I didn't have very long to obsess over whether he was actually flirting with me, or if he was just one of those guys that likes to give girls a hard time. Luckily Jess sauntered back in, looking gorgeous as she smiled from ear to ear, her pageant training showing in the way that she carried herself.

"What are you guys talking about?" She asked sweetly as she came to sit in the very small space between Hunter and me.

Hunter turned away from me and I tried hard not to notice how good his cologne smelled. It was like when you walk through the mall and they have the nice kiosks setup with the expensive body sprays and I'm always just a little tempted to buy a bottle of it for myself just so I can smell it at home. There's just something about men's cologne that is so appealing.

"Oh, I was just giving your friend here a hard time." He told her coyly, throwing a wink over his shoulder when he turned back to me for a second.

I blushed a little and shook my head as I took another swig of my beer. Hunter was definitely one of those guys who likes to mess with girls. I don't know why but it seems like all of the guys who are actually otherworldly attractive all seem to know the effect they have on girls, especially ones like me, and they love to make us squirm in our awkwardness. It also didn't pass my notice that he didn't refer to me by name, which probably meant he'd already forgotten it again.

I focused in on the game to try and level out my nerves, but when Hunter and Jessica started laughing and I felt their stares I turned back to them, flushing red again. "What?" I asked.

Jess shook her head at me and gave me a look that said 'get your head out of your ass', and Hunter grinned, his sideways smile that I bet works wonders for him with the girls.

"Hunter was just asking if we wanted something to eat," Jess smiled around her words. "he said he has some chicken that he made and some dip if we want any."

I narrowed my eyes at Hunter. "You cook?" I asked more doubt in my voice than I meant for there to be, although I definitely was doubting it.

He held a hand to his chest and feigned shock. "First you come into my house and punch me, now you insult my abilities in my own kitchen?" He smiled as he bit his lip and I was ashamed that my eyes dipped there.

One of the gossip girls from the other side of the room giggled, holding up her plate. "Hunter has us over for homemade meals all the time." She told me and he bowed his head to her.

"Thank you," he told her, then turned back to me. "and no, I didn't pay her to come here to be my character witness if that's the next insult you were going to throw my way."

The one other guy in the room took a break from trying to suck the face off of his girlfriend and he eyed me up and down. "Damn, girl's being tough on you." He joked with Hunter.

"Girl's got a name." I smiled sarcastically back at him and Hunter busted out laughing.

"Uh-oh, Dave," Hunter reached over to slap him on the leg. "you might have just met a girl who doesn't deal with your shit."

The girl who Dave had been making out with cut her eyes at me, definitely trying to silently mark her territory, not that Dave would be my type at all. He looked like a typical jock with his jersey on and his ball cap on backwards, the blonde curls peeking out from under it. Hunter must have noticed the look the girl was giving me because he looked back at her and grinned.

"No offense, Chelsey." He shrugged and she rolled her eyes at him.

"Ass." She huffed under her breath.

"Princess." He fired back just as quickly.

Chelsey glared at me one more time before she grabbed onto Dave's face again and pulled him back into a renewed make-out session. I was suddenly wishing that Hunter really had given me two beers instead of just the one.

I went back to watching the game while Hunter took Jessica by the hand and led her back into the kitchen. I could hear them laughing as he told her jokes while he fixed her a plate.

When they came back, Jess scooted in beside me and Hunter sat close on her opposite side, leaning over her to pass me another beer. "Figured the one you've been nursing might be hot by now." He said simply as he took my nearly empty one from my other hand and put it on the table in front of us. "Sure I can't get you something to eat?"

I shook my head. "Nah, I had like ten Kit Kats before I came."

Jessica giggled and turned to me. "Oh my god, not the ones from Halloween?" She asked.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Of course not, I ate all of those like the night I got them." I laughed with her, the feel good vibe rolling over me thanks to my drinks. "I bought a new bag last week."

"Oh my god, Tay, you've got an obsession." She shook her head.

"Whatevs," I smiled at her. "They were on sale so I feel no shame."

Out of the corner of my eye I felt like I caught Hunter staring at me, and Dave too around Chelsey's face, but I convinced myself I was being silly. They probably think I'm insane anyway.

"So what do you and Kit have planned for later?" Hunter asked, throwing his arm around Jess's shoulders, his hand hanging dangerously close to my own arm.

Jess furrowed her brows for a second. "Kit?" She asked.

"Yeah, you and your friend Kit Kat." He said like it was obvious and with enough conviction you'd think my birth certificate actually boasted that name instead of Tayler Marie Platt. "Dave and I are hitting a concert in town tonight."

Jess straightened up in her seat. "Oh? A concert?" She asked. "Who is it?"

"Um, some guy..." He rubbed at the stubble on his jaw. "Shit, what was his name Dave?" Hunter cut his indigo eyes back over to his friend, but he was no longer listening to the conversation. "Ah, he has red hair and-."

"Oh my god." I muttered, my heart fluttering.

"What?" Hunter laughed at my reaction, looking to Jess for explanation.

I sat up to sit my beer on the table. "You're not talking about Ed Sheeran, are you?"

My stomach did flips as his eyes lit up when I said the name and it was obviously the one he was trying to remember. "That's it!" He nodded and Jessica whipped her head around so fast that her long hair smacked me in the face.

"Are you kidding? We tried for weeks to get tickets to that show." She pouted. "How on earth did you get them?"

I wanted to ask the same thing but I was green with envy that this guy, who obviously didn't even know who Ed Sheeran is, was going to be at his concert tonight.

Hunter laughed and shook his head. "Oh I was just listening to the radio and I happened to call in in time to win some." He explained. "I know a ton of people are going tonight, so I thought the two of you might be."

Jessica and I both sat back into the couch, our bottom lips poking out. We really did try everything for those tickets, but since it was a flash show, there wasn't any promotion beforehand so by the time we found out about him coming, the seats were already sold out and neither of us had luck in winning any.

"I wish we were, but no." Jess sighed.

Hunter reached over her and touched her lips with his fingertips, making her cheeks flame red and she pulled her lip back into her mouth. "I have an extra ticket." He said softly, and Jessica's eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"Are you serious?" She demanded excitedly. "Oh my god, please, I'd do anything to go to that show."

"Anything?" He asked.

I had to be careful not to roll my eyes too obviously, but I couldn't hold it back all together. Hunter winked at her and I looked away, focusing yet again on the awful football game that was on. I hated going places like this and being the third wheel, that's why Jess would usually pick someone a little more personable and upbeat than me to bring with her, but she didn't have any better options this time.

I tried hard not to listen in on their conversation, but Jess's excitement when he told her he'd take her was hard to ignore, especially since she was bouncing up and down in her spot and clapping her hands. Hunter was laughing at her, but he seemed genuinely happy that she was so excited. As Jess's best friend, or at least one of them, I do want to see her happy. Even if her happiness is from getting to go to a concert that I'd kill to be at.

She turned to me and hugged me, and this time I did catch Hunter watching, but I told myself he was looking at her, not me. "Can you believe it?" She asked and I tried my best to give her a congratulatory smile and share in her enthusiasm.

"I'm so excited for you." I told her with little conviction, then I tried again. "You'll have to take a lot of pictures and videos for me." I told her and she looked so happy that I finally did actually mean it when I hugged her back. "And bring me back a cool souvenir."

"Of course!" She beamed.

Hunter leaned forward again, slightly over Jess and I could tell she was loving how close he kept getting to her. He looked passed her though, and over at me. "Hey, you both have been wanting to go to this, and I don't even know who the guy is really," he told me. "Why don't you just take my ticket?"

My chin dipped and I was glad I wasn't holding my drink anymore because I probably would have dropped it.

"What?" Dave and Jessica both asked at the same time.

"What about me?" Dave threw a pillow at Hunter, but he ducked in time for it to sail to the other side of the room and slide across the hardwood floors.

"Like you give a shit about going either." Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Besides, I'm the one who won them so I can chose who I give them to." He smiled. "I'm sure the girls wouldn't mind letting you sit with them, I just won't be there."

"You can't do that." I said suddenly, surprising myself, but the relieved look on Jess's face told me she was hoping I'd object. "Like you said, they're your tickets, and you and Jessica will have a great time."

Jessica turned to smile at Hunter, but he was furrowing his brows at me. "I really don't mind," He told me. "I could meet up with y'all after and we could go get some drinks or something. You just said how badly you want to go to this concert." Jess looked over at me, silently telling me no, and I tried to not be offended, or let on that I really did want to go to it with her. Hunter leaned closer in. "I'm not taking no for an answer." He said firmly. "You both are going."

Jessica smiled, but I could tell it was forced as she turned to look at me. "Wow," She said, turning back to him. "that's seriously so nice of you."

All of my excitement that I should have been feeling was absent. Knowing that she didn't want me to come with her kind of put a damper on the whole thing for me.

He nodded, not so humbly. "I know." He grinned. "But I mean it, I want y'all to go and we will meet up after."

"Sounds good." Jessica lied, then she shifted uncomfortably in her spot. "I've got to use the little girl's room again." She smiled shyly and Hunter moved back so that she could get up and inch around the couch.

I felt awkward just sitting on the couch with him again. Especially when I could feel that he was staring. "You really into this game or something?" He asked suddenly. "You've been pretty intent to pretend to watch it."

I kept my eyes on the TV. "No I'm not really into it, but I haven't been pretending to watch it either." I said coolly. "The defensive for your team is pathetic and I'm getting really tired of seeing your QB not know when to just run the damn ball." I rolled my eyes. "Especially if the guy knows he's got a bad arm to begin with. He's turned the ball over three times since I've been here."

Dave was eavesdropping again. "Looks like she calls your B.S. too, Quaid."

I glanced at Hunter. "Quaid?"

He flipped Dave the bird, then turned back to me. "My last name," he explained. "In the military most of us call each other by our last names, but Dave's last name is Bottomburner and I just haven't mastered saying that with a straight face yet." He laughed.

I had to smile too and Hunter's seemed to widen a little. "Got it." I nodded.

"So, you a football fan?" He asked me and I felt the coldness creeping up inside me.

"Not really." I sighed, reaching out to down the last of my beer. "Not anymore."

Hunter inched closer. "Anymore?" He asked, his face light and his eyes searched mine.

"My brother was a huge football nut." I told him. "We used to watch every game on the weekends."

"Was?" He asked gently, and I turned away from his gaze.

Even though it had been three years, the pain still felt fresh and my heart ached in my chest, feeling like it was frozen over. "Yeah, was." I whispered. "He had a rare bone disease."

Hunter surprised me when he rested his big hand gently on my knee, squeezing once. "I'm sorry." He said genuinely. "I had a brother too." His voice was soft and when I looked into his eyes I could see it. That pain and grief that seems to live in people's eyes, waiting for moments like this to get stirred up. However, he was better and faster at pushing his pain back out. Hunter stood up, patting me on the head and walked towards the kitchen. "Come on, Kit Kat." He smiled over his shoulder. "You've earned another drink."

I followed him into the kitchen, looking for an excuse to stop thinking of Clint, and finding it when I saw the platter of chicken laid out on the stove and the big pot of cheese dip. My stomach rumbled loudly and Hunter laughed. "I don't have any candy for you, sadly, but you can help yourself to the food I've got." He said, handing me a bottle of water.

I looked at the water in my hands, confused why he'd given me it instead of another beer. I chanced a glance up at him where he was towering over my small 5'2 frame and I saw the understanding in his eyes again. Water to help me sober up enough to be able to keep unwanted thoughts, like those of my brother, from creeping into my overcrowded mind. "Thanks."

He left me alone in the kitchen and went back out into the main room with Jessica. I took a moment to catch my breath and then I chugged the water, taking it all in without breaking, then threw away the bottle in his trash can. Something underneath the plates on top caught my eyes, but I wasn't about to start digging through the trash, so I just closed the lid and walked over to the counter to grab a paper plate and I added two pieces of chicken and some chips and dip. I turned to walk out of the tiny white kitchen, taking a bite of the chicken, then I froze, a smile spreading across my face.

I turned back to the stove, setting my plate down and I lifted the familiar black tray that the chicken was laid out on, checking the bottom for the sticker I was sure would be there. Just like I'd suspected, the wrapper I'd seen in the trash, and this tray both are from the super market on Fourth Street. I used to go to their deli area and get their hot lunches all the time when I was still attending the university because their food tasted like homemade. I was so proud of myself for busting Hunter's lie about cooking this himself that I hadn't heard him creep back into the kitchen until he leaned down behind me to whisper in my ear. "You found out my secret," He said breathily and my skin betrayed me by feeling electrified where his breath blew across it. "Now I'll just have to find out yours so that we'll be even."

I stepped to the side, then turned around, afraid to look up at him. "I don't have any secrets." I said too quickly and too high pitched.

"Sure you do." He smiled, then he grabbed the plate of food I'd made myself and he walked out of the kitchen with it, looking back to give me that sideways grin again before he rounded the corner.