20 Questions

Chapter 20

I wasn't nervous about this conversation regarding our relationship until now. Hunter has been giving me all the signs that he wants to pursue whatever this is, but I won't be confident until I hear those words of affirmation. I'm all in my head thinking about what happens after this week. We are in a bubble right now, far away from jobs and bills and everyday stressors. History has proven, to me at least, that if something seems too good to be true, it usually is. One of my previous relationships lasted a year and a half. Everything was perfect...until it wasn't. I let myself live in a fantasy world, thinking I was the luckiest girl on the planet to have the relationship that we did. We were that annoying couple that never fought, finished each other's sentences, held hands everywhere we went. We were waiting until marriage before we were intimate and I couldn't imagine anything tearing us apart. We were too perfect and we were going to have the perfect marriage, the perfect house and the perfect kids.

That is until I found him in bed with his neighbor.

I was devastated and the only thing that got me out of the Great Depression was Jansen. He would sit around and tell me all the ways he could ruin my ex's life and I'm fairly certain that he formulated a plan of attack. I told him that my ex wasn't worth going to jail for and that he would eventually get his. Karma would rear her ugly head in time. Fortunately, I was right. He did get his and he has a lifetime supply of Valtrex to prove it. It turns out his disgusting neighbor had a dirty little secret by the name of genital herpes.

I got my revenge and he got monthly flare-ups.

Checkmate, bitch.

I slip off my shoes and sit on the edge of the bed. My stomach is twisting and my mouth is dry. I'm not quite sure how to break the ice and dive into this conversation. I'm invested now and if he were to tell me that he doesn't want anything more than this week, that may crush me because I've never fallen for someone so quickly. Hunter sits at the table and picks at his nails, obviously as nervous as I am. His mood swings give me whiplash. One minute he is commanding and confident, but then there are moments, like right now, that he is withdrawn and insecure.

"Hunter, I'm sorry if I put you on the spot with that last question. I know we have only known each other a couple days and I don't want to put any pressure on this. I'm really enjoying my time with you and I hope you feel the same. I like to be in control of everything and it makes me anxious when I'm not. It's a trait of mine that pushes me to succeed and is also my biggest flaw. We can just forget that I asked the question."

His eyes move from the floor to me. He takes in a deep breath and slowly releases it as he processes my apology. When he finally opens his mouth to speak, I almost miss his words as my focus is on the troubling expression he wears.

"Do you ever feel like if something seems too good to be true, it usually is?"

"Ironically, I was thinking the same thing," I concur.

"Jenna, I'm honestly scared to death. You came in like a wrecking ball and now I am questioning everything in my life."

That certainly didn't calm my nerves. I've been told I am a force to be reckoned with, a handful and even a pain in the ass, but I'm no Miley Cyrus and I've never been called a wrecking ball. I press my hands together to pop my knuckles, a not-so-wonderful trick I learned from my father. The suspense is rattling my nerves.

"Care to elaborate?"

"I'm sorry, that sounded awful. I actually meant that in a good way." The tension in my shoulders releases slightly, but I am still on high alert as I nod at him to continue. "I just mean that last week, I would have never guessed I would be sitting across from the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on and talking about a future after only knowing each other for a couple days. Hell, I think Justin wears underwear longer than that. But I guess when you know, you just know."