BASKET IN ARM, I MEANDERED through the grocery store's produce section, spending my night deciding between gala apples or honey crisp and only just realizing how pathetic my life was becoming.

I sighed, going for the gala's and making my way to the lemons.

The last few days sucked. My dad was still pissed about my loss, and while my team assured me it wasn't a big deal, I could feel their disappointment.

I secured my lemons in a plastic bag, grabbed some potatoes, and headed toward the bakery.

Jace had won, but it wasn't the loss that bothered me. My heart hung as I stood before shelves of fresh bread, trying to decide what I wanted, but I couldn't shake this feeling.

Win or lose, my mom used to greet my dad at the end of the track. I saw it when I watched his old races on YouTube–her thousand-watt smile carved against rosy cheeks. I smiled. She was always so full of life. Always ready to support or celebrate with my dad and he appreciated it. He wasn't the overbearing asshole he was now. He was kind. To her anyway.

I glanced down at my pathetic-looking excuse of a basket.

I suppose he was good to me once too, during a time when winning or losing didn't matter. Those days were over and standing on the podium, one step below Jace, reminded me of just how true that was.

My grip tightened. I only won because he wanted me to, but I knew it was more than that. He was all I had, and I hoped that if I secured enough wins, sponsors, endorsements and hated the Baker's as much as he did, we could get back to the place we were before she got sick. Before she died. I laughed to myself. My mom took my dad with her when she passed and replaced him with someone I didn't recognize.

I grabbed a loaf of brown bread, ciabatta buns and French bread, making my way to the back when Olivia caught my eye.

She stood before the pharmacy, her smile crinkling brown eyes as she thanked the pharmacist and took the bag he offered. She pulled away from the counter–combing blonde hair from her face when she saw me and stopped. "Hey, Hunt."

I smiled softly in greeting. I never minded Olivia. She was nice and took me as I was, not who others perceived me to be.

Olivia hurried over, slowing to a halt. "What are you doing here?"

I held up the basket, looking down. She wasn't as short as Baker. She was tall and slender, with a band of freckles stained on the bridge of her nose. "Shopping. And you?"

She jabbed a ringed thumb behind her shoulder. "I had to pick up Nadine's prescription before my evening lecture."

My brows furrowed. "Is she okay?"

She seemed to soften at my concern. "She has strep throat and a bad ear infection. The doctor put her on a round of antibiotics."

I nodded once. "Well, wish her well for me."

I made to leave, doubting Nadine wanted my sympathy and heeding my father's warning to stay far away from her, when Olivia whipped around. "Maybe you could do it yourself? I'm going to be late for my lecture, and it would mean everything if you dropped it off."

My eyes flicked to the white paper bag she held.

"Unless you're busy."

I glanced down at my basket again and thought about my pathetic excuse of a night. "I don't think Nadine wants to see me." I didn't know if I said it because I believed it or because my dad was pissed and blamed Nadine, not for distracting Jace, but me.

Olivia gave me a small smile. "I heard about your argument on the pass."

I huffed a joyless laugh. "It wasn't my finest moment."

"It wasn't hers either," she teased. "I don't know what it is, but something about you seems to trigger her."

I noticed. And I understood why she didn't trust me. The feud was one thing between my father and hers, Jace and me, but Nadine and I had history. She was my best friend once. She'd stuck up for me when I needed it and showed up like a friend was supposed to, like I should have, and, as always, I snapped and pushed her away.

Olivia studied me, seeming to see something I couldn't. "It's not a bad thing," she offered. "She's guarded, but..." she trailed off, choosing her next words carefully. "She doesn't pretend when she's around you. You get all the pieces that make Nadine. The good, the bad, and the broken."

I said nothing because I didn't know what to say.

"Don't take it personally, Hunt. Nadine's been through a lot. Between her Hama and Jace. She's just...."

"Sad."

"Lonely," Olivia corrected. "She knows she has us, but she's reluctant to open up. She's dealing with all her pain internally, and we're worried. We haven't been able to get her to talk about her grandma since she passed, but you did."

Because all Nadine and I seemed to do was argue, but even that wasn't entirely true. Nadine was hoping I'd provide understanding, but I pushed instead of giving her the time she needed to open up. And like always, my dad managed to crawl under my skin and nudge old wounds. I got it. I wasn't the guy fathers wanted for their daughters. I broke after my mom and shattered a bunch of hearts along with it. I pushed Nadine away because I was trying to protect her from my anger, the same anger she unleashed on me.

I glanced down the nearest aisle.

In truth, I didn't hate Jace because of the feud. I hated him because I wanted Nadine the way he had her. But when I was ready to apologize, she'd moved on and cemented her ideas about me, notions I was determined to prove wrong which was why I offered her the ride. She claimed to be pretending when we kissed, but I wasn't. It meant something to me. She always meant something to me.

I sighed inwardly. I wanted to start again, to go back to how we were, but it seemed like everyone, and their fucking dog was against us being together. Especially my dad, who warned me about what might happen if I so much as looked at Baker.

Olivia seemed to be waiting for some sort of reply. When none came, she said, "You know what it's cool. I can swing by the apartment–"

"No," I interrupted, "I have stats notes to drop off to her anyway."

Olivia smiled. "I think she'd appreciate that."

She thanked me, handing me the bag with quick instructions to relay to Nadine, and was off before I could change my mind.

I coughed hard, my throat so sore I thought it might bleed.

I flicked through Netflix from my nest of quilts when a knock came at the door.

I blew out a disgruntled sigh as I peeled myself off the couch, my body sore and muscles shrieking with every step. I opened the door, expecting to find Olivia with full arms. Instead, I found Hunt.

My brows furrowed, my head snapping from left to right as if expecting Olivia to show up. She didn't.

"What are you doing here?"

Hunt held up the pharmacy bag along with several more. I couldn't see what was in them, but I'd hazard a guess and say it was food. "I heard you were sick."

A few beats of stunned surprise went by. "Who told you?"

"Olivia," he answered, "I saw her at the grocery store."

Of course, she did.

He wore a hoodless sweater, the grey matching the profit hat he sported backwards atop his head and white shoes on his feet. "Can I come in?" he asked.

I couldn't help but wonder if his question warranted a deeper meaning given the gesture, but I sloughed it aside for now. "What's in the bags?"

"Provisions. Olivia said you were out of bread and cough syrup. I added a few more things and thought since I hadn't eaten, I may as well cook dinner here."

There was no detection of shyness in his voice, only pure logic. "I thought you were mad at me," I said, not about to let him in just yet. I was still embarrassed about my outburst on the pass. I meant what I said about wanting to confide in him, but every time I opened up just a little, he brought everything back to racing and Jace. I wasn't keen on opening up again, only to shatter when Hunt finally realized that, like him, I carried my own heartbreak and that I wasn't the person I'd once been.

"I am mad at you," he stated. "You jumped out of my truck in the middle of a thunderstorm and had your friend pick you up in an unreliable vehicle without heat. No wonder you're sick."

I lifted a brow. "So it was guilt that brought you to my door?"

He shook his head, that smile almost debilitating. "I came for you. Because we're a team. Now, do you want this ice cream or not? Because if I don't get it in the freezer, it's going to turn into soup."

His words took me off guard. "A team?"

"Yeah," he replied as if I were the idiot, "a team. We train together, study together, travel together. Fight together."

I gave him what I hoped was an unreadable expression.

"Look, I know you think I have ulterior motives. I get it. I showed up at an inconvenient time. Jace is one race from kicking my ass this season and you guys just broke up. It looks suspicious, but I really do care about you, Baker." He paused, the bags weighing in his rather large hands. "I know what you're going through. I know what it's like to lose someone the way you lost Linda. To be mad at everyone and everything." He paused. "You can be mad at me."

"Why?"

Something sad set in his eyes. "Because I know what it's like to have your entire world crumble beneath your feet. And I'm not leaving. You wanna talk? Great, we'll talk. You wanna fight, fine. You can yell and scream at me. I'm still going to show up, bringing your spoiled ass stats notes and melted ice cream."

My eyes ticked over him, glossed with tears I blamed on my pounding head.

"I told you once," he said, softer now, "I'd be a sound board if you needed, and I meant it."

I hesitated for a brief moment, unsure if I was ready to accept him as he was, standing in front of my door with groceries in hand.

I sniffed, more from the cold that wouldn't go away, and gestured to the bags. "What kind of ice cream?"

Hunt beamed.

I opened the door, allowing my nemesis to make himself at home in my kitchen.

A/N: Hunt's making her dinner! I have no idea if anyone else thinks this is the cutest gesture but I do. Eeeek!

Sorry this took so long to post. It's hard getting in Hunt's head sometimes. I've decided Nadine loves Ayron Jones just as much as me and therefore added one of my favourite songs by him above.

I hope you enjoyed the dual POV! And shout out to Olivia for giving Hunt the little nudge he needed!