Mine *don't read: being rewritten*

Chapter Sixteen

(Riley's POV)

It's been a week. I've gone this long without seeing Hunter before, but I still miss him. It's not an "I miss him so much that I'm gonna throw up," but more of an "I miss him a little but I'll survive." We just haven't talked much.

I lay down, but I can't sleep. I lay there in bed for an hour, just staring at the ceiling, before I decide to call Hunter. It's midnight here, but it's one in the afternoon in Australia.

"Hello?" A voice deeper and with a heavier accent than Hunter's answers the phone.

"Hi, uh, is Hunter there?" I ask, suddenly uneasy about this.

"This is Riley isn't it? I didn't look at the caller ID." The boy laughs. I don't want to say anything, so I just wait for him to give the phone to Hunter. "You want to talk to him, sorry. Yeah, he's right here."

In a second a familiar, warm voice comes through the phone. "Hey, Rye." I smile at the sound of his voice. "Sorry about Jake, he grabbed my phone before I could. Are you okay? It's late there."

"I know, I can't sleep. My head hurts, and I need someone to cuddle with." I laugh a little.

"I'm sorry, babe. I wish you were here." I sigh. "Call Hannah."

"She's asleep," I mutter.

"Go get in bed with Alex." He laughs. "If he gives you shit about it, just tell him that I told you to." I smile.

"Okay." I laugh. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Riley Ann. Goodnight," Hunter says softly. I sigh when he hangs up.

~

A half an hour later, I find myself at Hunter's door. I knock and thirty seconds later, Alex opens it. "Riley, you know Hunter isn't-" I cut him off by wrapping my arms around his torso. "Oh, hi." He laughs a little.

"Get in bed," I say when I release him. He looks confused, but he listens. I follow him back to his room, and climb into the bed next to him.

"Um, Rye?" he says, still as confused as he could be.

"Shut up," I mutter, resting my head on his chest.

"How is Hunter gonna feel about this?" He jokes.

I shake my head. "He told me to come over here. So, I'm here. Now, shut up, I'm trying to sleep."

Alex laughs a little, and runs his fingers through my hair. He kisses the top of my head. "Okay, goodnight."

~

I wake up in Alex's arms, and it takes a minute for me to remember why I'm here. He's awake already. "G'morning," he whispers.

"Hi," I mutter. "What time is it?" I ask, stifling a yawn.

"It's like nine forty-five, I think." Alex says.

"Shit, I have to get to work." I spring up, and run to Hunter's room, suddenly very happy that I've accumulated a drawer of my things. I brush my teeth and hair. I look around the empty room, missing Hunter right now, in this moment, more than I have the entire time he's been gone. I walk over to his closet, find one of his hoodies, and slip it over my head.

"Bye, Alex. Thank you." I wave at him and walk to the door.

"You don't wanna eat something?" He asks, following me.

"I'll get something there. I have to be there in ten minutes." I try to walk out the door, but he pulls me back.

"Just eat cereal, or something." He walks back to the kitchen, and I have no choice but to follow him. I sit down at the counter. He pours me a bowl of cereal and sets it in front of me.

"Thank you," I say, laughing. I eat it quickly. "Now I'm going to be late." I stick my tongue out at him.

"At least you won't be hungry. Bye, Riley." Alex leads me back to the door, and gives me a quick hug.

"See you later, Alex." I wave again and walk out the door.

I get to work five minutes late, but Hannah's the only one there. "You look like shit," she comments.

"Shut up. I don't keep any makeup at Hunter's." I walk behind the counter, and tie an apron around my waist.

"Why were you at Hunter's? Isn't he in Australia?" She wonders aloud.

I shake my head. "Long story," I mutter. She laughs at me, and pours a cup of coffee. "Thank you," I say, taking it from her.

~

I get home at five, and go to call Hunter back, but then realize that it's only six in the morning there. I sigh, and sit on the couch next to Sam. "Where'd you go last night?" She asks.

I laugh a little. "Hunter's," I answer simply. She looks at me, clearly confused. "I know that he's not home," I say before she says it. Sam shakes her head and doesn't ask anything else.

At nine, I finally call Hunter back, because it's ten there so he should be up. And if he isn't, he will be now.

He answers on the third ring. "Hello, Riley Ann." I can almost hear his smile.

"Hey. You called earlier, but I didn't get the chance to call back until I got home, and I knew you would be asleep." I'm talking very fast and I don't know why.

"Yeah, it's fine. I was just calling to see how you were."

"I'm okay. I did go get in bed with Alex, though." I laugh. "He was so confused." Hunter laughs, too. "How's your grandpa doing?"

"Oh, yeah. The doctors think he's got about a month, maybe a little more." I can't tell if he's happy about this or not. "I think this means you're coming to Australia." Happy, definitely happy.

"You there babe?" he asks. I nod, but then remember that he's on the other side of the world and can't see me.

"Yeah, I'm just thinking," I say.

"You do want to come, don't you?" he says so quietly that I'm almost sure I imagined it.

"Of course I do. I'm just thinking, and I think better when I have you." If he was here's he'd wrap his arms around me an rest his chin on my head. Then, he'd kiss my cheek or my nose or my forehead or the top of my head or my lips. I'd smile into the kiss, then bury my head in his chest. He'd tell me that he loves me and I'd say it right back, because I do. I love him.

"I love you," I whisper into the phone.

"I love you, too, Riley Ann." He'd draw little circles on my back. "I miss you."

"I miss you, too."

"I gotta go, babe. I'll see you in about three weeks, okay?"

"Okay," I say. I'm happy that I'll see him soon. Very happy. "I love you."

"I love you more, Riley Ann." Before I can say that there's no way he loves me more than I love him, the line goes dead.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N

I don't know it's a cute chapter I guess so yay! Thank you so much for 300+ reads!!

Did you like it?

Vote, comment, and follow pleaseeee

I love youuuuuu(:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~