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
128Hunter's POVI woke up in a setting I had never expected to find myself in. My eyelids went up, as high as they could, in shock as I looked around myself.How could this be? I accept I dreamed of waking up in Claire's arms every morning I broke free from my sleep, but I never imagined that happening in Claire's room. Hell, I didn't imagine waking up in her room alone at all.But that's what was happening to me. I was in Claire's bed in her father's mansion. The windows were open and the sound of thunder roaring outside matched with my heart beats. The deluge was intense outside and the scenery was blurry gray on the other side of the window. I sided the quilt which smelled of Claire and placed my feet down on the furry carpet on the floor.I was about to rise to my full height when the sound of the lock turning rang in my ears and my body stiffened. My shoulders tensed and my heart skipped a beat as I witnessed Claire walking in. She was in a loose t-shirt and shorts that left a lo
129Hunter's POVIt felt awkward following Claire into the kitchen of her father's house. I kept my pace slow and my eyes affixed on her back, still anxious that her parents or brother would notice me and get mad in rage. It's strange how I'm feeling right now.My Ex parents-in-law have left for their holiday. Claire didn't say much but she mentioned that her parents needed time for themselves. They haven't had a vacation for a year.I can understand the other reason she didn't verbalize. They have worried enough over Claire and my divorce, and they deserve a break. It stuns me but it's going to be close to five months since we parted. Five months since I ruined our lives. Talking about Scott, he's gone on a three day trip to some island by the college. That's why I was able to move around the Argent Mansion like I was still the son-in-law of the family. There was a time when I hardly cared about Claire's family's feelings or what they thought of me. I was ignorant and careless. Not
130Claire couldn't help but feel adrenaline rush through her veins. She clutched the counter at her back to keep standing as she furrowed her brows accusingly at Hunter."So you are rejecting my efforts and food again?!""Hell, no. That's not what I meant and you know that." She saw Hunter's body stiffen.She knew why he was saying that and it caused her all the way more pain. That's because she was willing to give him a chance. Willing to answer his stubbornness with a yes. Willing to take a step towards him and acknowledge his persistence.Hunter's efforts to prove his love for her had been more powerful than his efforts to ignore her. And he also confronted her that he was not really as ignorant as she thought he was. She loved his efforts. She loved how he followed her.It was a dream come too. She found it embarrassing and contradicting the determinations she had made after signing the divorce papers (that she would never look back at him and their past) but how could she not loo