I Knew You Were Trouble

Chapter 33

Rosie's POV

When I pushed the doors of the gallery open the smell of paint and old material was the first thing I noticed, besides the big amount of people looking at the enormous variety of paintings and portraits. I maneuvered through the herd until I reached the door that lead to the back room, on red, bold ink it read 'EMPLOYEES ONLY'.

I pushed the door open and inside found Hunter with his head on his locker; he didn't acknowledge my existence in the room. I approached him replaying in my mind what I rehearsed in the car. Everything was going to go like I planned, but that was all in my mind.

"Hunter." I touched his shoulder trying to catch his attention, instead my touch scared him making him jump hitting his head with the top of his locker. He muttered, "what the hell" under his breath.

He carefully got his head out and a small gasp left his lips when he saw who I was. The annoyed expression he wore vanished as soon as it came. We stood there looking at each other, taking on each other's appearance. I stare at him, all the things I planned to tell him disappeared from my mind as if the wind took them.

Older, that was the word to describe Hunter.  He looked older, that is, mature. The dark color under his eyes was so prominent it was turning to purple on his pale skin. His once glowing blue, mesmerizing eyes were now dull and the spark that they always held was no longer there. He was tired, you could tell just by looking at his eyes. The dark-brown hair instead of being gently tousled to the side was hidden under a grey beanie.

His lip, specifically the lower one, was busted. A small cut rested on the corner of his mouth and a purple bruise was on the right side of his chin. Curiosity got the best of me and I, unintentionally, touched slightly the cut on his lips making him back away from my touch. I muttered a small apology.

Stupid me. Stupid me. Now he won't forgive me though is not in my position to apologize but I can't just let our friendship go to waste and I will feel bad if I had the opportunity to fix it and I didn't take it. Jake words repeated itself on my mind, you're too good for your own self, well maybe I am.

"I got into a fight last night. That's why the bruise and the busted lip." He explained.

"I'm sorry for touching it." I nervously said. Honestly, I don't know what goes through my mind at times like this. Why did I needed to touch it and make everything more awkward? Sometimes I think my head is filled with foam instead of having a brain.

"It's ok."

After that small exchange of words, I adverted my eyes away from him; I looked everywhere but him. Nervousness, not the kind you get when you see your crush but the kind you get when you don't know what to do or say, was all I was feeling. The moment was awkward, neither of us talked and the atmosphere was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

"I'm sorry for kissing you at the beach the other day. I shouldn't have done that. You are in a relationship, I suppose, and it was not in my right to do that. And mostly I apologize for ignoring you for the past two weeks. I was a coward for not talking to you after that, I thought you hated me, for you know... kissing you."

I was surprised and relieved he was the one to break the awkwardness because I knew if I talked my voice would either crack or I would word-vomit like there was no tomorrow.

"It's ok, let's just put that kiss behind us and move on." I smiled at him, but he had a confused, hurt expression plastered on his face. Did I do something wrong?

"Put the kiss behind us? That means you didn't feel anything at all?" His eyes showed hope, but I was not going to lie to him and make him happy for a moment when in reality I felt nothing for him.