Hunter stood to leave, but on instinct, I reached out and caught his hand. The warmth of his palm was grounding, steady in a way that made me reluctant to let go. Before I could even process the action, his teasing voice broke the silence.
"What? Intrigued?" His tone was light, but amusement danced in his eyes. "Tomorrow, after the divorce, maybe we'll see where things go. But until then... you're still family. I'm not that kind of guy."
Heat rushed to my cheeks, embarrassment sparking like fire beneath my skin. I recoiled as if burned, jerking my hand back and lowering my gaze. "You're overthinking it," I muttered. "I just wanted to ask... Do you believe me? About Audrey? That I had nothing to do with what happened to her?"
Hunter's expression didn't change, but after a brief pause, he gave a small nod. "Yeah, you're not smart enough for that."
I blinked, momentarily stunned. That was unnecessary.
A dry laugh escaped me, half amused, half self-deprecating. "Even you believe me, yet Hayden doesn't. Just how much does he hate me?"