Faster than the Night

Chapter 21

Hey y'all and welcome back to Faster than the Night! I hope everyone's enjoying the novel so far! Elaine and Hunter are definitely getting closer. How will their first "date" go? Will it bring them closer or pull them apart? Keep reading to find out! Also, please comment what you're thinking about the novel and its previous chapters! Hope you're all having a blessed day!

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He kissed me slowly once more before holding my face with his hands, staring into my eyes.

"You're so beautiful." He finally let out, breaking the silence.

I gave him a small smile and scooted back further into the truck. He hopped on himself, putting the pillows behind our backs and throwing the blankets over our legs, pulling me closer into him.

"Almost forgot." He said, leaning to the side to get the BBQ takeout.

"How'd you know just what to get me?" I asked him looking at the pulled pork sandwich, baked beans, and collard greens.

"I asked around." He winked at me as I heard a buzz on my phone.

A text from Layla appeared on the screen telling me to enjoy my date.

"So you asked Layla hmm?" I asked making him laugh.

"I did." he said nodding.

"How long have you been planning this?" I asked, looking up into his dark brown eyes.

"I knew I wanted to take you here the minute you kicked my ass." He said and I busted out laughing. "I was being a dick so I deserved it. I wanted to take you here whenever I had the guts to ask you, but after the incident..." He said making me look down and back at the creek.

"Hey." He said sternly cupping my cheek with his hand. "You're safe now."

"Am I though? Am I really?" I asked letting out a small laugh. "Ever since I was 13 years old my dad made me carry pepper spray, and at 15 a pocket knife. 16 is when I started carrying a taser. All of that was for something like this and I couldn't even get to it. If Shawn wasn't there I could have..." I said trying not to cry.

This was supposed to be my break from my harsh reality. This was my time to not think about, and try to forget what happened to me, and somehow it got brought back up.

"Elaine. There's something you should know." Hunter told me, not taking his eyes off me for a second.

"Yea?" I asked him concerningly.

"Shawn shot him. GSW to the chest and neck. He's dead Elaine, you don't have to worry anymore." he said as if that could possibly make me feel better.

I didn't like death at all. For one thing, I didn't know how to deal with it. All my life, whenever bad news striked, it wouldn't affect me right away. But I'd be damned if I said it didn't hit me like a freight train later. I didn't know what to say to Hunter. While the man was an awful, most cruel human being I'd ever encountered, it was still a human life.

"Who's to say it won't happen again?" I asked him, looking away from his eyes and back at the creek.

"Hey." he said, taking my chin in his hand. "It won't. I won't let anyone lay a finger on you."

All I could do was nod and lay my head on his chest while he held me close, his arm around my back and waist.

"Was Luke...was he always abusive? Has he hit you before?" He asked me looking down at me.

I was sick and tired of feeling weak. All of these questions about who had hurt me and how I felt. None of it made me feel how these people must have thought was "better."

"No. That was the first time." I answered honestly.

"And the last." he told me while rubbing my back. "You know I'd never hurt you right?"

I sighed as I nodded on his chest. I couldn't imagine Hunter laying a finger on me, yet again, I hadn't imagined Luke backhanding me. Luke was different, he was clearly an unstable, and abusive alcoholic. That reminded me of my dad's father. The man was a bastard. He would drink a whole bottle of vodka each night and beat the hell out of my grandmother. He left them when my dad was 6 and died when he was 8. We didn't talk about him in my house, especially around my grandma. I looked around the truck, and at the creek and just knew. Hunter wasn't my grandfather, and certainly wasn't Luke.

"And my dad told me to never date a firefighter." I said while laughing.

"Wasn't he..." he laughed along.

"Yes. Yes he was. He said you're all pigs." I added still laughing along with him.

"I can't deny that..." he said leaning in to kiss me.

He shifted to somewhat lean over me, pushing my waist against the truck.
"Now now." I said pulling away. "We have to have dinner before you get dessert." I whispered as he laughed, sitting himself up.

"I was surprised you liked this food since you're from Orlando." He added while I punched his shoulder.

"I may have lived in Orlando mister, but all my family's from the panhandle." I said defending myself.

"Touché. I'm from Athens so I've lived here my whole life." I was finally getting information out of him.

"Your family still lives here?" I asked.

"Yea they do. All 5 of my sisters live in Augusta, Savannah, and Atlanta now though." he said as I choked on my food.

"You have 5 sisters?" I was quite honestly shocked.

"Yup, all of them annoying as hell. There's Alice, Savannah, Courtney, Taylor, and Carrie." he named them off.

"Wow." I laughed. "I have one brother, also annoying. Peter, he lives in Orlando still." I told him.

"At least you got a brother!" He said making me laugh.

"At least you got a sister!" I teased. "Well 5 of them but still."

The rest of the evening was spent learning more and more about each other. Like a sponge, I wanted to absorb every piece of information he'd give me. He used to be my mysterious neighbor, and now he was much more. The man with a middle name of Ethan, a favorite ice cream flavor of vanilla, a strong passion for hockey, and loved his job. I told him my basic middle name of Nicole, that my favorite ice cream flavor was mint chocolate chip, that I had a strong passion for football, and was scared to go to my job.

"Oldan's gonna be happy to see you." he said trying to add some positivity to the situation.

"Yea. He told me the job was still mine and to come back whenever I felt I was ready." I added.

"Do you know when that will be?" He asked me.

"Not yet." I gave a small smile as he pulled me closer in his embrace.

I began to think about when my actual first day would be as I stared at the falling sunset. I enjoyed this time with Hunter, more than anything, wishing my life was this simple. I was able to somewhat hold a conversation without thinking about what happened to me, and what could've happened to me. Maybe work would do the same thing. I contemplated all the pros and cons, that all the guys would ask me how I was, how Oldan would make sure I knew everything was going to be ok, and tell me how thankful he is to be able to see me again. I could only process so much before my eyelids began to fall upon my soft, gentle blue eyes as I drifted off to sleep, lying in Hunters arms in the back of his pickup.