Holding On

Chapter 47 - A Starting Friendship

Courtney's POV

I don't know what time it was when Hunter had to finally leave. I had doze off at some point as we lay together and I didn't notice him wake up and slid out of bed. When I finally did wake up, it was eight o'clock at night and it took me a moment to remember where I was. Once I did, everything came rushing back to me.

Sitting up, I noticed a change of neatly folded clothes at the end of the bed. On top of them, there sat a note. Pulling the covers back, I got out of bed and moved closer to the clothes, picking up the note. I immediately noticed Hunter's handwriting and this caused me to smile as I opened up the note and read what was written inside.

Thought you would like something to change into. I'll visit you soon. I love you. ~Hunter

I set the note to the side, my mind reeling. A man had died from my hands this afternoon and he was still telling me "I love you". I shut my eyes once again. I know that he had no doubt witnessed many people being killed before, but it was still different. He had been in this business for years. I was forced in the killing.

I opened my eyes once again and felt a tear roll down my cheek. How can I possibly forgive myself for killing a man? Even if he did have me held captive? I looked down at my hands and instantly remembered the gun as I held it. My stomach twisted and I placed my hands over my mouth to stop a scream from escaping. It's my fault! It's all my fault!

I jumped when I heard a knock at my door. It was soft, almost hesitant, but loud enough for me to clearly hear.

"Courtney?"

The voice that came after the knock was also soft, and feminine. Lindsey. "I heard footsteps and I thought I would come up to check on you," she continued. I smiled slightly and got off the bed, heading towards the door.

I reached out and opened the door, my eyes landing on a young woman who immediately gave me a warm and welcoming smile. I hadn't gotten a good look at Lindsey when I came due to the fact that I was completely out of it, but now I could see that she was very beautiful and I fully understood what kind of woman John had fallen for. Her black hair and dark complexion seemed to make her look just like a model, even if she was a bit shorter than me.

"Yeah, I just woke up," I answered softly, hoping my voice didn't give away the fact that I had just been on the brink of another melt down. Seeing the soft look in her dark eyes, I figured I didn't hide it very well and something gave it away in my features. I was never good at hiding my feelings anyways. "Um, thank you for letting me stay here by the way," I added.

She smiled and waved a hand as if to wave it off. Her teeth were perfectly white and straight. "It's no problem. Anything for a friend of John," she said. "Besides, I've heard a lot about you and I'm so happy I can finally meet you." I couldn't help but smile. John was right when he spoke of her being laid back and welcoming, and I liked the fact that she wasn't asking if I was alright immediately.

"It's nice to meet you too," I answered with a nod.

She smile a bit brighter and then motioned over her shoulder. "I've got some dinner for you if you're hungry. I also have a bag of clothes that Hunter had dropped off earlier for you. He didn't want to disturb you from your sleep so I just told him to leave it with me."

I was reminded yet again of how thoughtful Hunter was and nodded towards her. "Thank you so much. I'll be down in just a few minutes, and I am getting kind of hungry." It was also nice that John's warning about Lindsey cooking had been true.

There was a sparkle in Lindsey's eyes now and she clapped her hands happily. "Good because I made it special for you and your little one," she said excitedly and I blushed a bit. So John does tell her a lot about me.