Heart of Ice

Chapter Forty-Eight

"How do you know? Can you see where he is right now?"

"No, but I know because you exist."

My eyebrows crinkle in confusion. "I'm not even there."

"Obviously. I mean that he's not going to do anything with other girls because he doesn't want to. Because you are the one who has his eyes and his heart."

I laugh out loud. "You're a real jokester, uncle Tobias. Now be realistic."

"It doesn't get more realistic than that."

"I don't think we're talking about the same Hunter."

"I used to change that kid's diaper and babysit you both," He scoffed, leaning back on the couch with his arms behind his head. "Trust me, I'm talking about the same exact Hunter."

"Well, you sure could've fooled me," I muttered, rolling my eyes as I stood to escape to my room. There was no point in continuing to watch the show. I wasn't paying attention and I figured I could just evade my thoughts about Hunter's night out by trying to knock myself out with sleep.

Uncle Tobias chuckled as I walked away before calling out, "Just give it another year. You'll be in for a whole world of change when you turn 18."

I chose to ignore that comment and walked into my room, closing the door so nobody would bother me for the rest of the night. I knew I was going to have to mentally prepare myself for when Hunter came home. Hell, maybe he wouldn't come home at all. Maybe he'd stay out with his friends all night or find some girl to go home with. Thinking about that made me even more nauseous than before. I rapidly shook my head and started walking toward my side of the room, but then, I noticed the desk lamp on Hunter's side was still on, and it was shining on his sketchbook. It just laid there on his desk, pencils with different shades of gray scattered around it. I slowly walked up to it, feeling nervous as I peered down at it, and apprehensive at the thought of even just touching it. He had been drawing in it a lot more often, and he would get so focused on whatever he was drawing, he wouldn't even hear what anyone was saying to him, including me. Of course, I just thought that he was doing it on purpose to me to make me annoyed. We could rarely ever be civil to each other in those days after my first kiss or after I heard what he said about me to Bennett.

I wasn't sure why I was nervous as I stared at his sketchbook. It was probably just some ordinary sketches of scenery or still life things. Curiosity got the best of me though, and I found myself pinching the edge of the sketchbook with my fingers and lifting it slightly. I didn't see a drawing yet, but the hammering of my heart forced me to quickly let go of the edge, watching as it fluttered close again. I shouldn't have been doing it. But, I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see what he was sketching with so much focus all the time. So, I grabbed the edge again, releasing a deep breath before lifting it open once more, just enough so I could have a peek. Finally, I could see pencil markings and shading. I still couldn't see the full image, though. I opened it a little more, and could make out a quarter of the drawing. It was a baby, wrapped up in swaddle, and the only thing I could see was its face. I leaned a little closer, my eyes squinting as I tried to figure out who it was. The more I examined it, the more I felt like I knew who I was looking at. In a weird way, it almost looked like me. I slowly lifted the cover more, revealing more of the drawing--

And then the book slammed shut, but not through my actions. A hand overlapped mine on the cover of the sketchbook, and I glanced wide eyed to the side of me, where an angry Hunter stood. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

I stared at him in complete and utter shock. When had he come in? I didn't even hear the door open behind me. My mouth opened and closed like an idiot as I just kept staring at him, and with each second that I didn't speak, his sharp eyes glowered more. He shoved my hand off the sketchbook. "You know what, don't even freaking answer that. Of course you'd try to meddle in my personal stuff. You just can't resist yourself."