Page 15 of Shades of You

His words struck a chord deep within me, stirring up a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. He was right—I needed to prioritize my safety above everything else. And if staying with Hunter was the best option, then maybe I should consider it.

But it wasn’t just about safety anymore. There was something else, an attraction that had been simmering beneath the surface since he walked into my shop the first time.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to steady myself. “I appreciate the offer, really. But you have to understand—this is a lot to process.”

My arm brushed against the table, sending a painful jolt through it. As if I needed any reminders of what Knox had become. I cradled my sore arm, staring at the bruised and swollen flesh.

Hunter leaned back against the display table. His intense eyes never left mine, and they held a fervent blaze of protectiveness that felt both foreign and familiar. “Your arm proves you’re not safe right now. And I won’t stand by when you might be at risk. Not when I can do something about it.”

The tension between us cracked with electricity, igniting the air with a silent current that held whispers of the past and possibilities of right now. I wanted to dismiss his offer, to laugh it off as absurd. But the truth was, I did feel safer when Hunter was around. His presence was like an unspoken but deeply felt promise. “Being around you again is… complicated.”

“I know,” he said quietly, and for a heartbeat, we were just two people bound by a history that refused to let us go. “But I can’t sit back and do nothing.”

Complicated was an understatement. Hunter was a complete mystery, and I was just a simple bookstore owner. But now he stood before me, a pillar of strength offering sanctuary. It was tempting, oh so tempting, to lean into that power. I took a deep breath, the weight of my decision almost a tangible thing. Moving in with Hunter—even temporarily, just for safety—meant entangling our lives again and the complications of who we were. My family would hardly be thrilled, even if I explained there was nothing romantic between us. I swallowed to wet my parched throat.

Nothing romantic?

I wasn’t sure about that. In school, I’d never looked at Hunter as anything but a friend. But I’d been a girl then. Now I was a woman who fully recognized the pull of the man in front of me. This new Hunter also meant safety, and a part of me longed for the protective embrace of someone who cared.

“Okay, let’s say I consider this…” I paced over the creaky floor, my mind racing with the pros and cons. “It doesn’t mean anything’s changed between us. It’s just… temporary. A safe haven.”

A flicker of humor entered his eyes. “Of course. I’m not kidnapping you, Brenna. Or holding you hostage.”

“Why? Why go through all this trouble?” My voice betrayed the mix of curiosity and suspicion plaguing me, but I needed to know. I needed to understand what drove this man who seemed nothing like the shy boy I’d known.

He blinked, taken aback, as though the idea of not helping me had never crossed his mind. “Things happened while I was a Marine,” he said after a moment. “There were times when I wanted to do something—anything—but couldn’t. It changes you.”

“Changes how?” I pressed, while emotions played across his face, a myriad of shadows and light.

“Let’s just say it made me never want to stand by when I could act. To never put those I care about at risk if I can help it. I’ve got more than my fair share of experience with that.” He met my gaze squarely, and in his guarded eyes, a glimpse of the burden he carried revealed itself.

Silence enveloped the room as Hunter wrestled with something deep inside him. He seemed to be standing at a crossroads only he could see, choosing his words with care. “Look, it started when Evan had his accident, but there have been more times than I can count where I was powerless. I swore I’d never let that happen again.”

He paused, and I could almost hear the echo of distant battles in his voice. His jaw tensed, a muscle working as his gaze locked onto mine. “I’ve failed people too many times. And it eats at me every day. I’m not letting it happen this time. Not with you.”

I swallowed, the words of his confession settling around us like a cloak. “All right. I’ll stay in your spare bedroom for a couple of days. If you can’t find Knox in that amount of time, he’s probably taken off. Then I’llmove back to my place.” It was a compromise, a middle ground on a battlefield where neither of us knew the rules.

“Thank you.” Relief shined through in his tone, the kind that came from sharing a heavy load. Hunter wasn’t just offering me shelter—he was offering protection. Safety. And perhaps, just maybe, I was offering him a chance at redemption.

Hunter’s eyes held mine for a moment longer before those broad shoulders relaxed. “It might take more than just a couple of days if I need to hunt Knox down. But we can cross that bridge if we get there.”

I drew in a deep breath, trying to quell the storm in my stomach. “Hunter, this situation has… consequences. What am I supposed to tell my family? Or you yours?”

He shrugged, unrepentant. “I don’t care what they think.” Then his gaze softened as though he could sense every doubt that flickered through my mind. “I know this is a lot to process. We’ll take things one step at a time. If you feel you need to leave, we’ll talk about it. We were always able to talk to each other. Okay?”

“All right.” I tried to put some determination in my reply, but the waver betrayed me. “When… when do you want me to move in?”

“Now. Tonight,” he replied without hesitation, and those two words made my head spin like I’d been caught in a whirlpool.

“Tonight?”

The reality of the situation hit me hard at the thought of leaving behind the tiny semblance of stability I had in my apartment. I grabbed my long hair and twisted it over my shoulder, coiling it over and over.

Hunter’s nod was resolute, reassuring in a way. “I’llkeep an eye out down here and let you get packed in privacy.”

With a shaky exhale, I took a tentative step toward the stairs that led to my apartment. As I entered my home, dragging my leaden feet, my heart was a flurry of wings—a chaotic mix of anxiety and something else, something dangerously close to excitement.

My apartment, usually a haven of soft blues and greens that mimicked the nearby ocean, now felt too vast, too empty. I moved as if I were underwater, each decision to fold a shirt or select a pair of jeans seeming monumental and surreal. The zipper on my suitcase sounded louder than it should have as I closed it, the finality of the act sending another shiver through me. I glanced at my somewhat dazed face in the mirror. My reflection offered no reassurance, just the image of a woman caught between the mistake of one relationship in the past and the uncertainty of something new.

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