She tilts her head, fighting back a smile. “Okay. Have fun then. Your couch is calling my name.”
We take off down the street, the sun high and bright, its rays warming my skin. Summer is nearly here, and with it comes the rush of people. Locals flocking to the parks, people passing through that get swept up in Sunlit Cove’s charm, staying longer than they planned. The hum of the busy season stirs something in me, a mix of excitement and anticipation. I love it—the longer days, the nights that come alive at the bar.
“So,” Connor breaks the silence, his voice low but sharp, “you ever gonna tell me why you disappeared and didn’t bother to contact me? I thought we were closer than that, man.”
The words hit me like a splash of cold water. I crouch slightly to put Remi down, taking his hand in mine and letting him walk beside me. My grip tightens on his backpack, knuckles whitening as I force myself to meet Connor’s gaze. Dread laces through my chest, making each breath feel heavy, my throat tight with words I can’t quite form. I swallow hard, forcing the knot in my stomach to loosen.
Madison isn’t the only one I let down.
8
MAKE ME BEG
HUNTER
She did something I never could. She organized the shit out of everything. I stare at the laptop screen, scrolling through the files she’s touched. The roster’s color-coded, stocktake alphabetized. Even the folders look cleaner. Everything I’d been meaning to do but never had the patience for. My half-assed, lazy system worked fine for me, but this…Holy shit.She didn’t just fix it, she made it better.
“Hey, man.”
I glance up to find Asher dropping onto the two-seater against the wall, his legs sprawled, taking up half the couch.
“Did you know Madison was doing all of this?” I wave a hand at the screen. “Have you seen what she’s done?”
The smirk he gives me twists something low in my chest, like there’s an inside joke here I haven’t been let in on.
“What?” I ask, suspicion lacing my tone.
“She did good, hey?” he says, casual as hell.
My eyes narrow. He doesn’t flinch, doesn’t even blink. Just sits there with that infuriating grin until my brain finally catches up.
I lean back in my chair. “What’s the bet?” I ask him with a matching smirk, playing at my lips.
“Don’t know what you’re talking about,” Asher says, tilting his head.
“Yeah, right. How much do you win if I throw a hissy fit over this?”
His smile widens, teeth flashing as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Fifty bucks if you lose your shit. Connor reckons you’ll go the other way and praise her for the effort.”
Footsteps pound down the hallway before I can respond. Connor appears in the doorway, bent over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, like he ran here.
“Did I miss it? What’d he do?” he pants.
They’re both watching me now, waiting, their eyes bright. I glance between them, then back to the laptop. The color-coded tabs stare back at me, organized and perfect. I smile slowly. Let them sweat as they wait.
“Asher, pay the man,” I say.
“Fuck yes!” Connor punches the air.
“Dude, seriously?” Asher grumbles, digging into his back pocket for his wallet.
“Have you seen what she’s done?” I gesture toward the screen. “This would have taken fucking months with the state I left it in.”
“Five actually.”
Her voice comes from behind Connor, and he immediately steps to the side.
The world spins, then stops. My pulse kicks hard. My toes feel numb. I stop breathing.Fuck, she’s beautiful.Air burns its way into my chest, and I push to my feet, nearly tripping over them. My palms slap against the desk before Icatch myself. I stand, praying for my brain to signal to my toes to wake up. To calm the fucking nerves.
