his knuckles against my cheek. “I’m sorry.”
My brows drip. “Sorry for what?”
“That I can’t keep kissing you right now. I want to … really fucking badly.” He’s strangely serious at the moment. “I’ll try to make it so Jax’s stupid meeting doesn’t drag out for too long.” He lowers his head and kisses me softly on the cheek.
My eyes involuntarily shut, but I force them open before he leans back and sees.
He offers me a small smile before turning to walk out of the room.
“Hunter?” I call out.
He pauses, glancing over his shoulder with his brows puckered. “Yeah?”
“Why do you keep kissing me … when you guys made this big deal about not breaking the rules and not kissing each other is one of those rules? And yet, you keep kissing me and seem like you’re okay with it … It doesn’t make any sense unless Jax’s punishments aren’t that bad.”
“You won’t get punished,” he insists. “I promise.”
I chew on my bottom lip. “How can you be so sure? Because Jax seems pretty set on punishing me.”
“Jax might change his mind,” he replies vaguely, a wave of tension rippling through his lean muscles. “And if he doesn’t, I’ll take the punishment for you.” He turns around to leave, tossing over his shoulder, “Oh, and make sure to call your aunt and uncle and tell them you’ll be living with us from now. And that we’ll be stopping by as soon as the lockdown is lifted to pick up your stuff.” With that, he exits the room.
I let out the loudest breath as his words seep through me. Not what he said about calling my aunt and uncle. What he said before that. About taking the punishment for me.
No one has ever done something like that for me, and the idea that he would is doing strange things to my heart. But why would he do that? Why would he endure a punishment for me when he hardly knows me?
Unless he does …
My mind starts to race with questions as I get up from the bed and start pacing the room. Who are these guys? How do I know them? And why are all these memories suddenly surfacing?
I have no answers to any of these questions, but I need to get some. I just don’t know where to start. I could snoop around, except there are cameras everywhere. I could just ask the guys, but I’m not positive I trust them. Plus, my mom said not to trust anyone. But she’s not here …
Because of me …
As guilt presses against my chest, I wander around the room, looking at all the photos on the wall. Then I peer inside the freakin’ huge closet that literally has no purpose for me since all the stuff I own could fit into a suitcase.
“Man, this room is insane,” I mutter as I open the curtain to look outside. Then I shake my head in awe.
The view is amazing. Not only does it show miles and miles of rolling green hills and trees, but I can see the backyard, the massive pool in it, a pool house, and a gazebo.
“How is this three teenage guys’ house?” Shaking my head again, I let go of the curtain as reality sinks in.
These guys have everything. Like literally everything. No wonder they won’t take no for an answer. They’re used to getting everything they want. Well, materialistic items anyway. From the tidbits of stuff I’ve heard about their personal lives, I wonder if they don’t have much of anything except maybe each other. Even in the memories I’m recalling of them, it seems like they were just as close as they are now. And I feel like I know them, so what does that mean?
Blowing out an exasperated breath, I start to turn away from the window, but pause. In the distance, near the trees, I swear I can see a figure creeping around. But when I blink, it’s gone.
“It was probably just like a deer or something,” I mutter as I walk away from the window.
I flop down onto the bed and stare up at the ceiling. What am I going to do? Because if I don’t get some answers, I’m going to go crazy.
Thrumming my fingers against my leg, I decide to start someplace easy. Or, well, easier than trying to figure out the complications of my crazy mind.
I sit up and dig my new phone out of my pocket. Then I tap open the dial