Page 20 of Only the Hunter

She nods. “Muscles are sore.”

I stretch out my fingers, motioning to take over.

She blinks, like she’s struggling to comprehend my offer.

It’s a reasonable offer.

The fact that I want to touch her is a separate problem.

For a second, I hold my breath.

It seems, so does she.

A sharp ding-dong sounds, breaking whatever miscommunication was crossing between us.

“Is that your doorbell?”

“Yes.”

“You expecting anyone?”

She frowns. “No.”

“Delivery?”

“I get everything delivered to the office because I’m not usually here to take a package.”

She pads quickly down the stairs, and I’m two steps behind her.

It’s early afternoon, broad daylight. Pedestrians casually stroll on the sidewalk past the front window.

Risk level low.

She slings open the door.

“Scott?”

“Whoa. Look at your face.”

Yeah, that’s the reaction I’d expect from Scott.

“Dad said you were in a wreck, but man…don’t they have makeup that’ll cover that up?”

I step into his view and my old friend blinks. “Gabe. What’re you doing here?”

Evie looks between the two of us.

“I live close by now,” I say, holding out a hand that he takes, then steps closer for a man hug complete with a back pat.

I hadn’t told him. That’s not an oversight—I made a deliberate choice to keep my presence here quiet until I had a better read on the situation. Telling Scott would’ve been the same as telling Evie, and I needed the distance to assess properly. He’d understand that, if I explained it. I’m not sure I'm ready to explain it.

“Good to see you, man.”

Scott and I text the way we always have—sports scores, random observations, the occasional link to something stupid. Nothing that would qualify as a real conversation. That’s not distance. That’s just how it works between us. The real stuff tends to wait for in-person, and there’s been less of that lately.

“You in town checking on your sister?” That’s actually…good of him.

“Doing Dad a favor.” He turns his attention back to his sister. He doesn’t make a move to give her hug, instead studying her bruises before whipping out his phone.