Mine *don't read: being rewritten*

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Riley's POV

I lean back into Hunter's arms, enjoying the feeling of being in our own little world. I can tell he's still worried about me by the way his arms are wrapped around me just a little bit tighter than normal, but I don't say anything. He wants me to talk about it. He always wants me to talk about it. But he doesn't make me say anything.

He's too scared that he'll break me.

He's scared that pushing me to talk about it will hurt me even more, but if I let it pile up that I'll break. It's a lose-lose for Hunter, so he'll just wait for me to talk on my own.

"You okay?" Hunter whispers. His breath sends a chill down my spine.

I nod. "Yeah."

"Do you wanna stay here for midnight or go be somewhere warm?" he asks. "You've gotta be cold."

"But it's so pretty up here," I breathe out.

"We can stay."

"No, let's go. Before I fall asleep." I pull myself out of Hunter's embrace and stand up. I take his hand and pull him up, which makes me laugh because it's always the other way around. Hunter, of course is the dork that he is, doesn't help me at all, so I fall back. He laughs at me and helps me up.

"I hate you." I shake my head, trying to hide my smile.

"No, you don't." He bumps me with his shoulder, and I do it right back.

"How do you know I don't?" I tease Hunter.

"Because you put up with me. Also, if you hated me, Riley Ann, you wouldn't be here with me right now. And, you wouldn't let me do this." With that, he leans down and presses his lips to mine.

I shrug, laughing a bit. I shouldn't be blushing, but I am. "Maybe."

"Are you blushing, Miss 'I Never Show My Emotions'?"

"Oh, that is so not true." I laugh, hitting his arm.

"I know."

"Why are we just standing by your car? We don't have all the time in the world, plus it's cold."

Hunter laughs and opens the door for me. In a moment, he's in the driver's seat asking me, "Where to, Riley Ann?"

"I don't know..." I trail off.

"I guess I'll choose then..." He lets out a laugh, and it makes me smile. "What are you smiling about?"

"You're very cute."

"I could say the same about you."

I roll my eyes at him. Every time. Me rolling my eyes causes Hunter to roll his eyes. "You're annoying."

"I love you too, babe. Thanks."

"Shut up."

We end up going to a little diner. There are people here. Not too many, but just enough. Hunter and I sit in a booth in the very back, only he doesn't sit across from me like any other guy would on a date. He sits right next to me, pushing us closer to the wall.

I like it. His closeness calms me more than it should. It makes me feel like we're still in our own little world. I can tell that he feels it too, and that's why we're sitting hip to hip with my shoulder pressed to his bicep.

"Are you two waitin' on someone?" a waitress asks us, already holding her notepad. She has a misplaced country accent, considering we're in the middle of Illinois.

Hunter is the one to answer, as he usually is. The answer "no" doesn't seem to surprise the waitress. She must've seen us come in. We didn't walk in like we were expecting other people to join us. I was hanging onto his arm, trying to hide my face in his shoulder.