Razor Sharp | ✓

Epilogue

He didn't even say thank you! I was buying his stupid cake mix out of the goodness of my heart and he couldn't even—

Oof.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I wasn't paying att—

I freeze when I look up to see who I've bumped into. My breath hitches and I can hardly believe it. It's really him, standing in front of me in the flesh.

It takes me a minute to gather my thoughts, to even comprehend speaking. It has been such a long time since I last saw him and now, standing in a supermarket aisle of all places, is the one man who stills own my heart.

"Hunter?"

When he smiles at me, my heart melts. The feelings I have for him never went away, even when Stacey and Carmen tried to set me up with countless blind dates that always ended badly. He looks exactly as I remember too. Tousled blonde hair, big blue eyes. Mouth-watering smile. He sure does know how to affect people.

"El," he smiles and my insides stir at the soft sound of his voice. I've missed hearing him speak.

"How long—how long have you been out?" I say, adjusting my grip on the shopping basket.

Hunter had been sentenced to a year imprisonment and I cried the day I found out. I wasn't even allowed to go to his trial. I couldn't even say goodbye to him. The worst part of all was the fact that he never let me see him in jail. I tried countless times to go a visit, but he always kept me on the list of people that he didn't want to see. That's what hurt most, knowing he was purposely keeping me away.

After six months, I gave up trying to see him. I was angry for a long time but as my therapist says, it's good to move forward with our lives. 

I haven't been in contact with him at all since the day I was shot. Yet here he is, in the freaking supermarket.

"I've been out for a week," he says, shifting his gaze to the shelves filled with food. "I got out last Thursday."

"Well...hi," I whisper, not knowing what else to say. What are you supposed to say to the person who practically shattered your heart by cutting you out of your life? I know his intentions were good, but that didn't make it any easier for me. All I want to do is see him.

He stops smiling and his eyes grow sad. "I'm sorry that I didn't let you see me. If it's any consolation, the guards told me every time that you did try to come in."

"Look," I say, staring at my shoes like they are the most interesting things in the world. I tuck a brown strand of her behind my ear before clearing my throat and continuing. "I'm not gonna lie, it really hurt me that you purposely shut me out. All I wanted to do was be there for you."

"I know, but that was the problem, El. I didn't want you to give up your life for me. I didn't want you to sit around waiting for me to get out of prison."

"You were only in there for a year, Hunter. You weren't given a life sentence. It's not like I'd be waiting around forever."

My heart pangs suddenly. I picture dad, spending the next fifteen years in prison. We'd slowly started to repair our relationship, too. Noah and I visit him once a month when we are allowed to. He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment, which even though sounds bad, was a lot more lenient than fifteen years.

He shakes his head, closing his eyes briefly. "A year was enough. And it was an important year for you too. I didn't want you to get distracted while you were completing high school. I didn't want you to worry about me."

I sigh. "I don't want to fight with you. I've had a year to think things through and I understand that your intentions came from a good place. I know you were only trying to protect me, even if it felt like shit every time I was knocked back."