Shouldn't Have Dealt - Book II

Chapter 24 - Heaven Sent

I cut, “It had always been fun for him, Ray. Damien was never serious.”

And Ray’s face distorts. He immediately knows I am not going to tolerate him talking about a man that has severely hurt me.

“Hunter is a different story. He’s not for games or whatever.” He’s a businessman—I wanted to add.

Ray’s lips pucker as though he acquiesces, and yet he manages to utter in a very discrete way, “But we can never tell.”

Paul fetches Ray and I from the hospital. It’s three in the morning and I think I need to get a good night sleep before I return to work tomorrow. Dad’s been stabilized. Eric said he’ll be monitored for 24 hours and see how Dad’s body is coping with the new kidney. I could have been in Mom’s place staying up all night, but she does not want to leave Dad.

Thirst wakes me up in the middle of the night. Since Mom and Dad’s room is vacant, I thought of occupying it. I would never sleep on the same bed with Hunter Stone—never—despite the fact that he failed to offer me a separate room. On my first night in his place, I was lucky he did not sleep in his own bedroom, so I had it for myself the entire night. He went to some place I did not bother to ask about. Perhaps, he went looking for the mysterious man.

With my loose pajamas that hang on my hips and a four-year old spaghetti-strap top, I tread toward the kitchen, barefooted. My hair’s in a mess, the curls falling to my shoulders and back like storm has come its way before reaching the bottom of my back. When I find a view of myself in the mirror along the corridor, it’s only then when I realize that my hair’s quite long already, and that it is in dire need of a trim.

I take a quick sip of cold water from the bottle I took from the fridge, then let the coldness rub down my throat. When I am done, I take the bottle with me in case I get parched again, and leave the kitchen.

When I thought it is my resounding footsteps that own the huge place of Hunter tonight, then I am entirely mistaken. It seems that Hunter Stone is still awake.

His broad shoulders level off with the thin line across the horizon. The city is well lighted and I bet his gaze wafts away to the far distance. He’s got a glass of wine in his right hand while his other hand kept inside his pocket. He appears like he just came in from work. His plain white long-sleeve shirt creases from his waist, and his suit jacket on the couch.

I should not let myself be seen by him. Maybe I should return to my room now before he turns around and sees me.

However, before I could even turn on my heels, Hunter has detected my presence through my reflection on the curtain wall, and he calls me.

“I was just going back to my room,” I say with my hands clasping on the cold bottle of water. Drops of water plummet to the floor, and damp the fur carpet.

“You can’t sleep?” he asks, half of his body turned onto me.

“You?” I straighten myself up. With all the things that are happening now—his fiasco with his family and inheritance, me, and the mystery caller and threats—I am amazed that Hunter is still able to look really good. No, wait! I am just saying that stress has not gotten into him lately, and his looks haven’t changed at all. Unlucky me, I am the complete opposite of Hunter Stone. Dark circles are showing under my eyes and my hair’s getting frizzier each day I think about the cruelties of my life.

He shakes his head, and answers, “I am thinking of how I can keep you.” A sullen smile reaches his lips, and it pinches each fiber of my heart. “I don’t want you to think that you are indebted to me because of George. Well, I’m not going to lie but the thought crossed my mind.”