was just surprised when I saw you. I thought ... well ... it was like going back in time for a bit.”
I understood, because it almost seemed kismet when I turned to find him standing there, as if nothing had changed and we were still the same dreamy kids who planned a life they could never share. “It’s okay.” I flashed a shy smile. “You just took me by surprise. This is Deadman’s Hill, after all. I thought maybe the dead man was finally coming for me.”
He laughed, as I’d intended. “You should write a book about this place,” he said. “You should make it a paranormal mystery thriller. Those things sell like hot cakes.”
“I don’t know if I’m good enough to plot a mystery. I’ve never tried. I focused on women’s fiction because that way I wouldn’t have to deal with a dead body. Now the only thing that’s dead is my career.”
Hunter’s eyes flashed with annoyance. “I really wish you wouldn’t say things like that.”
“Even if they’re the truth?”
“It’s not the truth, Stormy.” He was firm. “Things haven’t gone the way you thought they would. That doesn’t make you a failure. It doesn’t mean you can’t get back everything that you had.”
I told myself that he didn’t mean for there to be a double meaning to his words, but a small ember of hope ignited all the same. “I just feel a little lost right now,” I admitted. “I hate feeling sorry for myself, but that’s what I’m feeling these days. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“It’s okay to feel sorry for yourself,” he reassured me. “The key is not to let those sorrowful feelings take over your life. I did that and wasted years being a cranky mope.”
“You felt sorry for yourself for years?” I couldn’t picture that.
He pinned me with a solemn look. “I had a broken heart. It wasn’t as easy as I thought it would be to get over.”
The statement was more pointed than I expected. “Oh, I ... .”
“I’m sorry.” He held up his hands. “That was a horrible thing to say. You’re not to blame for what happened to me.”
“What did happen to you?” I was legitimately curious. “I mean ... you’re stronger than I remember.” I realized the observation could’ve been construed as insulting after I’d already said it. “You were always strong, of course, but you’re stronger now. It feels almost miraculous to witness.”
He smirked and shook his head, pointing toward the trail. “Let’s walk. If we’re going to talk about serious stuff, I need something to look at besides you if I want to keep from being embarrassed.”
“Fair enough.” I was happy for the walk. “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to. It’s not as if you owe me anything.”
“No, but I feel like I owe myself this chance to unload some things that have been bothering me over the years.”
I swallowed hard. “Are you going to yell? I’m not saying I haven’t earned your ire, but I’m not sure I’m up to being yelled at today. Do you think it could wait a week or two? Just until I’m feeling stronger.”
He looked amused. “What makes you think I’m going to yell?”
I shrugged. “You used to need to vent. When things got you down, when your father was on a bender and terrorizing you, venting was the best way for you to handle things.”
“I never yelled at you.” He appeared appalled at the prospect.
“No, you yelled at the universe. I just stood by helplessly and watched because I had no idea how to make things better.”
“You helped me just by being there, Stormy.” His face was naked with emotion. “You were the only one who understood what was happening. Part of that was because I was embarrassed for anyone else to find out. In hindsight, that seems stupid. I know about cycles of abuse, and my family was hardly the only one muddling through it at the time. I still didn’t want people to know. Even now I keep it to myself.”
His far-off expression made me blurt out a question that was absolutely none of my business. “Does Monica know?”
He snapped his eyes back to me, something I couldn’t quite identify flashing in the depths of his eyes. “No. She doesn’t know.” He offered up a wan smile. “Monica is not the type of person who cares about childhood trauma.”
The revelation agitated me. “Then maybe she’s not the right person for you.”
Hunter used his