“Already on it!” Deb calls back.
I glance at my watch. “When is she supposed to be here?”
“In about twenty minutes,” Hunter replies and then pauses. “Why are you asking me that? To be honest, I’m a little shocked you didn’t come in together.”
Our eyes meet, and he groans. “You ended it? What the hell, Griff. Why?”
Shit. He’s almost as devastated as I am, and he hasn’t even met her. I would feel bad for him if I weren’t feeling horrific myself. “It wasn’t my decision. It was hers, but I completely agree with it.”
“Of course you do.” Hunter’s sarcasm is undeniable. “Griffin doesn’t let Griffin have nice things.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“Do you like her?”
I nod.
“So why end it? Why let her talk you out of it? Why not talk herintoit?” He looks like my mom used to when she didn’t like my report card. But unlike with my mom, I can talk back to him.
“Back off. It’s complicated.”
“Life is complicated. Deal with it or be alone and miserable forever,” he gripes.
I lean forward, my elbows on my knees. “I like her. A lot. I feel this connection with her I haven’t felt before. Not even with Lauren. I think I was chasing it with Lauren. We were almost there…but we never got there. With Sadie, it’s been there since we met.”
He leans back in his big black leather chair and lifts his hands as if to say WTF. “You’re just making my point, dumbass.”
“But she’s going through a lot with her family, and she needs someone who can be there for her,” I explain and press my fingertips into my temples. “And no, I don’t want to be alone, but the fact is the only thing that will make me truly miserable is if I lose Charlie.”
“You are not going to lose her,” Hunter promises me for the millionth time. “Jesus, Griff. You need to have faith in me. I would never let that happen.”
“You know if Lauren gets her custody wish and she moves Charlie to New York that I am moving too, right?” I reply.
Hunter sighs, and his shoulders droop. “Yeah. I know. You didn’t even have to say it. But it doesn’t matter because that’s not happening. And honestly, Charlie is old enough to testify herself and will have a say in this. You know she won’t want to leave you.”
“I am not making her choose between us.” My words are so hard they’re almost a growl. I take a breath to calm down. “Lauren and I made a pact about that from the get-go and I am going to stick to it.”
There’s a knock at the door, so our conversation halts. Debra walks in with two coffee mugs. She places them on Hunter’s messy desk and pats my shoulder as she leaves. I grab the latte and take a big, scalding sip before looking at my watch again. “She’s late. Maybe she’s not coming. Maybe something happened with her dad. Or maybe she just decided not to do it.”
Hunter raises both his eyebrows. He just needs a floral dress and he really could pass as our mom. “She would call if something came up, and she won’t just bail. You wouldn’t be falling in love with a girl who bails on something so important to you.”
He’s got me there. And as if the universe is proving the point, there’s a tap at the door, and I turn to find Debra ushering Sadie into the room. I stand in concern the minute I see her, because she looks worse than I do. Her pale skin is so much paler than normal it’s almost translucent. And she’s got dark bags under her light blue eyes. She blinks, surprised to see me. “Hi. I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Hunter stands and walks around his desk. “I like to have him here so he knows what’s going down. He’s more than a little stressed about this.”
“Rightfully so,” she replies and extends her hand. “Sadie Braddock.”
“Hunter Sullivan.” Hunter smiles at her and cracks the joke he always cracks when he meets people when I’m around. “He’s the Sullivan brawn and I’m the Sullivan brain.”
She doesn’t laugh. All she manages is a smile, but it’s forced. Luckily, Hunter doesn’t take it personally, because I know she doesn’t mean it that way. Something is wrong with her and even if it’s not my place, I need to know what it is.
“Hunter…”
“I’m going to go get you a latte,” Hunter announces, knowing I’m about to ask him for a minute alone with her.
“I don’t need coffee,” she argues, but her voice has no fight in it. “I just want to get this done.”
“You’re early. It’s fine.” Hunter smiles and heads out.
