Holding On

Chapter 15 - Daniel

Hunter's POV

I looked in the mirror as I ran a hand over my hair, letting it fall naturally into place. The mirror was still defogging around the edges and the air was still warm from the steam of the water. Courtney had wanted a quick shower before we leave and I didn't argue with her, letting her use my shower.

Alex and John were waiting downstairs and ready to go. This meeting seemed to be coming up quickly now, the time deciding to skip minutes at a time. More than once I had thought of just taking Courtney and running off, but I knew that it would only cause more problems. I couldn't put Courtney through that.

Satisfied that my hair wasn't going to get much better than it was, I stepped out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom. My eyes immediately found Courtney as she sat on the edge of the bed, her blonde hair curling a bit more now that it was dry. She looked over at me and smiled, though her eyes showed something completely different.

She stood up and came over to me. I wrapped my arms around her and smiled down at her and she laid her chin against my chest. "Have I told you that you're incredibly beautiful?"

A pink hue dusted her fair cheeks as she smiled a bit brighter. "I'm pretty sure you're the only one who has said it to me many times in one day," she said and stood on her tiptoes to kiss me. "But thank you."

I watched that worried haze melt away from her blue orbs and they began to dance with admiration. I gladly returned the kiss, happy to see that it was temporarily back to just us. "Well I think it's important that you hear it," I reasoned. I have yet to believe she has ever been treated the way she always should have been, and the scar and Daniel didn't change that belief for me. However, I wanted to make sure that she knew that, to me, she was absolutely perfect.

She turned, sliding out of my arms and walked over to the mirror, picking up the brush. She brushed out whatever tangles may be left in her hair, making it look like blonde silk. Walking up behind her, I wrapped my arms around her slim waist, resting my chin gently on her shoulder. "How are you feeling?" I asked softly.

She seemed to pause for a moment and set the brush down. She looked at the sink, not at me. "Truthfully?" she asked, and I gave a slight nod. She let out a heavy sigh and I felt the small strength in her shoulder deflate. She brought her gaze up to our reflections so our eyes connected.

"Truthfully, I feel loved, but I can't help getting more nervous with every passing second." I could tell from her voice that she was scared and holding back some of her emotions. She turned her head now to see me and not my reflection. "I just hate not knowing what will go on."

I gently spun her around so that she was fully facing me now and not the mirror. "Trust me when I say that I know exactly what you mean," I began softly. "But all the nerves aside, I want you to know that whatever happens, you are the best thing that has ever happened to me." I softly placed a kiss on her forehead.

Just when I was about to say more, Alex's voice could be heard on the other side of the bedroom door. "Come on guys. We need to get going."

I couldn't help but curse under my breath. I gently took her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. "Alright, let's go," I murmured softly. It's time to find out what this jerk is really like.

I lead her through the bedroom and down the hall, reaching the stairs. We tried to take our time as we walked through the house, but it wasn't working. John and Alex weren't in the living room and I knew they must be waiting in the car.

Courtney just followed along, not making any noise of protest. Part of me wished she would though. We made it to the garage and I saw that I was right about John and Alex being in the car already, but neither looked very happy.