I wanted to tell him what it meant to me, but the old ache in my chest took shape, whispering doubts spun from every past hurt, murmuring that I was never enough. Vulnerability felt dangerous, like asking more than I thought I had left to give. That small, stubborn hope pressed in, an urge to trust again. Maybe, with time, I could let him all the way in.
So instead I sent back the safest thing I could manage:
Me:I love you, Hunter.
Hunter:It’s all true. I’m sure you’re
overthinking that. And I love
you too.
That was all he wrote. And somehow, it was enough to undo me all over again.
Because I finally understood, this was how Hunter loved. Quiet, steady, without fanfare. He wouldn’t flood me with declarations. He’d hand me a song and trust me to hear everything he couldn’t say. Sometimes, in those rare moments when his guard slipped, I’d catch glimpses of Hunter’s own fears and doubts. He never spoke of them directly, but there were nights when his eyes looked perilously tender, as if his heart bore silent scars he was still learning to heal. This unspoken vulnerability made the way he loved all the more profound and trustworthy.
And the wildest part? I did.
Chapter Forty One
Camille
Hunter:Some of the guys from my unit
and their families are getting together
this weekend. You should come.
Just like that. No pressure, no expectations, at least not the kind he’d ever say out loud.
I stared at the message far too long, my thumb hovering over the keyboard.
Me:That sounds… nice. But I don’t
know. I wouldn’t want to intrude.
Hunter:You wouldn’t be intruding.
You’d be with me.
Me:I’m not sure how I’ll do with
meeting friends. I’m kindof out
of practice.
Hunter:Then we’ll call it a practice run.
Hunter:No pressure, Cami. Just good
food, good company, and maybe a
bonfire if the weather holds.
Me:You make it sound easy.
Hunter:It is. You’ll see.
He meant it. I could tell. But the truth was, nothing about this felt easy to me. After I set the phone down, my chest ached with that familiar tug-of-war between wanting more and being terrified of it.
