Secret Love (Hunter Hayes Fanfiction)

Secret

Bethany woke up the next morning absolutely dreading the day. She checked her phone, looking for the time, and saw that she was awake two hours early. She sighed, knowing she wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. Not with the video shoot and that kiss and all her feelings for Hunter crowding her mind.

She crawled out of her bunk and headed straight for the coffee machine, helping herself to a cup. She paced around a bit, sipping and worrying and curling her toes into the tile. Her knuckles were turning white on the handle of the coffee mug, but she didn't care. 

Had she really thought kissing Hunter last night would make her less nervous about this video shoot? It had alleviated her worry over having her first kiss in front of a camera, but the fact was that she still had no acting experience, and she had never been professionally filmed before. Before you even added her feelings for Hunter and all the complications implied within, that was a terrifying thing to process! She was going to be on camera, and millions of Hunter's fans would see it. 

She sighed again. She wasn't sure she could do it. Sure, it had been easy enough to act with Hunter yesterday,  but that was before she'd foolishly asked him to kiss her, before she'd confessed her biggest, most petrifying secret. She really hoped he wouldn't tell anyone about it. It was bad enough that she was twenty-two and had never been kissed before last night. It was bad enough to know she'd probably turn twenty-three or twenty-four...maybe even thirty before she was kissed in a way that meant something real. Maybe she would never be kissed that way. 

She was turned away from the hallway with the bunks when she heard the door slide open. She froze. Please don't be Hunter.

Sam pulled open the door, stretched, and entered the living area, shutting the door behind him. Bethany was there, frozen in place with a mug of coffee steaming in her hands. He looked at her for a minute, but she didn't turn around. 

"Bethany?" He saw her jump, but she turned around with a look of relief.

"Oh, Sam. It's just you." She blew out the breath she'd been holding. She was definitely not ready to see Hunter.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied, slightly confused. "You're up awful early," he remarked, watching as her face turned red.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear nervously. "Yeah, I...uh...I couldn't sleep."

Sam took a seat on the couch, and patted the cushion next to him. Something was obviously bothering Beth, and he wanted to know what. 

Reluctantly, Bethany sat next to Sam. Immediately, he looked at her with concern and a question in his eyes.

"Bethany. I feel like we know each other well enough by now that you can tell me what's bothering you."

She blew out another gust of air. Could she? Could she at least get a little bit of her worry off her chest? It wasn't like her to trust someone with a problem, but it was Sam, and she was just so overwhelmed that she was doing all sorts of things that weren't like her. 

"I'm worried about the music video," she admitted, hoping he wouldn't guess the reason why.

"Is it because you haven't had any acting experience?" 

Partly, she thought, smoothing her hair behind her ear and chuckling softly. "Yeah, mostly. It's all so new. I mean, what if Hunter and I don't make a good couple and his fans all hate me? Or what if I look hideous on camera?" She thought of something then that should have crossed her mind before. "Why didn't Hunter invite Amanda to play the part? He told me she'd been in a couple of minor productions in New York. Wouldn't he have been more comfortable acting with his girlfriend than with some random girl from the network?" Or me? She added silently.

Sam laughed. "Amanda? Hunt would have never invited her to be in his music video. He'd hate that." He laughed again, remembering the things Hunter had said about her after he'd broken up with her. Things like: "She makes me feel dirty," "She's too perfect for me," "She made me uncomfortable." He'd talked about it for near twenty minutes actually, waxing on and on about how different they were and how they weren't ideally suited and how she was moving way too fast for him. Sam had been the one to finally end that stream by picking an interesting group of chords out on the piano. They'd gotten down to work just after that, and hadn't heard anything about Amanda since.

Bethany just nodded. He probably just doesn't want his fanbase to kill her. He has some pretty radical fans, and Amanda is perfect. She sighed again. There was a part of her that would give anything to be in her shoes, just long enough to know what it felt like to have Hunter Hayes love her.

"Ah, I see. Well, that's not the point. I'm just nervous, is all. What if they don't like me? Or I screw up? Or it turns out terrible?"

Sam stopped her before she could say anything else. "It'll be fine, Beth. I'm sure everyone will love you. Besides, I think you and Hunter make a great couple. I'm sure his fans will, too."

Bethany looked up at him. We make a good couple? You really think so? Why does that excite me so much? "I guess so." 

Sam gathered her into a hug, and she gladly took it, marveling at the fact that this was one embrace she didn't shy away from. Sam was really special. He was a terrific friend. 

"Don't worry about anything, Beth. Just act like you normally do and everything will be fantastic. You and Hunt flirt naturally, so just be normal and it'll be great on camera."

Beth froze. "We don't flirt."

Sam laughed and pulled away. "Sure you don't." He winked, and rose off the couch. 

"We don't! I swear, I don't mean to if I do!" Please, Sam, please, please, please! I don't like him. Well, okay, I do, but you can't know that I like him! PLEASE DON'T TELL HIM!!

Sam turned around and winked again. "Sure. It's okay, Beth. Your secret is safe with me. Now, get up and give me a real hug." 

Bethany obliged, her face flaming. She set her coffee mug on the floor and rose to embrace Sam. He engulfed her in a massive hug, placing his head on top of hers. 

This isn't so bad, is it? Sam knows, but that's okay right? He won't say anything.

Who else knows? Does everybody know? 

Does Hunter know?

"Uh, Sam?"

"Hmm?"

"Who else knows about my, uh, secret?" She hid her face in his chest a little, hoping the answer wasn't as bad as his laugh indicated.

Sam answered, and she felt his voice through his chest. "The guys and I have bets on whether or not you two will end up together. Just in case you were wondering, I bet that you would."

Bethany didn't know what to make of that, except that she was horrified that everyone knew her secret. She thought she'd been hiding it well! She pulled out of the hug, but Sam just laughed and kissed her forehead. She would have loved to have an older brother like Sam. 

Even an older brother could hurt you. Even Sam can hurt you. Sam knows your secret now. He can hurt you with it. Watch out, Beth.

She tried to shut out that little Devil's voice in the back of her head, but it was always there, reminding her that she didn't dare trust in something as frail as hope. 

She had to keep this a secret from Hunter. She refused to give him the power to hurt her. It was going to hurt to keep it in, but she was sure that letting it out would be even worse.

Now, all she had to do was get through this video shoot. 

Will she make it? Will the video shoot go well? What about Hunter? How is he feeling about all of this? Did you like this chapter? Will you vote or comment on it? Will you read the next chapter? Have you read the ones before it? Did you vote and comment for those? Do you like that I keep asking questions? Should I stop now? I think I will. You guys are amazing! God Bless and Happy Reading!