Page 77 of Sunrise Arrows

“I put the letter back and kept watch on her after that. The rumors kept growing, but she never said they weren’t together. I felt a lot less guilt after that and none when you continued actin’ like you were a committed man and defending her while her relationship was flaunted in your face.

“And then she came back, but everyone was talkin’ about how she and Landon were on the rocks and I thought… I thought she was just pickin’ you up now that her famous boyfriend was droppin’ her like she dropped you. And you know what happened after that.”

“It wasn’t your place to make those choices.”

“No, it wasn’t, but you were finally comin’ out of that hollowness she’d put you in, and I didn’t want to see you go back. Especially not as her second choice when she was your only choice.”

“Hunt,” I say solemnly. “I wasn’t comin’ out of it; I was learnin’ to live with it. When she’s gone… nothing feels right and everything lacks vibrancy. My world is just dull without her.”

He throws his hands up and shouts, “Then I’m gonna ask you again, why the fuck are you here? You should be with her! Fuckin’ hell, do I have to do everything?” he mutters, yanking out his phone. “McGhee’s not international but we can get you a connection… though depending on the layover time and how many transfers, it may be faster to just drive you to Nashville or Charlotte Douglas…”

“Hunt.”

“I wonder how quickly we can charter you a flight…”

“Hunter.”

“God, hearin’ you talk I thought maybe you’d learned your lesson. But no, your ass is still here with me and not with Tinsley.”

“Hunter!” I shout, finally getting him to look up from his phone.

“What?” he snaps. “I’m kind of busy plannin’ a grand gesture here.”

“I’ve already planned it,” I smile. “I leave for London on Tuesday.”

“You do?”

“Yeah. I’ve been coordinating it with Briar?—”

“You mean Satan’s mistress,” he interjects.

“—I’ll land Tuesday night and go with Tinsley to Paris. She’s always wanted to experience the city. We won’t have even 48 hours before she has to return to her schedule, but it’s enough time to make most of what she wants to do happen.”

“Well look at you, Romeo.”

“Shut up.” Hunter picks his phone back up and again starts searching. “Now what?”

“Where are you stayin’? You know what, it doesn’t matter, it says here the suite is available, so I know it’s not the Ritz. Text Barbie and tell her there’s been a change of plans. I’m booking the F. Scott Fitzgerald suite.”

“Hunter, after what I did in L.A., I can’t throw anymore?—”

“Oops, look at that, my hand slipped and I already paid. My bad.”

“You’re an ass.”

“I’m an ass who's gonna get you laid and wifed up in four days. Now tell me you’ve had Mom’s engagement ring cleaned recently.” Looking up, he raises a brow and says, “Youareproposing, right? Because you can’t show up before she’s set to fly to the city of her dreams, take her to do all the things she’s probably been waitin’ to experience with you, andnotpropose.”

I rub my hands over my thighs and nod my head. “Yeah, and I’m nervous as hell about it.”

“Don’t be. She’s gonna say yes.”

“You don’t know that.”

“The whole reason she ran ten years ago was because of how desperately she wanted to say yes and marry you right then, her music career be damned. So yeah, I do know that. Now tell me what you’re plannin’ because after findin’ out you didn’t book the suite for the author of your favorite book, I’m thinkin’ I called you Romeo prematurely.”

CHAPTER26

Archer

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