120Hunter didn't stop himself when his mouth curled in a ferocious scowl. He grabbed Zara's arm and lightly shook her to reprimand her."Why the hell are you here, Zara?""I... I heard about the firing from Cole a-and... And couldn't stop myself from wanting to meet you. I'm sorry if I..." She trailed off. Zara made a dreadful face as if she was scared of Hunter's wrath and even lowered her skull to appear like she was hurt by his coldness. "You could have waited till I came back home, Zara! You destroyed our moment. God dammit!" Hunter heaved angrily as he ran a hand through his wet hair. “I had been chasing after Claire for weeks, and just when she was starting to warm up to me, you had to appear and make her go ten steps backward. You reversed all my efforts and progress.”"I... I am sorry but I..." Zara ran back to Cole and shed tears in front of him.Though Cole wasn't any closer to Zara, he didn't like the way she sobbed and asked him to take her back. He also recalled the wa
121"Fine, I will forgive you. But I have a condition," Zara eyed him narrowly as she pouted."Let's hear your condition then." Hunter nervously rubbed his nape. He had been trying to placate her for ten minutes. Zara couldn't drag it further. Who knows if he had a change of heart! She wasn't here to piss him off. Rather, she was here to make him see she was his right choice. "You will allow me to treat your wounds." She handed him a smile. She added, "Hunter, we couldn't be a couple. But we can be good friends. Best friends. I also want to pay you back in some way, in any way I could, for all you have done for me. I can't just take everything and give back nothing. You saved me from my in-laws and many other threats, Hunter. The least I can do is be your doctor and treat you.""If it will make you happy then be it. But Zara," Hunter heaved. "I hope you will respect my privacy. You know I am chasing Claire. I don't want her to misunderstand this as anything else.""Rest assured I w
122Claire's POVI stepped inside my father's house by Eleven. I was completely drenched and left a trail behind me like a snail when I walked in. My parents were sitting in the hall with worried pale faces. Scott was continuously dialling a number.I was heading for the stairs when, "Laire, oh darling! You are home finally." Mom rose to her feet hastily and sauntered towards me.She cupped my cheeks and kissed my full face. Her heavy breaths fanned my face. Seeing her snapped something within me. Tears welled up in my eyes and I wrapped my arms around her torso while she caressed my hair and held me by the shoulders with her cold and jittery fingers."Where were you, baby? You gave us all a heart attack. Your phone is unreachable and your secretary said you left earlier. Wh-why are you drenched? Wh-where's your car, baby?" Dad stammered towards the end as his concerned eyes raked over my face.The gentle touch of his hand on my head sent my emotions spiraling into chaos. I felt a lum
123Claire's POV "You know? H-how did you—" Another squeeze from her and I calmed down. Now it was starting to make sense. My mom came to my room and gave me all the time in the world so I would confide in her. She was encouraging me to trust her with my emotions. I wanted to reason out, give her some explanation because I had promised my family to never see Hunter again. To never let him influence my life ever again after the divorce. For them, I was moving ahead in my career without Hunter's shadow falling on me. They believed Hunter was out of my life for good. But they didn't know the secret of my life. The dirty secret I found both soothing and anguishing. Hunter's confession. Him still being a part of my life. Him still meeting me frequently although my family presumes he is non-existent in my life. I opened my mouth to confront her but she beat me to it. "Cole called your father after I brought you to your room. He told us about the malfunction and how Hunter risked his
124Claire's POV She shifted and a dark look rose on her face before she answered thoughtfully. "That's a risk, sweetie. But, think about it this way: if you don't give him a second chance, you'll always wonder what could've been and whether Hunter truly regretted leaving you or not. And, more importantly, you deserve to know if he's truly changed. Forgiveness doesn't mean forgetting; it means releasing the hurt and moving forward.""As far as Zara is concerned, there are many women like her out there, who want to achieve a luxurious life the easiest way. But there are men who are loyal to their wives and don't give them any attention. If Hunter's truly in love with you, he would never look back at her even if she's there."We both looked across from us at the silent garden. In the lights around the fence, we witnessed drizzling water drops coming down one after another. It was exquisite. "Don't forget that he's had a chance to be with her. You left him to have a happy life with Zar
125Claire stared at him as her heart throbbed with a furious rhythm. Her hands were suspended around his shoulders. Just suspended an inch or so away. She wasn't touching. She didn't want his heat to transfer to her body and make her quiver. Whereas he was tightening his hold like an anaconda does upon feeling his prey exhale inch by inch. It became difficult to breathe.However, she didn't thrust him back. She didn't even try to uncoil his muscled arms from around her frame and put distance. Somewhere, deep down in her heart, she found this type of physical contact with him soothing. Like a balm on forehead searing with relentless ache."I know it sounds ridiculous coming from my mouth, but Claire," Hunter arched his head up and a blistering current of anguish coursed up her spine.The whites in his eyes were red. All the little veins popping up and becoming visible. That's not what anguished Claire. It was the tears.She had seen Hunter in tears before. But this was different. This
126Claire's heart pounded in her ribs with a force that mingled with the inexplicable emotions within her. She held his jaw firmly and sucked on his bottom lip while shivers erupted in her back. She'd never thought she would be this scared kissing Hunter.Even though she had taken initiative in their two years of marriage to start intimacy between them, this time she was scared out of her wits. This felt different. Kissing Hunter after divorce felt different. So different that her toes curled inward as she brushed her lips a little roughly on his to get his attention.Hunter responded to it after a while, after he broke out of the spell of shock she cast on him since she put her lips on his, and nipped her upper lip. His hands went around her waist and pulled her closed into his chest.Claire let his arms take her in, place her against his hot, hot chest as she enjoyed this position. She didn't hesitate to curl her legs around his waist as her hands tightened around his neck. She was
127Claire blushed and licked her lips. She was feeling ashamed for something she shouldn't be. As for Penelope, she took pleasure in teasing her best friend. She had long accepted that Claire was going to be an end game with Hunter. There's no one else she would look better with— not when Hunter had realized his mistakes. She didn't like the sound of it earlier, when Hunter was being a lovesick puppy for Zara, but now it all was making sense. Things were proceeding how they should. Claire's prayers were getting answered. Hunter was really trying to get back together with her. She didn't know what kind of person he was, but she knew Claire deserved to have her happily ever after. And for a fact, Penny knew that it wouldn't be with anyone else if not Hunter. She surreptitiously looked over her shoulder at Claire trying to put Hunter on the bed. He seemed to have fallen asleep. Taking a breath, she joined her friend. "Don't worry, I'm not here to make you melt into jelly." She quick