Speak Now & Surprises [Hunter Hayes fanfic]

Chapter 24

I woke drenched in sweat and tingling all over. Slowly wriggling my numb limbs I looked over at the bedside clock; as my foggy vision came into focus I read 9:35am. Good thing nobody was going anywhere until one o’clock this afternoon.

I could feel the blood pulsating through Hunter’s arms and against my skin as he shifted into consciousness. I slowly rolled over so that the fronts of our bodies were pressed together and adjusted the duvet so that we were cocooned within it. We lay there wordless for hours, days, maybe even months. It seemed like a perfect little piece of forever to me, anyway, our hands creating interlacing constellations above us; casting shadows onto our faces with the weak sunlight Hendersonville provided us. I heard Hunter intake a slow breath.

“You know, I never saw you coming and I’ll never be the same.” He whispered, looking not at our hands but straight at me. I felt my lips moving uncontrollably towards his again. We had over three hours until the schedule began: plenty of time. The only thing I managed to say before our lips were glued again was to suggest that he should write that down - who knows, maybe Taylor could use it in a song.

The door cracked open slightly, creating a sucking sound.

“Room twenty-eight room service.” A low, dissatisfied voice grunted as somebody shuffled into my room, wheeling in a creaky tray loaded with cleaning supplies.

“Quick, shut my bedroom door.” I whispered to Hunter as he was nearest. I quickly threw on my night robe and began washing my face in the on-suite. I looked a mess: pores swelled to the size of freckles, nose blotched, and a sheen of shining sweat across my top lip. My black eye had become a tie-dye of colours that bloomed out below my waterline. How attractive.

Hunter dashed in after me, picking up the clothes he wore yesterday from next to the shower.

“Where are your clothes?” I asked him quietly as I scrubbed my face vigorously.

“In my suitcase that’s still by the door,”

“Would it really have killed you to have done a little unpacking?” I raised my eyebrows at him judgingly.

“I hope know you’re judging me lovingly.” He whispered and kissed my nose. I forced a nautical striped sweater over my head and the same denim blue jeans as a couple of days before and headed out for the kitchen. Hunter stayed in the bedroom.

“Good morning.” I smiled at the room service woman as kindly as I could. She looked like she was in her mid-fifties, but already her ashen hair was greying. She gave me scowl and set about scrubbing the hob.

“Made a lot of mess already haven’t you.” She grunted from the position she was hunched in.

“Then you’ll be pleased to know I’m leaving soon.” I muttered, reaching to the cupboard above her for the box of Lucky Charm cereal. It was silent for a while, me munching on my cereal, and the groans of the room service woman before she grumbled a few more words at me in her garbled dialect. How she got a job here I have no idea.

“You’re with that Taylor Swift and her fancy band.” She commented, making her distaste for us evident.

“Yes, I’m managing the US leg of her sell out world tour.” ...whilst you’re servicing my room. I thought the last half, but didn’t say it.

“I didn’t ask you that.” She retorted and began sweeping the sides. I ignored her meant to be witty remark and returned my attention to my Lucky Charms. Somewhere on the sidewalk below some street performers began playing. I could hear a banjo, guitar and people singing along to something obnoxiously country.

“I was servicing them other rooms earlier. Number seventeen was one of them.” She struck up again with me. What was it with that room?

“Was meant to be servicing some lad called Hayes. Turns out, there was a lass calling her self a fancy hair stylist and a load of cobblers.” Her voice turned slightly evil; “I wonder where that Hayes lad could be then, eh?” she turned to look straight at me, grinning at me with her craggy teeth. She looked exactly like the witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. I was frightened.

“Hunter Hayes is the supporting act for the tour. I think he stayed on his bus last night with his band, to give Jemma Muridian somewhere nice to sleep.” I lied, knowing already that she could see right through me.

That’s when the fiddle started, splitting the air up to my window with its fine, delicate notes that sounded so peaceful, so angelic, so-

“Argh!” Hunter cried as he burst out of the bedroom door. His thermal was on backwards. Again.

“Ooh lookie what we’ve got here.” The room service woman began cackling and shaking her head menacingly. My head sank into my palms as Hunter approached me.

“It was the fiddle. I can’t stand them, I just, Shelby I’m scared of fiddles.” He spluttered. The room service woman wheeled out of our room, whistling a croaky tune and leaving the room barely cleaner than it had been before.

“Bit of a rubbish room service.” Hunter commented once he’d calmed down. I chewed my lip to mush.

“You’re lip’s bleeding Shelby. Stop.” Hunter said slightly urgently, noticing that something was wrong. He dabbed a tissue at my mouth and brushed the first few unexplained tears away. I crumpled into his chest.

“Hunter, she went to your room and found Jemma. She knows who you are.” I whispered, wishing what I’d said wasn’t true. Hunter didn’t say anything for a long while, and when he did it only added one more painful knot to the pit of my stomach.

“You weren’t wearing any sunglasses.” He sighed despairingly.

I wondered what OK! Magazine would be saying tomorrow...