Everything Ripples

16

Chapter 16
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{music for the chapter:// Woodland by the Paper Kites}
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We arrive at the restaurant, a small diner off the highway. It doesn't look like much, but I know it's a perfect place to go. Its old cracked walls hold so many stories, and the rickety tables have seen so many things. It's history piled into one diner, and it's beautiful.

"After you," Hunter says, opening the door for me. I grin and walk through, mesmerised by the quaint booths and old jukebox sitting in the corner. It feels like it was placed here right out of a movie.

We wait at the front for a table. After a minute, a waitress comes up, swinging her hips.

"Hello. How may I help you today?" she drawls, her eyelashes batting at Hunter.

"We'd like a table," he says roughly, his voice still raw. I smile and take his hand in mine, letting him know I'm here. He looks down at me in surprise, his expression changing to grateful as he grips my hand. The waitress notices and looks away, probably ashamed she flirted with someone's boyfriend.

I stop myself short. Boyfriend? When did I start considering Hunter as my boyfriend? Why did I start considering him as my boyfriend? I mentally face palm myself, feeling stupid and silly for thinking like that. Of course he isn't my boyfriend. I hardly know him. We are good friends, and that is it.

Still, I can't help but feel the butterflies in my stomach whenever he looks at me, or the lightheadedness when he smiles at me. I am acting like a lovesick child. I need to grow up. Composing myself, I stand straighter and release my hand from his grip, already missing the warmth. We make our way to the table, and I can feel his puzzled eyes on my back. I'm sending mixed signals now, and I feel awful, but I can't let him know my real emotions. I can't let him know me.

We sit down, the woman handing us our menus. Scanning through, I already know what I want, so I placed it back down on the table and fiddle with my hair while Hunter continues to look through. The sky is beginning to turn a dark blue now, the sun having already set on the lake. My cast sticks out like a sore thumb beside my dress, making everything look ugly. I wish I could just go back to that moment and change everything, but it's too late.

"What can I get you two?"

I look up at the waitress, smiling softly as I read my order. Hunter mumbles his, barely audible. I see the storm swirling in his eyes, the colour as dark as the sky outside. The waitress smiles and moves on, leaving the two of us alone at the table. I watch him as he places his head in his hands, softly cursing himself. He catches me staring at him, his blue eyes piercing into mine.

"I-" he begins.

"You do not have to say anything if you don't want to," I interrupt, sitting a little higher in my seat. I want to appear confident and composed, but seeing him like this makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry for days.

"I'm sorry I've ruined your night."

Turmoil plagues his expression, clearly upset the course of this night has been altered.

"As long as you're here, the night can't be ruined." I smile, placing my hand over his on the table. He needs me right now, needs someone to comfort him. He sighs, his eyes closing.

"My parent's are not exactly my parents." He flicks his gaze up to me, analysing my reaction. I try to keep it neutral, but I can't help a bit of surprises filtering across my face.

"They adopted me when I was 2, from an orphanage in Texas." His black hair hands limply as he sighs. "I never knew my real parents, but I do know they are still alive."

I reach across and rub the crease in his brow away.

"I want to find my real parents because I need closure or something. I want them to tell me why I wasn't good enough for them." Food comes and he's silent for a while, staring at his food.

"My adoptive parents don't agree with me, saying it's a waste of time and money, but I don't care. I need to know. They keep arguing with me about it, ever since I was 14, but tonight was the worst. They banned me from ever having contact with my real parents, and cut off my money so I couldn't hire someone to find them."

I inhale softly. "I don't know what to do. They've trapped me in their world, and I can't seem to escape."

He looks like he's about to burst into tears, so I gently take him by the hand, throw some money on the table and lead him outside to his truck. He leans against it, breathing deeply, trying not to cry.

"It's okay," I whisper, allowing him to break down in front of me.

"I just-" Tears start rolling down his cheeks. "I'm so lost."

I silently wipes his tears away with my thumb, the wetness spreading around. He captures my hand and presses the palm against his lips.

"You are the only one I can be myself around, you know," he mumbles against my palm, his soft lips ticking the nerves there.

Oh no. I can't do this. I can't be with him. I will destroy him. Realisation dawns across my features and I pull away from him, cradling my hand. He looks taken aback, stunned. Worry pools into my head, the endless possibilities that could go wrong swirling in my mind.

"Can you take me back home please?" I whisper, too sad and angry to say anything else. It's my fault I can't get too close to anyone because when I doc they always get hurt.

He looks sad, exhaustion and worry paining his expression as he nods and gestures to the truck. I hop in and he starts it, backing up and driving off.

"I'm sorry," he says, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Just-" My voice cracks. "Just take me home."

"Can I ask what I did wrong?"

"I don't want to talk. Please just take me home."

We drive up to the cottage, and I'm out and running before he can get out. He calls my name, but I ignore him, instead running inside and slamming the door. I lean against it, breathing heavily. That breathing turns into tears and I slide to the floor. Tears that were created because of my stupid actions and my stupid past.