“Hunter,” Edward calls out behind me. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
I roll my eyes at V, shoot back the rest of the scotch, and round the bar towards his office.
“Good luck,” she whispers as I step out of the living room.
Yeah, good luck. Something tells me I’m going to need it.
Entering his office, the Old Man sits in his chair. One hand held to his forehead, he rocks back and forth with worry. This is a look I have never seen before from the usually calm, collected, and reserved Edward Cunningham. Timidly, I close the door and take a few steps inside the study.
He swivels around to meet my stare. His eyes are filled with worry, frustration, anxiety. Closing the distance between us, I search my mind trying to figure out just what has brought the Hollywood King to his knees.
“I need you to do something for me,” he says.
I know whatever it is, I would probably rather die before doing. I drag out the time before I respond. In the silence, his anxiety quickly turns to panic.
“What is it?” I finally ask as I come to stand in front of his desk.
Leaning forward, he places his hands together in a steeple and waits a moment before meeting my eyes. When he does, they beg and plead with me to do as he wishes.
“Something has come up, and I need to attend to it now, not any later. There is a function tonight on the Sunset strip. I was going to go and was actually going to call you to accompany me, but I can’t now, and I need you to make an appearance. It won’t take you long, but someone, not just anyone, needs to be there.”
“So send V, you know she wants to do this shit more than me.”
Edward shakes his head and leans back in his chair. “Can’t. Not this time.”
“I have plans,” I counter as fast as possible, hoping that will get me out of this.
“Then change them!” he snaps back instantly.
“What if I told you my plans were also non-negotiable,” I grit out, thinking about Rochelle and how I need to see her and explain everything so we can get us back to normal. “I can’t break my engagement.”
Edward stands and rounds his desk. “If your engagement involves that homely brunette you brought here the other night, we need to have another conversation about where you belong in life, Hunter, and how she doesn’t fit into that plan.”
“I thought I made myself clear a long time ago, Edward, that my plans have changed. You running my life ended the second I got rid of that damn trust fund and the power you thought you held over me.”
I turn to leave but he continues.
“Watch it, Hunter. If it wasn’t for who your parents were, I would have done more than just cut off your trust several years ago.”
I spin around and face him. “So what’s stopping you now? News flash, you don’t get a say in who I spend my time with. And you sure as shit don’t get to boss me around and tell me where to go and when to be there. I would rather die than walk another fucking red carpet.”
Edward takes a few heated steps toward me until we are toe-to-toe. “This event needs a strong male presence. It’ll be full of all the asshole bigwigs Victoria doesn’t know how to handle. So pull your head out of your ass and have some more damn respect for the people who both love and raised you. The people who gave you a home when you had none, and do this one damn favor for me.”
Damn it if he isn’t right. Softening, I take a step back and admit defeat as I say, “Fine.”
He gives me a grateful nod. “But just so we are clear, Old Man. You don’t get to have a say in who I love, who I trust, and who I choose to spend the rest of my damn life with.”
The look on his face as I slam the door is priceless. Stalking towards the exit, I ready my mind to walk into the world of sin in this restless City of Angels.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Rochelle
It’s a little after 7:30 when I finally close up the shop. With no late appointments, Melissa left early and told me to do the same the second one of the other girls finished up for the night. Locking up by myself was nowhere near as lonely as walking home by myself.
Most nights, the twenty-minute walk was something I looked forward to. But that was before Hunter. Before my world changed and I never knew how hard it would be to walk back into my past. A world that now feels so empty, with no one to share it with but Momma.
I walked further tonight than I have in years. For hours, I aimlessly strolled up PCH, searching myself, searching the universe, to turn around with no answers and start to make my way back home. I look at my watch and see it’s close to 10:30. Momma will be asleep when I get back. I’ll have no choice but to lay awake, lonely, depressed, as I continue to deny myself what I really want.
