The Twenty Year Triangle

Chapter Twenty-Seven

As I stand here watching Oliver disappear around the corner, I imagine Julian being hauled away in handcuffs, and I suddenly feel dizzy. My eyes start to burn with tears as a wave of guilt nearly crushes me with its weight.

"Kinz," Hunter says softly as he steps closer. "I know you're scared, Darlin...but keep in mind that all of Julian's shitty manipulative and self-serving ways are gonna help him now. He's gonna try and save his own skin because that's him, and you know that. He will be fine, one way or another. His big mouth might get him in trouble, but then he'll learn."

"Am I a bad person?" I ask in a trembling voice. "Because I'm worried about Julian and should be thinking about those people he scammed."

"Darlin, no....  come here." He pulls me into his arms, and I bury my face against his chest as he starts softly stroking my hair.

"Of course, you're worried about him. You were married to him and spent a life with him. Anyone in your shoes would be reeling just as much as you are right now."

"But those people."

"It  hasn't all sunk in yet. Give it time, and then you're going to be pissed off as all hell at him and his whole company."

I let out a humorless laugh at that and sniff back my tears. "How come you smell so good?" I ask as I notice the fresh scent coming from the shirt that I'm leaking tears all over.

"I keep a bag of spare clothes in my truck just in case after the asbestos disaster. I hosed down and changed after that mold. I didn't want to bring any back to you or Harley."

"Did Harley..."

"I pulled him away when I could see y'all were about to start fighting about something," he answers the question before I ask it.

"Thank you, Hunter."

I sense him about to pull away and find myself clinging to him. "Don't let go yet, please."

"Like I ever want to anyway," he mumbles as he tightens his hold, and I melt into the protective cocoon of his embrace.

At one point as a teen, if you had made me label them, I'd have said Hunter was my protector, and Olly was my comforter.

Until ...Olly was gone, and Hunter became both. It's so easy in Hunter's hold to shut my mind off and just be soothed. Something about him also being the one that protects me makes that easier. Even if it's not going to be okay, I can be okay for that moment, Hunter will make sure of it, and I trust that.

I let the world disappear and take one of those moments as Hunter holds me steadily in his strong arms against his study chest.

"Uh... hey. I think I left my phone in your house," Oliver's voice is like a splash of cold water, urgently returning me to reality.

Hunter and I part slowly as Oliver steps onto the porch, and it suddenly seems like it shrunk with all three of us standing there.

"Kinsey! Can we make chickens now?" Harley's cheerful voice breaks up the tension as he comes running.

"Chickens? How many you gonna eat?" Hunter teases in his big booming dad voice, making Harley giggle as Oliver walks inside.

"Five!" Harley declares.

"You can't eat five chickens," Hunter scoffs.

"Can so!" Harley argues. "I'm gonna be as big as you soon, Daddy!"

"I guess so if you're eating five chickens in a sittin', but we might run out of animals in this town if you're in such a hurry." Despite it all, Hunter's making me smile right along with Harley.