The First Steps (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 1 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Forty-Three

❝revelation (pronounced rɛvəˈleɪʃ(ə)n or rev-uh-ley-shuh n), noun

a surprising and previously unknown fact that has been disclosed to others.❞

Lilly was standing in Starbucks with Hunter. She was going with him to the studio- she was too scared to go alone. "What do you want, Lil?"

"Just get me a vanilla latte, same as you," she said.

"Tall or Grande?"

"Actually, get me a Venti."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Slept badly."

"I know, but are you sure? You don't even like co-"

"Vanilla lattes taste like vanilla, not coffee. I'll survive, I'm sure."

"But-"

"Hunter, I love you, but you have to shut the hell up, okay? I want coffee. And if you won't buy it for me, I'll buy it myself and buy an extra cup just to shove up your-"

"Good morning, how can I help you?" asked the cashier, raising her eyebrows at them.

"Two vanilla lattes, one Grande, one Venti," said Hunter after a moment's hesitation.

"That'll be $8.00, sir. What are the names on those?"

"The Venti is Lilly, the Grande is Hunter." Hunter just passed over a twenty dollar bill and muttered, "Keep the change." Lilly felt bad for being so cruel, but she was stressed. Very stressed.

Two months after her ordeal, she knew for sure.

And she was scared beyond belief of what Hunter would say.

Once they got their coffees, they were walking back out, when Lilly overheard a conversation with a group of girls.

"I swear though, he's such a freak," said one girl. "Bet he'd drug some random chick just to get laid."

As the girls laughed, Lilly stopped dead in her tracks. "Ana?" asked Hunter. "What's wrong, petal?"

"Yeah, he's just got 'rapist' written all over him."

Lilly marched up to them. "Do you know what rape means?" she asked lowly, and the smiles on the girls's faces all faded.

"Well, duh," said one girl. "What do you think?"

Lilly was breathing hard. "Listen to me, you ignorant little shit. "Rape isn't funny. Rape ruins you. It f*cks you up to the point where you aren't even you anymore. Do you know what it's like? It's hell. It's hell, it's torture, it's pain, and it happens against your will, just because some sick f*ck wanted to have a little fun. It ruins people, perfectly beautiful, innocent people. And it makes you twisted, makes you want to kill yourself."

All the girls were silent. Lilly looked at them all in pure rage.

"So, listen up. Never, never accuse an innocent man of being a rapist just because he's 'creepy'. Do you understand?"

"Yes, miss," they muttered.

She stalked out of the cafe, and Hunter ran up behind her. "Lilly, wait!"

"What?" she asked, when they got into the car. Hunter took off his sunglasses and stared at her.

"Is that true, what you said? You want to kill yourself?"

She said nothing, and for the first time since it happened, Hunter cried openly in front of her.

"Lilly, why?" he cried. "Please, tell me that you..." He noticed that her sleeves were long, and a strange expression came over his face.