“Are you fucking kidding me? Dove you know I’m allergic to cats.”

Dove held the cat protectively against her chest.

“You know I’m allergic to cats,” Carter pointed at Hunter, who shrugged and looked amused.

“You aren’t even here most of the time, why does it even matter?”

“She has a point,” Hunter kicked off his boots and laid back against the couch, this could get interesting.

“Shut up Hunter.”

“Look I’m keeping the cat. End of story. Take a pill for your allergies. Goodnight.” Dove walked away, she felt awesome.

“Did little red just have the last word?” Hunter chuckled, for once she should up to him.

“You are grounded for a week for lying to me,” Carter yelled. “I always have the last word.”

“The hell you do, you know she curses you out after you think you have the last word. She just doesn’t say it to your face.”

Carter plopped down onto the other couch, “Yeah I know. What the fuck was she thinking tonight?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Hunter didn’t really want to guess and he was confused as hell. She had been after him for years and tonight she was trying to get naked with some boy. Had she finally given up?

“Are you ever going to do anything about it?” Carter asked then.

“What?” He wasn’t going to bring up Dovey again was he?

“Dove, I didn’t think she was going to quit on you until tonight. Don’t wait till it’s too late.”

“She’s too young for me. Tonight proved just how immature she really is and I don’t want that. I need a woman.” Dovey wasn’t right for him on so many levels.
“Like I said don’t wait till it’s too late.” Carter got up and headed upstairs and found Dove crying and heading to her room. She had been ease dropping. He wanted to comfort her but chose not to and headed to his room.

Dove wiped her tears, she was so done and tired of loving him and after all this time he still didn’t want her. Time to move on, she told herself.

Dove got into bed and made a little spot for her new kitten and laid there. She couldn’t sleep and sure as hell wasn’t going to stay up and think about Hunter.

Her phone vibrated just then, she debated on whether or not to look at it and figured it was just Alex, it vibrated again so she picked it up.

Hunter: Are you awake?

Hunter: I’m sorry

Dove wondered what he was sorry for.

Dove: I am now.

Hunter: I’m sorry, good night.

Dove: …..

Was he sorry for waking her even though it was a lie? She decided she didn’t care. Instead she snuggled up and fell fast asleep.

Her phone went off again, she slapped her nightstand trying to feel for it and by time she got to it the phone stopped ringing. She let go of it and turned over onto her side to go back to sleep, her phone vibrated then. Who was bugging her at this time of the night?

She reached for her phone and snuggled back underneath the covers, it was freaking cold.

Hunter: I can’t sleep. Do you mind?

Did she mind? Yes she did because earlier tonight she promised she was quitting Hunter like cold turkey. Yet her heart raced at the thought and her body warmed.

Dove: Hurry up.

Dove put her phone back on the nightstand just as her door opened and closed, she turned onto her side as she felt the bed dip behind her.

She heard a thud and knew what he brought, “Is the safety on?”

“Yeah Dove.”

Did he truly need that to feel safe at night? Did what he did haunt him in his dreams, is that why he couldn’t sleep?

As kids when he spent the night and she had nightmares he slid into her bed to comfort her after checking underneath the bed and the closet, in the process he fell asleep. Things felt different now, they weren’t little kids anymore. Dove felt more with him lying in bed next to her. It felt weird to but she didn’t know why.

“Why couldn’t you sleep,” she whispered as she pulled the blanket higher.

“Things keep me up at night and when I fall asleep it becomes real to me.” That’s all he could tell her. He was in her bed for more than one reason. He had fought it for hours and agreed that he was going to ignore the urge and right after that he called her to wake her up.

“I’m sorry Hunter,” Dove wondered if her brother dealt with the same thing.