Page 27 of The Revenge Agenda

I all but collapse into the chair he points at.

“I’m sorry,” he says.

“What?”

“I …” He rubs his mouth. His hands are huge. His mouth is big too. “This whole situation has been a headfuck, honestly. I blamed you because I had to blame someone, and even though I don’t care about him, it still hurts. Being rejected and betrayed like that isn’t something I’m going to get over in a hurry. What I’m trying to say is that I’m glad you’ve moved on from it. I probably won’t be able to, but I will do everything I can to keep things professional. Like you said it … it wasn’t either of our faults.” The anxiety twisting tighter in my gut finally loosens. “We will keep things professional.” He clears his throat and nudges the plant my way. “And you can keep your gift.”

“Does this mean you’re going to stay?”

He starts like my question catches him by surprise. “I’ve been going back and forth on it all morning.” He absently spins the pot in a circle on his desk. “And I think I’m going to.”

“It was my emails, wasn’t it?”

He snorts, and even it sounds amused. “No, it definitely wasn’t. I’m not even sure I followed half of them. Tell me you weren’t serious about my coat?”

“Oh, no, I was. But it’s okay because I was wrong. No cum in sight when I dropped it off this morning.”

“Well. Good.”

“Was that sarcasm? You sound disappointed.”

“I’m relieved, just still struggling to believe I’m having this conversation.”

I wave my hand his way. “You’ll get used to the feeling. Now, are you going to yell at me for being late? I don’t really know why wasting more time to do that is beneficial, but you might as well do it while I’m here.”

Hunter studies me, dark eyes running over my face to my chest and back up again. “Actually, no. But I was planning to have one-on-one meetings with you all, so we might as well get yours done now.”

“Oh, good. That’s much more logical.”

He smirks as he wakes up his computer. “I’m glad you think so.”

“You are?”

“It’s an expression. But since you asked, no. I don’t actually care.”

“That’s fair. I haven’t done anything yet to earn you caring about my opinion.”

Something about that makes Hunter frown. He glances over at me and then quickly back at his computer. “Why did you take the time to email me last night?”

“Because you were upset, and you weren’t thinking clearly. I thought maybe I could help.”

“But why you?”

I lean forward, planting my elbows on the desk, open belt rattling with the movement. “I’m assuming that no one else knows what went down, and I felt sad for you that you moved here and had to go through that. It wasn’t okay. I don’t know if you have any friends or family here, but I wanted you to know that I can be a friendly face, and you can hold it against me all you like and not believe me when I say I didn’t know, but I was upset too. I went through the same thing you did, basically. If anyone gets it, I do.”

“Yeah … you mentioned something like that,” he mutters. “Revenge, huh?”

I nod, smile spreading over my face. “He’d deserve it.”

“Can’t disagree there.”

“See? We already have something in common! You’re going to warm to me yet.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

But it’s too late because I already am. Hunter’s one of those guys who looks put together. The kind who intimidates me, the kind I know I’ll never be. He’s way too mature and would probably run scared from my friends after a minute in their presence. That kind of adultishness always catches my interest. Ted is like that too.

I can’t help wondering whether it’s all an act or they really do have their shit together.

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