Waiting For You

Chapter Twenty-eight

"I think part of me knew," she muttered, her hand still on my face. "I just didn't want to believe it".

"You're not angry," I said, but my tone made it sound more like a question. She shook her head, her straight hair moving along.

"Your beliefs are yours and only yours. I cannot force you to believe in something you don't. Yes, I'm sad that you've strayed for the right path, but it's your job to find it again," she told me. "Now get off my kitchen counter," she added with a frown and swatted me with the clean wooden spoon she was holding. Laughing I jumped down and started walking towards my room, only to stop a few feet away from her.

"How did you know?" I asked and turned to look at her.

"A mother always knows some things. Just like I know that your soulmate bond has been formed," she answered without looking away from the pot, but with a smile ghosting over his lips.

"You know...?" I muttered, frozen in place. My heart was pounding faster than ever before and nothing else besides the boiling water was to be heard. She turned to glance at me.

"Yes, but you don't have to tell me about her. Not yet, at least. I get that you kids may need some time to adjust to it," she replied and went back to her cooking.

"Could you... could you not tell Dad about this conversation?"

"You really think I will tell your father that you're not religious anymore?" she scoffed. "I'm not in the mood for a fight with him, so don't worry about it".

"Thanks, Mom," I told her and walked back to my room.

"Yo, Hunt?"

"Yeah?" he said back as I closed the door to my room.

"My parents and Chris will be out of town from Friday to Saturday..." I replied and started tuning my guitar.

"Oh? What do you have in mind?" he asked innocently, even though both of us were thinking the same thing.

"How about you come here and I can show you how to tune my guitar?" I replied, smirking at my own words even though he couldn't see it.

"Sure. I can tune whatever you want me to tune," he answered, and I could almost hear his crooked smile. I rolled my eyes and started scratching the strings. "See you in a few hours," he called to me.

Those few hours came faster than I figured. After a quiet dinner with my parents, I took my guitar, hiding the chalk in its case, and headed out to Hunter's place. I was welcomed by a very energetic Aurora, while Hunter was dragging his feet from behind her. He didn't sound so exhausted before.

"What happened to you?" I asked him.

"She drank coffee for my mug before I could stop her," he said, rubbing his forehead. I couldn't help but laugh.

"How much did she drink?"

"Like half of it!"

"But your coffee is so bitter. Did she like it?"

"No, but she drank it anyway," he said, shaking his head and closing the door behind him as I sat on his bed. "Good thing is that she will tire herself and Philip out, so no footsteps in the night," he muttered and sat down next to me, leaning in to give me a kiss.

"What an amazing brother you are," I noted with a small smile and gave him another quick kiss. "I told my mother that I'm not Christian," I muttered, pressing my forehead against his.

"How did she take it?"

"Better than I thought... I don't know, maybe she won't freak that much after she finds out about you too".