Christy's POV
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Sunday, June 10
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I stood in the doorway of the apartment as Hunter finished up in the bathroom.
He was coming with me to church that morning. I had wanted to go to the first service at nine, but he'd insisted we go out to breakfast together, even though he'd arrived early for the sole purpose of going to first. So we went to Waffle House and then came back to the apartment since I'd forgotten my phone.
And seeing as Hunter'd already had three coffees, he had to use the 'ole lavatory pretty badly.
"Ready?" he asked.
"When you and your zipper are!"
He looked down and flushed a deep shade of pink. "Sorry," he mumbled, turning around and fixing it.
I laughed. "Don't be embarrassed, it's totally fine. I'm surprised I haven't had a wardrobe malfunction in front of you myself," I replied.
We walked down to my car, even though he was driving. When we pulled into the church lot, we were ten minutes early, so we sat in our seats for a few minutes and talked.
"Where's the first show on this leg?"
"Indianapolis on Wednesday night. Then we go to St. Louis Thursday, and Lexington, Kentucky on Saturday," he replied.
He was leaving the next day.
A few minutes later we were in our seats listening to the sermon. I was happy that I didn't have to sing that day.
About halfway through the sermon, I realized I was holding Hunter's hand. I had no idea how long I had been, but it had been a while. Like we had subconsciously done it. I wasn't sure if he'd noticed or not. I'm sure he had. But he acted very nonchalantly and comfortable, and his touch sent butterflies bouncing off the walls of my stomach as a smile crept at the corners of my lips.
I started to think about how close we'd gotten over the month before. We'd talked ever day, seen each other at least every two, if not more often. We were so close, and he'd become such a huge part of my life, that I had almost become dependent on him. He was literally part of my daily routine.
We both knew we were more than friends at that point. But whatever we were, I was enjoying it and didn't want it to speed up or slow down. It was just right.
I was going to miss him terribly.
He must've sensed my discomfort, because he suddenly squeezed my hand to get my attention, and mouthed 'are you okay?' to me.
I quickly nodded, to which he raised his eyebrows towards the door to our right. The sermon was almost over and the band was making their way on stage.
"You sure?" he whispered.
"I'm okay."
He nodded.
I knew exactly why I was thinking the way I was. I had thought about it before. I knew touring came with his job, and that's the way his lifestyle was and would always be. But on the eve of his departure, it seemed to hit me harder than I thought it should have or would have.
The immature part of my brain started asking why he had to leave. Why he had to go away and not see me, and me not see him. I didn't want that. Everything was going so well; it didn't seem fair.
I was pulled out of my deep thought by the chorus of the song that the band had been playing all the while.
"When God has another plan... walk on and just say 'yes'. When God has another plan... be assured that He knows best."
I looked up and nodded. Funny how some things just work out like that song had just then.
"Hey," Hunter said as we walked out of the church doors a few minutes later.
"Yeah?"
"I need a new sweatshirt, and I was thinking you could come help me pick one out? If you have time."
"I'm not doing anything else today. I'd love to," I replied. He smiled, opening the passenger door for me as I hopped in.
We pulled up to the mall and he, as usual, rushed around to grab my door before I could, then grabbed my hand again as we walked inside.
That was becoming a pretty frequent occurrence, I had begun to notice. But I liked the feel of his fingers intertwined in mine. His skin was weathered and rough, yet he had the touch that made them feel softer than any I'd ever felt.
We walked through a few sections before coming to the place that caught his attention. He immediately grabbed a hoodie off a rack and held it up for me to see.
"Ew. No."
"Why not?"
"Too pasty."
"Okay, how 'bout this one?" he said, holding up a maroon quarter-zip with a white stripe across the middle.
"What are you, fifty? No!"
He hung his head. "Fine."
We went through five or six more, some of which both of us either liked or disliked, before finding the one that we agreed on. One with pale blue shades that grew darker towards the shoulders. We checked out, he tossed the sweatshirt in the back seat, and we got in and sat in silence for a few moments.
Apparently we'd been thinking the exact same thing.
"I'm going to miss you," he said quietly.
"I'm going to miss you too."
He nodded, folding his hands in his lap without responding.
"Hunter?"
He looked up at me.
"Are we gonna keep doing this and then just kinda be friends?"
"I hope not."
"Okay."
He furrowed his eyebrows. "Are you worried about that? Really?"
"No! N-no... Not at all."
He looked down, offended. "Do you think I do this to a lot of people?" he said, gesturing between us.
"No, I don't think so."
"I want you to know so."
"I just realized today how much I really am going to miss you, even though we're not, yanno... But I still feel like I'm going to be missing a part of, like, my day or something while you're not here. And I know it's only a few weeks. I'm being dramatic. I'm so-"
"Don't apologize."
I hung my head, and he continued.
"Don't apologize for missing me. Because I bet I'm going to miss you more," he said.
He reached over the console and pulled me into an awkward hug. I was okay with that.
We rode back to my apartment in silence. I wasn't going to be seeing him after that until he got back, since he had to leave before four in the morning the next day. He walked me to my door.
"Stay safe, okay?"
"Can we talk as much as we can? I'm gonna be really busy but I will make time."
"I was hoping you'd say that," I said with a smile.
"I'll text you whenever I can, and we'll talk as much as we can, okay?"
"I'd love that," I said, before falling against his chest and wrapping my arms around his neck. He immediately put his around my torso.
"Hey," he started after a few moments. "It's only three weeks. I'll be back before you know it."
I nodded.
"I'll call you whenever I get the chance. I promise."
"That's a promise you're gonna have to keep, okay?" I said.
"You bet it is."
