it.”
“Then batten the hatches. I think you’re going to be happy.”
HE DID INDEED STILL SNORE. I slept harder than I had in years, though, despite the upheaval of the previous night. When I woke, the sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. I felt warm and safe and happy.
And then he shifted.
“You’re awake,” I realized. The lack of snores should’ve been a giveaway.
“I am.”
I rolled so I could see his face, almost sighing when I caught sight of the morning stubble and lazy smile. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Surprisingly, yeah. I didn’t even stir once I went down.”
“Me either. I didn’t dream. I can’t remember the last time that happened.”
“You used to say that you got your story ideas from dreams.” He pushed my hair from my eyes, making me realize it was probably standing on end in a hundred different directions. He didn’t seem to care, so I didn’t either.
“I haven’t gotten story inspiration in a long time.” Even though I was ridiculously comfortable, I strained to a sitting position and studied the clock. “I have to be downstairs in thirty minutes.”
“Morning shift again?” His lips curved into a smirk. “I take it from that look on your face that you’re still not a morning person.”
“I hate mornings. Grandpa is making me stay on them until he’s convinced I don’t need supervision. He’s a mean dude when he wants to be.”
Hunter barked out a laugh. “He’s a pretty decent guy.”
“Then why is he making me work mornings when he knows I hate them?”
“Have you ever considered that he wants you close? You’ve been gone a long time. You’re one of his favorites, though he’d never admit to having favorites.”
“The boys are his favorites.”
“On the surface, yes. He’s closer with the boys, like David, because he thinks he should be. But he favors you.”
“He has a funny way of showing it.”
Hunter’s hand moved to my back so he could lightly rub. “I still think he loves you.”
“Of course he loves me. We’re family. You have to love family, even when you don’t like them.”
“Fine. I think he likes you, too. You’re just determined to be hard on yourself right now, so there’s no point in continuing this conversation. Hopefully, when things settle a bit, you’ll realize what a pain you’re being and get over it.”
I shot him a look. “I’m not being a pain.”
“Oh, you’re being a pain.” He poked my side and grinned. “You’ve always been this way. You’re a crab in the morning, but I think there’s more going on here than just that.”
He was right. “Do you ever think things are so bad there’s no way they can ever get better?”
It was a serious question, and the way the smile slid from his face told me he was going to give it a serious answer. “Only once.”
“With your dad?” I felt like an idiot. He’d gone through so much. Of course he felt that way as a kid.
“No. I knew I would get away from my father if I could somehow survive for a few years. When you and I got together, the escapes were easier. The dreams were easier, too. I saw the way your family was and knew there was more out there.”
The reaction was so earnest it shocked me into silence.
“The only time I felt like there was no way out was when I lost you.” He shimmied to the end of the couch and refused to meet my gaze. “It took a long time to crawl out from that hole. I did, though. Eventually. You’ll do the same. You just need to ... breathe. I don’t think you’re allowing yourself to relax even a little bit.”
“How can I when there are strange people trying to get into my apartment?”
“I plan to make sure that’s impossible after today, so you can’t continue to use that as an excuse.”
I decided to remind him one more time that I wasn’t his responsibility. “You don’t have to. I’m sure you have things that need to be done in your own life.” Like Monica, who was probably spitting mad.
“Don’t start.” He pinned me with a look. “This is going to happen. I’m not leaving this apartment until I’m sure you’ll be safe. Just ... stop arguing about it.”
Another glance at the clock told me I had no choice in that matter. “Well, thank you.” I grunted as I found my footing. “I think I might be too old to sleep on the couch like we just did.”
That