Chapter Eighteen

Dani

Later that afternoon, Hunter calls my cell. Again.

I send his ass straight to voicemail (again).

Twenty minutes later, he calls again, and suddenly I can’t stand it any longer. I raise the phone to my ear. “You’ve reached the voicemail of Dani Cross, please leave your name and number and—”

Hunter’s low chuckle shivers through me. “You’re hilarious. It’s one of the many qualities that attract me to you.”

“Leave your message after the beep,” I continue with the charade. “Beep.”

“When you’re done playing games, let’s talk about our plan for tonight.”

“Yeah? What’s your plan? A threesome?”

There’s a prolonged silence on Hunter’s end then, “I didn’t realize you were that kinky.”

“Normally, I’m not, but hey, Amy’s beautiful, right? Hard to pass up.”

Another extended silence. “Dani, what’s going on?”

“You know exactly what I’m getting at, Hunter. Don’t play stupid with me.”

“I’m not playing at anything,” he says, his voice now edged with annoyance.

“Oh, but you have. You’ve been playing me. What, you forgot about asking Amy to come by your place? Because she did. While I was still there.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Right,” I scoff. “Just like you don’t know anything about the phone Chad got, or how those Lakers tickets just magically appeared in his mailbox.”

“Okay, fucking stop,” he commands. “What you’re accusing me of is offensive on two fronts. I’m not seeing another woman behind your back. And I’m not sending your brother inappropriate gifts. I wouldn’t manipulate your brother that way, not to mention doing so is illegal and would ruin my reputation.”

“So what. Anything to get ahead, right, Hunter?”

I can count the seconds of his silence this time. Five. Ten…

“Go to hell, Dani.” He hangs up on me.

“The fucking nerve,” I seethe between gritted teeth before I toss my phone on the counter.

I’m angry, but I’m also sad. And hurt.

Just when I started falling for him, his true colors showed through. I’m pissed at myself for letting him in at all. I’m pissed that part of me had started to believe we could be something special. I’m pissed I was such a fool.

* * *

Around noon the next day, I arrive at Chad’s. That morning, I’d taken a long ride to clear my head after talking to Hunter, and doubt had started to creep in.

To tell the truth, doubt had been creeping in soon after Hunter had hung up on me.

Hunter had sounded surprised and insulted and angry on the phone.

But it had suddenly dawned on me that he’d also sounded hurt.

Granted, he could have been acting, but the hurt had been so subtle. Not a flagrant bid for attention but more like something he couldn’t hide no matter how hard he was trying to hide it.

For some reason, the thought of hurting Hunter emotionally made me feel sicker than I had when I’d witnessed his pain when I’d pierced his nipple. The strength of my reaction had me looking at things on a purely rational rather than emotional level.

A part of me still believes he’d called Amy, but bribing Chad? Why would Hunter go through the trouble? If there was ever a man who showed his cards and taunted the world to accept him as he was, it was Hunter. Plus, Chad idolizes Hunter. Hunter knows this, so why would he feel it necessary to have to bribe Chad into liking him? And Hunter had spoken the truth on the phone—he had too much to lose by doing something so unethical and stupid. He has more honor than that.

Once I reach the door of Chad’s apartment, I try to push the door open, but it’s locked. He almost never locks his door—it’s a bad habit of his I’ve been trying to break for years, but it looks like he’s finally learning his lesson. I knock on the door three times in a row before he pulls the door open, wearing nothing but a pair of sweatpants with hair that looks like he just rolled out of bed.

“Did you really just get out of bed?”

“Yeah,” he groans and wipes his eyes with his fists. “Studying for finals is killing me.”

“I’m not going to be here for long,” I insist as I push past him.

He closes the door behind me and spins to face me with his arms crossed over each other. “What’s up?” he questions, letting out an obnoxious yawn.

“I need to know the truth.”

“The truth about what?” He steps into the kitchen and grabs an empty glass from the cupboard to fill it up with water. “The truth about whether or not I’m going to sign?” He shrugs as he takes a long gulp of water. “I really haven’t decided yet.”

I step to the other side of the counter and fold my palms against the edge of the granite surface. “That’s not what I’m talking about.”

He finishes off the glass of water and sits the cup in the empty sink. “I’m really tired and I’m exhausted, so maybe instead of waiting for me to guess what you’re talking about, you just tell me?”

I have no problem with that. “I’m talking about the phone and the tickets.”

“What about them?” He sighs and scratches at the back of his ear. But he also can’t look me in the eye anymore.

“Who gave them to you?”

“Dani, I told you. I don’t know.”

“Show me the package.”

“I threw it away.” His teeth bite into his lower lip. “I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal, anyway.”

“It’s a big deal because if Hunter is sending you shit to bribe you into signing with him, it’s unethical and it’s illegal, and I’m going to have to put my foot down and tell you that you are absolutely not signing with him.”

He locks his eyes with mine. “That’s not your choice to make.”

“Maybe not, but all my life I’ve watched out for you. I’m not going to just stop now.”

Chad swipes his hands over his face. “Dani, please just let this go.”

“That’s not going to happen.”

“Then leave.” He turns his back to me and paces down the short hall to his bedroom. The door slams shut seconds later.

I immediately march down the hall and throw open the door to find Chad lying in bed, his hands folded behind his head.

“Why are you being so defensive?” I question, hand against my hip. “Do you think I like fighting with you?”

“I think you like being in control.” He pushes himself up and swings his legs to the floor until he’s sitting, his hands between his knees. “And I really think you need to let this go.”

“Fine,” I scowl and rip my phone from my jeans. “I’m just going to go ahead and call the ethics committee right now.” I pretend to dial the number and press the phone against my ear, all the while my eyes are battling with his, just waiting for him to break and tell me the truth. “Yes, hello,” I feign talking to someone on the other end of the phone. “Can I—”

“Fine, you fucking win.” Chad jumps out of bed, rips the phone out of my hand and proceeds to hang up a call that was never actually happening. “You want to know the truth?” He towers over me, frustration and anger apparent in his voice. “I’ll tell you the truth, but you’re not going to like it. Hunter isn’t bribing me. But in a way, Dad is.”

It was the last thing I expected him to say. The last person I expected him to mention. And it hits me in the face like a ton of bricks. “D—dad—?”

“That’s right. Dad has been sending me stuff for a few weeks now.”

I swallow past the sudden lump in my throat, trying to process what he’s just said. I’m a ticking time bomb, and I can tell from the expression on his face he knows it. Tears well up in the corner of my eyes, and all I can do is shake my head gently.

“I’m sorry, Dani. I should have told you sooner.”

“Should’ve, would’ve, could’ve, right?”

“You’re pissed, I get that—”

“Damn right, I’m fucking pissed,” I explode. “Not only did you make me think something horrible about Hunter, but you’ve hidden the fact that our piece of shit father has been reaching out to you.”

“He’s our dad, Dani,” he says softly. “I can’t just turn him away.”

“Can’t turn him away? That’s bullshit. Just say the truth for once, and the truth is that you couldn’t turn away the free shit.”

“That’s not it.”

“Then what is it?” I scream. “When has that man ever been there for us? Never. And now he’s probably heard that you’re about to make something out of yourself and he wants to come back. How fucking convenient?”

“Or maybe he’s reaching out because he’s sorry? Because he wants a relationship with us?”

“No.” I shake my head with a furious chuckle. “That man doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He didn’t care about Mom, and he sure as hell didn’t care about either of us.”

“Maybe it’s different now!” He throws his hands up in the air. “Maybe he’s changed.”

“The only reason you think that is because you didn’t do what I had to do. I had to take care of you because he wouldn’t.”

He purses his lips. “Right. And that’s something you have no problem throwing in my face any time it’s convenient.”

“What?” I whisper. “Chad, no. I don’t—I never meant…”

My breath hitches and I fight desperately to regain control.

I’ve always hated fighting with him. With anyone, really. Despite my tough girl exterior, when it comes to things that matter, things that are truly important, I hate conflict. Which makes me feel weak. Which makes me pissed at Chad and myself and just want to run away.

I back away from him. “I have to go.”

“Don’t,” he pleads. “Let’s just talk this out.”

“I can’t be here right now. I can’t be around you right now. I love you, Chad. But I just need to get out of here.”

Swiftly, I exit his bedroom and run out his front door.

Chad follows me as far as the front door, and then he just stands in the doorway watching me leave the same way I watched our father walk away all those years ago.

The difference is I’ll be back. Even though I’m angry, hurt, and disappointed, I love my brother. He can always count on me to come back.

Too bad I don’t inspire the same kind of feelings in others.

I’m not even thinking about my father when I have the thought. I’m thinking of Hunter. I want to see him so bad. Part of me wants to run to him. But that’s bullshit. Because while he hasn’t been bribing Chad with gifts, I can’t forget about Amy’s visit. I can’t trust Hunter.

I can’t trust anyone.