The Path to Love

Chapter 44 - Sam's POV

I don't think it has really set in that he left. I keep glancing out the window from my window seat waiting for him to pull in the driveway. There were two things wrong with that logic. One, his car was in the driveway. Two, I know he's gone. It's just refusing to click in with my brain.

A knock on the door disturbed me from my thoughts, again. I got up from my seat, going to answer it. It was Xavier, again.

"Hey," I replied, smiling at him.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah," I lied. "I'm doing good. What's up?"

"I was just coming to check on you, that's all. I was wondering if you were going to school tomorrow?"

"Yup, tomorrow is the day of my final exam." I complained.

He chuckled. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Oh yeah," I replied, moving out of the way. "Come in."

"What time is your exam tomorrow?"

"Twelve, what about you?"

"Same. So, do your parents know about your, um, situation yet?"

"Do you mean the fact that I am almost six months pregnant, with no father there to help me?" I asked him, I tried to come off as nonchalant but I'm pretty sure it came off as rude.

"Um, yeah, that." He replied, nervously.

"Nope. They will be finding out the same way everyone else will find out."

"How?"

"Prom."

"You're still going to that thing?"

"Just because my whatever he was isn't here anymore, doesn't mean I'm going to miss out on my grad activities. You only graduate high school once."

"What, um, happened between you both?" I know he didn't want to ask me, but Hunter was his best friend as much as he was mine.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and looked up at the boy in front of me. "After this is over, I want nothing to do with you. I never want to see you again," I hissed. Why did I say that? I didn't mean that! "Ever since you got me pregnant, there has been nothing but fights, arguments, danger, and now life-threatening issues. If the baby or I gets hurt because of this Hunter, I swear to God you will never want to see me again. I will make you regret meeting me."

I looked up at him as his face morphed into shock, anger, pain, and acceptance. He thinks I'm right, that he causes nothing but danger. I have been in a lot of danger since I got pregnant, but it was also some of my fault too. I was already regretting what I said to him. "Don't worry. When this is over, you won't have to see me again." He replied.

What? He doesn't actually mean that, does he? "Good. Hurry up and get this in motion. I want to go home to safety."

What the hell am I saying?!

I shook the memory from my mind. Xavier is going to hate me when I tell him I'm the reason Hunter left. "He's gone because I told him to leave," I mumbled.

"You did what?!" Xavier exclaimed, standing up.

"It was when we were at the headquarters planning out how to deal with Novak. It was a heat of the moment thing, I was scared, and I was mad he got us in this mess."

"It wasn't him that got you in that mess!" Xavier exclaimed. "It was all you! Don't you realize that? Novak wanted you! Hunter would have been perfectly fine if he would have just handed you over, but no, he had to protect you like he always does. And for repayment of that, you push him away?! What the hell is wrong with you?"

I starter to cry with what Xavier had to say, he was right. That was the worst thing, Novak wanted me, not Hunter. The situation would have been solved had I just went. But no, Hunter decided to protect us all, and I thanked him by telling him I never wanted to see him again. "I'm sorry. I never meant for this to happen. I didn't think he would take me seriously when I told him I never wanted to see him again."

"You know, when I came to see you in April to find out what caused the accident, I forgave you for that because you're his whole world. I kept the secret for well over a month about you carrying his baby and about why the accident happened. I lied to my best friend because you were selfish and wouldn't tell him what caused the accident! He fucking loves you so much, he's blinded by it. All he ever did was protect you, love you, and care for you. It wasn't him who put you in danger. It was all you. You're the one who put him in danger, you're the one who hurt him, you're the one who drove him away. After everything he did for you, you thank him by telling him you never want to see him again? Why?"

He was fuming. It was clear he wasn't particularly fond of me right now, but what he was saying was the truth. I caused this, this is my fault. "I love him too; don't you realize that?!" I exclaimed, standing up with him. "He didn't have to leave, he made the choice to! Don't blame me for his choices! He's a grown ass man and can do whatever he pleases. It's not my fault he didn't stay to fight for his daughter."

"You wouldn't give him the chance! You threatened him to take her away every damn day! What the hell do you expect him to do? I wouldn't stay here either, with you! You broke him."

"I was only protecting my daughter!"

"Protecting her from what?! As far as I'm concerned, Hunter is more equipped to protect her that you ever will be!"

I didn't even realize what I was doing until it was done. My hand flew to Xavier's face and slapped him. "Why? Because he was in a gang? Or is it because he fucked around and finally settled on a girl? Or is it because he knows how to beat someone up?"

"Do you even know your supposed 'best friend,'? It's neither. He is better equipped because every damn second you were threatening to keep his kid from him, he was still there fighting for you, fighting for her, fighting for your family. You even kept his kid from him after the accident, you didn't tell him you were pregnant while he had no memories. As far as I'm concerned, you're not ready to be a mother, but he is more than ready to be a father. He kept fighting for you both, but you kept pushing him away. You wanted to do this by yourself, well congratulations Samantha, you pushed him far enough away for him to leave. You did it. You will be raising this kid by yourself because you pushed him, hurt him, accused him of so much shit that he felt the only other option he had was to leave."

He didn't wait for me to respond because he walked out of the house, slamming the door behind him.

He was right. I did this. Hunter is gone because of me. I sunk to the floor, crying. Heart wrenching sobs racked my body as I was on the floor crying.

Hunter was gone because of me, everything Xavier said was right. I caused this.

The biggest question I had for myself is, why? Why did I keep pushing him away? Why didn't I realize he just wanted to be there for us and protect us?

A sob escaped my throat as I realized what I'd done. Hunter left because I told him to go. He decided leaving was the best option for me.

What did I do?

I sat on the floor for hours, crying.