Natalie

Chapter 13

"I'm gonna kill him! Why would you get into his car? Why didn't you call me?" Hunter ranted in the car from having to pick me up in Spring Valley.

"I don't know... I just... I was stupid to-"

"You are not stupid! Do you hear me? He's the asshole!" he had a crazed look in his eye, it scared me a little.

"Hunter slow down," he had sped up, cars hooted as we passed them at a dangerous speed. They disappeared behind us before I could signal any apologies.

"You know what?" he slammed on the breaks, jerking me forward. Luckily there were no cars close by, "He isn't getting away with this," he made a hasty U-turn and headed back up the way we came, back to Harry's house.

"Hunter no! You don't have to do this! I'm fine!" he was way passed the speed limit and was rising at a steady pace.

He ignored me.

"Hunter stop!" The pedal was on the floor.

"HUNTER!" I said as I pulled up the hand break. The back of the car swerved and we came to a skidding halt.

"Tal, are you insane? Are you okay?" he screamed after we both recovered from hitting our heads on the dash board.

I nodded, I saw black spots but I knew it was just a knock on the head.

"Hunter, don't waste any effort on him. He isn't worth it," I said softly, feeling like my voice was too loud.

Suddenly I felt his hands holding my head, pushing my hair back to see if I had a bruise. I opened my eyes to look into his dark brown ones.

We sat like that for a while.

"Don't hurt him," I whispered.

He stared into my eyes.

He looked down as if thinking, then looked up at me again.

"Tal-"

"Let's just go back," I said before he could get anything more out.

He sighed.

"Okay," he said, he smiled and kissed my nose.

...

"I want to come clean," I was lying on Hunter's chest, we'd made our way back to his apartment. Spending our time brainstorming ways to keep my mind off of my degrading and secretive family.

"What do you mean?" I heard him say, I wasn't sure if he was even comfortable lying on his back with my weight on his chest for at least half an hour now.

I sat up, looking at him still lying on his pillow. He looked so adorable I had to sit on him. I threw my leg over him and leaned my elbows on his chest so our faces were closer.

"As in I want to tell all my friends... about my whole situation with my uncle, and Ashton..."

"And what about Ashton? Have you spoken to him yet?" He asked. I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"No."

He tucked my hair behind my ear and made me look at him again.

"Maybe you should start with him."

...

My hand hesitated outside Ashton's door. Only when I heard my own breathing did I realise I was hyperventilating. I pulled my hand away; scared I might knock in the wrong way.

I shook my hands to release some of the tension. I took a deep breath and lifted my hand to knock again.

As I gained the confidence to finally put my hand to the door, it opened. My confidence surge sent too much force into my knock, except it was Aiden's (Ashton's roommate) nose I hit and not the awaiting door.