Dare Me Forever (20 page)

“Fine. Keep your
money.” I threw the chips back on the table and walked away from
the table.

“Too afraid to
gamble?” Hunter yelled after me. I didn’t honor that with a
reply. The bloke needed to take a rest. Anyway, I didn’t gamble. I
won.

Amy

The phone rang at 1 am.
I was about to go to bed, but checked caller ID and saw that it was
Hunter.

“Hey Amy, sorry to
call so late, but I’ve got to see you. Can I pick you up? We can do
something spontaneous. Come on.”

He really sounded like
he wanted--no
needed
--to hang out. And I couldn’t sleep
anyway. Maybe some spontaneity was just what I needed.

Thirty minutes later,
he was at the door, looking handsome if a bit harried. I’d thrown
on a pair of bright pink skinny jeans, and a thin white top. I
couldn’t help but smile with nostalgia. It felt like we were in
high school, sneaking around so his parents would be none the wiser.

Hunter grabbed my hand
and hurried me to the car, opening my door, and running around to his
side, like we were in some mad hurry. He slammed his hand on the
audio control and Eminem pumped into the car. He pulled onto the
street and zoomed towards the freeway, north. He was driving a little
crazily, not drunkenly, but almost like we were being chased.

“Are you okay?” I
put my hand on his arm.

He shrugged. “Just
wanted some freedom, you know? Everything is so structured.
Everything feels so confining.” I understood that, I’d felt like
that before too, but it didn’t make me drive like a maniac.

“Yeah, but slow down
a bit. We’re not in a rush, are we?” I didn’t want to sound
like a wet blanket, but I didn’t want this car trip to kill me
either. I tried to lighten the mood. “Are you taking me to Canada?”
I asked jokingly. He smiled but wouldn’t answer, just kept driving.

“Close your eyes,
Ames. I’ll wake you when we get there.” I didn’t want to, but
the hum of the tires against pavement was hypnotic—and I was so
tired. Hunter spun the dial so the music was low enough to tune out,
and as we zoomed along, I couldn’t help but nod off.

When I opened my eyes,
it was almost morning.

We were parked at a
beach I didn’t recognize. I blinked and looked around at the grey
sky, which was still dark, but hinting at the impending sunrise. I
looked over at Hunter, but didn’t say anything. His profile was
handsome, with a strong aquiline nose, and a prominent jaw. It was
good to watch him without him noticing.

Slowly, the sky began
to turn, shifting from grey to pink as the sun crept up to the east
behind us. The windows were open and the nippy beach air felt salty
and invigorating. I hadn’t been at the beach at sunrise in forever.
I held my breath as I watched the world around us start to wake up,
the seagulls beginning to squawk and the freeway traffic growing
louder.

Hunter turned towards
me, eyes were rung with red. He’d clearly been up all night, but he
seemed much calmer, much more at ease, than he had when he picked me
up. He smiled over at me. “You passed out. I was just about to wake
you. Didn’t want you to miss this.” He took a long breath. “And
then breakfast?”

“Where are we?”

“Malibu. I just had
to get out of town, even for a few hours, and I couldn’t think of
anyone I’d rather take with me.” I was flattered. And glad I’d
come along. He leaned over and rested his hand on my thigh, rubbing
it gently.

“Let’s go grab some
breakfast. I’m starving.”

Okay, not exactly what
I expected when his hand had landed on my leg, but I was hungry. We
drove to the nearest Pancake House, and I ordered the works.

I hadn’t had so many
pancakes and syrup in ages. I felt almost high from the sugary food.
Hunter watched me eat as he shook pepper over his own steak and eggs.

“I love a woman who
has an appetite.”

“Ha! Are you saying
I’m fat?” I laughed. I knew what he meant. All those girls who
pick at their food drive me insane.

“Never.” I guess he
didn’t see I’d been joking. His face grew serious again, the
smile melting away as he geared up to say something. “So,” he
said, almost too casually. “Have you given more thought to giving
us a chance?” He looked at me and then his gaze darted around the
restaurant, before landing again on my face.

“What do you think
I’m doing now?” I asked, shrugging with my hands still wrapped
around a mug of coffee. “I’m here and we should try this.” I
was ready to trust him. After all we had done and all we had been
through, I think he had proven himself this time around. It had
started out weird, but our morning at the Cove, and the other night
at the bar and at my house, showed otherwise. I couldn’t be with
Ryan and there could still be something here with Hunter. It wasn’t
as romantic as I’d pictured it, but maybe all the intensity, all
that lust, and excitement, was just a precursor to disappointment.
This felt genuine, like a real adult conversation.

He leaned over the
booth, holding my face between his hands as he leaned over and kissed
me. It was literally syrupy sweet, and felt like a good sign for our
new beginning.

We finished breakfast
and Hunter drove me back to the store. We missed a lot of traffic
since it was still so early. Before I got out of the car, Hunter took
my hand.

“Thank you for giving
me this chance.”

I smiled and looked
down at my lap. I didn't know what I was thinking. I wanted to take
the plunge, but I wasn't sure if I was strong enough. After the
debacle with Ryan and Miranda, I wanted to keep my heart with someone
safe.

Hunter put a hand on my
cheek, his touch firm but gentle as he guided my gaze towards him.
"Amy, you mean the world to me, and I’ve always felt what we
had could be everything. I was too young and stupid to realize it
before. I know now.” His deep brown eyes were glistening.

He leaned over and gave
me a full kiss on the lips.

I felt my heart stir.
This was such a different Hunter than the one I had known in high
school. He was more mature, more commanding. He said he would keep my
heart safe, and I believed him.

"Okay," I
said, leaning in to kiss him one more time.

We broke apart and he
looked at me, his eyes warm and genuine. “I won’t let you down,
Amy. I promise.”

Amy

I kept busy, throwing
myself into work and finishing up with the commissions. I’d decided
that in honor of my dad’s memory, I’d have a rack of postcards
that I’d design that celebrated all the local places nearby. Del
Mar, San Diego, Miramar. I’d made the first one for Solana Beach.
It had a vintage look to it—I’d found an old photo online of the
beach from the 1940s—a curvaceous woman sitting on the sand, in one
of those classic bathing suits, with huge sunglasses on top of her
head, and a characteristically beautiful face. On top, I’d
superimposed, in cursive font,
Come to Sunny Solana
. Her sexy,
come-hitherish look caught my eye and the sunny beach view behind her
screamed romance. If I could do a bunch more, it would also make a
great California package that could even get attention online. I
liked that idea. Plus, being creative kept me busy and positive.
Well, sort of positive.

The bell on the door
jingled and in walked a woman with a high blond ponytail and light
blue eyes. I recognized her, but I couldn’t put my finger on who
she was. I smiled in a generic way, hoping I seemed welcoming to a
potential new customer. As she came towards me with a fierce
expression on her face, it hit me all at once.

It was Jennifer,
Hunter’s ex-girlfriend. She didn’t look happy to see me.

“Hi. How can I help
you?” I asked as nicely as possible. It wasn’t jealousy that had
me on edge. I just remembered how overbearing and rude she had been
at his party. I understand wanting to keep your man in check, but he
wasn’t even her man, and she just had one of those sour lemon
expressions frozen on her face--a perma-look.

“I didn’t know this
was your store. A friend of mine recommended you—you did the
invitations for her wedding. Veronica Bell. I absolutely loved them.
And I need save the date cards to go out as soon as possible. I just
got engaged last week and we’re getting married this summer.” She
flashed her large engagement ring my way, a self-satisfied smile
playing on her face. I couldn’t bear to compliment the ring, even
though I knew I should. She was just too obnoxious.

“Fantastic, let me
get out my portfolio for you to look through to decide what type of
look you want.” I went to the back. Why was it that people like her
were settling down, and I was still in the market? She was beautiful
for sure, in an ice-princess way, but she was just one of those mean
girls who never grew up. Totally reminded me of some jerks from high
school.

I came back to the
front with three large binders. I could also show her a bunch of
designs online, but because the texture of the paper is so important,
I prefer to start with invitations the client can actually touch.

She began flipping
through and I took the opportunity to straighten out my journal
section. After I had all of the leather-bound books in order, I went
back to the front to check on her, and ask her some encouraging
questions about the wedding. I didn’t want to be a rude and I still
needed all the business I could get. I didn’t need to sink down to
her level.

“Where are you
getting married?”

“In Hunter’s
backyard. Won’t that be sweet?” She actually had a genuine smile
on her face.

“How nice of the
Morgans to let you use their home,” I said as I leaned over the
counter to get an idea of what kind of cardstock she was favoring.
Jennifer looked at me strangely, but I pressed on. “Who is the
lucky guy?”

She cocked an eyebrow.
“Hunter,” she laughed. “Why else would we get married at their
house?”

It felt like I’d been
hit on the back of the head. I almost gasped, but didn’t want to
seem shocked. I put a smile on my face, but my thoughts were
whizzing.
Was I living in some crazy movie?
Hadn’t it been
only a few hours ago, that Hunter told me I was his world? Without
even noticing, I’d squeezed the decorative paper I had in my hand
into a small ball. I had to get away from her to calm down. All I
could think to do was pretend to sneeze. I gestured to the bathroom
and told her I’d be right back.

I wished I had a paper
bag to breath into. What the fuck. So that’s why he was always
glued to his phone, pushing forward, and pulling back.

But what had that
morning been about? What was he trying to pull?

I was pissed. Royally
pissed. I wanted to punch him, hard. I looked into the mirror and
stared into my own eyes, willing myself to calm down. I could do
this. I may have been swept off my feet that morning at the beach,
but I was exhausted and the sunrise had been so beautiful. I had
hesitated for so long, and the second I put my trust in him, Hunter
turned around and threw it all away. It was like prom all over again.
I should have known. I didn’t want anything to do with him. And I
knew
I didn’t want to have anything to do with Jennifer
outside of business. The two of them deserved each other.

I flushed the toilet,
and then turned the sink on as if I’d been using the bathroom for
its intended purpose, not just introspection.

When I came out, I
mustered everything I had, suppressed all of the feelings that would
cloud my judgment, and spent the next hour with Jennifer, picking out
the Save the Date cards.

As she got up to leave,
I smiled and said, “Please tell Hunter I say hello and
congratulations.” I hoped that scared the shit out of him.

She thanked me. As she
strolled out of the store on high heels, I slumped back in my chair.
I’ve never been happier to have a customer leave the store.

I closed early. I
couldn’t believe this shit. And to think, I had opened up to him,
told him I’d move forward. What kind of sick game was this? I
rushed home, fury and tears binding me. I slammed the door as I came
in and stormed to my closet where I was still holding his parent’s
present.

I didn’t know what it
was. I didn’t care. All I knew was that I wanted to destroy
everything that Hunter had ever touched, as though I could hurt him
by proxy. I pulled open the closet and snatched the cardboard box
that he had given me.

I ripped open the
package and saw something wrapped in newspapers. I frowned. This
didn’t look like a present Hunter would wrap. Even if it were
fragile, he would have used wrapping paper, not newspapers. My anger
began to melt into curiosity. I slowly unwrapped it, discarding the
paper on the floor.

What I found was a
heavy bound book. Opening it, I saw it was lists of services,
invoices, and numbers. My eyes grew wide. A ledger that clearly
belonged to MORGAN Properties and had no business being on the closet
floor of my house. I remembered Ryan’s insistence that he needed
funds, that something strange was happening with the books, that he
had to partner with Miranda because no one else would invest.

Why the fuck had Hunter
hidden this in my house? It clearly wasn’t an anniversary present.
I could have slapped myself. I had been duped the whole time. What
else should I have expected from a lying cheater anyway? I had to
question everything he’d ever said to me.

And I had to tell Ryan.

Amy

Jamie convinced me to
come meet her the next morning at this little outdoor café near the
beach. I’d actually closed the store for the day, as Mondays were
my slowest days anyway, and I needed a full day off to recover. She
said we’d take a relaxing walk on the sand, go get our nails done,
and maybe catch a movie. A total girl’s day.