Page 60 of Too Far

“You know what Jimmy says. Beware of Sharks that can party on land.”

For a minute, my head swims in confusion, but when I get it, I snort. She’s talking about Jimmy Buffett. Only Hunter…

“What if I told you I was down there dancing with your not-brother?” I tease. I flip my pillow, savoring the feel of the cool fabric on my cheek as I settle in.

Hunter holds my gaze for all of three seconds, her face neutral. “I’d call bullshit. Your boyfriend wouldn’t stand for that.”

“Which one?” I challenge.

“Exactly!” she squeals, shoving me playfully until we’re both laughing.

It feels good to laugh. It feels even better to lie down.

God, I’m thankful Kylian has blockers on the camera feeds in this room. Despite the glow of the little red light in the corner, I trust in his expertise and have absolute faith in his assurance that there will be no usable footage of what happens between these four walls.

With a soft groan, I relax my muscles and settle in for sleep.

But then Hunter speaks.

“I’m going to sleep here tonight, if that’s okay with you.”

I hum, gripping her hand. “Of course it is.” Then, pushing my luck, I add, “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes.” A sigh. “No. I don’t know.”

“Hunter…”

“It’s my mom.”

My eyes pop open and a surge of surprise courses through me. So much for relaxed muscles. I assumed Greedy’s presence at the party tonight was the issue. Her mom, though? Since the first day she and I hung out, she’s been tight-lipped about the woman.

“Your mom?”

That’s all it takes to convince her to continue.

“It’s been almost a year since I heard from her last. Now, all of a sudden, she’s been calling. Leaving voicemails. She keeps saying she’s coming home… that she can’t wait to see me.”

Her tone is filled with trepidation and her voice quavers, making the words sound more like a threat than a promise.

“You don’t want her here?” I guess.

Hunter flops to her back, sighing. “She’s my mom. I feel awful saying I don’t want her here, but…”

“But?”

“She’s not a good person, Joey,” she whispers. “She’s manipulative. Mean. Greedy hates her. Those two together…” She trails off, sounding utterly defeated.

I press my lips together, forcing myself to hold back the litany of questions I want to ask.

Silence ensues.

I’m okay with silence. I understand its importance.

But I need her to know that if there’s ever a time when silence doesn’t serve her anymore, I’ll be here for that, too.

Still gripping her hand, I mirror her position and lie flat on my back.

“Nothing you could say would ever change how I feel about you.”