Hunter & Lennon Duet

Chapter 2-2

Being in charge and making sure we stay within budget, on schedule, and have limited fuckups only add to my list of growing responsibilities. On top of managing a major project, I have business meetings with owners, subcontractors, and team members, plus a mountain of paperwork on top of that. I travel between the office and jobsite daily, and even though it’s busy and stressful, I love the complexity of it. Engineering and technology were always my strong suits, and working in the construction field during the summer while I was in high school helped pave the way to where I am now.

Once I’m in my truck, I stick my Bluetooth in my ear and get the day started. Liam and Mason like to give me s**t for how much work crap I keep in here, but it’s my mobile office.

By the time I’m on the highway, I’m already on a conference call as I drive out to the build site. Four large units with eighteen apartments inside along with unattached garages are being built. On top of that, a community recreational center with a tennis and basketball court will be added. We’re only four months into the project and have six more months until it’s complete. Of course the owner wants it done as soon as possible to fill it with renters, so he’s already on my a*s about getting ahead of schedule.

“Hunter Manning,” I say, answering another call.

“Where the hell are you?” my boss, Phil, hisses, and I can tell he’s already in a mood. “I’m ready to look at these plans, but I need you here.”

“Okay, I’m three minutes out. I’ll be right there.”

After hanging up, I press my foot down on the gas pedal and book it. Once I pull into the gravel driveway, I park. Grabbing my work boots from the back, I quickly put them on along with my hard hat and safety glasses. Since I have to be on the jobsite one minute and then in a meeting the next, I always dress professionally for work but also have a change of clothes and shoes in the car.

“Morning, Phil,” I say as soon as I see him.

“Hunter,” he replies flatly. I flash him a confident smile, which he ignores.

After an hour of going over the plans, walking the jobsite, and proving to him I’m in control of the project, I’m on my way to the office to catch up on emails. I have a meeting at eleven, then another one at two, and after that, I’ll work on my computer until I leave for the day.

By the time evening rolls around, I’m emotionally and mentally exhausted and more than ready to go home and relax. Once I finally reach my apartment, I park in my assigned spot and groan when I see Lennon’s car next to it. Technically, it’s Brandon’s, but the moment she moved in, he gave it to her and now parks on the road. p***y.

My phone rings just as I gather my things from the back seat, and when I see it’s my older brother, Hayden, I immediately answer.

“Hey, man,” I greet cheerfully. He’s as busy as I am these days, which means we don’t get to chat much. It also doesn’t help that he lives in New York now, and our time zones are different. “What’s goin’ on?”

“Not much,” he replies. “Just thought I’d check in on my little brother and see if he’s staying out of trouble.”

Laughing, I take what I need from my truck and shut the door. I glance at Lennon’s car and frown, annoyed she’s home already.

“Always,” I tell Hayden. “Just getting home actually. What’re your plans tonight? You and Sav doing okay?”

He’s been dating Savannah since last summer and moved to be with her. It was shortly after Lennon moved in, and my life took a turn for the worse.

“Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” The nervousness in his tone makes my heart race.

“What? You two break up?” I panic, knowing what it took for them to get back together after being apart for ten years. I’d be devastated for him if that were the case.

“No! Hell no. I’m not letting her out of my sight again,” he says, laughing.

“Whew. Scared me there for a sec, man.”

“Actually, I’m planning to propose to her. I’ve always known she’s the one for me and want to make her my wife.”

I’m smiling so big at his news. “Hell yes. I’m so f*****g happy for you, Hayden. And honestly, about f*****g time.” I let out a laugh as he sighs in relief.

“I haven’t told our parents yet, but I’ve designed and ordered the ring. I wanted it to be one of a kind—just like her—so now I just have to find the right time to pop the question. It’s not all planned out yet, but I’m nervous as hell.” I almost make a remark about how lovey-dovey he is, but I’d rather see this version of him than the hollow person he was without her.

“Don’t be. You know what her answer will be. And honestly, who cares what our parents or anyone else say? You know this is right. So do I. And I’m not a bit shocked.” I take the steps two at a time as I listen to Hayden’s plans. After I enter the apartment and drop my s**t by the door, I hear Lennon singing in the kitchen and walk that way.

She has her headphones in, and she’s bobbing her head back and forth, and shaking her hips. Either she hasn’t heard me come in yet or she’s ignoring me, so I walk past her, open the fridge, and grab myself a beer. Then I see a sandwich on the counter.

“You made me a PB&J sandwich?” I taunt Lennon, then grab it off the counter before she can stop me. “My favorite!” I take a huge bite and shoot her a grin.

“Hunter!” she screams, slamming her hand down. “That was the last of the bread!”

“Good thing you’re going to the grocery store,” I say around a mouthful, walking into the hallway.

“f*****g seriously?” She’s seething, which has me smiling ear to ear before I take another bite. “I wasn’t going to the store just yet!”

“Guess you have an excuse to now,” I retort, not looking over my shoulder. I’m sure she’s glaring at me or giving me the finger. That’s her usual go-to move.

“Who are you talking to?” Hayden asks.

“Satan.”

He immediately chuckles, knowing exactly who I’m referring to.

“You two still fight like brother and sister?”

“Pfft. Worse.” I step into my bedroom and shut the door behind me, finishing off her perfectly made sandwich.

“When are you gonna get over your feelings for her? Don’t you think you’ve made both of your lives hell for long enough? Learn from my mistakes, bro…”

Hayden is only five years older than me, but I swear he was born with an old soul. We are the only two kids in the family. Our parents didn’t bother trying for a girl after me, and it didn’t help that their relationship wasn’t exactly perfect either. My dad is a piece of s**t, though, to the public eye, he acts like Father of the Year. As a California state senator, he has a picture-perfect image to uphold. I was the wild child that had him running to the doctor’s office, begging to get snipped. Though as I got older, I knew he really just wanted to make sure he couldn’t knock up any of his mistresses. Hayden was more of a father figure to me than our dad ever was, and he tried to keep me grounded when I wanted to act out for attention.

Needless to say, I never claimed to be an easy person to live with, and Hayden knows all too well how I get. It doesn’t help that Lennon brings out this bitter side of me, and I want to make her life hell for forcing me to see her every goddamn day. I couldn’t give her what Brandon can anyway. For most of my life, I never met my father’s expectations with my grades, sports, and choices, and after living here and listening to her constant bitching, I know I would’ve never met hers.

It’s more than obvious that I would’ve never measured up to Brandon and his unconditional love for her since the very beginning. I pussyfooted around and didn’t make a move while he didn’t think twice about it. My hesitation came back to bite me in the a*s, and now I have to live with that choice every day.

Brandon also eventually wants a family, and I have my own commitment issues to work through, which have only gotten worse since Lennon moved in. Though it f*****g sucks she didn’t choose me, it’s probably for the best, or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. It could’ve ended badly with me hurting her, though I’d like to think I wouldn’t have. She’s a constant reminder that I’m not good enough, and how I’ll never be.

“There are no feelings.” Lies.

“Yeah, and Donny’s my secret life partner,” he replies, cackling. “You aren’t fooling anyone, especially not me.”

Savannah’s gay best friend, Donny, insists on calling me Beefcake. At first, it was insulting, but now I know it’s a compliment coming from him.

“HUNTER!” Lennon slams her fist on the door. “Do you have to be an insensitive asshole?”

“Oh fuck.” Hayden laughs hysterically. “You really pissed her off this time.”

I roll my eyes as I take a swig of my beer. “Seriously, what else is new?”

“Gonna let you deal with that. Call me later.”

“Will do.”

We say goodbye and hang up. I open my door with a s**t-eating grin and wait for her to speak. Her face is beet red with eyes narrowing in on me.

“Would it kill you, just once, to be a decent human being? I was starving and wanted that damn sandwich!” She’s seething, and f**k if that doesn’t make me hard.

Tense as ever, I take a pull of my beer and watch her over the bottle. “Oh, was that sandwich for you?” I furrow my brows as if I’m genuinely confused. “Thought you were making that for me.” I shrug, knowing how angry she already is, but hell, I don’t care.

“Argh! You’re the literal worst, Hunter Manning!” She turns, her hips shimmying as she walks away.

“Well, feel free to leave anytime. Don’t let the door hit your a*s on the way out!” I shout my usual retort whenever she’s freaking out about something. A nice little reminder that she can leave any goddamn time and no one’s stopping her.

“You need to grow the hell up!” she shouts after I shut my bedroom door. The walls are thin, so I hear every word that leaves her lips. She’s muttering curse words, calling me every name under the sun, and I smile in victory. Getting her worked up is another step toward getting her out of my damn head, though sometimes it almost feels like really hot foreplay.

Better to be under her skin than fantasizing about her being on top of me.