Page 146 of Well That Happened

And I sit in front of her, on the floor, arms on the couch beside her legs. Her hand drops down a minute later, settling gently in my hair.

And just like that—we’re silent.

Wrapped in the warmth of a queen who laid down the law.

And reminded us exactly whose story this is.

But thirty minutes in, I’m not watching the movie.

I’m watching them.

Caleb’s got his head tilted toward hers, his arm casually draped along the back of the couch. His fingers keep brushing her shoulder, light and natural like it’s second nature. Like he belongs there.

Grayson’s hand is on her knee. Still. Steady. Like it’s been there the whole time, and she hasn’t once pulled away.

And me?

I’m down here on the floor like a guard dog.

I shouldn’t be here.

They’re good to her. Sweet in ways I’m not. Attentive. Soft.

They’re already part of the rhythm. Already found their way into her skin, her world.

I’m just the guy who watches her from the sidelines and thinks too much.

Maybe I should step back. Maybe I already missed my—

“Hunter,” she says softly.

And my name on her lips unravels everything.

I look up.

She’s reaching for me.

Like sheneedsme.

And I’m already moving before I can second-guess it.

“I’m here, sweetheart,” I murmur, climbing up onto the couch in front of her, crowding her space.

She doesn’t flinch.

Doesn’t hesitate.

She leans in.

And then—I kiss her.

It’s not careful. Not sweet.

It’s a claiming.

A kiss forged in years of longing, months of holding back, and weeks of watching her fall for people who weren’t me.

Her hands fist in my t-shirt, pulling me closer.

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