When the kiss broke, and I pulled my head back, looking at Hunter made me feel one thing: eighteen years old again. It felt like I was experiencing everything that had happened when we were together, all the love and heartbreak, all in one kiss. I was reminded how easy it was for me to fall in love with him the first time. And, how much more painful that made it all when he broke my heart. I couldn't tell if kissing him meant I had just gone one step forward, or three steps back.

Hunter's eyes gleamed as he looked over my face. I knew why. I had the look. The one he wanted to test to see if I still had it, not too long ago. I had it. I didn't have to look in a mirror to know because I could feel it, beaming from within.

The panic over what I had just done began to set in.

"I should clean up!" I blurted out.

I quickly grabbed the empty pizza box and glasses and made my way towards the kitchen. Walking towards the sink, I ran the tap and began washing. The glasses could survive with a simple rinse. After all, they would be packed into a box and sitting in a warehouse for god knows how long. Yet, here I was, scrubbing away as if the Queen was about to come over.

I could feel his presence behind me, my shoulders instantly tensing at the thought of having to talk to him about what had just happened. I knew what had just happened. I kissed him. And I knew the feeling in my chest was trouble.

Why couldn't I have just listened to Abby?

Oh, we're just going to be packing! Where's the trouble in that? I mimicked in my own head.

I turned the tap off. The last thing I had money for right now was an expensive water bill.

"Dylan." The sound of his voice sent a shiver down my spine. "Look at me," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Please."

Every muscle in my body fought back as I turned around to face him. My eyes fell to the ground as soon as I saw the look in his eyes. The scared look in his eyes mixed with the sadness painted across his expression was too painful.

"Say something," he said quietly, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Please."

I leaned against the counter. "I can't do this again."

"Do what?"

"Let you hurt me again."

Hunter took a slow step towards me. "I'm not going to."

"How do I know that?" I questioned, looking up to meet his gaze. "You left me in the middle of the night once before! How do I know that won't happen again?"

I knew the frustration inside me was building past the point of keeping it under control; he could hear it in my voice. I didn't care. I was frustrated, in many ways. Frustrated over the fact that he could say those words to me and hearing it spread warmth throughout my body. It wasn't fair.

"Because I know how it feels to lose you," he said softly, "And to have to sit back and watch you be with someone else. I'm not going to let that happen again. I promise."

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "You can't promise that."

His hand went to cup my cheek and I subconsciously leaned into his touch. "Then let me prove it to you. Please."

Was it stupid for me to be thinking this way? Yes. Could I ignore the warmth that burned in my chest, aching to explode? No.

Was I possibly the biggest idiot for saying,

"Okay. Prove it to me."

Possibly. But at this moment, I couldn't find a strong enough reason not to.

For the past few months, Hunter had stepped aside; he let Charlie, his best friend, take me out, talk openly about me, and have me over in his space. I couldn't diminish how painful that must have been. And here I was, thinking he just didn't care about me this entire time. I could see now that this wasn't a game. He had those same nerves he had the night he told me he was falling in love with me. And back then, I knew his words were true.

Hunter leaned forward, delicately pressing his lips to mine. Even the slightest touch ignited that spark inside. That spark for him had never disappeared, it had only dimmed. The kiss broke, allowing me to catch my breath. My arms stayed awkwardly at my sides, not wanting to touch him in fear of getting the sweat that had pooled in my palms on him.

Hunter gently kissed along my jaw, moving his lips towards the spot on my neck he knew made me weak.

"I should hate you," I said softly. I sunk my teeth into my bottom lip to hold back a moan.

"I know," his voice hummed against my neck.

My eyes fluttered close in response to his touch. "I think I still do a little."

I could feel his lips curve into a smirk against my skin, pressing a tender kiss before he whispered, "That's fine."

His hand squeezed my waist. I could tell he was being gentle, cautious almost, with where he let his hands roam. Yet, his light touch combined with how his lips were kissing my neck, caused my thighs to squeeze together, wanting to decrease the arousal that was building between my legs.

I could feel his hand slide down my side and rest on my hip. I was relieved his lips had found their way back to mine, as I was able to muffle the frustrated groan that wanted to escape. My body was on fire for his touch, almost hitting a level of desperation.

"Hunter," my voice whimpered, as I pulled back, resting my forehead against his.

"Did I go too far? Do you want me to stop?"

His questions catching me by surprise, I quickly stuttered, "What? No!"

"What is it then?"

My cheeks flushed with embarrassment. Here I was in a perfectly romantic moment and all I could think about was how much more I was craving for his touch. I stood quietly, struggling to find a better way of saying 'I want you to just properly touch me already'.

"Use your words, Angel."

My mouth was now completely dry. I licked my lips, trying to find any source of relief. The smirk that curved onto his lips told me he knew. He could read what my body was screaming for. He just wasn't going to give in until I said it. Asshole.

"I need you," I repeated the words he had told me outside the club that one night.

I lightly gripped his wrist to guide his hand, moving it from my hip to the center of my stomach.

"You need me?"

I nodded, looking up with innocent eyes as I positioned his hand on the waistband of my shorts. His eyes widened, appearing to finally understand what I needed. A noise comparable to a growl escaped from him, as both his hands gripped my waist. I left out a surprised squeal as I was lifted from the ground and onto the counter.

"Angel," his voice rasped, "How did I get so lucky?"

My legs wrapped around his waist, pulling him in tightly. This time, he was not acting cautiously with his touch. His hand slid up my bare thigh, leaving a trail of goosebumps behind. I placed my hand on the back of his neck, guiding his lips back to mine. Nothing was delicate about the way he kissed me. It was passionate, rough, hungry. It was almost like we were making up for lost time.

I was quick to stop myself from letting a disappointed cry release as he pulled away. However, the noise that did escape was a soft whimper, as he gently took my bottom lip between his teeth. God. I missed that. Hunter's forehead pressed against mine, as we both tried to regain control of our heavy breaths.

Hunter slipped his hand under my shirt. I bit my lip in anticipation, knowing it was about to become increasingly difficult to stay quiet. It was hard to not respond to the way he was touching me. He knew exactly what to do.

Hunter moved his lips to my neck, nipping and kissing at the skin, before running his tongue towards my ear. I felt a shiver run down my spine as he kissed right below my ear. "I fucking love you," his voice whispered. His lips went back to my neck, sucking the skin to leave a mark.

"I love you too," I moaned out.

Hunter pulled his head back, his eyes wide. "What?"

My cheeks rushed with heat. "You know what I said."

"Say it again. But, less horny."

I swatted his chest with the back of my hand. "I love you."

"Again."

"I love you."

"Again, Angel."

"Hunter!"

"I just want to make sure you mean it."

I wasn't surprised or embarrassed when the words left my lips. Because I knew it to be true.

I felt it the night I saw him again for the first time in eighteen months. I felt it that night outside the bar when he told me he needed me. And I sure as hell knew when he asked me to kiss him. I was in love with Hunter. To be frank, I wasn't sure I had ever fallen out of love with him, I just did my best to push it down and hide it with disdain towards him. Now, I could say those three haunting words and mean every single letter that left my lips.

"I. Love. You."

HUNTER

I love you.

She loved me. She still loved me. Deep down, I had a feeling she still did after all this time. And after she kissed me on the couch, I saw it in her eyes. I saw that look. But, hearing those words come officially from her lips, changed everything. It was hard for it to not drive me over the edge. Was I still being selfish with loving her? Yes. Right now, I didn't care. She loved me. And I was never letting her go again.

Dylan leaned forward, her lips pecking mine. "Bedroom?"

Still reeling from hearing her confession, I responded with only a nod, as any words I tried to manage quickly died in my mouth. Dylan hopped off the counter and grabbed hold of my hand with hers. My mind was in a heavy daze as she led the way towards her room.

She stopped at the end of her bed and turned to face me. Her head tilted up, delicately pressing her lips to mine. I watched as she moved onto the bed, positioning herself on the middle of the mattress.

"Hunter?" Her voice called. I blinked, swallowing the lump that was forming in my throat. I could see the cautious look in her eye as she asked, "Are you alright?"

"This is real, right?"

Her head cocked to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, I'm not dreaming, right?"

A smile crossed her lips. "No," she said softly, "You're not dreaming."

Everything felt too perfect to be true. She kissed me. She said she needed me. She confessed that she loved me. I couldn't help but think the universe was playing some cruel joke on me.

Taking a deep breath, I forced those thoughts away. Not wanting to ruin the moment the two of us were about to share. I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it to the side before crawling onto the bed and over top of her. I could feel her hand on my side, and instantly I knew the tattoo her fingers traced. The butterfly.

"When did you get it?"

"A few months after we..." I cleared my throat. "I was missing you. Badly. And, I wanted something to remember you by."

"That was a very permanent choice."

I shrugged. "It was worth it. I always said I was going to get it tattooed on me."

Her hand moved to the back of my neck, pulling my body towards her. As our lips met, my hand ran up her side, pulling the material of her shirt with it. Dylan gently pushed me back. She removed her tank top and wasted no time with her bra quickly following suit. I marvelled at her as she laid back down, dipping my head to kiss her exposed skin.

I could hear her whimper as my lips trailed down her stomach, leaving a trail of wet kisses. Reaching the waistband of her shorts, I glanced up at her. A smirk twisted on my lips, seeing the impatient look she had. Her backside lifted up, allowing me to slide her shorts down and toss them to the side. I licked my lips, running the palm of my hand along the inside of her thigh.

"Hunter," she whined.

"Patience, Angel," I told her. "I want to take my time."

"We have the rest of our lives to take our time."

Hearing those words was enough for me to take her right there and then. I took a deep breath. I needed to control myself.

"Is that so?" I hummed in response. I sure as hell hoped so.

I could tell she was growing more frustrated with my response. My assumptions were only proven true as she sat up and took matters into her own hands, sliding the flimsy material of her underwear down and off her body.

My hand went to her neck, guiding her back down on the mattress, using only a slight amount of pressure. Shit. I hope she still liked that. My body froze until I saw the corner of her mouth pull upwards.

"Am I going to have to tie you down?" I teased, my index finger resting against her bottom lip.

She shook her head, doing her best to fight back the amused look on her face. "I'll be good."

"Promise?"

Her head nodded. However, instead of responding with words, she wrapped her lips around my finger and sucked.

Jesus Christ.

Even though I used to joke that she was an angel, but a devil in bed, I had to remind myself that things had changed. We changed. What we grew to enjoy as a couple may not be what she wanted to do now.

I withdrew my finger slowly from her mouth, mentally cursing to keep myself under control. Getting an updating list of all her kinks was something I could get from her in the morning. For now, I would do my best to keep everything as basic as possible.

Lips moving back to hers, my hand trailed down her body. Once my hand disappeared in-between her legs, I gained a much better understanding as to why she had been impatient this entire time. Dylan gasped and moaned underneath me. I had to admit, I enjoyed the look of pleasure she sported.

"Hunter," her voice moaned.

God. Hearing my name from her lips like that was pure ecstasy.

Pulling my hand out from in-between her legs, I leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead. I wanted to kiss her lips. However, the sounds of her heavy breathing and the desperate look of trying to catch her breath, let me know she needed all the air possible right now.

"Condom?"

Dylan nodded, swiping her tongue along her bottom lip, aimlessly pointing to her side table. "In there," she panted.

Rummaging through her drawer, I grabbed hold of the small, silver package. I climbed off the bed and pulled down my pants, doing my best to not trip over myself as I kicked the material to the side. Dylan's head turned to the side, watching as I got myself ready. That look in her eyes, one of lust and desire, had the power to make me instantly weak in the knees.

Yet somehow, I managed to get myself back onto the bed and positioned myself in-between her legs. I placed a hand beside her head, holding the weight of my body to hover above hers. She looked so beautiful; delicate and sinful all at the same time.

"Are you just going to keep teasing me?" She quipped.

Definitely a sinful one, she was. We were in for a long night.

DYLAN

Buzz. Buzz.

"Hunter," I quietly groaned.

Buzz. Buzz.

"Hunter," I repeated, nudging my backside against his front.

"Hmm?" His voice hummed as he stirred awake.

Buzz. Buzz.

"Your phone," was all I was able to manage in my tired state.

My eyes remained closed, but the movement on the bed let me know Hunter was attending to his phone. Within a short amount of time, I felt his warmth return. His arm draped across my waist, pulling my body securely against his. I smiled to myself. I had missed this – us. Everything about last night was perfect. It was almost odd to wake up and have no regrets. It just felt right. Like this was always how it was meant to be.

Just as I felt my body drift back to sleep, I could feel gentle kisses placed against my neck.

"Hunter," I protested, "Go back to bed."

His hand slipped underneath the oversized shirt I had on. "Sorry, Angel," his voice whispered, "I need to head out soon."

"What time is it?"

"Seven."

Slowly letting my eyes open, I blinked to adjust to the sunlight that poured into my room. Clearly, I had been too preoccupied last time to close my blinds. "You have to go already?" I asked, the concern in my tone more prominent than I had intended. "Why so early?"

"I had to reschedule a meeting I was supposed to have last night, to this morning at ten," he said, letting his fingertips delicately travel up my stomach, pushing the material of my cotton shirt with it. "I have to head back home, shower, get some clean clothes and prepare a little."

I shifted my body, lying flat on my back. "Do you have some time before you go?"

"I always have time for you, Angel."

I couldn't help but let myself smile as he leaned down, pressing his lips against mine. God - I hated to admit how much I had missed this. How much I had missed him. Maybe it was stupid of me to let him back in. But, something just felt different.

And as his head disappeared in between my legs, I knew that to be true in more ways than one.

Staring up at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath, I wondered how on earth I was going to finish packing. Especially when I was sure I was going to have trouble walking for the rest of the day. Hunter had made it clear he couldn't stay long, yet I was worried he wouldn't last much longer keeping his hands to himself. I needed to get that boy out of my apartment and send him on his way. But first, I needed to get a glass of water to quench my thirst and-

"Move in with me."

My head turned to the side, meeting his pressing gaze. "W-what?"

"Move in with me," he repeated.

I could feel my eyes widen in surprise hearing his words. "You're insane," I said, regaining my composure.

"I know." He turned to his side. "Move in with me."

I shook my head, letting a confused laugh escape. "I can't move in with you, Hunter."

"Why not?"

"Well for starters, we don't even know what we are yet."

"You're mine," he growled playfully. "Next concern."

I let out a shaky breath. "I don't know where moving to will be next for me."

Hunter raised a brow. "Why is that a problem?"

"Because what if I don't stay here?"

"Angel, I'd move to a different state, fuck it, a different country to be with you."

"You say that now, but–"

"Angel, I promise you. I'd move anywhere."

Hunter spoke with such ease as if it were a simple decision to make without much thought.

I sat up, resting my back against the headboard. "You would? What about your life here?"

"What would I have left here without you?"

I opened my mouth to speak but had trouble trying to find any words to say.

"We could move into a place in Brooklyn..." he continued, looking at me with a smile, "Make sure there's enough space to set up an area for you to paint."

"What would you do there?"

"I still have friends back home. I'd keep myself busy." Hunter took my hand in his. "Just think about it."

"I will."

"You promise?"

I nodded. "I promise."

As silence consumed the two of us, my thoughts began to wander. I didn't know exactly how I felt at this moment; my head and my heart were fighting over what I needed to do. Hunter acted like this big decision was the same as picking what shirt to wear or what to eat. However, I knew it wasn't. There was a lot of us to think about - for us to figure out. I wasn't even sure if he was supposed to be my boyfriend right now. How could I possibly move in with him so soon?

"And, how about this," Hunter said, sitting up, "Later, I'll come by and help you finish whatever is left to get done with packing and then I'll take you out for dinner. A proper dinner."

"A real date? I feel so lucky. Where are you thinking of taking me then?"

"How about the place we went to on our first date?"

And where I drunkenly stood in front of when he walked me home from the bar.

"I'd like that. It's like we're starting over from the beginning again."

Hunter's hand moved to my cheek. "Angel, I want us to have a fresh start. I know I have a lot to make up for. I promised you last night things will be different and they will be. I'm not going to hurt you again."

"I know we have a lot to work through..." I started, biting my lower lip to give myself a second to collect my thoughts, "But, if we want to have a fresh start, we need to just start fresh."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, forget about what happened to some extent. I still need to build up that trust with you again, but I don't want you to do anything out of guilt or to just prove a point." Noticing the confused look on his face, I quickly added, "I love you, Hunter. And, I know you love me. I just don't want you to go into this feeling guilty about the past."

Hunter nodded, leaning forward. "Fresh start," he mumbled against my lips.

"Fresh-" Before I could finish getting the words out, his lips were on mine.

I kissed him back with just as much urgency as he kissed me. It was hard not to miss this type of connection with someone. Sure, sex was sex. You didn't need to be in love for it to be great. However, when it's with someone who knows exactly what you like, there is truly nothing that can ever compare.

And as if Hunter had a book on what to do, his lips pulled back from mine and moved to my neck, hitting that one spot which he annoyingly favoured.

"Hunter," I warned, my voice quickly losing any reminisce of its strong tone, "Hunter... stop... you have your meeting."

Somehow managing to get him to pull back, Hunter sported a mischievous grin. I quickly began to wonder how much stamina he could possibly have.

"You know, if we lived together it could be just like this every morning."

I rolled my eyes, playfully shoving his chest. "Don't get too ahead of yourself."

Using the much-needed distance between us to my advantage, I quickly slipped out of bed and put a fresh pair of clothes on. Adjusting the waistband of my cotton shorts, I couldn't help but think about how nice it would be to wake up every day with him beside me to the sounds of a busy New York morning. The more I pictured it, the more the idea excited me. Laying in bed with a cup of coffee. Painting during the day while I overlooked the view of the city. I knew his family lived there; maybe it would be nice to be near them. And finally, meet all of them for once.

I could feel my cheeks flush with excitement over it. I would wait until tonight to tell him because otherwise, I knew my chances of actually getting him out the door would be slim to none.

As Hunter slowly made his way out of bed, I headed to the kitchen and turned the coffee machine on. I needed to make a list of everything left to do. By the looks of it, there was not a lot left. However, it was always the little things at the end that took the longest.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Opening the door, I was surprised to see who was standing on the other side.

"Charlie!"

Shit.

"Dylan!" He said, jokingly mocking my shocked expression. "I'm here to get the painting. I texted you last night-"

"Right, sorry," I quickly dropped my voice to a quieter octave. I quickly grabbed the painting he was here for, which rested against the wall. "Here you go. Thanks for coming to get it!"

My hand went to the door, hoping Charlie would be on his way before-

"I'll see you tonight, Angel," Hunter said from behind me.

I swallowed the lump in my throat, watching Charlie's eyes narrow as Hunter leaned down to press a kiss to my cheek.

I wasn't sure what to exactly say in this situation, but before I could realize what I was doing, I opened my mouth to say, "Listen, Charlie-"

"You liar." Charlie spat. "You promised."

I blinked, realizing who the words were directed for.

"I don't see how this has anything to do with you, Charlie," Hunter said. His voice sounded calm, yet when I glanced up, I could see the tension building in his stance and his jaw clench.

"So you told her then? I can't fucking believe it." Charlie shook his head.

"Clearly you're upset," Hunter warned, stepping in front to shield my body.

"Upset?" Charlie scoffed. "You-"

"Why don't we go talk somewhere else," Hunter said, quickly interrupting with a raised voice.

I stepped into view, looking in between the two of them as they stared at each other with narrowed eyes. All I could think of was the painting Charlie had a tight grip on. At least it was somewhat wrapped for protection. But that was more to keep the painting safe from dirt or scratches. Not from being tossed around during a fistfight.

"Could you two keep it down before one of my neighbours complains?" I harshly whispered to both of them. "Look, Charlie," I said, turning my attention to him, "I'm sorry things didn't work out between us. Hunter came to help me pack and we got to talking and we realized we both still have feelings for each other." I did my best to speak calmly, wanting to diffuse the situation as best and as quickly as I could. "I think we're all old enough to handle this appropriately."

Charlie furrowed his brow. "And you still wanted to be with him?"

I took a deep breath. "Charlie, what we talked about really isn't your concern. Hunter told me about the issue with my parents-"

"Your parents?" Charlie looked to Hunter. "Wow-"

"Charlie," Hunter warned.

"You really didn't tell her, did you?"

"Charlie-"

"Tell me what?" I questioned.

"Angel, it's none of your concern."

I took a step into the hallway, positioning myself in-between the two of them. I had never seen Hunter fight someone before. But, the way his hand was clenched into a tight fist, made me worry I was about to.

"Then just tell me," I said, my heart aching as Hunter stayed silent. I turned to Charlie, "What didn't he tell me?"

There was a slow, agonizing beat of silence. Charlie finally tore his eyes away from Hunter and met mine with a sad expression. What he said, however, was far more painful than anything I could have imagined.

"Hunter knows what happened to your sister." 

welp - secrets out. hunter knows what happened to dylan's sister. who saw that coming? :O

don't forget to vote & comment <3

ps thanks for hanging in there with me <3 been an extremely stressful past few weeks and I lost some of my creative drive.