Hunter

Chapter 6

~Present Day~

"You remember me?" Hunter asks. I let out a shaky breath, turning around to walk away.

Did he seriously just ask me that? Of course I remembered. Sure, maybe everyone else didn't for some strange reason, but perhaps it was just easier for them to forget.

Not for me, unfortunately.

His hand grabs onto my arm and he turns me around to face him. "Mae, listen-" He steps forward with his arms open in attempt to pull me in a hug. My hand on his chest stops him, sadness spreading across his face.

"No!" I yell, pushing him away just a bit. "Don't do that. You can't do that. Not with me. Not anymore." I shake my head as I speak, taking steps back. He just continues to move forward.

"Please, let me explain." His voice broke and I felt a pain in my heart, but I don't break. He has no idea what I went through without him. I can't forgive him too easily. I want to, but I can't.

"No." I wipe my tears away. I scoff lightly and sniffle. "You know, you have real nice fucking timing. Right when I was trying to forget you, you just want to come running back, huh?"

"N-no, please," He shakes his head, grabbing my arms gently. "Please don't forget."

"Why?" I ask. My throat starts closing and my chest is heaving. "You forgot about me that night. I waited here for three hours, no proper coat or anything. I texted and called you so many times and you didn't answer not even once."

"Mae, I'm sorry." He sighs heavily. "I didn't know."

"You didn't know?!" I pull my arms away, backing up again. "You were the one who told me to wait, and you were the one who didn't come. But yet, you, out of all people, didn't fucking know?!"

"That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

"I didn't know this was gonna happen."

"Why did it?"

He opens his mouth to speak, but closes it soon after. Letting out a sigh, he shakes his head. "I can't tell you."

"So you leave, go missing for a year, and decide to come back saying you have an explanation, but one you can't tell me?"

"This isn't in any of my control, Mae."

"Why not?!"

"I can't-"

"Bullshit!" I scream, pacing back and forth. The only thing truly out of control here is my breathing. It's heavy and erratic. I can't tell if this is due to my anxiety or anger, though. It's probably both if I'm honest.

He runs his hands through his hair. I notice how long it got. How does he manage to still be attractive even when he's being difficult?

When I stop pacing, I walk up to him. "Either you tell me or I'm leaving."

"Can't we come to a compromise?" My thoughts go back to the conversation we had about arguments. Why did he bring that up? This situation is totally different. This isn't about both of us having different views of things. This is about his fuck up and my anger.

"No." I shake my head. "You can either give me an explanation, because I sure as hell deserve one, or you can let me leave."

"I don't want you to leave." His words make my heart skip a beat. Don't break, Mae. Don't break.

"Then tell me." My voice softens and he steps closer. I don't push him away this time.

His hands hold my face up so I'm looking at him. They're oddly warm, but I welcome the feeling. They're heating up my numbing cheeks.

"Mae." He sighs. Shaking his head, he takes his lip in between his teeth, gnawing at it.

"Please?" I ask. He lets go of his lip and I fight the urge to stare at them. His eyes scan all over my face and I'm left unsure of what he's looking for.

"I'll tell you," He says, eyes meeting mine. "But not now."

"Hunter-"

"Mae, please." He moves his hands from my face to my shoulders. I wince slightly when the cold hits my skin. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Getting hurt? He thinks I'm going to get hurt? As if this doesn't hurt enough already. What could he be hiding?

"Why would I get hurt?" I can't stop myself from asking. Curiosity has gotten the best of me, I guess.

"Because if they found out you know-"

"'They?'" He sighs once more.

"Mae, please." His hands leave my shoulders and drop down to my hands. He takes them in his own, encasing my cold fingers in his warm palms. "If this wasn't as big of a situation as it is, I would tell you. You know I would."

"Do I?"

"Yes, you do." He takes our hands and brings them to his mouth. He blows into them, warming them up instantly. The heat radiates from my hands all throughout my body and I'm taken aback. How the hell did he do that? I know he has some strange effect on me, but this... this is new. "You don't have to forgive me now. Or at all. Just... please understand?"

I sigh, looking up at his brown, pleading orbs. I wish I could just forget this and forgive him. However, the anger is still present in my chest. "Fine," I start. I see a small smile creep on his face. "I'm still mad at you, but if you're serious about this reason being somehow dangerous, I'll try to understand."

"Thank you." He drops my hands gently, snaking his arms around me. He pulls me into a tight embrace, nuzzling his face into my neck. Heat spreads throughout my cheeks, and his next words almost kill me all together. "I've missed you."

My arms find themselves around him without my permission. His grip on me tightens as I rest my chin on his shoulder.

Has he always been this muscular? I've never really hugged him like this before and he usually wears hoodies. That being said, I don't think I've ever noticed how well built he is. I'm not necessarily complaining, but this whole staying mad at him thing is a lot harder to do.

When he pulls away, I battle with myself, one part wanting to throw myself back in his arms and the other part wanting to contain my feelings. The latter ends up winning and I pull away as well.

"You hungry?" He asks. I feel my stomach grumble, but I just shrug. I've only really had a single bite out of Serenity's cake she got at the café earlier and chips at the party. Hungry was an understatement, I guess. "Damn, I could hear your stomach grumble from here." He laughs.

"Your hearing is getting better?" I question, though it was more for me. I remember he used to need to lean in closer to me to hear me talk at a normal decibel. Now he's hearing my stomach growl better than I can?

"Uh, yeah, kind of." He clears his throat and is quick to change the subject. "Let me take you out to eat?" I just nod.

Something isn't adding up and I hope it will once he explains his side later on.

I also hope he'll be okay. I'm afraid for him for some reason.

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(A/n: sorry for the short chapter, and im trying to update as much as possible this week just in case things start getting a little busy in the near future so if you feel bombarded, i apologize lol.. anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this!! Love you allll! Vote, comment and share if you can.. Feedback is always appreciated!! :))))