9. Greedy

It's been two days.

Two full days. Two lonely nights.

She's in there. I can sense her presence. I've also passed outside the double doors that lead from her bedroom to our shared second-story porch and glanced inside several times to confirm it.

My initial worry has morphed into annoyance.

She's done this four times since showing up in South Chapel.

Day in and day out, she pushes me away. Evasion is her default. Until one night, she comes crawling into my bed. She's spacey each time, not fully present. Or maybe she's just tired of fighting it. I know I am.

She slips under the covers and clings to me throughout the night. Drapes her lithe frame and perfect fucking curves around me. Holds on so tightly I swear she remembers every inch of me, too.

Then, when she wakes in the morning, I pretend to be asleep. It's easier than being met with the regret in her expression and the blatant rejection.

She slips out without a word.

For the next few days, she goes radio silent and makes herself scarce.

When she finally does emerge, there's no mention of that night. No explanation for her appearance beside my bed. No discussion about why she's willing to give in and let me hold her about once a month.

All I want to do is fucking hold her.

My MO is to give her space. I don't push. I've been so fucking patient, waiting for her to come back to me. We both know damn well I'll take her any way I can have her.

Levi's reappearance in South Chapel is a welcome distraction from my efforts to figure out Hunter. Who is she now, and why won't she allow herself to be honest about her feelings most of the time?

Levi's scheduled to be discharged in a few hours, and he's asking after her. She's either coming with me, or she's letting him down.

I knock on her bedroom door. "Tem," I call out, loud and strong.

She shuffles slowly to the door. It's the only warning I get before it swings open and my stepsister greets me with raised brows.

Fuck. She's so pretty.

With a deep inhale, I fight the urge to grab her and kiss her senseless.

Lips pursed, she crosses her arms over her chest and takes me in. Green eyes the color of glass marbles track my movements as I scratch at the back of my neck.

Her expression is cold, removed, distant. Like she can barely stand to be near me.

"What's up?"

Even as it causes another fissure in my heart, I scoff at the aloofness.

She acts as if we're merely acquaintances. As if I wasn't cradling her body against my chest while she sobbed less than forty-eight hours ago.

While the ache in my chest grows, like it has every damn day for years, she gives me nothing. Her expression is emotionless as she peers up at me.

"Levi is being discharged today. He's asking if we'll come visit him one last time."

Her face screws up in question, but her fa?ade remains intact.

"You know how he gets about his mom. He probably won't want us visiting much once he's at her house."

For the first time since she opened the door, Hunter shows a shred of genuine emotion. Her brows knit together, and her pink lips turn down in a scowl.

"I feel so bad for him," she murmurs, shaking her head.

I do, too. Even if Levi's a stubborn fucker. He's self-righteous and so unnecessarily prideful that he gets in his own way. He'd rather suffer under his mom's roof than accept help from his friends.

Sighing, I rest one arm against the doorjamb and lean in. "I offered to let him stay here. I figured, between the two of us—"

"You and I could totally handle it," she declares. Her eyes are suddenly bright, and there's a fresh excitement in her voice.

"I offered," I say with a huff. "But he refused. We can't force him to accept help from us."

Hunter's face falls. Then she glares—at me, as if I'm the bad guy here.

Typical.

I knock twice on her doorframe and turn to leave before I do something stupid.

Like kiss her senseless. Or carry her back to my room and keep her there indefinitely.

"I'm leaving in ten minutes," I say without turning around.

"I'm coming with you!" she calls after me.

Satisfied, I smirk. I'm in for an afternoon of that signature Hunter aloofness blended with the silent treatment, that's for sure. But when it comes to my girl, I'll take her any way I can get her.