Chased by My Possessive Ex (Dylan) novel Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Chapter 45

DYLAN

…

:

79

5 vouchers

I wanted to stay. Every part of me screamed to go after Hunter. But I knew better. He needed space right now. And, if I was being honest, so did I.

The moment he disappeared from sight, I felt the ache settle deep inside me, a mix of guilt and longing twisting in my chest. My emotions were a tangled mess I couldn’t even begin to unravel.

I was confused about how I felt for Hunter. I knew my heart no longer beat the same way for Beckett. Somewhere between the fights, the sleepless nights, and the quiet indifference that filled our marriage, the flame had died out. I had spent years trying to convince myself that it was just a rough patch, that love could be built if I stayed long enough, if I loved hard enough. But love was never meant to be one–sided.

I was trapped in that marriage, not because of Beckett, but because of the dream I refused to let go of. I had believed that if I endured, if I waited, Beckett would finally see me. But he never did. One phone call from Sarah–and he ran to her without hesitation.

That was when I knew I had lost long before I ever started trying. There was never a competition. There was never me in his heart. It was always Sarah. Always.

The day I walked out of our house, I thought I was leaving behind every piece of love I had left. I told myself I’d never feel that way again—that kind of foolish, consuming affection that left me vulnerable. But then came

Hunter.

He stirred something in me I didn’t want to acknowledge. The same rush of warmth, the same ache that used to come with Beckett–but this time, it was different. Wilder. Realer. It scared me because I barely knew him, yet somehow, he was already under my skin.

Maybe it was my pride that kept me from admitting it out loud—that I’d fallen for him without even realizing when it started. I thought I was incapable of loving anyone after Beckett. I thought my heart was too tired, too bruised. But Hunter… he made it beat again.

And maybe that’s what terrified me most of all.

I took a long, deep breath before getting into the car. The door shut with a heavy thud, sealing me inside a silence that felt louder than any argument we’d ever had. The driver didn’t say a word. He simply started the engine, and we pulled away from the hotel.

City lights blurred past the window, but my mind wasn’t in the car. It was out there somewhere with him. The quiet hummed around me, and all I could hear was my heartbeat pounding too fast, too unsteady.

When we reached the house, I thanked the driver and stepped out. My footsteps echoed through the hallway as I entered the mansion. I slipped off my heels and walked straight to the bedroom, my exhaustion weighing down my limbs.

I changed, washed my face, and turned off the lights. The bed felt bigger than ever. I lay down and pulled the sheets up, closing my eyes, willing myself to drift away.

But I couldn’t.

14:29 Sun, Dec 28 N

Chapter 45

Because the room smelled like him.

The faint scent of his cologne lingered on the pillow next to mine.

79

EZ 6 vouchers

The warmth of his presence still clung to the mattress, like memories of where he usually slept.

I reached out, my fingers brushing across the empty space where he should have been.

I didn’t realize how much I’d gotten used to him being there. I had grown accustomed to him without noticing it. And now, with him gone, the absence was suffocating.

I rolled onto my side, hugging the blanket to my chest as if it could fill the loneliness clawing at me. My heart felt so tight I could barely breathe.

I craved him.

I never wanted to need anyone again. I never wanted to feel this vulnerable.

–

But here I was lying awake in the dark, longing for a man who walked away because I pushed him too hard.

And for the first time in a long while, I wished I had been brave enough to choose honesty over fear.

I lay there staring at the ceiling, my thoughts looping in circles I couldn’t escape from. The longer I stayed awake, the more restless I became. The sheets tangled around my legs, the silence pressing down on me until I could hear nothing but the pounding in my chest.

Time slipped away without me noticing. When I finally blinked and turned my head toward the clock on the nightstand, the glowing red digits made my breath catch.

4:03 AM.

I hadn’t slept at all.

I pushed the covers off and slowly sat up, rubbing at my tired eyes. My head felt heavy–thick from exhaustion, from worry, from wanting someone who didn’t want to be here tonight.

I suddenly felt my throat dry, so I decided to go down to get some water. I reached for my robe and wrapped it around my body before heading out of the room.

As soon as I opened the door, I heard voices from downstairs.

I froze when I heard Hunter’s familiar voice.

My heart skipped a beat as I hurried towards where the noise was coming from, the cold floor biting at my bare feet. I followed the sound to the foyer, my breath trapped somewhere between hope and dread.

When I opened the door, the sight before me made my stomach drop.

Hunter stood there–if you could call it standing. His body leaned heavily to one side, his arm slung over a woman’s shoulders. His head hung low, his hair falling messily across his forehead. He reeked of alcohol; I could smell it even from where I stood.

14:29 Sun, Dec 28 N

Chapter 45

:

(79

E5 vouchers

The woman was trying to support him, her manicured hand gripping his waist, her perfume too sweet and too familiar for my liking.

My breath hitched. My vision blurred.

Not because he was drunk.

But because he hadn’t come home alone.

The woman looked up at me first, eyebrows raised, as if I were some stranger intruding on their moment. “Could you tell me where his room is?” she said simply, her tone flat.

Hunter lifted his head a little, eyes half–lidded and unfocused. But when his gaze finally landed on me, something flickered in them–hurt, anger, something raw.

“Dylan…” he slurred, a weak smile tugging at his lips. “Look… I’m home.”

The words stabbed straight through my chest.

Home.

He had the audacity to call this place home while clinging to another woman.

My hands tightened into fists against my sides, but my voice came out quieter than I expected–thin, fragile, trembling.

“I see that.”

My words came out flat, almost emotionless, though the heat boiling under my skin was anything but calm.

The woman shifted Hunter’s weight on her shoulder, sighing like I was inconveniencing her.

“Well, are you going to stand there,” she snapped, “or are you going to tell me where his room is?”

Something inside me snapped. I straightened my spine, lifted my chin, and spoke clearly–loud enough for the entire hallway to hear.

“My husband can stay in our room,” I responded, emphasizing the word “husband” just to let her know who she was talking to.

The woman froze. The irritation on her face flickered into shock, then discomfort. She looked between me and Hunter like she was suddenly aware of the gravity of the situation.

Before she could speak, I turned my head slightly and said, “You. Come here.”

Hunter’s men were always nearby. Always watching.

Two stepped forward immediately.

“Take her out of this house,” I said. My tone was steady, but my hands were trembling. “Next time, I don’t want any pests inside my house. Am I clear?”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify