The Road Ahead (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 4 of The Hardships Saga)

Chapter Fifty-One

❝tour (pronounced tʊər or too r), noun
a traveling around from place to place.❞ 

"I should get going," breathed Hunter.

He made no move to get out of bed, and neither did Ryan, lying beside him. They weren't touching- they hadn't done that for a while. Not including that night. They didn't talk about that night.

"So get going," she said. Though the words were harsh, her tone was soft, gentle even. Hunter sounded wary. Almost afraid.

"I don't know if I'm ready."

"You'll be fine. I'll make breakfast." She sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bed and sat up, but Hunter grabbed her wrist. She turned at looked at him. "What?"

"I... I just..." He let go, looking down. "Forget it. I don't know."

"Okay." She left the bed, sighing slightly as she walked out of the room. She was still confused. She was still angry. She was hurting, and he didn't seem to see it.

She wasn't sure, but there was something between them. Maybe that was just Hunter's desire, maybe it was her own. But something was there again, and it drove her insane to even be near him.

Had it been the night when they had had sex? When she had woken up engulfed in his arms, and they had looked into each other's eyes, before she began to kiss him? When he had begun kissing back, when everything from the past few weeks had been forgotten? When she had woken up again, seeing Hunter's arms draped over her bare waist and pulling on her gown, walking into the living room and sleeping on the couch out of embarrassment and fear? The way he avoided her eyes the next morning, not even speaking to her?

Or had it been the week before that, when she had realised, truly realised, that she was still in love with him? When she had left the house, giving Elle some generic excuse and not being able to find her way in the city? When she had ended up in the bar with the good wifi, and bought one drink, which just lead to another, until she was crying drunkenly, waiting for Hunter to pick her up?

Why was she like this?

Meanwhile, Drew stirred beside Elle, breathing, "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to leave either," she said softly. "I'll miss you too much."

He hugged her closer, being sure to be gentle enough that he didn't hurt her. "You'll be safe, won't you?"

"Of course I will," she said softly. "I need to get changed."

"Are you feeling better?" he asked, loosening his grasp on her. She shrugged, nestling against his warmth, and he kissed her hair. The night before, she had been crying, her head hurting too much for her to speak or move. He had stayed up with her, trying to calm her, soothing her with his gentle touch and soft voice.

"Yeah, I'm feeling okay," she said. "It was a one time thing, I'm sure."

"Or like a three times in this past week thing," he said quietly, thinking back to the last few times she had been paralysed in pain.

"Don't worry about me," she said softly. "I've got to get ready to leave."

"Alright," he said softly, closing his eyes. "Mind if I take a nap?"

"You stayed up all night with me, you may as well," she said, and he smiled slightly, leaning up to peck her lips once, before pulling the covers over himself and falling asleep.

Meanwhile, Phoenix was crying.

He hugged Nita. "I don't wanna go without you," he whispered to her, his tears soaking into her fur. He couldn't cry loudly- if he did, they'd catch him. Nita didn't make any noise either, just nuzzled her face into his jacket. He took deep, heavy breaths, and whispered, "If you promise to be quiet, I can take you."