Dare to be Different

14- Made For Each Other

~Alec POV~

I'm on my way up to Hunter's house when I hear a girl's laughter from inside.

Great. He has a chick over. Whatever, this will be quick.

I open his front door, which is never locked, and walk inside.

"Hey, Hunt-WHAT THE FUCK!" I yelled when I looked down at the floor.

The sight I saw made my heart sink. Hunter was sitting on Ashley's stomach while holding her abdomen. She was pushing up against him on his chest with her hands.

Hunter sprang up from his position, and Ash quickly stood up after him.

"What's going on here?" I said with fury.

"Alec, I swear it's not what it looks like-" Ashley started, but I interrupted.

"Cut the cliche crap," I growled. I didn't want to hear the 'oh, it's me, not you!' stuff.

Hunter put his hands up defensively, "Dude, just calm down for a sec-"

"Don't you tell me to 'calm down.' Girls might mean nothing to you because you just use them like frickin' tissues, but Ashley actually meant something to me, but I guess I meant nothing to her," I glared in her direction. I saw her frown, but I didn't care.

"Alec, how could you ever think that? If you would just lis-" Ashley said with hurt in her eyes.

I grew sad at the thought of Ash hurt, but it shouldn't matter anymore. She couldn't match what I was feeling right now.

I know in movies, it's pretty expected that the boyfriend won't listen to the explanation, but there's a reason for that.  If I look at her one more time, I don't think I could keep myself together. Maybe they weren't doing anything, but I couldn't take that chance. I don't think I could handle it.

I sighed, "You two are both destructive people, you're meant for each other." I paused for a second to laugh at myself, "This fuckin' dare is screwing everyone over."

I turned around and walked out of the house and ran towards my car.

I climbed inside and sat in the driver's seat. I hung my hands on the steering wheel and stared out at the open road.

A million thoughts were going through my head.

Maybe if I had just listened? Would have it really been that bad?

No. She shouldn't have been at his house in the middle of the night anyway.

I shook my head. Even just thinking about the possibility of them was too much. It was better not to know the full story and just leave while I still could.

I turned my car on and drove back to the beach we were at just hours before.

When I got there, I parked in the parking lot and climbed out of my car. I jumped up on the hood and laid down staring up at the stars.

I started thinking. Maybe I did overreact a little, but I think a part of me wanted to end things with Ash. I was just using the "pain" as an excuse.

There was nothing wrong with her. She was the most amazing girl I had ever met, but a part of me always knew it wouldn't last. She was meant for someone else, and that someone else was in that living room where I had left her.

~~~~~~

~Ashley's POV ~
    
     I stood there, watching the door that Alec just walked out of. I wanted to run after him. I wanted to scream and cry and beg, but I didn't.

     I just didn't move. I couldn't move. As if all the strength had left my body, I crumbled to the ground.

     I landed on my knees with a painful thud. I hardly noticed it; it was nothing compared to the pain inside.

     Two single tears rolled down my cheeks. I didn't bother to wipe them off. As much as I hated crying, especially in the presence of other people, I just let it hang on the edge of my chin.

     I waited until gravity took over and my tear fell towards the carpet. It landed in front of me and instantly created a damp, dark circle.

     "Ash, are you okay?" Hunter asked. I paused for a moment. Of course, I was not okay!

     I gave him a look, and he nodded, "You're right. Dumb question." 

     He knelt down beside me and awkwardly put his hand on my back in the attempt to comfort me.

     At this moment, I didn't really care. I  broke down. The tears came more rapidly, and I started to do the gross sniffling thing with my nose.

     I laid my forehead on Hunter's shoulder and cried into it. I instinctively put my hand on his chest for support.

     I think he understood that I needed a moment. He broke out of his comfort zone and wrapped his arms around me.

     I hugged him back tighter not caring what would happen next.

     I could feel his breath on the back of my neck. It felt warm, and I was comforted knowing he was there with me. 

     "What just happened?" I whispered to myself. 

     Hunter sighed, "I'm not sure, but it'll all be fine." 

     I nodded and buried my head deeper into his chest. I cried soft tears onto his sweatshirt and breathed shallow breaths. 

     A month down the drain. All the time we spent together, and it all just ends? 

     I was really starting to come out of my shell with Alec; he actually meant something. 

~~~~~~

     Thirty minutes had passed, and I was sitting curled up with Hunter. I didn't feel like moving. 

     I was pretty sure that if I stood up, I would be too weak and just fall back down again. My legs had fallen asleep a long time ago, and I was getting a tingly feeling in my arms. 

     It was getting pretty late, but it didn't matter. I didn't want to go. 

     I stopped crying some time ago, but I was still sniffling every so often. "Hunter...I don't want to go home." 

     At home, I was all alone. Yes, my parents were there, but I didn't want to see them right now. I don't usually tell them about my problems, and they don't tell me about theirs. 

    "That's fine. You can just stay here," he said while wrapping another arm around me that had fallen long ago. 

     I sniffled and nodded, "Thank you...For this." 

     I could feel his tight-lipped grimace on my head as he nodded in acknowledgment. 

Eventually, I fell asleep. I fell asleep in Hunter's arms not caring that I was doing exactly what got me in this situation in the first place.