Keep On Walking (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 3 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Twenty-Five

❝argument (pronounced ˈɑːɡjʊm(ə)nt or ahr-gyuh-muh nt), noun
an exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one.❞

That night, Hunter took Ryan to a hospital and quickly had her leg looked at, both refusing to talk to each other. The doctors found that it wasn't a fracture but a very bad sprain, and had it put in a brace. They still didn't talk to each other for the rest of the night, and Ryan chose to sleep on the couch instead of with Hunter. He didn't sleep properly. Of course, neither did she.

It was morning, now. The breakfast table was tense, and the children knew it better than anyone. Ryan quietly fed Robin, before leaving her in her bassinet beside the table. Hunter didn't look up, and Elle knew they were fighting. She didn't know what they were fighting about, but she knew.

A little bit into breakfast, Phoenix said, "Mama, we go park today?"

"The park? My leg's still a little sore, darling."

"I could take them," Hunter offered.

"Oh, so you do care about someone other than yourself. How interesting."

"Why do you always do this?" he asked suddenly. "You just- I dunno, blow things way out of proportion all the time!"

"Maybe it's because I feel like I'm barely even heard all the time anyway, so I may as well get some sort of recognition from you!"

"That's not true, I listen to you-"

"Oh, sure. Like when I made you make me a promise-"

"And let me break it to make the right choice-"

"And yet you still made the wrong one!"

"I care so much about you-"

"Do you ever think, Hunter, that maybe you care too much?!"

"That's not true, I love Robin and Elle and Phoenix just as much as I love you! But you're everything to me, I couldn't lose you!"

"Damn it, Hunter, you always make it about you!"

"I'm not making it about me!"

She stood up. "How are you so deaf to the way you speak?!"

"How long does it take you to realise that this is an irrelevant argument?! Robin survived and so did you, so why does it matter?!"

"Why does it matter?!" She laughed without humour. "You're so- so-"

He stood up as well, towering over her. "So what? What am I?!"

"Self-centred!" she yelled furiously. "You're so selfish, and naïve, and you just lack consideration for everyone!"

"That's not true, Ryan! I chose you because I love you!"

"And for what, my benefit?!" she screamed back at him. She was red in the face, more furious than she had ever been in her life. "You chose me because of your own stupid reasons! You didn't give a damn about how I would feel if anything had gone wrong! You broke your promise!"

"You're impossible!" he shouted back. "How was I meant to pick between you two?!"

"IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!"

Suddenly, they heard a high-pitched scream. "STOP!"

They both turned around to see Phoenix with his hands over his ears, crying. "Phoenix," whispered Hunter. "Darling-"

"I just wanna go park!" he sobbed. "Stop fighting!" He jumped off his chair and ran into his room.

Elle looked at them both angrily. "What's wrong with you two?" she said, sounding incredulous and furious all at once. She went after him. "Nick, wait! It's okay!"