Chapter 23 Chapter 23: Near Accident
Catherine’s P.O.V
I sat in the car outside the store for a few minutes, gripping the list Xavier had handed me. My eyes traced the neat little handwriting, noting the snacks, the jewelry, the maternity dresses. My stomach twisted.
“Snacks, fine… jewelry?” I muttered to myself. “Maternity dresses?” My lips pressed into a thin line as I looked at the list again.
I could almost hear Xavier’s voice in my head, casual and easy as ever. “Here, Cathy, take this list. Just get it, no big deal.”
I let out a sharp laugh, though it sounded hollow even to me. “No big deal, right? As if I’m just running errands for his mistress while he’s who knows where, doing… what?” My hands shook slightly as I folded the list.
“I can’t even… Why does it feel like he doesn’t even see me?”
I gritted my teeth and tried to push it down, tried to calm the rush of frustration and hurt. Don’t overthink it, Cathy. It’s just a list. Just groceries. Stop reading into things.
But my heart wasn’t convinced.
I pressed my forehead against the steering wheel, closed my eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath.
“Okay. Just… just go get the things. You can do this. You don’t have to sit here and stew over what he’s thinking.”
A minute later, I unlocked the doors, grabbed my coat, and stepped out into the freezing cold. My fingers tingled immediately, but there was a strange sort of clarity in the cold bite of the wind against my skin. It reminded me I was still alive, still in control of at least something.
Then I shook my head, thinking of Xavier again. He asked Caroline about her favorite snacks? Her jewelry? Her maternity dresses? And he hands it to me like it’s nothing? Like I’m invisible while he plays house behind my back?
I exhaled, a long, shaky breath. “No. Stop. Don’t let it ruin today. Just… just get the things and move on. You’re thinking too much into this. It’s just some stuff…nothing more.”
Even as I spoke those words, I felt the ache in my chest, the bitter sting of betrayal curling around my ribs. I stepped onto the road, my boots crunching against the thin layer of snow that had gathered in the parking lot.
The air was sharp, biting at my cheeks, and the asphalt was slick underfoot. I shuffled carefully, trying not to slip, my arms slightly out of balance. The cold seeped into my bones, making each step a little more deliberate than the last.
“Okay, Catherine, just…careful,” I muttered to myself, feeling a mix of determination and dread. The parking lot seemed emptier than usual, the silence broken only by distant car engines and the occasional crunch of tires on snow. My foot slipped once, then again, and I cursed under my breath.
“Focus. Don’t fall.”
I reached the edge of the lot, where the road stretched out before me. That’s when it happened…a sudden, blaring horn cut through the quiet, so loud it made my ears ring. I froze, heart hammering, as I saw the car speeding straight toward me. My legs refused to respond, my body locked in place, every instinct screaming at me to move, but I couldn’t.
Before the panic could overwhelm me completely, strong hands grabbed me from behind. I felt myself yanked back violently, and the world tilted as we landed hard on the snow. Pain shot through my side, and I gasped, finding myself sprawled on top of someone. My heart raced so fast I thought it might burst out of my chest.
“Cat! Are you okay?” The voice was familiar, but I couldn’t place it immediately through the shock and fear.
I scrambled backward slightly, my hands pressing against the snow, and looked up. My breath caught in my throat. “Hunter?” I whispered, disbelief and relief warring in my chest.
“You… you saved me?”
He exhaled, a mix of irritation and concern etched across his features. “Yeah, obviously. What were you thinking, standing there like that?” His tone was scolding, but there was an underlying tremor of worry that made my chest tighten.
“I…I didn’t see the car,” I admitted, my voice shaking, eyes wide as I tried to process the close call. “It just… I froze. I couldn’t move.”
Hunter’s expression softened a fraction, and he shifted slightly, sitting up to help me fully upright. “Catherine… you have to be more careful. You can’t just…stand there like a statue. That car…” His voice faltered for a moment, and I caught the raw emotion behind it. Fear. Relief. Frustration all tangled together.
“I know,” I murmured, feeling tears prick the edges of my eyes. “I thought I could make it… I thought I had more time.” My hands shook, and I clenched them on the snow, trying to warm them, trying to steady myself.
He reached out, brushing a strand of wet hair from my face, and I felt the warmth of his hand lingering longer than necessary. “You scared me,” he admitted quietly. “Do you even realize what could have happened?”
“I…” I stopped, swallowing hard. “I don’t even want to think about it.” The vulnerability in my own voice surprised me, but I couldn’t hide it. My chest heaved, my heart still racing. “Thank you… Hunter. For… saving me.”
He gave a small, almost reluctant smile. “Don’t mention it. Just… try not to get yourself killed next time, okay?”
I nodded, unable to speak. There was something in his eyes, something unspoken, that made my stomach twist. Relief, yes but there was also something else. Concern. Maybe even something closer than that.
We stayed like that for a moment, the cold biting at us, but neither of us moving to break the silence.