17. Elodie

ELODIE

M y leg bounces in the chair, anxious to see Hunter. I haven’t seen him for the last five days, ever since I had to leave to go back on tour. And that’s five days too many.

My heart yearns for him when we’re apart. Every morning, a tremor runs through me when I read his good morning, beautiful texts. My heart performs acrobatics in my rib cage every time we video before and after each show.

I find myself slipping and sliding toward a ledge, a ledge so scary I’m resisting it with all my might. But try as I might, I can’t help but fall for him more each day. Admitting it’s not fake anymore only caused my respect and feelings for him to grow.

It’s unavoidable, even if there’s a good chance we’ll only end in heartbreak. My guarded heart might’ve let Hunter sneak in, but I’m worried once he gets his extension, he won’t need or want me anymore. My own father left me, and I can’t help but be distrustful that Hunter will want to stay. I’m not sure anyone will.

So yes, heartbreak might be inevitable when it comes to Hunter Holt, but so is caring for him.

“Hold still, please,” the makeup artist says, as she lines my eyes and prepares me for Jax’s Rome premiere in a couple hours.

“Sorry.” I sit on my hands, refusing to check my phone for the millionth time. Hunter is on his way to the hotel, but I’m too impatient to wait. I need him now, almost as badly as I need to explore Italy. I’ve only been in the country for an hour, and I’m already smitten. It’s a place I never thought I’d ever visit, and I’m almost thankful Jax chose this city for his next premiere. And the next one? Shanghai in almost a month. A huge part of me wishes I could pretend to be Stella next year while she’s doing her European and Asian legs of the tour to experience all these new cities and countries.

But that’s not possible. She’ll take over her life by then, and I still don’t know what I want to do with my own once this is all over with.

For now, I need to focus on and enjoy the twenty-four hours in Rome. Brian opens the hotel door and steps to the side while Hunter walks in. I jump out of the chair, a line of eyeshadow brushing across my cheek in my haste to run into his arms. He lifts me and I wrap my legs around his waist .

“I could get used to that greeting,” he says, squeezing my ass.

I kiss him quickly and grin. “So could I.”

He steals another kiss before lowering me to my feet.

“I’ve missed you,” he says, nuzzling my neck and breathing me in.

I run my hands through his hair. “I’ve missed you more.”

“Impossible.”

A throat clears behind us, and I begin to pull away, but Hunter grabs me and brings me close to his body.

“Sorry to interrupt,” my makeup artist says. “But we need to continue to make sure we finish on time.”

I sigh and plop back into the chair. The makeup artist grins and cleans my cheek. Hunter excuses himself to shower and get ready while I impatiently wait for my makeup and hair to finish.

Hunter returns wearing eggplant-colored pants and a white shirt. He places his matching jacket on the couch and waits for me to finish. When it’s done, after far too much time, Hunter hurries the people out of the room.

“Finally,” he says, once the door closes. “I’ve been waiting to give you these.”

He hands me a box full of Buckeyes. I bite into the ball of creamy peanut butter and chocolate like a robot. Moving my arms and jaw in jerky, stiff movements. Hunter chuckles and rolls his eyes at my antics .

“You keep me on my toes without even having to try,” he says. “But I like this look. It’s sexy.”

I laugh. “Never thought you’d have a robot fetish.”

“Don’t you know? Anything involving you is my fetish.”

The heated way he says it ignites my body. I lift one of the Buckeyes to his lips and he takes a slow bite, his gaze on me the entire time. He licks my fingers, and I swallow hard as I imagine him licking me in other places.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks.

“If we can have a quickie without messing up my hair and makeup.”

“Hmm, same.” He sucks on my pointer finger. “But I won’t be able to resist ruining your hair and makeup while I fuck you.”

“I don’t mind.”

He grins. “I quite like the idea of waiting until tonight. Where you get to a point where you’ve soaked through your thong, and I’ll enjoy?—"

“You’re evil.” I cover his mouth with my palm, not able to listen to more. Not when I’ve already soaked through my thong just by being near him. “You’re getting me all worked up for nothing.”

He laughs and kisses my palm. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you. When you’re good and ready.”

Hunter holds the car door open and helps me out. He doesn’t move until I adjust my strapless, embroidered lavender gown with a large bow on my hip and cutouts in the skirt. It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever worn, and I don’t know if Stella owns this or if she rented it, but I want it.

Hunter smooths out his suit before stepping to my side and grabbing my hand. The cameras flash and the noise increases when the paparazzi and fans catch sight of us. Hunter takes a step down the red carpet, but I can’t do it. My arm stretches in front of me, but I’m frozen, lost in the bright lights and screams that remind me of the night the paparazzi hunted us down.

Hunter turns to me. “Okay?”

I squeeze his hand two times. He immediately takes a step toward me and cups my cheek in his hand. “What’s wrong?”

“It reminds me of that night,” I whisper, glancing at the hungry paparazzi and back to Hunter.

His face softens in understanding. “I know, but I’m here and you’re safe. I won’t let anyone hurt you.”

Logically, I know that. He saved me before and this event is controlled. But my brain doesn’t get that message. It’s just stuck on the memory playing on repeat in my head.

Hunter brushes a soft kiss across my lips. “Do you trust me?” I nod sharply and he says, “Good. Follow my lead. I’ve got you. Go, team FD, go.”

I snort. “I can’t believe you just said that. ”

“It got an almost smile out of you, so it’s worth it. Shall I break out in a cheerleading routine while chanting that?”

This time I do laugh. “I’d pay money to see that.”

He tugs on my hand, and I take my first step, and then the second and third.

“Or,” he says, “how about I give you a private viewing of my routine?”

“I don’t know, your offer to do it here is quite tempting.”

He laughs. “I can do both.”

Before I know it, we’ve reached the first interviewer. They ask, “There's been a lot of buzz lately surrounding you two. Can you tell us a little bit about how your relationship came to be?”

“Is there a lot of buzz?” I joke and meet Hunter’s gaze.

Hunter laughs and gives me a soft look. “The moment I saw Stella, I was captivated. There was this undeniable spark between us, and I just knew I had to get to know her.”

The reporter swoons, and so do I. As we move down the line, the majority of the questions revolve around our relationship, and not the movie or the soundtrack. It’s completely unexpected, but it makes it easy to joke with Hunter and lighten the mood. It feels like we’ve been doing this together for years, rather than weeks. There’s an inherent comfort I feel when I’m with him, and I’m so glad he’s here doing this with me. I wouldn’t want to be paired with anyone but him.

When we reach the end, Jax is there as if waiting for us. He smiles when he sees me and what feels like a million flashes goes off, but his smile slips when he takes in my arm linked through Hunter’s.

“Stella,” Jax says, taking a step into my space. “We need to get a photo of us for the promotion. We weren’t able to get one together at the last premiere.” He smirks at Hunter. “I’m sure you understand.”

Hunter tightens his grip on me, but I say to him, “It’s fine. It’s just a few photos.”

He nods and takes a step back, and Jax swoops in and takes us away from Hunter. I force a smile to my lips, refusing to give any indication that I’m uncomfortable. That his hand on my hip feels too intimate.

“Finally,” Jax says, “you’re back where you belong.”

“Ugh, get over yourself,” I say out of the side of my mouth. “We’re never getting back together.”

“We will, or have you forgotten?” He leans closer to my ear, brushing my hair away from my shoulder. Lights overwhelm me as the paparazzi rush to capture this intimate moment. “I’ll give you until Shanghai to ditch him, or else I’ll spill our secret.”

He pulls back with a charming smile plastered onto his lips, as if he didn’t just threaten me. I study his face, trying to figure out what I’m missing. I have no idea what he’s talking about, but he’s too confident for my liking. It’s like there is a missing chapter in Stella and Jax’s relationship that I’m not privy to. Every time I ask Stella about it, she glosses over the details and just reiterates that she thought he was the one and he hurt her in so many ways by cheating on her.

It looks like she has some explaining to do.

After what feels like forever and a day, I take a step away from Jax. I can’t stand another second with his hands on my body or his threats ringing in my ears. Hunter immediately takes over and guides me to the entrance of the theater.

“Are you okay?” he asks softly.

“Not really, but I’ll tell you later.”

“Did he do something to you?” Hunter bristles and turns to face the entrance. “Do I need to acquaint him with my fist?”

I give him a soft look. “You’re sweet, you know that, right?”

“Not sure many people would call me sweet for threatening to beat someone up.”

“Well, I do because you’re ready to defend me, no questions asked. You don’t even have the full story, and yet you’re in my corner. I appreciate that.” My own father didn’t believe me when I told him his friend’s son, the quarterback of the football team, constantly taunted me at school. He didn’t have my back, not like Mom and Nina did. Not like Hunter has it now.

“I’ll always believe you and be in your corner, fighting for you.” He says it easily, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. But it’s not. Not based on my experience. I can’t stop my heart from jumping at his statement, as if it’s trying to be closer to him and the promise in his words.

“Thank you.” My voice cracks and I clear my throat, trying to cover up the emotions bubbling to the surface. “Not just for that, but for being here for me. There’s no one else I’d rather have by my side than you.”

“Well, get used to it. Because I’m not going anywhere.”

“You aren’t? But what about when you get your extension and?—”

“Even then,” he says firmly. My eyes widen at the finality to his declaration.

“Did you really think”—he takes a step closer to me and tilts my chin up—“we were going to end when that happens? After everything we’ve been through?”

“I don’t know,” I whisper. My heart is too bruised to hope for a future together once he gets his contract extension.

“When we get home, we’re going to tear that contract up and I’ll show you just how fake this is.” He slams his lips onto mine, as if he’s cementing a new contract between us with his kiss. Something I desperately want, but am too jaded to believe.

After an endless moment, he pulls away and kisses me three more times. Short, sweet kisses. I want more, but we can’t. Not here. There are too many people around, and Jax is lurking somewhere around here. If I never see him again, it’d be too soon.

“Let’s ditch this thing,” I say suddenly. “I can’t stand to watch Jax on the screen and listen to people fawn over him.”

Hunter doesn’t have to be asked twice and immediately guides me toward a darkened corridor with a glowing sign that says Uscita above the end of it.

“What are the odds the fire alarm will go off if we go through this door?” Hunter asks, placing his hand on the push bar.

“If that happens, it’ll make my day.”

“Excuse me,” a man calls out. “You can’t be over here.”

I look behind me and see a man striding toward us. Hunter doesn’t waste another second and pushes through the door before slamming it shut behind us. We get a few curious looks from the people walking by on the street, but I duck my head and don’t move. Not sure which way to go or what to do now that we have some free time.

“Shall we make our getaway?” Hunter laughs. “Or do you want to stand here and admire the cobblestone until we get caught?”

“Rude.” I grin. “Okay, fine. Let’s make it into a game. I bet you can’t keep up with me.”

“Interesting that you want to race against me.” His gaze dips to my feet. “Especially in those heels.”

“Thanks to your silicone covers, my feet are doing much better. But just in case, I get a head start, then. To make it fair, of course.”

“Of course. On the count of three. One?—”

I take off with a burst of speed. I have no idea where I’m heading, just as long as it’s away from the building and the front entrance where the paparazzi are. Hunter’s shoes slap against the stone, and I glance behind me and giggle.

“You were supposed to wait,” I yell.

“So were you.” He’s about ten feet away, dodging people as he gains on me.

I shriek and push myself harder. I’d like to think I could win against him if we were in a long-distance competition and if I were wearing proper footwear. But Hunter’s built for bursts of speed. We didn’t pick a stopping point, but I don’t care. Adrenaline races in my veins, and I have a huge smile on my face as butterflies fill my stomach the closer Hunter gets to me. Now this is the kind of fun I’ve been missing. The kind of fun from childhood that’s carefree and innocent.

Arms encircle my waist and lift me in the air. Hunter spins with me, slowing us down. I giggle, and he’s laughing along with me.

“I won,” I say, panting hard.

“Oh really? And where was the end?”

“Right there.” I point to a random spot behind us, before he caught up with me.

He chuckles and sets me down on my feet. “And what would you like as your prize? ”

“Nothing?” I didn’t think that far ahead.

“Nothing?” He raises an eyebrow. “That won’t do.” He glances around, then tugs me toward a store. A jewelry store. “You can find something here.”

“No. I don’t need any jewelry. Some gelato is enough.” I’ve barely used any money that Stella’s paying me. Even though I’m officially a millionaire, I’m not used to that kind of money and almost don’t believe it’s real. There’s no way I can accept yet another gift from Hunter. His sun bracelet is already on my wrist, alongside the navy bracelet Mom made me. That’s more than enough.

“We can do that too.” When I pull against his hold, he says, “Please? Let me spoil you some. Making you happy makes me happy.”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll look but I won’t promise to like anything.” That quickly turns out to be a lie, because the second I see the huge canary diamond necklace that’s surrounded by too many diamonds to count, it’s love at first sight. Probably because it reminds me of Hunter and the sun bracelet he got me due to the color. Hunter notices right away and makes me try it on.

It sparkles against my skin in the mirror. It’s stunning, but there’s nowhere I could wear it back home. It’s wasteful to spend that many thousands of dollars on something like this.

“We’ll take it,” Hunter says to the jeweler.

“No, it’s too much,” I whisper. “I don’t need it.”

“You don’t always have to buy stuff you need. You can also buy something because it’s pretty or because you like it.”

“But—”

Hunter kisses me, effectively stopping all the protests building on my lips. He kisses me until I forget my own name. When he pulls back, he has a smug smirk on his face.

“This necklace was made for you,” he says before whispering, “and I can’t help but picture fucking you in nothing but this around your neck.”

I shiver at his words. At how much I want that. A swipe of a credit card and we walk out with the new purchase in tow.

“What would you like to do now?” he asks.

“Eat gelato on the Spanish Steps.”

“Your wish, my command.” Hunter takes out his phone. “I’ll call Brian to pick us up.”

“I bet he’s freaking out.”

“He’s not. I already told him of our plans, and he should be around here somewhere.” I give him a confused look and he shrugs. “I didn’t want us to have an issue like last time.”

I can’t help but soften even more toward him. He’s shown me over and over again that he follows through on everything he says he’ll do. From the small things, like bringing my favorite desserts, to the bigger things, like making sure I’m safe.

I’m quiet, lost in thoughts of Hunter and him showing up for me, as Brian picks us up. I’m quiet even when Brian tosses us hats, sunglasses, and light jackets to cover our outfits. Hunter listens intently to Brian’s directions on where best to sit and how he and the team can cover us.

When we step out of the car, autumn sunlight bathes the Spanish Steps in a warm glow. Hunter and I stop at a gelato shop near the steps. He orders pistachio for himself, and I order stracciatella for me. We find a worn step halfway up the staircase to enjoy our gelatos.

The air is crisp but gentle, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and roasting chestnuts from a nearby vendor.

“Wow,” I say, taking in Rome sprawled out before us like a living tapestry. Tourists mill about, and a street performer plays the violin in a melancholic melody. A group of giggling teenage girls attempt a precarious selfie on the steps below us, and I grin as I watch them.

“It’s my first time in Rome,” he says, “and I have to say it’s as magnificent as I imagined.”

“Same here. I have a feeling I could stay here forever and die a happy person.”

“Then it’s settled, we should move here.”

“Yeah… Maybe one day.”

Our shoulders brush as we eat, both of us trying each other’s gelato every so often. We finish them while people-watching in a comfortable silence.

“Are you ready to tell me about what happened with Jax?” Hunter asks.

“He has something on S. He basically threatened that if we don’t break up by Shanghai, he’ll reveal whatever that information is.”

“What the fuck?”

“Yeah, I don’t know. There’s more to their story than I know, which is making it really hard to do my job.”

“Have you told Stella?”

I shake my head. “I’ll wait until I get back tomorrow. We’re supposed to hang out then.”

“Do you two get along?”

“Surprisingly yeah. She gives off big-sister vibes, which is new since I’ve never had one.”

“Did your parents want more kids?”

“I don’t know. But my mom couldn’t have them herself, so she adopted me when I was a baby.”

“Have you ever wanted to find your real parents?” he asks.

“Fuck no. My mom is more than enough. She’s the best person I know.”

He gives me a soft look. “From what little I know about her, she seems like the best kind of mom.”

“What about your mom? You mentioned your relationship is strained?”

“It is. My mom was happy with just my brother, and when I came along, she didn’t want anything to do with me. I feel like I’m missing part of the story, though. My dad mentioned one time she almost died giving birth to me, but she never talked to me about it. It sucks, but at least I have my dad. He got me into football and encouraged me to use the sport as my outlet.”

“That sounds complicated with your mom.”

“Yeah, it doesn’t help that she blames me for the divorce. She says I was too much to deal with, getting into trouble all the time. That it caused too many issues in their marriage.”

“You know it wasn’t your fault, right?”

He glances at me, a flicker of pain crossing his face.

“Seriously,” I say, touching his arm. “It’s not okay that she told you that, that she put the blame on you when you were a child.”

“I hear you.”

“Hearing isn’t enough. You better start believing me, too.”

He snorts. “Okay, Ms. Team Captain.”

“Aha! You’ve finally admitted it. I’ve arrived in life.”

“You really have.” He twirls a piece of my hair around his finger. “Is there anywhere else you want to see while here?”

“Everywhere.”

“Everywhere?” He grins. “Well then, it looks like we’re going to explore every inch of Rome before we leave.”

“Great idea. Let’s not sleep until we accomplish it.”

“Did you think you’d be sleeping tonight anyway?” He gives me a heated look.

“I guess not,” I whisper, my need for him battling with my desire to see the city .

“Keep looking at me like that, and we’ll be on our way to the hotel. Fuck exploring the city.”

I keep staring at him, and he chuckles. “You’re going to be the death of me. Explore now, play later.”

“Oh, fine.” I sigh dramatically. “You’re no fun.”

“That’s offensive,” he says in his Valley-girl voice, reminding me of when we first met.

I laugh and kiss his cheek. “That was the point.”