Never let you go

Chapter 19

Grey:

Hunter and I leave the bar around midnight to walk back to his apartment. He tries to argue that he should be walking me back to mine but I argue that I'm not the one who was recently hit by a car and that kind of shuts him up but I can tell he still isn't happy about it. If he was in better health I'm sure we would have stayed out much later but this is the first time he's been out of bed for more than an hour in over two weeks. I knew he had to be exhausted but I didn't say anything to him about it because I knew he wouldn't like it. He didn't like seeming weak or helpless so I let him be but I was sure to keep my pace slow while walking so he didn't have to exert himself too much while trying to keep up with me.

Luckily Hunter was smart and didn't drink too much so he has a clear enough head not to kill himself while trying to use his crutches and we are able to make it back to his building in a half hour. It takes him at least ten minutes to make it all the way up the stairs and it kills me to see him struggle but I let him because he hasn't asked for my help yet. When he finally makes it all the way up he opens the door to his apartment and invites me inside. I follow him in and watch as he lowers himself onto the couch so he can take off his jacket.

"Would you like something to drink?" he asks me.

"I can get it" I tell him as I walk over to the kitchen and grab some water. "Would you like anything?"

"Water please" he tells me and I'm relieved he didn't ask for any alcohol because I didn't stock his apartment with any. I made sure Daniel didn't buy any either as I remembered seeing all the bottles of whisky and beer in his apartment that one day. I was worried he had a problem but I guess he didn't because it seemed that he was able to go weeks without a drink.

I grab him some water and then I walk over and sink onto the couch next to him. "Thanks" he says as he takes the water from me and sips it.

"No problem." We sit in silence for a few minutes and I can tell Hunter is exhausted by looking at him. "I guess I should get going" I say as I stand up. "Do you want help getting back to your room? I know you can get there by yourself but your arms have to be killing you after tonight."

He looks at me for a moment deciding something when he finally says "Yea some help would be great".

I smile grateful that he is letting me help him as I offer him my small shoulder to lean on. He grabs his one crutch and stands and I help brace him on the other and we walk to his bedroom. As we walk I can feel how warm he is and how hard and toned his body still is. I remember how he looked shirtless and what it was like to touch him, and I long to do it again. Patience Grey.

"Grey would you mind grabbing me a pair of sweats out of that drawer?" he asks as he sits on his bed.

"Sure. This one?" I ask as I lean down to open one of his drawers and grab a pair of sweatpants for him.

"Thanks" he says as he takes them from me.

"Sure thing" I say. "Can I get you anything else before I go?"

"Yea actually can you get me a t-shirt and some boxers out of those two drawers."

I do as he asks and then I go to hand them to him but he stops me. "Alright now go put those on because there is no way in hell I'm letting you walk home alone this late at night. You're staying here."

I roll my eyes even though a part of me is thrilled that he wants me to stay and that he is still overprotective of me. I'm about to protest but he stops again.

"Don't even think about arguing" he says as he gives me a no nonsense look.

"Fine" I sigh as I walk over to the bathroom to change. As I slip on his boxers I'm immediately grateful that I decided to shave my legs today so they are nice and smooth. Once I'm changed I come out of the bathroom and see that Hunter is already changed except he doesn't have his shirt on yet so his chest and abdomen are bare. I'm able to quickly study and appreciate his body before he slips the shirt over his head and my god was he still insanely hot. As he slipped on his shirt I admired the way all the muscles in his upper body rolled and moved under his skin. I see his body is still cut and bruised and I notice where his incision from the accident and the surgery is and I cringe as I realize this will be yet another scar on his body.

"Hey" he says when he notices me watching him.

"Hey" I say as I fully come out of the bathroom and stop lingering in the doorway.

"You want to watch some TV or do you just want to go to bed" he asks.

"We could watch some TV" I say. "I can fall asleep with the TV on anyway."

"Okay" he says as he turns the TV on and slides the covers down.

I gently slide into the bed next to him but once again I'm sure to keep my distance and stay on my side. As soon as I sit on the bed I can feel sleep fighting to take over and I wonder how I'm going to be able to stay awake long enough so I can go sleep on the couch once Hunter falls asleep. I know he would never tell me to go sleep on the couch but I still felt like I should.

"And Grey?" Hunter says calling my attention.

"Yea?" I ask back.

"Don't go sleep on the couch like you did last time. There is more than enough room for both of us in here."

"Okay" I say quietly as I feel my heart pound in my chest. I loved moments like this when he was so unbelievably sweet and it was like he could read my mind.

"And by the way" he calls over to me though the darkness. "You looked really beautiful tonight."

I'm thankful it's dark as I feel a tear slip down my cheek as I remember how he said those exact words to me after our first date-like outing together months ago. It was weird reliving these little moments with him but it was also wonderful. It gave me hope.

"Goodnight Hunter" I whisper.

"Goodnight Grey" he whispers back.