20 Questions

Chapter 69

The closer it gets to picking my parents up from the airport, the higher Hunter's anxiety escalates. He has straightened up the room three times and paced the floor the whole time I was getting ready. Helen went back to her room to take a nap and the rest of the guys went to the mall to get shirts for tonight. I am just finishing up my makeup when Hunter walks into the bathroom. I've heard him sigh five times in the two minutes that he has been in here. I stay quiet and wait to see if he wants to talk about it.

"Baby, I am so nervous about meeting your parents. What if they don't like me? What if they think that I'm not good enough for their daughter? What if they think that I'm not stable enough to provide for you? I feel like I am about to throw up."

I set my mascara on the sink and walk over to him. I wrap my arms around his waist and give him the most reassuring smile I can manage. I hate seeing him this nervous because I know that it's not necessary. He will see that when they arrive.

"Boy, you listen to me and you listen good. My parents are thrilled to death to meet you. They will instantly see exactly what I see in you. You are a good man with a big heart and most importantly, they know how happy you make me. They aren't looking for somebody to give me some extravagant life with mansions and luxurious vacations. They want a man that will love me and respect me every day. You have nothing to worry about. Now take some deep breaths and remove your pants."

His eyes that were staring at the ground look up into mine. "What?"

"You heard me. Take off your pants. Go sit on that chair right now."

"Why?"

"Because you need a distraction...something to make you less nervous."

He's taking too long so I grab his pants and jerk them down. I point at the chair while undressing myself and quickly make my way over to him. His hands find my breasts as I lower myself down on him. I hate seeing him this nervous and I pray that this distraction will help lessen his anxiety. His eyes roll back in his head with each bounce on his lap. The tension in his shoulders dissolves as his climax grows closer. His hands grip my hips, pushing me all the way down on him as his body jolts. I feel him twitch inside of me, his hold on me less strained. He takes a few deep breaths and brings his head back up to look at me.

"Feel better?" I ask.

"Oh my God, yes. Thank you. I needed that."

"I know you did, baby. I don't like seeing you all anxious."

"Do you think it's crazy how much sex we have?" he asks.

"Oh, it's definitely crazy, but we had a whole year to make up for."

"Ditto. I realize that it won't always be like this but fuck if I'm not enjoying the hell out of it right now. Were you like this with the other guys you slept with?" he asks, but the words look like they taste bitter coming from his mouth. I don't like the thought of him being intimate with anyone else and I imagine he feels the same.

"No, not at all. I was always left unsatisfied so it was never that fun for me. I had no idea making love could be so mind-blowing until I met you. I mean, what we have is crazy hot and I can't get enough. What about you?"

His face twists like this is a question he wishes I hadn't asked. I get the impression that his previous relationships weren't fairy tale material, but something about his silence makes me think there is more to it. Neither one of us enjoy hearing about past relationships, but I can't help but wonder why he's extra standoffish about discussing them.

"Me neither," is all he says. I pause for a minute to see if he provides any additional information, but it never comes. His mood has changed as well. He was relaxed and playful and now he is shutting down again. I wonder what those girls did to him to make him this way. It sickens me to think about it, but I can't push the idea of sexual abuse out of my head. Hunter grew up under horrific conditions and it wouldn't be out of the question to assume sexual trauma that he's hiding. Even though he has always been an open book with me, everybody that I have encountered with a history of abuse is very tight-lipped about the details. I can't imagine how difficult that must be to open up about it - the shame, the embarrassment, the PTSD. I wouldn't want to discuss it with anyone either.