Her words cut me, and my world comes crashing down. I can’t take my eyes off her, fearing she’ll disappear if I do.
Our gazes connect, and something hits me.
How have I not noticed this before?
“Hunter, why are you looking at me like that?”
CHAPTER 33
DORI
Hunter’s eyestwitch as if he’s holding something back from me. “I’m afraid heaven with you came with a curse.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means loving you brought back feelings I wanted to forget. I didn’t figure it out until just now.”
“I’m not sure I understand, but I’m sorry for any pain I’ve caused.”
“It’s okay. I finally get it.”
A heaviness swirls in my stomach as I speak from my heart. “You need to know. When we got back from Paris, I wanted to keep loving you and giving you my all, but everything changed.”
He rests back against the booth, tilts his head, and considers something while he studies me.
His eyes bore into mine. “It’s funny.”
“What?”
He leans closer to me, his gaze still connected to mine. “No, it’s both terrifying and confronting.”
I pull back a little. “What is?”
“Your eyes.” He shakes his head in wonder. “How did I not see it before?”
“Hunter, please tell me what you’re talking about.”
“Your eyes are just like my mother’s.” He laughs under his breath like it’s unbelievable yet profound. “The first night I saw you, I couldn’t get over your eyes. They hypnotized me.”
This isn’t good.
“Hunter...”
“I’ve always wondered if she ever loved me.” He shakes a thought loose. “I would’ve done anything for her to stay with me before she left. The similarities are uncanny. How did I not make the connection?”
My knee-jerk response is to argue, so I bite down on my lower lip. Whatever is going through Hunter’s mind is none of my business anymore. I sip my wine while Hunter spins in a thousand different thoughts.
The server brings us our lunch a moment later, and I’m thankful for the interruption. Maybe Hunter and I can remove the heartache of the day and try to enjoy each other’s company one last time.
Once our server is gone, I address Hunter. “Are you alright?”
“I’m having a major breakthrough. One I think my therapist will find fascinating.” He pulls his plate closer and picks up his utensils. “My mind is blown, so give me a minute to center myself.”
I cut into my salmon. “Hunter Efron’s mind is blown. I think I need to record this. Nobody will believe me otherwise.”
“I know I wouldn’t.” He shakes his head again. “Have you ever had a realization hit you square between the eyes? One you couldn’t turn away from if you tried?”
“Not one my therapist would find fascinating. But that’s how I felt when I realized I couldn’t live without Jamison.” I peek over at Hunter, hoping I’m not hurting him by keeping my boundaries clear.
