Page 57 of Hothead

“Are you not fucking listening to me? She was gonna fucking leave without saying goodbye!” His voice was rising, but he couldn’t control it, didn’t want to. “She basically told me that everything that happened between us happened ’cause there was an end date and that I should go fuck someone else.” His leg was bouncing now, anger and pain rolling off him in waves as he fought to reign himself in. “I fucking love her,” he roared. “I let her in. See all of me. Told her shit I’ve never even said out loud before. And what does she do? I’ll tell you what she does, she does what everyone fucking does ... she left.”

He didn’t need a therapist to know that he had abandonment issues, he was all too aware. But unlike his past rejection, he didn’t know how he was supposed to recover from this.

“Luke, not everyone leaves—” Hunter’s voice had gentled, but he didn’t have a chance to get much more out before Luke’s humorless laugh filled the room.

“This is why I don’t bother. This is why it’s easier to keep people at arm’s length. I promised myself I’d never let anyone do this to me again. I fucking promised.” His head fell into his hands, despair now seeping out of every pore. “I’m such a fucking idiot.”

Luke went quiet after that. Taking comfort in the darkness as his hands continued to cup his face. He didn’t know how much time passed, but it was long enough to forget he had an audience. It was only when his friend sucked in a deep breath that he remembered he was there.

Already preparing himself for his next lecture, Luke was surprised when one didn’t come. He waited. Then waited some more. But, still, nothing. When he finally lifted his head, Hunter’s usual gruff exterior had softened. And something a bit like understanding creased his face.

“What?” Luke asked. “Why are you looking at me like that? Just say what you need to say.”

Luke watched as Hunter slowly leaned forward, his elbows coming to his knees. “You need to tell her.”

It wouldn’t make a difference.

Almost as if he’d heard him, Hunter spoke again. “You need to lay it all out for her. She could be making her decision based on fear ... so give her some facts. You owe it to her, and yourself.”

Luke wanted to protest. Tell Hunter he was talking out of his ass. But Luke couldn’t. Annoyingly, his friend was making sense. Luke hadn’t actually told her how he felt. Not that he planned on declaring his love the night she left. But the fact remained that he did love her. And she should know.

Don’t let her be another regret.

No more regrets. Life was too short.

You’re really going to do this?

The decision had already been made. If he was going to get his heart ripped out, then he was going to do it properly.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Apartment hunting sucked. Apartment hunting while shards of your heart rattled around your rib cage, sucked more. Throw in the fact Bella was technically in between jobs and the pickings were beyond slim.

It had been five whole days since she’d left Woodvalley, and she’d made zero progress on finding somewhere to live. Which meant she was still staying in her crappy motel and would likely be there for a while. And itwascrappy. And depressing. This place could give the DMV a run for its money.

At least it matches your mood.

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