Where the Skies are Blue

Chapter Fifty-Nine:

I want to kiss whoever invented spring break. Because even a week away from all the shitty people at school is a gift from heaven. It's the break I so desperately needed. It's a detox from all the unwanted name calling and having to see Hunter and his miserable friends.

Once a girl is labeled a whore, it's like guys no longer view her as a person. Instead, she just becomes an object. Something that they can touch and toy with all they want.

I'm not a person with genuine feelings anymore.

I'm locking up the bookstore; the dark streets are eerie as I worked alone this evening. But I've been spending every night with Ender, and things have been great. Better than great. They've been better than I could have ever imagined.

And the thought of going over to his house right now makes a smile spark on my face as I pull my car keys out of my pocket.

A hand suddenly grabs my wrist and turns me around. My eyes fall on Hunter. Was I so lost in my daydreams about Ender that I didn't even hear him walking up? My heart begins to pound in my chest as he holds on to my wrist.

It's dark, but the red neon glow of the closed sign from inside the store shines down on his face. Lighting up one side. I can see his eyes well enough to know when things are going to get bad. When his anger is going to take over.

I attempt to pull out of his grasp, but he only grips my wrist tighter. My eyes dart quickly towards my car, then back at him. I can make it, maybe. But if I don't, that will only make him hurt me worse.

I try to stay calm. Freaking out has never helped me in the past. Inhaling a deep breath, I let my arm go slack in his grip. "What are you doing here?" I ask in a neutral tone.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"About?"

His eyes look tired. Like he hasn't been sleeping much. "You're already going public with him?" he asks with a sneer. "Don't even try to deny it; I saw you two holding hands and kissing at the market."

"I wasn't going to deny it."

He scoffs. "Well, that didn't fucking take long, did it? I guess I didn't fuck you up as bad as you claimed because you're already onto the next guy."

There are so many things wrong with that statement, but I remain poised. My expression the same. "Hunter, can you let go of me?" I ask and look at my wrist.

Instead, he yanks me closer, bringing his face close to mine in attempts to intimidate me. I breathe in deeply and remain standing straight. I ignore the shaking in my legs. "Have you fucked him?" He questions me through gritted teeth.

I'm holding my breath. Scared to move an inch.

He roughly pushes his forehead against mine. "Fuck," He breathes like he's battling with himself. "I can't stand it." He releases his grip on my wrist and steps away from me.

My eyes blink rapidly as I suck in a breath of air.

"Just tell me." He says with a look of desperation. I glance over at my car. "Don't even fucking think about it." He hisses as he reads my mind.

I swallow hard and meet his eyes again. "Hunter, you're with Raven now; why can't you just let me move on? You wanted her, didn't you? So why are you acting like I'm the one who ruined our relationship?" I say each word carefully, praying I don't trigger his anger. "Hunter, I don't know what you want from me."

"I don't fucking want Raven; I never did. All I've ever wanted is you, and I know I fucked that up." He rakes his fingers roughly through his hair, tugging at the ends. "I can't stand seeing you with someone else. And of all fucking people? You can't fucking tell me you weren't cheating on me with him. I told you to stay away from him."

"I never cheated on you. You cheated on me, and then you blamed me for it and pressured me into having sex with you, or have you forgotten that?" I keep my voice low and look at him with pleading eyes. "Hunter, look, it doesn't even matter, okay? I don't want to keep rehashing what we did to each other. We need to just go our separate ways. You need to stop trying to hurt me. Do you not see how unhealthy this is? You're going around spreading lies about me and allowing your friends to harass me. If you care about me at all, you wouldn't allow that to happen. You continue to get in my face and call me a whore when you know I haven't done anything to deserve that."

His eyes narrow at me, and he reaches for me, gripping my cheeks hard with one hand. "Have you fucked him?" He asks me again, completely disregarding everything I just said.

"No," I tell him honestly.

He exhales. "Are you lying?"

"I'm not lying. I swear."

His grip on my cheeks hurts, and I yank my head out of his grasp. He remains standing directly in front of me, his hand grabbing onto mine. He moves his thumb back and forth along my palm. "I'll tell everyone to back off you." He then says, and I close my eyes briefly in relief. "I wish I didn't fuck things up so badly."

"Me too."

He looks back and forth between my eyes. "My parents are getting a divorce. They're trying to hide it from me, but I know my dad's been cheating on her."

My face pales. My palms grow sweaty.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

"He's shit at hiding it. Fucking prick." His jaw ticks. "I'm going to find out who it is."

This is bad. I can't tell him. He'll hurt me. He's going to hurt me when he finds out. He's going to be so angry. I take a step away from him. "I'm sorry." I tell him, and I mean it. This is all Katherine's fucking fault. "Are you okay?"

He looks at me for a moment, then nods his head.

"Okay..." I look again toward my car. "I need to go." I say carefully.

"Okay," he says simply.

I walk backwards towards my car, my eyes on him, bracing myself in case he decides to change his mind and come after me. He watches me until I open up my car door and safely get inside. I quickly lock the doors. In the safety of my car, I begin to breathe heavily, gasping for air. My entire body begins to shake. My hands tremble as I switch gears and back out of the parking space.