Hunter's Chance

e l e v e n

His hands are holding my face and he's leaning into me. I have a firm grasp around his arms as he deepens the kiss. We've done this before but somehow this time seems so much different. Much more real if that's even possible. His arms reach around my back and pull me towards him. Somehow bringing us closer than we were before. Right then, there's a big gust of wind that seems to knock me back into my senses.

The vulnerability I feel throughout my body makes me halt and I instantly push on his chest and pull away. I hesitate to look at him but when I do his fierce stare is holding mine in place. His chest is pumping just as hard and fast as mine is and I'm left utterly speechless.

I'm fighting every instinct in my body. A part of me wants him here with me, and another is telling me to run like hell and never look back. It seems I'm always at an inner battle with myself when James is involved.

I want to know him. I want to understand his language, who he is. But something about that terrifies me. I'll probably find something out that I don't want to know and this whole thing, whatever it is, will be tainted.

He's probably a serial killer or maybe he's just an all around good guy. At this point I'm not sure which is worse. Something about this is so much different than the others. I've never had to contemplate, question, or second-guess the others. They took our make-out sessions for what they were and left it at that. James though, he's here. He's always here.

He's staring into my soul as my thoughts are in a full sprint racing around my head. I furrow my brows at the thought that he might be able to see right through me, through all of the bullshit. My arrogant attitude masks who I truly am, I don't want James to see that side of me. I don't want anyone to see that side of me and I'm determined to keep it that way.

"Let me take you home." He whispers as he inches closer to me.

"I don't want to go home." It's true. I don't. Cass won't be there, and I don't want to be alone, not now.

"Well then what is it that you want me to do Raegan Hunter?"

Instead of answering, I walk past him and head for his truck. He follows suit and I bite my lip to stop myself from smiling when I turn around and reach my hand out. He smirks back at me and drops the keys in my hand before walking me around to the driver's seat and opening the car door for me.

The engine roars when I turn the key and I sit up in excitement. James laughs and I look over and glare at him before pulling the gear into drive and we start heading down the road.

There's something about being the bigger vehicle on the road gives me some sort of empowerment. My mom let me drive my dads for a few months before she had to sell it to pay for some of the bills. I speed up at the thought and James sarcastically grabs hold of the dashboard and I look over at him and push my lips together, trying to hide my smile. He's in for it.

James gives me a what-in-the-hell-are-you-doing look as I pull down an old dirt road. Before I can control myself, I pull on the steering wheel, hard, and I'm whipping the truck around in donuts. I have a smile plastered on my face, and I haven't laughed this hard since I don't know when. I'm having fun, real fun. Rocks are flying up and I'm dirtying the mean machine but James doesn't seem to care much for what damage I may or may not be doing to his prized possession. Instead when I look over he's staring at me, he's smiling too.

-

"Now that... That was fun!" I say stealing a fry from his tray.

"What happened at the ice cream parlor?" James asks me as we sit at the local burger joint. "Why did you leave?"

"More importantly how did you find me after?" I question back stuffing another fry in my mouth and changing the subject from me to him. Way to ruin the good vibes there big guy.