The Path to Love

Chapter 72

I picked up my phone. "What?" I snapped.

"Your father wanted me to inform you that you are here at least for another few weeks. You need to teach Samantha Dawson everything you did while you were gone. You have to sign the company over to her and be there for her if she may need it."

"You can tell my father to kiss my ass," I replied.

"I would prefer not to have to do that, Hunter."

"Angelica, save the integrity shit for someone who cares. I have to go, there's someone at the door." I hung the phone up and went to answer my door.

"I shouldn't have to knock on the door of my own home, Hunter Jackson!" My mother snapped, walking into the house.

"Good to see you too, mom." I replied, kissing her on the cheek.

"Hunter, you know I love you endlessly. But, what have you done with your life?"

I sighed. "What do you mean mom?"

"Your father managed to keep me away on business, until now. I am home and I am here with a vengeance. You didn't tell me you got Samantha Dawson pregnant!"

"I know."

"I know? That's all you have to say is I know? Hunter, how could you be so stupid?"

"We were drunk mom! We both got hammered after her uncle died and shit happened! What do you want me to tell you? I'm not sorry it happened!"

"If you aren't sorry it happened, then why in God's creation aren't you with her? Why did you move to Connecticut? If I knew you impregnated your best friend, I never would have let you move there! You should have stayed here to help Samantha!"

"I helped her by leaving, mom! I'm not a deadbeat, okay? I know what I did was wrong. I know I shouldn't have left her, but I didn't have a choice. She told me to leave mom. I know she didn't mean it. It was the least I could do after the hell I put her through."

"What hell Hunter Jackson Thomas? What could you have possibly done to Samantha?"

"I put her life in danger, mom!" I yelled. "I put her and the baby in harms way, me, I did. She hated me for what I chose to do mom, hated me. I didn't know what else to do to solve the situation, so I did what had to be done."

The memory that I spent so long trying to hide, came rushing back. I could hear the venom in Sam's words. "After this is over, I want nothing to do with you. I never want to see you again," she hissed. "Ever since you got me pregnant, there has been nothing but fights, arguments, danger, and now life-threatening issues. If me or the baby 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."

The memory of me choosing to leave, also came back. "As much as I know you're right, she's going to hate you."

"She already does, Xav. That's why, when this is over, I'm leaving. She doesn't want to be around me anymore, and I only seem to bring danger to her. I just need you to keep an eye on her and keep her safe for me. Can you do that, please?"

"You're going to leave? Just like that?"

"I can't keep causing her this pain or keep putting her and the baby in danger. She needs to be safe. They need to be safe, Xav."

I shook my head, trying to push the memories away. "I left mom, I did. I know. I know it seems like I was running from them and not wanting any part of their lives, but it was the opposite mom. I changed, I became better for Sam and for our daughter. I stopped sleeping around, I stopped fucking off, I cleaned up my act and I was preparing to become a father. I wanted to be better than you and dad. My kid deserved better than an absent parent."

"Then why did you leave, Hunter? Explain it to me."

"I can't, mom. I can't without putting you in danger too. Trust me, please just trust me. I know what I'm doing, and I know what has to be done. I love Sam and I love our daughter, so much. Sam is it for me, mom. There's no one else for me. I know that, and I bet Sam knows that too. But her protection is more important to me than my wants. We fought a lot mom. After the car accident, amnesia and everything else, I made her life a living hell. I am living a personal hell right now by staying away from her, but I can't bring myself to go back to her, knowing the risk."

"Hunter, what did you do?" My mother whispered.

"I protected Sam, mom." I cried out. "I did what I had to do to protect Sam. I would do it all over again, too. Her and the baby are safe because of me, and that is why I continue to stay away, because I know they're safe."

"Hunter," my mom whispered.

"There's nothing else to say, mom." I cried. "I know what I did was wrong, and I know the hell I am living now is the consequence of that. Sam is safe though, and that's why I can live with my decisions."

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there to protect you, my boy." My mom whispered. She placed her hand on my face and cupped my cheek.

"I survived, didn't I?" I whispered.

"At what cost, though?" She asked me.

"Does it matter?"

"To me, yes. I failed as a mother, I failed you. I will never be able to apologize enough for that. I should have got your father to move the business here. I should have been here for you. Maybe things could have been different."

I decided to quote my father's earlier saying. "Yes, mom. Should have, could have, didn't." I whispered, with tears in my eyes. "Don't wish for the past to change, it happened, it's to late to change it now."

"What now, Hunter? What are you gonna do?"

"What now?" I asked her. What now? "I don't know, mom. I am just trying to get through the day, then I think about the next day. I'm not the one to ask about what next. All I know is that I'm here for a few more weeks, courtesy of dad."

"If you want, I can get him to reconsider."

"Don't bother, I don't want to have to owe dad anything. I'm just tired, mom. I'm tired of fighting, I'm tired of expectations, I'm tired of wanting, I'm tired of trying. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a day to prepare for my first encounter with Sam since I left. I have work to do," I mumbled.

I put on a pair of shoes and walked out the front door. I pulled out my phone and dialed. "Hello?"

"Book me a room at any hotel tonight, please. I want to stay there for the night."

"You already have a room for the night at The Royal Inn," Angelica replied.

"Right, I forgot, thanks." I replied, going to hang up the phone.

"Hunter!" Angelica replied.

"What?" I replied.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," I replied. "I'm always fine." I ended the call and got in my car to drive to The Royal Inn.

I felt defeated and useless.

Maybe this really was all for nothing. I couldn't help the same thought that replayed over and over again in my head.

Maybe it was all for nothing.