve been through.” I jabbed at his chest. “I’m in love with you, Hunter Browning Harris. Utterly. I am going to fight for us and anyone who dares get in our way. Hell, I’ll even kick your ass if I have to, but you are not giving up on us.”
He stood watching me with an unreadable expression on his face.
“Say something. Yell. Scream. Tell me to fuck off, I don’t care, but don’t pacify me.” I quoted him from the night I had walked away at Krista’s. “I want to hear the truth. What do you want, Hunter?”
The headlights of his car flickered through the torrent of water drenching us. I couldn’t feel anything.
“Say it,” I demanded, my voice low.
He tilted his head, watching me carefully.
“Say it!”
He rolled his jaw, his face hard. His eyes bored into me.
It was no. He didn’t want me anymore.
I felt my heart crack, pain flooding into my gut. I blinked, looking down, trying to fight the tears.
“You.” The word came out gruff.
“What?” My head snapped back up.
“I want you.”
Exhilaration and relief forced me to gasp for breath.
“Always have.” A slight mischievous glint hinted on his mouth.
We both moved at the same time. His hands slid roughly up my jaw, pulling me to him. His lips came down on mine with crushing force. I responded with desperation. Claiming him. The passion we held back for so long sizzled through us. He pulled me against him, one hand clasping my neck, the other on my lower back. Our mouths were needy and demanding and we gave ourselves over to the desire.
Gasps and exclamations went through the crowd of onlookers. No more rumors; this was real.
I took a breath. “Stay,” I whispered against his lips. “Stay till graduation. Then we both can go.”
&nb
sp; He smiled, his grip moving to the sides of my face. “I think I need more convincing.” He brought his mouth back on mine, kissing away the water pelting down from the sky.
I didn’t care what people were doing or saying around us. At last, I was holding the man I loved. Whatever was ahead of us, wherever we were, we would deal with it.
My world had shattered, along with my bones, and heart. But in losing someone, I found myself, the person I wanted to be, inside and out. And I found him.
My reality and truth.
The reason I shed my feathers and could soar into the sky and fly.
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www.staceymariebrown.com
Acknowledgments
Even though this book was my first contemporary I had written, I didn’t want it to be my first one released. This story came to me while writing From Burning Ashes (Collector Series) and wouldn’t let me go. This was the first time I wrote two books at one time. I fell so much in love with these characters, and I hope you do too, and want their story to continue!
As usual the help I got bringing this book to life was amazing.
A HUGE thanks to:
Mom- Every book exists because of your help. Thank you.
Kiki at Next Step P.R- Thank you for all your hard work! Love you girl. https://thenextsteppr.org/
Colleen- Please don’t ever leave me! I can’t do without you now! You rock as my assistant.
Jordan- Every book is better because of you. I have your voice constantly in my head as I write. http://jordanrosenfeld.net/
Hollie “the editor”- Always wonderful, supportive, and a dream to work with. http://www.hollietheeditor.com/.
Cover by Dane at E-book Launch- Beautiful cover as always! https://ebooklaunch.com/
To Judi at http://www.formatting4u.com/: Thank you!
To all the readers who have supported me: My gratitude is for all you do and how much you help indie authors out of the pure love of reading.
To all the indie/hybrid authors out there who inspire, challenge, support, and push me to be better: I love you!
And to anyone who has picked up an indie book and given an unknown author a chance. THANK YOU!
About the Author
Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world.
She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family’s farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts.
When she’s not writing she’s out hiking, spending time with friends, and traveling. She also volunteers helping animals and is eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and the environment should be treated kindly and equally.
To learn more about Stacey or her books, visit her at:
Author website & Newsletter: www.staceymariebrown.com
Facebook Author page: www.facebook.com/SMBauthorpage
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/s.mariebrown
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Amazon page: www.amazon.com/Stacey-Marie-Brown/e/B00BFWHB9U
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Bookbub: www.bookbub.com/authors/stacey-marie-brown
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