Page 94 of I Knew You
However, his time and fuel were worth something, and I resolved I would pay him for the Uber service. But I didn’t say anything about it yet as I settled into the passenger seat. Hunter broke through all those thoughts as he put the vehicle into reverse.
“So, back to Mill Creek proper?” he asked, confirming where I needed to go.
I nodded. “Yes, a house in one of the cul-de-sacs over by the high school. I’ll direct you.”
“I’m still trying to figure out why you called me of allpeople. You’re a mystery, Julianna East,” he mused. “Or what is it now? Winchester?”
I picked invisible lint off my sweatshirt, feigning disinterest. “Yes.”
His face made a quiet “oh” in the dash lights as we traveled the twisting highway in the dark.
“You’re the only other person I know well in this area,” I continued, letting my hands fall to my lap. “I’m sorry if I put you out. I’ll pay you?—”
“Absolutely not,” Hunter replied, cutting me off. “More than happy to shuttle you. I’m just confused. Why are you leaving? Did something happen you need to tell me about?”
I swallowed, hearing something in this voice that indicated a fear for me. “No, nothing violent happened,” I clarified, and I watched him ease a little in his seat. “It’s just been a hard time for me lately.”
“I know,” he sympathized. “Did you not want to be alone so bad that you married him?” I wasn’t sure whether to be impressed or appalled by his bluntness.
“Did you not want to be alone so bad tonight that you drove an hour to pick up a married woman and drop her off at a house that isn’t yours?”
A smile, pleasant and coy, played across his features. “Touche.”
He kept his eyes on the road. He was a cautious driver, and I was thankful.
“I’m glad it was nothing too bad, but I have to ask for some context. What are you running from?” he asked. “Are you playing a game with him of some sort?”
I huffed. “That’s presumptuous, but astute. It’s a long story. Let’s just say it started with a teenage girl in love with her brother’s best friend, and now we’re married, in name only. Between here and there, there are braids of lies all tied together so tightly I can’t unknot them.”
“In name only? So, it isn’t a real marriage?”
I stiffened, realizing I’d dropped a significant secret.
“It’s okay,” Hunter chuckled. “People do these things. I guess it makes a little more sense now.”
“Health insurance,” I said, my cheeks on fire. I was glad he couldn’t see me fully in the dark.
“Now it makes even more sense.”
I didn’t reply, not wanting to elaborate any further. I lay my head back against the leather headrest of the seat. It had been an emotional afternoon, and I was sore and developing a headache.
“Are you okay physically?” Hunter asked.
“Yes, just tired. Today has been a lot.”
“So, what happened today that would make you leave like you have?”
I shifted. “The initial back surgery I had years ago was an injury from a car wreck where Bram was driving. I learned today that after the wreck, Bram’s father told him he had to stay away from me. So, Bram came to the hospital while I was recovering and told me he didn’t want me. It broke my heart. It was a lie, but he made the choice. He stayed away from me, so his ‘daddy’ wouldn’t be upset with him.” I glanced at Hunter, but he wasn’t mocking or smiling at my dramatic words. Instead, he stared out at the illuminated road pensively.
“How old were you guys when this happened?”
“I was eighteen. He was nineteen.”
“I see,” Hunter mused. “Honestly, and I don’t mean to be rude, it sounds a little petty to be upset about that now.”
My mouth dropped open. “I’m not petty. I have a right to be hurt.”
But Hunter’s opinion didn’t budge. “Maybe,” he shrugged. “But, maybe you should remember you guys were kids, and his whole life was in front of him at nineteen. It’s not like it is now. He’s got life experience under his belt.”
