Still Falling (A Hunter Hayes FanFic)

Chapter 24

Toni's POV

I can hear him screaming from the hallway. He left the door unlocked so I walk in, not knowing what to expect from him. But when I find him on the ground, I nearly fall to my knees.

"Hunter?" I say, my voice barely audible. He quickly rises to his feet, cradling his bloody knuckle. "Oh my god, Hunter. Are-" He interrupts me. "Don't."

"We need to get you to a hospital or something." I step closer and he takes a step back. "Don't come near me." He turns away, throwing his scattered clothes into his suitcase with his good hand. "Hunter, I'm serious. You need to get that checked out-" He cuts me off yet again, but this time, his voice booms through the hotel room.

"How can you care about my stupid fucking hand at a time like this?!?" I'm taken aback. Hunter rarely curses. "What do you mean?" "I mean, you just cheated on me with some random guy that probably only wanted to have sex with you and all you're worried about is my bleeding hand and if it's broken. Who cares if it's broken? See?" I watch him bunch his bad fist up into a ball, preparing to make contact with the wall, but I jump in front of him and he slowly lowers his fist.

"Hunter, what the hell?! Listen. He kissed me. Please, you have to believe me." I feel the water well up in my eyes and a large lump in my throat start to form. "No." He's so stern, as if he were telling a child they couldn't get the new toy they wanted. He looks off to the side, too in pain to actually look me in the eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Hunt. P-please." I stutter. He pushes me aside to continue packing his things. "Hunter, I love you. Please, don't do this. I love yo-" "Don't." And with that, he leaves. He walks out on me, just like my father did. He never even let me explain. It's like he didn't want to be wrong, so he ignored the truth. I sink down to the floor and just lay there for a moment, numb to any emotions, before it all falls on top of me, taking away the small breathes I still have in me.

Hunter's POV

I leave the hotel room with my bag in hand. I need to leave. I'm not leaving London, I'm too emotionally unstable to drive to the airport so I have to stay here until our flight tomorrow. I check my watch. 9:12pm. Well, we certainly missed our dinner reservations.

I slip on my sunglasses so no one will notice my teary, bloodshot eyes. I rush into the lobby bathroom and wrap my head up in toilet paper to stop it from bleeding anymore than it already has. I walk out the front door, the police officer and the band nowhere in sight. Good, I think to myself.

I walk for a few minutes until I stumble across a park bench overlooking a small playground. I sit down and shoved my earbuds in. I put the music on shuffle and- how ironic- 'Don't' by Ed Sheeran begins to flow into my ears.

I met this girl late last year, she said "don't you worry if I disappear".

I told her "I'm not really looking for another mistake", I called an old friend thinking that the trouble would wait.

But then I jumped right in a week later, returned, I reckon she was only lookin' for a lover to burn.

But I gave her my time, for two or three nights, then I put it on pause until the moment was right.

I went away for months, until our paths crossed again.

She told me "I was never looking for a friend, maybe you could swing by my room around ten.

Baby, bring the lemon and a bottle of gin, we'll be in between the sheets till the late AM".

Baby, if you wanted me, then you should've just said, she's singing, ah la-n-la la la la.

Don't fuck with my love, that heart is so cold, all over my arm, I don't wanna know that babe.

Don't fuck with my love, I told her she knows, take aim and reload, I don't wanna know that babe.

I process the lyrics in my mind and come to the conclusion that I can sort of relate to them. Ed is talking about how he doesn't want to make another mistake by falling in love with this girl, but he does anyway and she screws him over. I feel the same way with Nettie because I didn't even want to fall in love with her. I didn't plan on meeting her and having this instant connection. I didn't plan on taking her out on tour with me and giving my virginity to her and living with her and proposing to her. None of this was a thought I had in mind when I pulled up to that venue in Breaux Bridge a year ago. But it happened.

I put the song on repeat, taking in everything Ed is saying. Every so often, I kick the dirt and curse at myself. I'm not even mad at Nettie. I'm angrier at myself for feeling this way. I'm still in love with her and I hate that I am because she obviously doesn't love me. She cheated on me and all I can see when I think of her is how amazing she is. How much she cares about others and only wants to make people happy. But she cheated on me and I can't seem to come to terms with that or with the fact that she doesn't really love me and I have to let her go.

But I don't want to let her go. That's the thing. Even after all the heartache she's put me through tonight, I still want to marry her, and I hate myself even more for that. I slam my face in my hands as I feel a sudden tap on my shoulder.

"H, man. What the hell are you doing out here?" It's the band. I don't respond. Devo asks, "What happened? Did you talk to Toni? She explained everything, right?" "If you don't mind, I'm not really up for a game of 20 questions right now." I say, turning the volume on my phone up higher. "Why are you out here?" Steve asks. "Because where the hell else am I supposed to be?! I'm not sleeping in the same room as her. We're over." "What?!" Andy exclaims. Or it could've been Sam, my music is too loud to tell.

"You were there! You saw her kiss him." I whisper, just loud enough for them to hear me. "Are you fucking seri- No." Sam walks around the park bench to stand in front of me and rips my earbuds from my ears. "Sam! What-" "Dude, are you STUPID?!? Did you even give her time to explain?!??" I look down and plunge the toe of my converse into the dirt. Sam puts his hand on my shoulder and pushes me against the back of the bench. "She didn't cheat on you, Hunter! HE kissed HER!!! We saw her slap him and she told him not to touch her. She didn't kiss him."

"Yeah, then Matt went all ape-shit on him and knocked him out." Steve intervines. The guys laugh, even Sam chuckles about it for a second. "But yeah, no, dude, she didn't kiss him. She's in love with you, always has been, always will be." "And you kind of just messed it all up..." Matt adds. Devo smacks his head, his dreads falling over his shoulders.

"So, what should I do?" I ask. "You get your pathetic butt off this bench and apologize for being such an ass." Sam commands me, pointing to the hotel. So, I do just that.