Page 43 of Dare To Kiss You
I shake my head. “Not yet.”
“Okay. Then what do you need from me? Distraction?”
This is why she’s my best friend. She might show up uninvited, but she knows when not to push.
“Wanna just watch the movie with me? I need to see them get back together.”
Lily gives me a smile of understanding. “You got it, babe.”
When the end credits start to roll, Lily turns off the TV and turns to me. “We don’t have to talk about you-know-who, but I do want to say one thing.”
I gesture at her to go ahead. I knew she wouldn’t be able to hold back completely.
“Serena filled me in on what happened last night. And I don’t buy it, not for a second. Hunter is into you, so completely. Something spooked him. I’m not saying he wasn’t a total dumbass, but that man is a goner for you.”
“I know.”
Lily’s head rears back at my simple answer. “What do you know?”
“It’s not my place to say. But I know he cares for me, just like I know there was more going on last night than I can tell you right now. He hurt me, big time, but I don’t regret asking him to the gala, or going out on a date with him. Despite how I feel right now, I don’t regret taking your dare and putting my heart on the line, even if he did break it a little bit.” Lily squeezes my hand, and I brush away more tears. “Hunter Callaghan is a one in a million kind of guy. He’s made me a better person, stronger, and he’s shown me it’s okay to be vulnerable.”
“Oh, Kat,” Lily whispers. But I keep going.
“Love hurts, Lily. It really freaking hurts sometimes. But you know what else hurts? Holding back feelings for someone out of fear. That’s why I know I can forgive Hunter. Because I know how much he must be hurting right now. And if I can take away that pain, why wouldn’t I do that for the man I love?”
Chapter twenty
Hunter
Listen, I’m a big dude. I’m pretty strong, and as a cop, I know more than just the basics of de-escalation tactics and self-defense; I’ve done riot control before, and I’ve fired a gun.
None of that in any way prepared me for this.
Sitting in a conference room at the police station, staring across a table at three of the four Donnelly brothers and Leo. I wonder if this is what perps feel like when we interrogate them.
It fucking sucks.
The level of intensity in the glares being shot at me varies from curious to downright deadly.
But no matter how intimidated I am, I know I have to do this before I have any chance in hell of going after Kat. It’s been three days since the night of the fundraiser, and it’s been a constant battle not to run to her house and beg her to forgive me. But my daily sessions with Audrey have helped me realize I need to do this right. Which also means making it right with her family.
“Thanks for coming in today,” I start, my voice wavering. I clear my throat and try again. If I’m going to show any vulnerability, it’ll be by my own decision, not something stupid like my voice cracking. “I know I’ve got some explaining to do. But with respect, there’s a lot of stuff I’m not gonna tell you because it’s between me and your sister.”
Max’s eyebrows raise, Sawyer snorts, but Beckett and Leo just sit there. Cool, two out of four might not want to kill me outright.
“I have feelings for your sister. I have for a long fucking time, even back when she was with the dickwad who cheated on her. But I didn’t act on it. Then, when she asked me to go to the gala with her, it gave me the courage to finally ask her out on a date. So no, I wasn’t there as her friend. I was there as something more.”
Wow. I got that out a lot calmer than I expected.
“Then why the fuck did you lie to our faces and break our sister’s heart?” Sawyer barks out. Beckett, his twin, puts a hand on his arm but he shrugs it off. “This is exactly why we’ve always protected her. Because weknewsome dumb fuck would come along and hurt her. We can’t beat up Tyson since he lives too far away but we sure as shit can beat you up.”
“Sawyer, shut up,” Leo booms. “Last time I checked, we were all adults. No one is beating anyone up. You’re not here to be a jackass to Hunter, you’re here to listen to him. And if you can’t do that, I will kick you out of my station.”
Sawyer glowers at his cousin, but he does at least sink back in his chair. Leo faces me. “Go on, Callaghan.”
This is it. This is when I have to come clean with them. It’s a long shot no matter what, but if I don’t, there isn’t a chance in hell they’ll understand.
“I have anxiety. Bad anxiety. And a learning disability,” I start out quietly, my eyes glued to a spot on the table where someone let their coffee cup sit long enough it made a heat ring. “For most of my life, I’ve felt like I have to work extra hard to win people over because I’m not likable by myself. I have to be more. I believed I would never amount to anything and would never be worthy of loving someone.”
