Page 15 of Battered Moves

“No, I haven’t heard from him, but I have to go back to work tomorrow,” he says, and I feel a pang of guilt again for not keeping in touch with him.

“Will you be okay?” I ask.

He nods, but I can tell he’s not entirely convinced himself.

“Please text me from time to time to let me know how you’re doing,” I say.

“Like you did?” he asks, raising his eyebrows.

Oh wow, he’s really mad.We get to my apartment, and I let him in.

“Gun,” I murmur, pulling him into an embrace. “I’m so sorry.”

He lifts me by my thighs and walks to my bed, sitting us down, his back against the headboard and me straddling him. I want to look up at him, but he squeezes me tight, so I relax into his bear hug.

“What did the fucker do? Do I have to get a gun without a serial number?” he asks, completely deadpan, and I laugh into his chest.

“No, stop it. We don’t need to murder any of them, clear?”

He eases up his embrace, so I lean back and look at his face to find him smirking.

“Crystal,” he says, and I smile. “I’m better with my fists anyway.”

“Gun!” I hiss, playfully punching him in the chest, but I quickly pull back, my knuckles hurting. “Fuck, you’re like a wall,” I say with a groan.

“Livy,” he starts, his eyes sad. “What did he do?”

I take a deep breath before answering.

“It was all a misunderstanding,” I say, and his brows furrow.

“How come?” he asks.

I sigh heavily. “I went into the studio to bring the guys coffee, but just when I got in, I found him kissing one of his students.”

Gunner shoots upright, and I have to grab onto his shirt to avoid falling off his lap.

“He did what?” he nearly shouts in disbelief.

“Yes, I was hurt, so I turned and ran away, but I only saw the part where she was kissing him, not the part where he pushed her away and told her that he has a girlfriend,” I explain, andhe relaxes a bit but still looks unconvinced.

“Wouldn’t a fuck boy tell you just that? That it ‘wasn’t what it looked like’?” he asks.

“Yeah, probably, but there’s video proof that he didn’t consent, so he’s off the hook,” I say, and he nods.

“Okay then. Seems like he can live another day,” he mutters, and I smile.

I get up to get us some ice cream and turn on the reggaeton channel on my music app. I hand him his cone and sit back in his lap, leaning my back against his chest. When we finish our treats, we just chill there, him hugging me from behind.

“Next time, you run to me instead of running away. Promise me, Livy,” he whispers in my hair.

I bite my lip.I don’t know if I can promise that.If Liam becomes an imminent threat, I wouldn’t hesitate a second to run away or go with him to keep them all safe. The guys, Chris, and Gunner are my new family, and I would rather die than let Liam hurt anyone else I love. The weight of that realization brings tears to my eyes.

“I love you, Gunner. You’re my best friend,” I whisper, and he holds me even tighter, resting his chin on my head.

“I love you too, Livy.”

CHAPTEREIGHT

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