Fleeting

Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word

6th August 2021 (continued)

I spotted Hunter as soon as we neared the desk. After two years, he hadn't changed a bit. His wavy hair still dusted his shoulder and the week old stubble still covered his cleft chin.

He straightened from where he was picking things up off the floor when he saw me, placing the stuff back on the table.

"Mr Roberts, Sam will see you. Meeting room 3 is available. Can I get anyone a beverage?" Delilah looked between us, but we both declined.

We stood there awkwardly until she left.

"Thanks for agreeing to meet with me, Sam. I know you must have misgivings." Hunter tried to smile.

"Let's talk in the room," I suggested.

He nodded in agreement, his smile dropping. "Of course. Daniel?" He crouched down and picked up a small giggling child, placing him on his hip and looking back at me. "After you."

I blinked, my eyes looking between Hunter and the small child.

I headed towards the meeting room, allowing Hunter - now accompanied by a stroller - to enter first.

"Time to settle, little man." Hunter strapped the little boy back into his stroller and extracted a bottle from a baby bag that appeared to be bursting at the seam.

I watched the caring way he popped the bib on the child and handed him his bottle. An idea started spinning in my head, trying to fit in a timeline, but I didn't have too much time to think about it before Hunter turned back to me.

"I know I'm probably the last person you want to see." Hunter chuckled nervously.

"What are you doing here, Hunter?" I didn't deny what he said, though I felt sorry when I watched his shoulders slump.

"Just hear me out, Sam. I only want to apologize to you. Tori and Jaxon as well, if they let me. You don't know how much it's played on my mind what I did to you guys."

"So why not ask for all of us?"

He threw me a skeptical look. "I knew you'd at least give me a chance to explain before you threw me out."

I would have smirked, knowing that was exactly what Tori and Jaxon would have done, but I wasn't in the mood to be friendly, not when it came to the man in front of me. He'd caused me too many sleepless nights after he left.

"Why now, Hunter?" I observed him.

He spun the baby bottle top on the desk, avoiding my gaze. "Because I heard your song on the radio this week."

I stood quickly, furious. "So what, you're here now because we're finally a success."

"No, no, Sam, it's not like that." Hunter was quick to explain, but I cut him off.

"I think you should leave." I walked to the door. But Hunter remained standing by the stroller.

"Please, just let me talk. I promise you, that's not the reason I'm here."

"Your promises mean little to me now." I reminded him, not feeling an ounce of satisfaction as he winced at my words.

"Look Sam, it didn't take me long to realise how much I missed you guys. You were family, and I just left like that."

"Yeah, tossed us aside like we were trash." I expected him to defend himself, but he just hung his head.

"I was an egotistical idiot, Sam. I wanted what that manager promised me: fame, money, girls. I needed that lifestyle." He smiled sadly. "But that's a lonely life especially when my first album didn't go so well."