“Still not awake?”
Click–every light in the room came on.
Bella stood there in a red dress, eyes puffy and red.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Hunter? Be real with yourself–do you actually love Avery that much? When are you gonna pull your head out of your ass and admit you’re in love with me?”
“Not happening!”
Avery’s the only woman I’ve ever loved. I don’t just flip a switch.
But Bella was having none of it. She kept pushing this bullshit about me not knowing my own feelings.
Started throwing “proof” in my face.
“Hunter, if you don’t love me, then why’d you lose your shit and start throwing punches when you saw me with that random guy? Why do you drop everything and haul ass over here at 3 AM when I call crying? You literally can’t function when I’m upset!”
“I used to think you were just… mine, you know? Like my toy. If I didn’t want you, then screw Avery having you. That’s why I competed with her. But I was dead wrong, Hunter. I’m fucking crazy about you!”
“Stop talking.”
“Hell no!”
She was spiraling, completely ignoring me.
“Go ahead, be a pussy about it. Stay blind to what’s right there. But I’m not! I love you! Watching you torture yourself over Avery is ripping my heart out. I’m done with her ghost living rent–free in your head. She’s dead, Hunter. Stone cold dead. There is no more Avery…”
“I said shut the fuck up! This is our home–mine and Avery’s! You don’t get to come in here and lose your goddamn mind. Get out!”
I’d never talked to Bella like that. Not once in twenty–something years.
First time ever, and I was ready to throw her out myself.
I used to tolerate all her dramatic bullshit because our families have history, but she crossed the line talking about Avery like that.
I dragged her ass out of there.
Didn’t want Avery getting even more pissed when she found out Bella was here, so I cleaned the whole place top to bottom.
When I got to the bedroom, I saw my tuxedo laid out on the bed.
The one we’d picked out together for our wedding.
I smiled, walking over to it.
But next to the tux wasn’t the matching wedding dress. Instead, there was a stack of cut–up photos.
Pictures of me and Avery–all our happy moments–except now they only showed me. Avery had been carefully cut out of every single one.
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So You Wanted Me Gone? The Comedy Show from My Ghost Perch Is Savage!
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Chapter 7
She used to treasure these photos. If she saw them like this, she’d be furious with me all over again!
I was about to check the security cameras when I stepped on something.
Avery’s diary. I recognized it instantly, but the second I touched it, my chest seized up like someone was squeezing my heart.
Every instinct screamed not to look.
But my hands moved faster than my brain. Before I knew it, the thing was open.
On the blank page, her neat handwriting: [I have to love Hunter every single day].
Should’ve made me happy.
Didn’t.
Because she’d crossed it out with angry scribbles, and underneath was her final verdict:
[Loving Hunter is exhausting].
[I want to give up on Hunter].
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
