Holding On

Chapter 21 - Bad News

Hunter's POV

I felt the color drain from my face, my heartbeat quicken, and the warmth leave my hands. My legs seemed to be on the verge of failing me, and I had to keep myself from stumbling backwards. That name, that haunted feminine name, brought back so many emotions, so many memories. I felt like someone had just punched me in the gut, sending all the air out of my lungs.

I thought she was long gone! I thought I'd never hear from her or see her again! Why? Why is she coming back now? Of all the emotions, I knew I was feeling grief, rage, curiosity...It all added it up to one big confusing mess. Then a thought hit me: Courtney...

If I am honest with myself, when I first laid eyes on Courtney, she reminded me so much of Katherine. Heck, I even messed up their names! Courtney was her height, her build. She had a little bit more spirit than Katherine, but still! They were very close in physical comparison.

Every time I got close to Courtney, my mind flew to thoughts and memories of Katherine. Those memories never failed to arise when Courtney was around, no matter what was going on. Perhaps, that's why I held onto her so much, and why I risked everything for her. Maybe the whole time, I was living off the thought of having something similar to Katherine back in my grasp.

"I know what you're doing."

I was torn away from my thoughts and back to the present as Alex's voice came low and clear. I looked at him and remembered that we were outside, away from Courtney. He still stood in front of me, waiting on my response. My eyebrows furrowed slightly now. "What do you mean?"

He sighed softly, his shoulders slumping. "You're mentally comparing them. I can see it all over your face now." I was about to object, but I knew that he was right. That was exactly what my mind was doing, even if I didn't want to admit it. "Don't you dare compare Courtney to that devil," Alex continued as his voice became edgy with a growl.

"Courtney is a friendly girl that has the softest gaze, the nicest personality, is tough but knows her limits, supportive, and she longs to help out whenever she can. She opened her arms and helped you when you were shot and never once asked for payment. Katherine was selfish, wild, and cared only for herself. She did us wrong then walked out on us when we were in our lowest. She the worst person from the very start and was never worth anything. Courtney, however, has been worth everything we have been through so far."

I blinked at Alex as I saw how passionate he was on this subject. His eyes were sharp and cold when he spoke of Katherine, but soft and gentle when he spoke of Courtney. I was surprised to finally hear how he felt about Katherine, though I knew he was never really fond of her. However, I also felt guilt now. He was right. Courtney was everything to me, more than Katherine ever was.

I turned away from Alex and began to walk back to the house. I wanted to see Courtney. I needed to see Courtney. "Wait! Don't you want to know any details of why she's here or where she is?" I heard Alex's footsteps as he began to follow me. I just shook my head.

"No. I don't want to know or hear anything concerning her. I don't care where she has been, why she is here, or where she is at." I came to the door, having never once slowed my steps. I didn't even want to catch a glimpse of her.

"Just make sure that she stays far away from both me and Courtney."

With that, I opened up the door and stepped back into the house, ending the conversation. I blinked a bit as I let my eyes adjust to the change of lighting. When I was able to see well enough, my eyes immediately landed on the woman I had come to love. She was leaning against the table, having finished her food, and her arms were folded over her chest as she appeared to be waiting.