Invisible

Chapter 50 A Happy Ending?

"What?" Hunter asks, his eyes tell me he heard me but his question gives me pause. "Please, can you say it again?" The urgency in his voice makes me sure he heard and my heart skips a beat.

"I... I love you." Barely I manage to hold his gaze. His eyes are locked on mine, searching, accepting.

He smiles and his hand lifts and gently touches my cheek, holding me in place. I finally close my eyes when his thumb brushes back and forth slowly. "I love you too."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to say it, it's just-"

His lips still my words and my head seems fuzzy for a second as I process the kiss, my eyes remain closed. It's like he's breathing for me, calming my heart and stopping my shaking nerves. Hunter moves back ever so slightly, I can still feel the warmth from his lips and I can hear him smile as he breathes.

I open my eyes to see that he has closed his as he rests his forehead against mine. "I would have waited forever to hear those words just once." He opens his eyes and contentedly looks into mine.

I'm stuck, I don't know what to do. I want to laugh, cry, scream, hide. I want everyone to see Hunter as he really is and to tell them he is mine. At the same time I want to stay in this moment forever and block out everything that I know is coming with this commitment, with these 3 little words.

Gordi shifts and both of us are drawn to his sleeping form. Hunter carefully gets up and maneuvers Gordi to sleep laying down and I cover him with a blanket. Hunter follows me as I silently creep into the kitchen, motioning for him to join me at the sink where I remove the final part of Blake's handiwork. I focus on his forehead and Hunter takes my hand as I'm pulling it away, enticing my eyes to look at his. He opens his mouth to say something but instead he turns his attention to the doorway at the small scuffling sound.

"Hunter, I'm sorry." Blake says quietly as I turn to look, she clasps her hands behind her back and her eyes are trained on the floor.

"Well, I'll forgive you as long as you promise not to do it again." He shoots her a serious look that is almost comical, like he's trying to shrug it off but teach a lesson at the same time.

She nods and Hunter kneels down, arms open. With no hesitation she runs into them and lays her head on his shoulder. "Goodnite!" She says as she pulls away.

"Goodnight sweetie." I accept her hug and kiss the top of her head.

"Wuve you."

She waves as she ducks around the corner and as fast as she came she is gone.

"Now..." Hunter gets up and wraps his hands around my waist, "where were we?"

I breathe deep at his fingers running over my lower back as I lean in until I'm in Hunter's embrace. "I honestly have no idea."

He keeps quiet and so do I, just standing there, holding on to each other.

"What made you say it?" He asks abruptly.

"I made me say it. I said I because it's true." I pull back and Hunter grips me tighter as I look into his eyes, "I said it because it's true and I'm not afraid to let you know anymore."

His grin is impish and it makes me hold back a chuckle. "So, you're ready for this, for us?"

"Yes."

-----

In the morning I'm so full of familiar that I am confused by the new. I'm on the couch in Al and Maggie's living room but I'm not alone, Hunter holds onto me as he sleeps on and as I move to look around he mumbles something in his sleep.