Falter

Chapter 14 - encounter at dawn

HUNTER

The way she looked when she had her hands on her hips is a whole different kind of cute. Like she really wants to intimidate me by just standing there. She has a small frame yet she's standing so tall, her chin high and her hair still in a bun on the top of her head. I couldn't help but smile at the thought. She has fire in her and I couldn't help but be mesmerized by it.

I see the swirls of alcohol on my drink and I shake my glass gently for it to disappear. And something happened to me that has never happened for such a long time. Her voice.

You can't love anyone like you love me, Hunter. Never.

I shake the hazy thoughts in my head. This is my third drink since Evee, Nate, Gwynn and Eliza left me at Skylar. It's almost 1 am and still I can't shake off these feelings from my system, my body craves for Eliza and my rage towards Ryan. He's someone from the past I should never even encounter but I don't want to jeopardize my sister's happiness. So I pretended I never knew him when Evee introduced him to the family. I pretended I didn't care when he was around my sister. I became accustomed to it. But he keeps on haunting me. Especially her. And here I thought everything will be fine but seems like my fucking past is catching up on me.

I check my phone and see I have a couple of messages from James, some scheduled interviews for tomorrow, and one from Evee.

I'm sorry, Hunter. I shouldn't have told you

Yes, she shouldn't have and now it's messing with my head. Bringing me back to the shithole I once was.

She looked so beautiful in her white silk dress, her pen tucked behind her ear and her strawberry blonde hair swept to the side. She's writing something. A list perhaps. She really loves making lists. We just moved in together. The boxes we have piled up on almost every corner of the room. My parents were livid when they found out I'll be living with someone at 18, and with the career I had ahead of me, I understood that they just wanted the best. Mum was so angry but eventually she accepted my decision. She accepted her.

She looked back at me. I'm sitting on our new plush sofa and of course, she picked the color. It's beige and goes along well with all the dark tones in our loft.

"So what are we going to do today, babe?" she said, her voice almost a song I could never get out of my head.

"Uhm, I don't know? Maybe unpack?" I smiled but she frowned. Her sweet face turned sour. Her beautiful hazel brown eyes looked at me with rage.

"You always want to stay in! I want to go out!" she screamed on my face, her face turning a shade of red.

"But babe we just moved in. Aren't you tired? We've been packing for almost a week. I mean we can go out tomorrow."

I saw it coming. I always have but I know what her feelings are more than the physical pain she inflicts on me. Her face twisted into anger, her hand up in the air, yet I remained unfazed. A loud smack landed on my face and it hurt but I didn't let her notice. I shouldn't let her notice. Instead, she keeps on slapping me, her hands pummeling on my chest. I tried to grab her hands but she pulled away and eventually I used my strength and held it down to my chest. I can still see the red scars on her arm. When I hold her hand and turn them towards me, she cries involuntarily.

"I just want to go out, Hunter. I keep remembering that horrible day. And it hurts so, so much." She said in between her whimpers. Her cries filled our still empty apartment.

She doesn't have to remind me because I see it clear as day.

"I know baby, I know." I put my hand on her head, caressing to make her feel that I know what she feels.