The Hunters

Chapter 3

Adriana

Groggily, I let my eyes slowly adjust. My pulse pounds relentlessly against my skull, ears ringing painfully. Despite being well rested physically, mentally, I feel completely drained. 

Slowly, I attempt to sit up, groaning as pain shoots up my already stiff neck. I am still on the couch, half a chocolate chip muffin still clutched loosely in my hand. I sigh, knowing that with my luck, the chocolate has most likely made a mess of my hand as well as everything in it's immediate vicinity. Just wonderful.

Squinting, I glance up to see Becca sat cross legged on the floor, a large book in her lap. Her head leans against the wall as she snores softly, unaware of the now wakened presence in the room. I giggle, seeing a spot of drool by her mouth. Only she could sleep like that.

"Your awake?" I jolt, my back suddenly rigid as my heart palpitates in my chest, only to speed up further once I realise who the voice belongs to. In the doorway stands Becca's 21 year old brother and my crush since forever, Alec. His mop of blonde hair swoops just over his blue eyes, giving him that 'just woke up' look that guys always seem to pull off. I can't seem to stop myself from ogling his cheek bones, then his jawline. God, that jawline. He leans against the doorframe, his broad, moderately muscled shoulders relaxed. It's obvious that he regularly works out. There is a clear bulge of muscle on his arms though not too much as he still looks slender. A black t-shirt fits snugly on his torso, not doing much to hide the vague outline of the abs that lurk underneath. Trailing my eyes back up to his face, I notice that the corner of his mouth is turned up in a knowing, slightly cocky smirk, effectively snapping me out of my trance. There's no doubt that I have  liked him for years, but I don't want him to know that. Not that the heat crawling up my neck is helping me in hiding that fact. Subtly clearing my throat, I attempt to pull myself together, at least enough to answer him.

Or I would if I could remember the damn question.

"Um... Huh?" Great. Blood almost instantaneously floods up to my cheeks as he chuckles. Quickly, my eyes find a rather interesting paint chip to inspect.

"Doesn't matter," he chuckles again, pushing off of the doorframe and sitting next to me on the couch. Gently, he takes the muffin from my hand, tossing it into the woven bin in the corner. The breath I didn't know I'd been holding releases itself; my hands are somehow miraculously chocolate free, and so is everything in the surrounding area. Keeping my gaze on my already chipped nails as I pick at them awkwardly, I hear him sigh. "You know, I really don't get how she can sleep like that."

Lifting my head, I shift my gaze over to Becca. At some point, she fell back, her dirty-blonde hair splayed out underneath her head as it lay haphazardly on the floor. The book has slid off of her lap, and somehow she is still cross legged, her feet squished under the opposite legs, which cannot be comfortable at all. She lets out an almighty snore, a loud, rumbling gurgle emanating from the back of her throat as more drool trickles down her pale cheek. Unconsciously, she brings up her hand to wipe her mouth, groaning as she does so. The sight makes me chuckle, remembering all the sleepovers we used to have. She'd always fall asleep first, so Alec and I would draw mustaches on her or put whipped cream on her nose. There was one time where we put popcorn in her belly button, only for her to eat it anyway when she woke up, claiming that it is wrong to 'waste food'. Suddenly, I feel a stupidly huge, probably ugly grin coming on, and as I glance over at Alec, I can tell he remembers it too.

Shifting towards me, Alec smiles. "You need anything? Painkillers maybe?" My stomach dropped. The current issue, temporarily forgotten, fades back into reality, bringing a frown to my face as I think about my own sister. His smile drops slightly, pity glowing in his normally bright blue eyes as his posture becomes  uncomfortable. I had thought that he only knew about me being thrown out and hurt, but his apparent change in demeanor causes me to assume otherwise. "I'm sorry Ria."