The Path to Love

Chapter 25

I finally got the doctors blessing to go home. My concussion had healed, but my leg was still in a cast. So, here I was. Waiting for something, anything, to happen.

Sam was still avoiding me. I didn't know why, I wanted to know, but she wasn't telling me anything. No one was telling me anything. I wanted to party and forget about everything that has happened in the last few weeks.

I decided to text Xav to see if he knew about any parties.

Hunt: Any parties tonight?

It was in the middle of the weak, but who cares. I wanted to get laid, probably not a good idea but that's besides the point.

Xav: You're up and about?

Stupid idiot. Sometimes I swear he lacks the basic ability to function.

Hunt: Obviously. So, are there any parties?

It didn't take him long to respond.

Xav: Luke is throwing one tonight, surprisingly. I didn't think you were the party type anymore

I read his text a few times. Since when wasn't I up for a good party?

Hunt: Why wouldn't I be the party type anymore? All I've been doing is sitting in a hospital bed wasting away. Sam isn't talking to me for some unknown reason and I have no memories since January. I could use a night out.

Xav: You don't remember anything since January?

Hunter: Nope. Not a thing.

It took him a while to respond. I waited for like twenty minutes before he finally said something.

Xav: I'll pick you up at 6:30

I smiled. Finally. Something I had control over.

Once my mother realized I was going home, she decided it was okay for her to go back to work and left yesterday to go back somewhere internationally. How do I even have parents? I swear if I ever have a kid, I'll never leave them the way my parents left me to fend for myself.

I chuckled at the thought. Me with kids. Ha.

6:30pm came rather quickly. I hobbled my way to Xav's car, but not before I looked over at Sam's house. She was in her window seat, watching me. When she saw I was looking, she quickly turned away. She looked exhausted, like she was fighting to stay awake. I watched her for a minute while she was reading. Xav decided then it was a good idea to honk his horn, which scared the shit out of me and had Sam glancing over. I made eye contact with her again and she quickly looked away. Sighing, I hobbled into Xav's car. "Fucking asshole," I muttered.

"Hello to you too. I missed seeing your face everyday. I love you too," Xav replied, laughing.

"Just drive to Luke's, prick."

"Wanna talk about it?" Xav asked me.

"Talk about what?"

"Sam," Xav hesitated. It's like he thought I'd break and sob about it.

"There's nothing to talk about. I don't know what I did, or what she did for her to be avoiding me like this. I told her I can't remember anything, and she didn't say anything. She isn't trying to help me remember either, so I'm moving past it. We'll work it out, we always do. For now, I just want to enjoy the night and celebrate the fact that I'm home."

"I don't know, buddy. Wish I could help you."

"I'm not worried about it. She'll talk to me when she's ready." It's not like this hasn't happened before and will probably happen again.

We pulled up to Luke's house. "It's time to party!" Xav exclaimed.

I walked into the party feeling nostalgic. I loved the parties, and it was hard to believe that in a couple months we'd all be going to college and going our different ways.

I smiled at the thought and pushed it away, just wanting to relax tonight. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and hobbled into the living room and sat on the couch. I was the quiet observer tonight. There wasn't much I could do with a leg cast anyways. As much as I would love to. I felt the couch dip as someone sat beside me.

"H, long time no see." I turned to look at N.

"The hell are you doing at a high school party?" I asked him, laughing.

"Oh, you know, I was just in the neighbourhood. I decided to see how our hustler was doing after being released from the hospital."

"My fucking leg is still useless and might always will be. It chose a good time to break though, because football season is now over. It's not like I was taking it up in college anyways." I replied.

"Yeah, about your leg," N started to hesitate. It's like he was trying to choose his words carefully. "You've been a valuable member of our gang for a few years now. You always did what you were told and never questioned me at all."

"Why do I feel like there is a but coming now?" I asked him.

"We're kicking you out of it," N replied.

"What? Why?" I asked him.

"You're not useful to us anymore. You did your job, we're now a feared gang and you are useless to us with your bummed leg. No offense," he quickly added the last part.

"Um, what?"

"Don't worry, we're not going to kill you because we know you're no snitch. But, if you ever do talk about us and try to find us, we will hunt you down and will kill you. Got it?" N replied, in all seriousness.

"Um, sure." I replied, doubtfully. What the hell is happening?

He broke out, laughing. "Besides you have a family on the way and everything now, and we wouldn't want to jeopardize that for you. Take the out and run away, H. Not many people get an out from a gang."

"What do you mean a family on the way?" I asked him, but he was already gone. Like he was never here at all.

First my mother was being over bearing, then Sam avoiding me and now the gang. What the fuck was going on?

What the fuck did N mean by telling me I have a family on the way?

I chose to ignore everything that's been going on around me and chose just to focus on tonight. I grabbed my beer and chugged it back. I got up from the couch and hobbled to the kitchen to get a couple more.

The beer helped me forget all the weirdness that was happening around me and I chose just to focus on the present. I watched as everyone was dancing around me and watched as everyone was having a good time.

A few girls came up to me and tried to talk to me and get me to go upstairs, I desperately wanted to, but when they saw my leg was in a cast, they walked away trying to find another guy to pleasure themselves with. A light buzz settled over me and I felt satisfied.

It didn't take long though until everything left me feeling exhausted. I couldn't walk home because of the cast, I couldn't call Sam because she still wasn't talking to me for some unknown reason, Luke and Xav were both drunk and fucking their girls somewhere, and I just didn't feel like riding in a taxi tonight. So, I walked upstairs, into an empty room, making sure to lock the door. I didn't want some couple walking in and deciding to fuck, and I didn't want some random person walking in and seeing me asleep. I laid down on the bed and arched my leg up. I tried to remember anything from the last few months, but nothing came to mind. I had so many questions with barely any answers and it was starting to get frustrating. I closed my eyes and fell into a deep sleep.

I dreamt of a little girl, who had my same brown eyes and blonde hair, running around screaming for her dad. She looked like a happy child and I had a bright smile on my face watching her run around in the grass.