Page 65 of The Christmas Holiday
‘That’s nottrue.’
‘Isn’t it? How many relationships have you had since we split up?’
‘That’s completely irrelevant and absolutely none of your business! Just because I’m not some… some… gigolo, shagging everything that moves.’
‘Gigolo?’ He frowned at me, but I could see the amusement in his eyes.
The fight left me as suddenly as it had come. ‘I know. It just came out.’ I flopped back downon the floor, sitting cross-legged and staring out over the valley to the smog line of the City of Angels. My head was thumping and I was out of energy.
Hunter crouched beside me. ‘Mia, I don’t want to fight with you.’
I shook my head, grabbing my sunglasses from my shirt pocket as I did so, hiding my eyes. Despite what I’d said to Hunter, my head was thumping and all I really wanted todo right now was lie in a nice, cool, quiet and very dark room. The back of my neck was still tingling from where his hand had rested, stirring memories I wanted to leave resolutely unstirred. And I wasn’t even going to go near the sensations that had kicked off as his fingers brushed the back of my neck, entangling themselves within the length of my hair, which I’d piled up messily and randomlyclipped after I realised trying to brush it all into a neat ponytail was, frankly, excruciating, as the brush caught the bump every time without fail.
‘I don’t want to either. But I need you to realise I’m capable of making my own decisions. I always was.’
‘I never doubted that. I’m just concerned that, this time, you’re putting yourself at risk. There’s nothing to prove here. To any ofus.’
‘Oh good. Here come Liv and Sandy. Did you get all the shots you wanted up here?’
‘Yes. Don’t change the subject. Look, promise me one thing at least. This stupid bloody bungee jump tomorrow. It’s a ridiculous thing to do anyway. Medical opinion the world over backs that up. But if you’ve still got concussion and are suffering from headaches, which you clearly are, whatever you say,it’s a doubly ridiculous idea. Promise me you’ll sit it out.’
Liv and Sandy were almost upon us. We stood and Hunter faced me, blocking me momentarily from the others.
‘Mia?’
‘I promise I’ll think about it. Good enough?’
‘No.’
‘Too bad,’ I said, looking up at him. ‘That’s all you’re getting. And I swear to God, Hunter, one word of this and the next thing I’ll be writing isyour obituary.’
He gave me a look. ‘I’m pretty sure, if you go to jail, Jeremy will fire you before you get to do that.’
‘Not a bit of it.’ I slid my sunglasses down my nose for a moment. ‘I’m the best he’s ever had at that job.’ I winked and pushed them back up just as the others got to us. ‘Let’s see then,’ I said, stepping past Hunter and taking a look at the latest selfies on Liv’sphone with the legendary Hollywood sign as a backdrop.
