You know, I'm not sure why I thought that Hunter wouldn't follow me out here, why I thought that after everything he'd just let me go.
That's what most people would do, isn't it? Take the path of least resistance and just let me go? But I should have known better.
Hunter isn't most people.
The second I step outside, the rain hits me like a wave of frozen needles. The wind blows so hard it almost knocks me over, but I don't turn back. I just wrap my arms around myself and keep walking.
I know that what I'm doing right now doesn't make any sense, that I must look insane. But I don't know what else to do, every second I was in that house, I felt like I was suffocating.
I mean, I've been insulted before. I've been disliked before. This was different. The things they said about me weren't a judgment about who I am, they were a judgment of my future, of what I'm capable of becoming. More importantly, of what Hunter will become if he's with me.
And how am I supposed to talk to him about this when he just started mending his relationship with his parents? What if I tell him this, and he's never close with them again? That would be selfish of me, wouldn't it? But then, how am I supposed to stay with him and pretend like everything's fine?
Next thing I know, there's a hand on my shoulder.
Hunter turns me around to face him. Of course, he followed me. "What are you doing? Are you crazy?" he yells over the storm.
I shake my head. "I just need to get out of here," I say.
He moves in front of me to block my path. "Not until you tell me what's wrong," he says. "What the hell happened, Mia? Come on, talk to me."
Every inch of me tenses in pent-up frustration. Why does he always have to push me? Why can't he, just this once, let things go? Just let me figure things out on my own? It's what I've always done. It's what I had to do before him. Why does he insist on being there for me? Maybe his parents were right, maybe nothing good can come of this.
Maybe I am dragging him down.
"God, Hunter, I really can't do this right now, okay?" I finally say. I'm crying now, I know I am, but the rain helps to hide the tears.
His entire body freezes up at my words. "Can't do what?" he asks so quietly I barely hear him over the rain.
I avoid his eyes. This is hard enough to say without having to look at him while I do it. "I just.. I need some time to think," I say.
He looks at me then, like he can't believe what I'm saying, like he doesn't even know me. "No..what are you talking about? You can't be serious," Hunter replies.
The rain has completely soaked his hair now, making it appear even darker than normal. The look on his face is like physical pain to me, but it will only hurt worse down the line once he figures out what his parents already know.
I'm bad for him.
"Look, I never should've come here, okay?" I continue. "I feel so stupid, this was such a mistake."
He steps towards me. "Please, Mia, I don't know what's wrong, but we'll figure it out, okay? Just talk to me," Hunter pleads.
"No we won't," I say backing away from him. "I'm sorry, but I need to figure this out on my own." I move past him then and continue down the street.
"You know what, if you didn't want to be with me, you could've just said so," he calls after me. "I'm used to people giving up on me. Why shouldn't you?" His voice trails off at the end, but somehow, I still catch every word. And it stops me in my tracks. How could he think that's why?
YOU ARE READING
Finding You
Teen Fiction"He rests his forehead on mine and closes his eyes. Instantly, my own eyes flutter shut. I can feel his lips so very near to my own. 'Mia..," he says, almost like a whisper, 'I'm not him.' I gasp as his lips almost brush mine. 'Please... I need you...
