Page 12 of Waiting for You (Balsam Cliffs #3)

I thought we had a moment when I made her laugh with my stupid comment. But then she ran away from her booth. When I saw her grabbing her fried dough, I knew her next stop would be the ferris wheel.

Growing up, getting to watch her and learn her routine, I know she’s peopled out. She needs sugar and quiet. Unfortunately, well not for me, this is the perfect opportunity to get her to myself.

Seeing her as a new business owner, getting to do something for herself after what Roman told me makes me so proud of her.

She seems lighter today than she has the last few times I’ve seen her with Neil and her parents.

She’s been joking with Emma and Violet, even the other locals she grew up with and hasn’t seen much in the last few years.

After a day of nostalgia, I’m taking my chance.

She’s next in line for the ferris wheel and I sprint to the line to get in behind her. The moment she takes a bite of her fried dough, I see my chance.

“Can I join you?”

She looks down at my hands, seeing them empty. “You need a ticket.”

Ah, I thought of that too. I pull out a twenty, knowing this kid would happily take an extra twenty instead of a ticket.

I follow her into the small car, squeezing in next to her.

“What do you want, Hunter?”

The car begins to move and I don’t trust the weight distribution, plus I want to see her true reaction, not the bullshit answer I think she’ll give me. I need to see her eyes to know the truth.

I move across from her. “Eve. I don’t want to just be friendly with you because you’re back in town.

” Her eyes go wide. “I know I don’t even deserve the right to say this to you, but I still love you.

I never stopped. Losing you was the biggest mistake of my life.

I’m not asking for anything. I just… you need to know how I feel.

In case there’s even the tiniest chance you still love me. I had to tell you.”

Her eyes have grown wide as saucers, and now I can see the sadness creep in. The pain comes next.

“Hunter—”

I reach out to take her hand in mine. She pauses for a moment, thinking about allowing herself to hold my hand before she pulls back.

“You don’t know me anymore. You can’t love someone you don’t know.

” Her eyes fill with tears. “We’re just strangers with memories now, and there can’t be anything more. ”

“We’re more than strangers, Eve. I guarantee I still know more about you than even you remember about yourself.” I risk putting my hand on her thigh, she doesn’t move so I rest it there and squeeze her thigh for support.

“We can’t. I wouldn’t survive it,” she whispers out so quietly I almost don’t hear her.

The car comes to a stop back at the bottom, and the attendant opens the door. We stare at each other for a moment before she breaks and stands first. I lumber out of the small car first, waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs and taking her hand to help her out.

I pull her into my arms, leaning in to brush my lips over the shell of her ear as I speak. “I’m going to show you I’m not something to survive, Peach. I’m yours. And I will do everything I can to make the new you love me too.”

Releasing her, I walk away. When I’m halfway back to the booths, I look back over my shoulder to see her still standing in the same space, unmoved from how I left her. She still loves me, and I have a chance. She never said she doesn’t love me anymore. I’m going to take every opportunity I can.

I make it back to my booth when a small hand on my bicep has me turning around.

“You don’t get to do that.” Evelyn seethes.

“You don’t get to just turn my whole world upside down to make yourself feel better.

I waited for you for so long that I gave up.

I leaned into the hate, because it didn’t hurt nearly as bad.

So you don’t get to just come out with that and think it’s all okay. ”

She’s shaking and I can’t tell if she’s mad or upset or a combination of both. Taking her hand, I lead her between our booths so that we have some privacy behind my booth near my truck.

“Hey, I didn’t mean it like that. I don’t want to hurt you more.

But I never hated you. Not for one damn second.

I hid behind that hate like a shield. Fuck, Eve.

Watching you with Neil. I wanted to die right then and there.

Knowing that someone else had what was mine because I fucked up as a twenty year old kid?

That I couldn’t change one damn thing about it?

” I step into her space, at first she stiffens at my proximity.

“I don’t feel better about telling you and causing this reaction.

I do feel better that I know you still love me too.

You wouldn’t react like this if you didn’t. ”

“I do not—”

Reaching around I pick her up, gripping her ass and pushing her against the bed of my truck. “You do, Peach. Don’t lie to me. You remember how it feels to have me love you. And you remember how it feels to love me.” I run my lips along her exposed collarbone.

“How high am I supposed to jump, Hunt?”

“What?” I continue letting my lips explore her body as it relaxes into me.

“You say jump, I ask how high, right? Isn’t that what you’re implying?” Her gaze burns into my skin. She’s trying to stay pissed, to be mad at me despite our proximity.

I pull back to look at her. She’s trying to get the upper hand here.

“It’s not at all. And I only ever want you to jump high enough to land on my cock, Peach.”

She attempts to wiggle out of my grip, but all it does is grind her pussy into my growing-harder-by-the-second dick.

“I’m going to get you to love me again. Be ready for it, Peach.”

I place her back on the ground, and once again walk away back into my booth.

She stomps back through the tents to get to her booth. I wink at her as she passes. Her eyes narrow and she huffs at me.

I guess we’re sticking with the hate for now.