Page 49

It was almost as if fate had been playing tricks on us or something.

As expected, it was the officer who had to call it quits for us before he cuffed Logan and walked him out of the visiting area.

Based on the panic attack I nearly had yesterday, and the anxiety I felt coming in today, it was all worth it, knowing that as I walked out of this building, and into Hunter’s car, I had the closure I’d desperately needed for years now.

There was a clearer vision in my head of what my relationship with my brother would look like in the future, and I couldn’t have done it without the push from Peyton to read his letter, and Hunter being so patient with me as I told him what my past looked like growing up with Logan.

All I knew was that after the weekend I’d had, I would be returning to the city with a completely different outlook. I was excited to see where this thing with me and Hunter would go, and how this weight off my shoulders would affect my life going forward.

It had been a few weeks since my visit with Logan. After leaving him, I figured out how to load money onto his account so that we could finally have some very overdue phone calls. It hadn’t become an everyday occurrence, but so far, we made it a point to connect a couple of times a week. Each of those conversations felt like catching up with an old friend as if no time had passed.

For the first time in my adult life, I was able to chat with him on Christmas. I think that was more sentimental for both of us than we would have thought.

Having him back in my life, even though I couldn’t see him all the time, was a breath of fresh air. Especially this new version of him. It was like getting to know my brother all over again, except every now and then, I’d still see glimpses of the little boy before the bad times took over.

Life was a little lighter now. I allowed myself to accept Logan back into my life and move forward. Nothing felt more grown-up than that—except maybe throwing all my rules out the window.

Since Hunter and I came back, I spent most nights at his place—even Christmas—and on the off chance that I wasn’t there, we texted every day. Ultimately, we were taking things slow. Doing that whole getting to know each other thing. Most evenings consisted of takeout with the occasional moment spent dancing around each other in the kitchen in an attempt to cook together. One night, we were feeling nostalgic and played twenty-one questions like we were teenagers again. As childish as it felt, and as much as it would have made me cringe weeks ago, it opened up the floor for us to connect on a different level than I was used to. Of course, Hunter took the lead after I asked him what his favorite color was. He told me that was a waste of a question since he’d always lived and breathed Neon Blue.

He helped me feel comfortable enough to open up more about my past—my life in Colorado versus Las Vegas. We talked all about what his childhood was like playing competitive hockey and having to live up to such high expectations. How his father’s passing affected his whole life path.

Until I met Hunter, there was never a time in my life where I would have thought I’d be putting a physical relationship on pause to truly get to know someone on an emotional level. Kind of ass-backwards for how it all began with us, but if I were being honest, I’d say I was pretty sure it was time to jump his bones. Getting to know his heart only made me want Hunter in all the ways I’d already had him, but this time, allow my feelings to have a say in the matter. The next time, I wouldn’t let my rules take over, I wouldn’t rush out of his house because I was scared of the feelings brewing deep down. I’d embrace it.

“This is still so fucking weird, right?” I whispered in Peyton’s direction.

I shook myself out of my thoughts as we headed up the elevator to Avery and Spencer’s place for family dinner. Every Sunday for the last handful of weeks, we made a habit of getting everyone together. And by everyone, that also included Spencer’s son, Jax—or Jackson, since Spencer called him by his birth name.

Peyton elbowed me in the ribs, her boney elbow making me wince. Her eyes widened and shot to Jax and his girlfriend, Sasha, in front of us.

Obviously hearing the commotion, Jax turned around, watching us girls act like fools. Composing ourselves, we smiled awkwardly before the elevator doors dinged, opening right up to the forty-seventh floor of the high-rise penthouse smack dab in the middle of the Las Vegas Strip.

Saved by the bell.

Jax and Sasha walked in front of us, hugged Avery, and quickly moved on. Seeing as how Jax and Avery dated for years, and then when shit went south, she ended up moving on to his dad … it still blew my mind. But somehow, they’d made it all work.

“Girl, you look so good,” Avery shrieked before I pulled her into my arms. Rocking her back and forth for a longer hug than normal, I soaked in the moment. Even though I still saw Avery weekly, things always tended to change a little bit when one of your best friends was in the honeymoon stage of a new relationship.

“What’s got this one so giddy?” Avery eyed Peyton suspiciously, searching for answers.

Peyton giggled, knowing she was privy to some information, but not the entire story.

“Oh, maybe something to do with her not coming home last night after work—or for the last few weeks, for that matter. And every time I catch her texting, she has that crazy look in her eyes like she’s totally gone for the person on the other end of the screen. Oh, and—” I slapped my hand over Peyton’s mouth.

I avoided giving her all the details because I wanted to soak it all up for myself first. Then, I planned to tell my girls together.

“What? It’s true!” Peyton mumbled into my hand.

Letting my hand fall, I said, “What she means to say is, I kissed a boy, and I may have liked it. But we are going to leave it at that.” I sauntered off, grabbing the two bottles of wine Peyton had brought because Lord knows I was going to need a drink. There was a more likely chance of hell freezing over, than Avery and Peyton dropping the fact that for the first time since either of them had met me, I was entertaining the company of a man for longer than just one night.

Family dinners were usually small—me, my girls, Spencer, Jax, sometimes his girlfriend, and usually Jayson. Yes, the best hockey player for the Neon was a semi-regular attendee to our little family dinners—he was Spencer’s best friend. But since Jayson had an away game, he couldn’t make it. Any time he was missing, things were oddly quiet around here. With him being gone, I felt the need to stir things up.

A devilish smirk found my lips as I pulled out my phone.

Me: You busy?

Almost immediately, my phone buzzed with a response.

Colton: Honey, you know I love you, but it sounds a hell of a lot like you’re booty calling me.