There was no getting out of it. She had to get loose of Darryl's hold. So she kneed him where a man breaths.
That did the trick. Darryl let her go just before his lips connected with hers. She ran off, rushing straight outside and closing the door behind her. No, no, no, no, no, no, please tell me he isn't chasing me. Please tell me he isn't chasing me.
She sat down in front of the door, trying to steady her breathing and blinking at the sky to ward off the tears. This was how she'd reacted when her boss...the situation was far too similar. Those grimy hands, those sickly smiles: she couldn't handle it. Why was she surrounded by awful men? Why did they flock to her? What was wrong with her?
Why was she letting history repeat itself? She should have reported him the first time he'd hit on her. She should have kicked him out the first time he'd called her 'mama'. She should have done a lot of things, but she hadn't. What was her excuse? She should have known where this was going. Why hadn't she put a stop to it?
You're a coward. You're a fool and a coward.
She stood, flying through the parking lot and hurling herself into the bus. She locked the door behind her, then took a moment to compose herself before she rounded the corner to the living area.
All of the guys were there, and they greeted her, all smiling together. What are you smiling at? Which one of you is next? Which one of you is going to try to steal me next? Which one!
She yelled in her head, glancing over each of them. Any one of them could do what Darryl had done. Any one of them could treat her like her ex-boss. They were all the same. She was nothing to them. Just a toy, disposable, unimportant.
She heard a knock on the door, and stooped below to look through the miniscule crack. It was Hunter.
You can't like him, Beth. What if he treats you like Darryl treats you? Think of how much more it would hurt if he did what your boss did.
She opened the door, and pasted on a smile. Hunter saw her standing there and was immediately reminded of his embarrassment. He'd almost said some really stupid things to her. He blushed, climbing the stairs and attempting to greet her normally.
"Hey, Beth. Have a good night?" He could hear the inflection and accusation in his voice, but Beth didn't seem to notice, just nodded in reply.
"All right, guys, I'm going to take a shower," Beth said, moving through the room and rushing into the bathroom.
You can't like him, Beth. He may seem different, but you don't know that for sure.
"Yes, I do. Hunter is different. I have to believe that or I'll stop trusting everyone completely. I have to believe there is at least one person in the world who is good."
You don't know that, Beth. He could be just like Darryl.
"No! He's not!" She curled up on the toilet and the tears that she'd been holding back all night started to flow. "He can't be." She pushed the heels of her hands into her eyes, trying to force the emotion to recede, to flow backwards, into her body instead of flowing out.
"Hunter...please be different. Please be good. I know you can be good. Please. Please." She sobbed, talking nonsense to herself and praying that he wouldn't hear her.
In the other room, Hunter poured himself a glass of wine, then another.
What were you thinking, Hunt? She doesn't like you. Why would she? If she's into jerks like Darryl, she'll never go for you. Drop it, buddy. She's not interested.
Maybe I can get Amanda back, he thought suddenly. They had only been fighting. It could easily be resolved, right? And he could forget about Beth. In fact, why was he showing so much interest in her suddenly? He must have just been freaking out over losing Amanda.
Yeah, that's it, Hunt. You don't really like Beth, you just thought you did. Call Amanda tomorrow, you'll see.
As he started on his third glass of wine, he tried really hard to convince himself that it was true. That tomorrow he'd wake up and Amanda's would be the first face he'd see.
But deep down, under the tangy taste of wine and the salty residue of tears, he knew that something had happened to him that night, and it wasn't going to go away, no matter how foolish it was.
I'm really glad you've made it to this chapter. I'm really, really excited! :D Please, excite me just a little more and vote for it? Or maybe leave me a comment, or follow me! I love you guys! <3 God bless and happy reading!
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Secret Love (Hunter Hayes Fanfiction)
Romansa"I'm falling for someone who isn't falling for me." "I know exactly how you feel," he answered, leaning down and hugging her tightly. "Do you?" She hugged him back, willing him to know just how much she cared for him. He chuckled. "Yeah, I do." H...
