The Heart Wants What It Wants

♡ THIRTY THREE ♡

❝ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ ɪs ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴛᴛᴇɴ
ғʀᴜɪᴛ ᴏғ ʟᴏɴᴇʟɪɴᴇss ❞

~~~

🇬 🇦 🇧 🇷 🇮 🇪 🇱 🇱 🇦 :

“Hunter,” I call after him as we enter the foyer. He turns and meets my gaze. A dimpled smile stretching his lips.

“Yeah?” He says as he arches a perfectly sculpted eyebrow.

He stops in front of him. “Theo mentioned you wanted to ask me something back at school.” Recognition flashes across his silvery irises.

“Right. I guess it slipped my mind.” Nervousness lingers behind his words. I can almost taste it in the air.

“I actually planned something for you.”

“You… did?”

He smiles. “Yeah. Think of it as a second gift.”

“Hunter, you—”

“Didn't have to get you more gifts? I know. I just… felt like you deserved it after all you've been through. I wanted to give you something to look forward to on your birthday for once.” He looks at something behind me. “I don't think it's fair that you look at the day you were born with such a negative view.”

He shakes his head. “Could you be ready at eight tonight?”

“Uh… yeah, sure.” He gives me a dimpled smile.

“Great. Wear something comfy.” He says and walks further into the house.

A sound that comes from outside catches my attention. I turn around but see nothing. Just when I'm about to head back inside, a stone falls from the sky and plops into the water fountain. I walk toward the fountain, curiosity creasing my brow, and startle slightly when another plops into the water, splashing onto my face and clothes.

My eyes move up to the sky, as if a bird would drop pebbles into a water fountain. When I'm about to give up, an outline of something in my periphery stops me. Or, more so, someone. My head tilts to the side as I take in his crouched position on the roof and the mischievous smirk on his face.

“What are you doing?” I shout up at him. He shifts and sits at the edge, dangling his legs off. He swings them back and forth like a child would if they were sitting on something high up.

“Waiting for you.” He says, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.

“Up there?” He shrugs, his smirk turning into a smile. The kind that makes his honey eyes sparkle.

“How long have you been there?” I ask softly. Somehow, he hears me. He pushes himself off the edge and drops right in front of me, standing to his full height.

He didn't even wince when his feet hit the ground. How he makes jumping off a two story house easy is beyond me. Now that I think about it, Hunter did it as well. Perhaps they learned base jumping in assassin training.

“Long enough to hear you have a date planned with golden boy.”

“It's not a date.”

He arches a brow. “Isn't it?” He clears his throat softly and moves his hair in another direction. “Wear something comfy.” He says in a high-pitched voice. I can't help the laugh that passes my lips.

“Was that your impression of Hunter?” He smiles widely.

“Uncanny, huh?”

“Still doesn't make it a date.” I point out. He laughs a laugh so familiar, I'm hit with the realisation of how long ago I'd heard his genuine laughter.

“It's painfully obvious how attracted he is to you. I can practically smell the hormones emitting from him when he's near you.” He mutters something else under his breath that I'm unable to hear.

“It's not—”

“Oh, but it is.” He says in a tone that sounds suspiciously like annoyance. “Trust me, El. This thing he has planned is, in fact, a date.” His eyes fall to the necklace around my neck.

“And that just proved my words correct.” My hand finds the pendant.

“It's a gift.” I say softly.

“It is,” he says, walking closer to me. His lips brush against my earlobe, sending a shiver down my spine. “But it also isn't.” He pulls away from me, his face inches from mine.

“He's practically asking you to be his girlfriend without actually asking.”

“You don't know that.” He shrugs, a fake smile tugging at his lips.

“I know more about Hunter than I let on, Ella.” Without another word, he strides toward the front gate.

Didn't he say he was waiting for me? Why is he leaving?