Holding On

Chapter 8 - The Battle Inside

Courtney's POV

Stepping out of the hot shower, I breathed in the smell of breakfast seeping in from downstairs. It smelled wonderful and furthered my hunger. I quickly got dried off and changed into new clothes, wanting to eat. Standing in the mirror, I looked over my form as I was dressed in a blue v-neck and jeans. It was cute but not revealing.

Making my way down the stairs, the aroma of the eggs got stronger. I stretched slightly as the bottom of the stairs, the warm shower having warmed me up comfortably. Looking over, my eyes landed on the couch and my thoughts flew to last night and the time not too long ago. I could feel the blush making its way to my cheeks as I remembered the feel of Hunter's arm around me, keeping me from falling off.

I lifted a hand and touch the place where his fingers had lingered on my face. Something had sparked in my chest from his touch, something that was new and all around surprising. I had never felt something like that before, not even from Daniel. However, I also wasn't sure if I was really scared of it. At the time, I was just surprised, but not enough to flinch away.

I shook my head slightly, my newly dried waves moving with the motion. I had no need for such thoughts, and really I didn't think they were right for the situation here. I made my way to the kitchen to try and prevent myself from dwelling on those thoughts any further.

As I came into the kitchen, I leaned softly against the door frame, breathing in the smell of breakfast as Hunter cooked. He must have heard me because I noticed a small smile begin to form on his features. "Well, hello there," he said, his voice holding a teasing tone as he looked over his shoulder to see me clearly. "You're just in time." Using the spatula, he moved the eggs from the pan onto the plates, setting a slice of toast and some bacon next to them.

"There is some coffee making in the coffee pot and some milk in the fridge," he said as he carried both plates over to the table. "Or, if you want orange juice, I have that too." He turned and went back behind the counter, opening a drawer to grab some utensils. All the while, he moved with hardly any pain evident.

I nodded a bit as I watched him buzz around. "Thank you. Orange juice is fine." I went over to the table and took my seat as Hunter came with my knife and fork. I watched him set them down then he went back over to the counter. My eyes followed him, and then looked back to the food. I couldn't help but laugh a bit, and I lifted my hand to try and hide it.

"What's so funny?" He asked as he got out a glass for both him and me. "Have you never seen a man cook?" He reached for the fridge and brought out the orange juice, pouring me a glass before walking back over to the table.

I smiled up at him as he came over. "Actually, you're right. I've always been the one doing the cooking at home." I never did mind it. I loved cooking and thought it was a lot of fun. It was just that whenever Daniel came home, he was usually tired and wanted to sleep in the next morning so I would always be up cooking.

He gave a huff of amusement and set my glass in front of me. "Well, here you go," he said then went back and grabbed a mug, pouring himself some coffee. "I think that's everything," he said as he took his seat at the opposite end of the table. "Hopefully this isn't too bad. I don't really cook that often."

I laughed softly then grabbed my fork, taking a bite of my eggs. The flavor immediately flooded over my tongue and I smiled happily, looking over at him. "For someone who doesn't cook often, this is really good," I said impressed. "They make me think you have been cooking for a long time, and the way you were moving around makes it hard to believe that you were just shot last night."

He paused hearing this and chuckled over at me. "Yes, well, in my line of work you can't let something like a gunshot stop you from functioning normally. That's something I had to learn very quickly."