Was it safe for millions of butterflies to flutter throughout your body from head to toe?

If it wasn't, I couldn't have cared any less at that moment.

It felt amazing - breathtaking.

Every rush of heat that flushed my cheeks and burned my skin made me crave his dangerous kisses. Whenever he flashed a charming, cheeky smile, my heart swelled. And every whisper of "I love you" made me yearn for him all that much harder.

"Can you keep your hands to yourself for five minutes?"

"I can try, Angel," Hunter whispered, pressing his lips to my neck. "But I make no promises."

It was a struggle to keep us away from each other. But to my surprise, we managed to make it out of the bedroom with our clothes still on. The rush of heat was clouding our vision - finally acting on impulses we had suppressed all this time being around one another. Our relationship was built on much more than just sex; however, there was no denying how good we were together. And within the first thirty seconds last night, I was reminded of just how good it was.

That was the difference when someone knew exactly what you liked and how you liked it. Hunter made me feel confident and sexy, and from that, I learned more about myself; what I liked, didn't like, and quite honestly, what I'd never try again. We had a level of trust that stayed throughout all these years. Maybe it was common to feel that way with someone you shared a deep, trusting love with. But he was the only one I felt that way about, so he was my only example. There had been guys before him and guys after. But nothing compared to intimate moments shared with someone who knew you well.

A twist in the pit of my stomach formed as we walked out of the garage and across the lawn. I knew I didn't regret sleeping with him. That couldn't be it.

"Are you alright, Angel?" Hunter asked, securing his arm around my waist.

I enjoyed last night - I was allowed to enjoy having sex.

I enjoyed last night.

I was allowed to enjoy it.

I didn't regret it.

"Do you think we'll be able to get all this set up in time before the birthday Princess gets back?"

Looking over the pile of decorations we had to hang, I almost wished we had hurried up and gotten out of my bedroom a tad bit faster. But as my eyes fell to him and I watched him dig through the pile with a serious, concentrated look on his face, I couldn't help feeling like my heart was about to skip a beat.

Hunter pointed to the crown on his head. "How does it look?"

"You're going to be the most beautiful princess at the ball."

"Oh, stop it." He stepped towards me and leaned forward. As our lips brushed, he whispered, "you've got everyone beaten by a longshot," before kissing me.

With reddened cheeks and tingling lips, I slowly trailed behind him. Maybe if my head were screwed on the right way, I would've told him to stop kissing me now; that it would only lead to trouble. But my heart was willing to betray what was right so that I could savour more moments with him.

Would it be so wrong never to end these moments?

Surely we could keep up the lie. How hard could it be? We could spend Christmas and every birthday in the house, pretending as if we barely knew one another, to escape back to our home on a private island or across the ocean and return to our life together.

Certainly, that was manageable. And realistic. Right?

"Does that look alright?"

I blinked, forcing my head back into reality and looked ahead. Hunter had begun hanging the Happy Birthday Lily banner on the side of the house.

"A little higher on that side," I called out, smiling as he hurried around to fix it. "Perfect!"

Hunter stepped back to admire his masterpiece and slowly nodded in agreement. "Now, balloons!"

It was amazing to watch the man in front of me. In what felt like only minutes ago, he had my hands pinned above my head and whispered sinful words into my ear about how bad I was. And now, he moved around with haste hanging streamers, putting up birthday banners, and filling bright pink balloons with helium.

"You're going to make a great dad someday."

"What?" Hunter looked at me with wide eyes as he accidentally let go of the filled balloon, sending it flying into the air.

"You're going to make a great dad someday," I repeated.

"Why do you say that?"

"You care so much about making everything perfect," I explained, tying a ribbon around the end of a balloon and letting it float towards the ceiling.

I had mentioned my thoughts about him and parenthood during our Valentine's dinner, and watching him now only furthered my point. Of course, there was much more than caring about decorating for a birthday party, but there was something about him that I hadn't seen or noticed before.

"Well, I appreciate you saying that but I think my future will just be in the Uncle role."

Taking a newly filled balloon from his hands, I glanced up. "Oh? But I thought you said you wanted to have kids? A boy and a girl?" As Hunter fell silent, I asked, "What made you change your mind?"

"Just don't think it's right for me." Hunter shrugged.

"Oh, come on! You can tell me. What is it? Did a famous Lily tantrum scare you?" I teased, letting another tied decoration float up in the air.

"Angel," he said breathily, averting his eyes back down to fill another pink balloon with helium.

"Did the realization of dirty diapers turn you off?"

His continued silence should have been a sign to stop pestering him. But I was far too blinded by my own amusement over Hunter's scared reaction to a baby going number two.

"Come on, tell me!"

"Because if it's not with you, I don't want it!"

Now I was the one to release the pink decoration flying into the air.

We stood, staring at one another, allowing a painful silence to fill the room. I almost wished Lily would run in and kick off a famous tantrum just to force our attention elsewhere. 

But the longer I stood there, melting into the silence, the more I focused on the sadness washing across his blue eyes. And the more I felt my heart ache and break looking at the man I loved confessing something I knew was tearing him up inside.

"Hunter, you'll find someone-"

"I won't."

He spoke with such confidence it led me to believe him. That couldn't be true, right? He was so sure with his words last night, convincing me that I would move on and find someone else. I never stopped to think that he would too. But he had to, right?

"I never thought I could fall in love until I met you. I never thought about marrying someone until you. And I sure as hell never thought about kids or wanting to start a family." Hunter picked up a plastic bag filled with decorations for the princess crown table. "I'm not saying it to gain sympathy or anything like that, Dylan. I'm just saying it because it's true. And I've made peace with it."

I didn't know what to say.

Or do.

Or fucking think.

Hunter covered up the sadness I swore he had moments ago with such ease as he headed out to the backyard. I watched from a distance as he set up the castle-themed bounce house and organized the craft table. The thoughts running through my head were insane - at least I knew that to be true. And yet, I couldn't shake them. I couldn't let it go.

No.

I couldn't let him go.

It didn't matter what we spoke about last night before we danced or what we agreed to when he showed up at my door.

I couldn't let him go.

Stepping outside, I chewed my lower lip and built the courage to speak my mind. "Hunter-"

"I shouldn't have said that," he interrupted. "We agreed to one final night. Not for me to bring up my crazy thoughts about you and me."

"Did you give them names?"

He looked up. "What?"

"Our future kids. Did you give them names?"

It's not what I expected to say or ask, yet it was the one thing on my mind. I thought he might shut me down over my sudden question.

To my surprise, a smile curved on his full lips as he nodded. "I did."

"Can I hear them?"

"For a girl, I always liked the name Aurora. We could have called her Rory."

The corners of my mouth tugged upwards. "I like that name." In fact, it was on my list.

"And for a boy, I could never get away from the name Theo."

Theo.

"How long have you liked that name?"

Hunter released a puff of air, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't know. A while." His shoulders shrugged. "A year? At least."

"You said that name at the hospital." I stepped towards him, eyes running wild. "You asked me where Theo was."

His mouth parted to speak, but instead of uttering a response, he stood there with his mouth hanging agape. My chest tightened, hearing his words repeat in my head.

Where's Theo?

The sound of desperation in his voice was clear as day.

Where's Theo?

"W-was it the-the-" words tumbled from my lips, but my head hurt trying to piece together a clear sentence. Theo. Where's Theo? The pit in my stomach made its grand return. Where's Theo?

"Dylan, it's not-"

"Were you thinking about our kid?"

Hunter's silence was all the answer I needed. Shit. Holy fucking shit. He didn't just picture our future together with marriage and babies. He thought about them. Truly thought about them. His mind picture Theo. Our Theo.

Dropping the items onto the table, he hurried to my side. "Please don't freak out!" His hands went to my shoulders. "Fuck. Dylan, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. Do you want me to leave? I promise I'll go right now if you want me to. No hard feelings."

"Shut up."

"What?"

A smile spread across my lips. Raising a hand to his chest, I played with the collar of his shirt. "Shut up," I whispered, my voice dropping to a teasing tone. "You thought about Theo. Our Theo. How could I be mad about that?" There was a beat of silence before I asked, "Was Theo our first?"

"Is this a trick question?"

I shook my head.

"Are you sure?"

Leaning toward him, I affirmed, "I'm sure. So, was he?"

Hunter nodded.

Theo. Our baby boy.

"Are you sure you're not mad?"

"Yes, Hunter, I'm sure." I resisted the pressing urge to roll my eyes. "Now kiss me, you idiot."

All it took were those five words of endearment. Hunter raised his hands to cup my cheeks and closed the remaining distance between us. Once his lips pressed to mine, the pit in my stomach was filled with butterflies, fluttering madly around and spreading to every inch of my body.

I could see the future he imagined for us in that kiss.

Hunter, me, baby Theo, and Aurora, who we called Rory, on the way. It seemed real and attainable. It left me wishing - no, wanting, for it to be possible.

The only thing that separated us was the sound of a car pulling up in the distance and the distant happy squeals from Lily.

"I love you," I told him.

"I love you too," he replied.

Hunter's I love you sounded like a goodbye.

Mine was meant as a promise for the future.

There was one thing set in my mind that I knew to be true.

Regardless of what happened after I told my sister the truth, I wasn't letting Hunter Grayson go. 

sorry this took so long! if I'm being completely honest, y'all are so quiet I never know what you're liking/not and then I second guess myself, rewrite, give up, write, rewrite - you get the idea. 

ANYWAY this chapter took a life of its own but hey, now you get an extra chapter (idk how many are left but not that many eek)