How Living with the Bad Boy Saved My Life

Chapter Sixteen

It had been a full 24 hours since Hunter had thrown my phone away. There had still been no contact from dad, thankfully. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later but for now I was going to enjoy the sense of freedom I had from him. Worrying about him was something I would do at a later date. My current worry was where I stood with Hunter. After he had thrown my phone away we had the date he had originally planned so he cooked me food and we talked all night about anything and everything but us.

Did he not want there to be an us? He had said he wanted to be the only one to touch me but I think that was just a thing men said to get in your pants. Surely Hunter did not say it to get in my pants though. He didn't seem the type that used girls. The more I thought about it the more I realised Hunter never spoke about girls with me. He never brought a girl back to the flat, at least not when I was there. He never mentioned an ex-girlfriend or even any female friends. This I found strange. When I first met Hunter he was the biggest jerk ever so I'd expect him to constantly brag about girls. It was weird he didn't.

I shook my head trying to make the thoughts leave my head but this only brought back anxiety about my dad. What he had said about my mum was playing on my mind, ever since Hunter had told me his mum died, I really didn't want to speak about my mum with him. I'm sure he wouldn't mind at all but I was still going to act cautious around him. Then it dawned on me...was his dad involved too? Hunter's reaction when I first told him proved to me he didn't know anything about it but Hunter's dad really could be involved. Maybe they sent Hunter here to spy on me without Hunter even realising. All the thoughts in my head were making me feel nauseous. How could someone so young experience such a crappy life?

Today, I decided to skip university as I was too afraid that everyone would be talking about me in my classes. News spread fast and especially when people would use it as their topic of conversation for the whole day. I wouldn't be surprised if the whole lecture turned into one on Harper-Rose Stewart's antics. I inwardly cringed at the thought. I could never, ever show my face in class again. It didn't matter if my dad took everything off of me, my life was already ruined.

My life was ruined but all I could think about was Hunter. I wanted to go back to that log cabin and live there with him away from all the drama and tragedy that my life brought. My whole life I always wished I was someone else but when I was with Hunter I really knew what it felt like to be myself.

I was taken out of my daydreaming and over thinking with a loud bang on the door. Hunter came out of his room and looked at me with wide eyes.

My dad.

Shit.

The banging got louder the more we ignored it but eventually Hunter took a deep breath and answered the door.

"Where the fuck have you been?" Savannagh exclaimed worriedly as she stormed into my flat with Jake trailing in behind her. I shot Hunter a look of relief and he sent me a reassuring smile back in response. "I have been worried sick about you, you idiot" she squealed pulling me into a tight hug. "I know I was drunk that night and I don't remember what happened but Jamie has told me and if you want to be a prostitute who the hell am I to judge. Sex work is real work!" Savannagh exclaimed proudly.

Hunter ran a hand throw his hair and slowly breathed out blowing air out of his lungs. He looked frustrated at her for making the assumption but how was she to know? "Hey, Jake, want to go to my room to play Fifa?" Hunter asked as a way to give Savannagh and I a chance to speak privately.

Jake looked over at Savannagh as if asking for permission. That almost made me giggle. Savannagh clearly wore the trousers in that relationship. Savannagh smiled sweetly and nodded encouragingly at him before the two boys disappeared into Hunter's room.

"What the hell is going on, Harp? Apparently Jamie has been trying to get in touch to apologise to you and Tom doesn't even want you to come round the flat anymore. I have been trying to call you for two days and have been ignored so please enlighten me, what is so big that you have to ignore your best friend" Savannagh huffed.

"My dad is trafficking me" I said in a matter of a fact tone. Savannagh looked ready to speak again but I held up a finger in an attempt to silence her so I could continue, 'Since I was fourteen he has been selling me for sex. I've not had to do it since I moved to uni but when he found out about Jamie he was angry and made me do it again. The picture Jamie showed was of me being raped, Sav" I said angrily as I remembered the events a few nights previous. I hadn't noticed but Savannagh had started crying lightly.

"I'm so, so, sorry, Harp. How can you get out of it?"

"Well, we're trying to form some kind of plan. Hunter threw my phone into the ocean so I have no contact with him until he eventually shows up here. He'll be here by the end of the week so we don't have much time" I sighed.

"Hunter knew?" She asked taken aback and looked slightly hurt.

I shook my head, "No, he only found out after what Jamie and Tom did. He took me away last night and my dad called we got into a heated fight so Hunter took the phone off me and threw it in the ocean."

"We're going to stay up all night coming up with a plan. I'll tell Jake to go home and we can work something out" Savannagh said quietly.

"It's fine. You can both stay - it might be good to have four of us to plan something. You can both stay in my room."

"Where will you stay"

"In my room" Hunter said coming into our view then placing a light kiss on my lips that made butterflies erupt inside me. "Just getting Jake and I some snacks" Hunter mumbled before going back to his room with crisps and chocolate.

Savannagh was staring at me with her mouth wide open and confusion all over her face. "What?" She took a minute to gather her thoughts but it didn't seem to help, "What's going on? I thought you hated that dude!" She hissed.

"So did I! He's been surprisingly sweet and has been there for me a lot and well he had kissed me a few times when I was seeing Jamie. There's undeniable chemistry there" I shrugged.

"Hold up! You had already kissed him weeks ago and didn't think it inform me" She said shaking her head in surprise. "Breathe, Sav, it's fine" she told herself. "I will forgive you on the grounds of what you have just told me as long as you promise me that from now on you tell me everything." To this, I nodded and she raised her eyebrows encouraging me to spill more details.

"He took me to this log cabin he owns, made me dinner, we talked about everything and then we, well, you know..."

"NO!" She exclaimed with a grin on her face.

My cheeks heated up indicating to her that I was telling the truth. "How was he? Was he the best you've had? How many times?"

"Well he's been the only consensual person I've been with so yeah."

"Shit, sorry" she mumbled in embarrassment.

"Hey, it's fine. You didn't know. Three last night and once this morning but I don't know what we are. He's not said and I'm too afraid to ask" I shrugged.

"I know what you mean. Jake only asked me out last week."

"I thought you were already going out" I said confused.

"So did I!" She exclaimed laughing, "Listen, men can be confusing. Just use tonight to talk about where things are going with you two. But for now lets think of a plan that gets your dad out of the picture forever." She said hugging me close.

Now that both Savannagh and Hunter knew my secret, I felt so much better and felt like I had some form of protection if my dad did try anything again. Now it was time to get planning our next steps.