Saved by Him (Like a Hurricane Duet Book 2)

  Saved By Him

  Kristie Leigh

  Cover Design

  Imagination Uncovered

  Proofreader

  Judy’s Proofreading

  Copyright © 2019 by Kristie Leigh

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  For my Family

  Contents

  1. Hunter

  2. Hunter

  3. Jules

  4. Hunter

  5. Jules

  6. Jules

  7. Hunter

  8. Jules

  9. Hunter

  10. Jules

  11. Jules

  12. Hunter

  13. Jules

  14. Hunter

  15. Jules

  16. Hunter

  17. Jules

  18. Hunter

  19. Jules

  20. Hunter

  21. Jules

  Epilogue

  Playlist

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Also by Kristie Leigh

  1

  Hunter

  I smashed the palm of my hand on the steering wheel as I sped away from Jules’s house. “Motherfucker. What the hell just happened?”

  I should have known this was the calm before the storm. Jules always was like a hurricane, leaving the wreckage of my heart in her wake.

  This couldn’t be happening again. I mean of course it was, but fuck, I thought she was home for good. I thought we were going to make a real go at it this time. Maybe I should have said something, but I wanted to give her time to grieve the loss of her mom and get used to having me back in her life before I got all I love you on her ass.

  My phone started to ring beside me, I nearly ran off the road looking over at the screen. Jules. I was not answering that. She made her decision. I was not ready to talk to her, and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be. “Ugh!” I was so frustrated.

  I noticed I was driving a little faster than usual, so I eased up on the gas and turned on the radio. Driving out in the back roads, we didn’t get many radio stations, most of them were country and tonight I seemed to relate to every song.

  I didn’t even realize where I was until I put the car in park. I looked up and laughed at the sign that read NO TRESPASSING, VIOLATORS WILL BE PROSECUTED. Macy’s dad had put that up our junior year. We all knew he would never prosecute any of us because he’d told us all that we were welcome to hang out on his property anytime.

  I jumped down from the cab of my truck and grabbed my camping chair from the back. There was absolutely no light out here, so I turned the flashlight on from my phone.

  It took me a couple minutes to find the spot I was looking for, but I was pretty sure this was it. I set up my chair and sat down. It’d been over eight years since I’d been here, funny how I ran to the last place that she left me on the day she told me she was leaving again.

  I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the stars. Where did it all go wrong? Did she really think she would be better off without me, without Taylor and Margaret? And what about our feelings, didn’t she realize what it would do to us if she left? Fuck! I knew she was going through a ton of shit, but this was not the answer, it couldn’t be.

  The one thing I should be thankful for was that at least this time I had some warning. Shit, I could be wrong, maybe she was leaving right now. No, she wouldn’t do that, would she?

  My phone buzzed, and I looked down to see a text from Jules but ignored it. I couldn’t talk, I was too upset.

  My phone continued to vibrate, so I grabbed it to turn it off, but it was Taylor calling. “Taylor?”

  “Hunter, where are you? Are you okay?” She sounded upset, which was understandable.

  “Hey. I’m fine, just clearing my head.” I sighed.

  “Good, I can yell at you then. What the fuck? How could you just walk away? I was banking on you to convince her to stay. We can’t let her leave again. Please don’t let her leave.” She sounded like she was crying. A sniffle confirmed my suspicion.

  “Don’t cry. I’m sorry I left but fuck. What was I supposed to do? You didn’t see her. She wasn’t budging. I tried. I truly did. Short of telling her how I feel, I didn’t know what else to say.” I ran my fingers through my hair.

  “You could’ve told her how you felt, poured your heart out, and prayed like hell that was enough.”

  “No way was I throwing all that out there and risking the last shred of dignity I have left. I wasn’t guilting her into staying and certainly wasn’t risking her turning me down after telling her how I feel.”

  “You’re right. I’m sorry.” She sounded as defeated as I felt. “I just don’t know what to do. I get that you’re hurting. We all are, including Jules, but we need to come up with a plan to get her to stay.”

  I sat up straight, willing to hear her out. “I’m game for anything. I’m just not sure there’s anything we can do. We know how stubborn she can be, and when she has her mind set on something, she goes for it. I highly doubt we’re going to change her mind.” I sounded like I’d given up, but I needed to clear my head before I thought about my next step.

  “Are you kidding me? Tell her how you feel at least. You can’t give up, not without a fight.” She was right, but I needed time.

  “Do you think we have some time?” I sure hoped we did.

  “I’m not sure how much, maybe a few days? If that.”

  “Fuck!” We stayed silent on the line, contemplating our situation. “I can’t lose her again, Taylor. I just can’t.” My voice was quiet and broke at the end. I felt like such a pussy, but Jules was it for me, always had been, always would be. I couldn’t let her go again.

  “I know. I can’t either. We’ll figure this shit out. She can’t leave.” Taylor sounded so upset; didn’t Jules see what she was leaving behind?

  “I hope you’re right.” I couldn’t deal with any other outcome. I’d made up my mind. This time, I was fighting tooth and nail. I couldn’t live without her any longer. “I gotta go, Taylor. I need to sort this shit out. If anything changes or you think of anything, call me, all right?” I just needed to be alone in my thoughts.

  “Yeah, of course. I’ll talk to you later. Get some rest, and we’ll figure this out. Don’t panic yet; I know she loves you, Hunter.”

  “I hope you’re right because this will kill me.” I started to cry, so I ended the call, not wanting to sob to Jules’s best friend.

  2

  Hunter

  I could count on one hand how many times I’d cried since I was a child, and all of them had to do with Jules. I wanted the next time to be happy tears. I needed to do something, and I needed to do it soon.

  “Fuck!” My stomach was in knots, and all I could think of was the last time this happened, eight years ago.

  This weekend was going to be amazing. A bunch of us seniors were super stoked for a long weekend away, and we were spending it at our friend Macy's parents’ place in Key West. It was going to be off the hook. I couldn’t wait to spend some much-needed time away with Jules. Things had been a little off between us lately, and I thought this was just what we needed to get us back on the same wavelength.

  We all cut class, so we could leave early this morning in the hopes of missing traffic. I was on my way to pick her up, as well as Taylor and Emerson, then we’d be on the road.

  Jules was still acting funny. She held my hand, and
we all sang, and she smiled, but it wasn’t reaching her eyes. I’d known Jules since before I could ride a bike; she couldn’t hide anything from me. I wouldn’t push her in front of our friends, but we needed to talk. I figured she would loosen up on the ride down, but it didn’t look that way.

  We were the first to arrive at the house, and it was massive. This place was amazing and right on the beach. This weekend would be epic. Emerson and I unloaded the bags, while the girls checked everything out. Macy had the cleaning staff leave a key under the planter so we could let ourselves in. She also assigned rooms, so we knew where to put the bags.

  I looked out over the water and saw Jules and Taylor walking barefoot in the beach. God, she was beautiful. I couldn’t imagine my life without her in it. I took off my shoes and headed outside. I needed to be near her, feel her.

  I picked her up and spun her around. She laughed, and it was nice to see. It seemed like it had been forever since I’d seen her happy. I let her down and pulled her in close to whisper into her ear that I couldn’t wait to fuck her on this beach. She giggled and swatted my chest.

  “Hunter, you’re such a pig.”

  I kissed her and told her, “Only for you, baby.”

  We sat down and looked out over the ocean, the waves rolling in. I held my girl, enjoying the peace and quiet until Emerson came along and tackled us. Fucker.

  “Seriously? I’m going to kick your ass.” I quickly kissed Jules on the head and took off after him down the beach. I could hear Jules laughing again, music to my ears.

  It didn’t take me long to catch up to Emerson, tackle him, and punch him hard for interrupting a moment with my girl. Just as I was getting up to head back to Jules, I got pummeled by a few other guys. Damn, they were all here. So much for a little quiet time with Jules. Maybe later we could go for a walk on the beach.

  After a little scuffle and shooting the shit, we all headed back toward the house. The girls already had their suits on and were walking out of the back door. I stopped dead in my tracks as Jules came down the steps in her white bikini. Her brown hair waved in the wind. I couldn’t believe she was all mine, and I couldn’t wait to get her alone. I was tempted to throw her over my shoulder and haul her upstairs.

  Emerson came up behind me. “Man, I’m thinking we need to get in there with them.”

  Nodding, I smiled. “I like the way you think, bro.”

  He smirked, and we all took off up the back steps. I needed to get my suit on, too, so I could get into the water with her. We got ready, put some beer in the cooler, and headed out to the pool. The girls were in the water or sunbathing. I spotted Jules lying off to the side by herself and grabbed the chair next to her, trying not to block the rays.

  “Hey, babe, need a little rubdown?” I teased, and she knew it.

  “Ha ha, very funny, Hunter. I'm good for rubdowns. Jake gave me one a few minutes ago while you were upstairs getting ready.”

  She’d better be fucking with me. I’d kill any motherfucker that came near her, and every guy has known since elementary school not to mess with Jules. Only Shane Myers had dared, and it didn't last long. I made it very clear that it wasn't just a rumor, that Jules was mine. He did something stupid to make Jules dump him the next day, and no one else had attempted since.

  “Well, if we're getting rubdowns from other people, do you think Taylor would mind?”

  Jules whipped her head around in shock, and I burst out laughing. I got her. She knew I would never dare mess with her best friend, but just hearing me say it was enough to make her pause.

  Leaning down, I kissed her sweetly and whispered, “It's nice to have the banter back. I've missed it.” I pulled back slightly and looked into her eyes. “I feel like you've been really distant lately. Is everything all right?”

  She gave me a little smile. “Yeah, babe, everything is fine, just got a lot on my mind. I'm sorry I've been kind of weird. Let's not let it ruin our weekend. I’ll try to have more fun.” She sat up and kissed my cheek. “What's the plan for tonight?”

  “I'm not sure. I was hoping for us to get some quiet time, maybe hang out on the beach after dinner, watch the sunset. How does that sound?” I hoped she’d say yes. I needed to talk to her more, and I knew she wouldn’t do it here around everyone else.

  “Sure, sounds good. I think us girls are making spaghetti for dinner along with margaritas. Should get interesting.” She winked.

  “That does sound interesting. Don't drink too many. I want you sober and ready for me tonight. By the way, have I told you that you look smokin' in this bikini?” I pulled her into my lap to straddle me and ran my fingers along her inner thigh, and she shivered. “You want to go inside, baby? I'm getting hard just sitting here with you.”

  “Hunter! We can't go inside with everyone here. Are you crazy? Everyone would know what we’re doing.” The blush that crept up her neck was adorable.

  I didn’t give a damn what anyone thought, but I knew Jules did. Although we’d been together for years, and I'm sure every single one of her girlfriends knew that we were sleeping together, she still pretended like they didn’t. I wouldn’t push her, so I sucked it up.

  “Okay, okay, I’ll be good. You should really put on some clothes, though, or everyone here is going to know how turned on you make me; this suit doesn't leave anything to the imagination.”

  Adjusting myself as best I could, we both looked down and laughed. She kissed me before getting off my lap and jumping into the pool. I sat there for a few more minutes, thinking about sports to try to calm myself before I jumped in with her.

  Later on, after dinner, we were all sitting around, drinking, and having a good time. Taylor, Emerson, and a couple others headed inside, so I took that as my opening to grab Jules and take off down to the beach. It was just about time for the sunset, and I had seen a great little spot when I was running down the beach earlier.

  We settled down on the rock wall and watched the sunset. It was beautiful and romantic, but things still seemed really tense.

  “What's wrong, Jules? I need you to talk to me.”

  She turned to me, and I could see her eyes shimmering with tears. I took her face in my hands and wiped away a tear that had just fallen.

  “Baby, why are you upset? What’s going on? Did someone hurt you?”

  She shook her head, and another tear slipped free. “I need to tell you something.” She looked down, refusing to meet my eyes.

  My heart hammered a million miles a minute. “Jules, you're scaring me. What's wrong?”

  She took a deep breath. “I got accepted to UCLA.” More tears flowed.

  I grabbed her and held her tightly. “Jules, that's amazing, I'm so proud—” I cut myself off when I realized she’d said UCLA. “Wait, do you mean UCLA, as in on the other side of the country? That UCLA?”

  She nodded slowly.

  “Sweets, why do you have to go to UCLA? I know you want to go to college, but why all the way over there. You know I can’t go. When I graduate, I have a business to run. You can study here in Florida. You can’t leave me. I need you.” My words were rushed; I was on the verge of losing it. I wasn’t an emotional person, but she couldn’t leave me. I’d be lost without her.

  “Hunter, I applied here, but I didn’t get a full ride. UCLA is offering me a full scholarship. I can’t pass that up. You know my mom can’t afford to send me to school.” She paused, taking a deep breath. “This is the only way I can do it and not rack up a bunch of student loans. I want to stay, trust me, it’s been killing me.” She took a moment to calm herself. “I found out last week, and I’ve been talking to everyone I can to get a scholarship closer to home, but it’s not looking good. I was hoping something would change and I wouldn’t have to break this news to you.”

  “I don’t even know what to say, Jules. We’ve been inseparable for over ten years. I need you to breathe. What will I do without you? I can’t lose you.” I looked down at my hands as the tears fell. I couldn’t do this. I felt like my
heart was breaking out of my chest. “Are you breaking up with me?” I looked up to see the hurt flash in her eyes.

  “No. Hunter, I love you. I don’t want us to be apart. It’s going to be hard, but I think we can make it work, don’t you?”

  “We can try. I love you, too. My heart feels like it’s being torn in two, Jules. I didn’t even know you were considering UCLA. I honestly can’t think right now. I need some time to process this.” I got up and started to walk. I needed to clear my head.

  After a long walk on the beach, I travelled back. I was thinking a little clearer, and I realized I just wanted what was best for Jules. I was being selfish, and I simply needed to accept it. It was only four years. We could do this. When I saw that Jules wasn’t where I’d left her, I noticed the time. I’d been wandering for a couple of hours, so it was no surprise she’d left. I set out toward the house. It looked like everyone was still up partying, except the one girl I was looking for. I ignored everyone and went straight to our room. Opening the door, I found Jules sprawled out, as usual, hogging the whole bed, wearing just her panties and tank top.

  I stripped down, got in behind her, and pulled her close. “I love you, baby. I’m sorry,” I whispered into her ear.

  She rolled over and snuggled up to me and fell back asleep. We could talk tomorrow.

  The morning came with an empty bed. I went to the bathroom quickly, and on my way out, I caught a glimpse of pink on the balcony. Relieved to see her sitting outside, I sighed and headed out to be with her.