I'll Reach For You (GirlXGirl)

12. I like the floor

I walk down the dark hallway, past the bathroom door. Then stop for a moment in front of Hunter's room. It is late almost midnight, and I haven't seen Hunter for a while. I just want to make sure she is okay, but I am not sure what to say or do.

I knock carefully and step in. All of the lights are on. She is not in the bed. Which is next to the window, it's pitch black outside.

Hunter is laying on the floor on her black carpet. Her cheek down in a book. She must have fallen asleep while reading.

I wish I could turn the time, and change all of the bad things I have said and done to her. She looks so sweet and innocent there she is lying. Adorable is probably more of the right words to use.

I move my legs further towards her. Hunter's brown, red hair is drowning the book, her eyes and mouth are closed. She is breathing softly in and out. Her left foot moves more away from the right one and she turns her head the other way, towards the bed.

It must be a little painful to sleep on the floor like that. Her ribs will probably ache when she stands up. I move down on my knees next to her, I do not want to wake her, but I should.

"Hunter?" I whisper. She does not hear me. I lay my hand on her arm.

"Hunter?" I say with my regular voice. She moves barley, but then she turns and sits up and back away so fast that I could barely even blink. Her face buried in her knees and her back leaning against the bed. She looks like a scared little kid.

"Don't-don't hurt me." She says sobbing.

"Hunter, it's me, Skylar." I say softly. She peeks gently at me but then hides again.

"Sorry, I did not mean to scare you." I tell and stand up and walk towards her.

"Don't." She says. I stop, frozen on my ground. I am not sure what to do. Dad is not here to help me, he would have known what to do, and he always does.

"Tell me what to do and I'll do it."

"Please just go." She shrinks.

"Anything, except that, I don't think I should go." I take one careful step towards her. Hunter does not give me one glance.

"You can tell me." I say. She shakes her head.

"If you are not going to talk to me, can I at least sit with you?" Not one word from her, she has frozen me out, but I move over and sit down carefully next to her anyway. We both sit here in complete silence. The only sound is our breathing. The air in here feels so heavy and uncomfortable. After a while, it is getting hard to keep my eyes open. The yawing is getting so intense that tears are coming out of my eyes.

"Hunter?" I rub my eyes and take away the tears.

"Yeah?"

"I am not sure how long I can stay awake." I close my eyes but open them fast again.

"You should go to your bed." She says.

"I am not going until you are fine." I rub my eyes, goddammit this is getting too painful.

"I am fine."

"Don't lie to me." I close my eyes and give in.

"Skylar?" I hear a soft voice calling my name.

"Hmm?" I mumble. Too tired to form words. I am sitting, leaning against the bed.

"I think we should get you to bed." I turn to the sound, eyes still close, I can't remember the last time I was so tired. I shake my head and hear Hunter standing up next to me.

"Come on." I shake my head again and lay my head on the floor where Hunter sat.

"I like the floor." I say and Hunter chuckles. I do not think I have heard her laugh before and it makes me smile. I wish she could do it more often.

"Skylar, come on." She says I could sense that she is still amused. There was a little hint of a laugh in her voice. I shake my head.

"No, I like it here." She snorts of me.

"You don't even like me." Her words made me open my eyes and stand up in front of her. She laughs at me, making my cheeks turn red. I hope she did not notice that.

"I like you." I tell her. She shakes her head.

"Why is it so hard to believe?" I ask and sigh. She shakes her head, and I roll my eyes, it made her blue eyes smile.

"What do I have to do to make you believe me?" I ask, it felt more like I was begging her, but I did not show it. I want her to know I like her, even though she can drive me crazy. She walks to the door and opens it.

"I'm not going until you tell me what I can do to change your mind." I say stubbornly. She shakes her head. It makes me realize she is as obstinate as I am. I think in some way she has gotten warm under her skin around me.

That she is testing my limits. She moves the door more open another sign for me to get the hell out of here. I shake my head with a smirk. She looks down at the floor with red cheeks. I laugh.

"Get out." She says with a hint of anger in her voice. I know I should go, but I just want her to believe me. Then a thought hit me.

Why do I so desperately want her to believe me? I never really cared about what she thinks of me, but now I do. I itch my neck in frustration.

"Skylar, out please." She sounds impatient. I clench my teeth and feel my skin on fire. Why can't she just tell me why she won't believe me.

"Just tell me, goddammit!" I feel the heat in my body, in my skin and bones. Now I can see the hurt in her eyes, I shake my head.

How can she make me feel so angry and guilty at the same time? Sometimes I just want to yell at her, and then she can make me feel like I want to wrap my arms around her and apologize. Even though I know it is the last thing she wants from me.

"Hunter, I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"Just get out!" I have never heard her so angry before. So I just give in to her stubbornness and walk, I take the door and slam it close.

Goddamn, that girl. I go into my room and lay down in the bed. Feeling the fire in my veins slow down a little. I close my eyes and feel the tiredness take over again.