After a while, the sun starts to get low in the sky, and I realize just how long we've been out here.
Hunter must notice too because he turns to me. "We should probably head back. I don't want your parents to worry," he says rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that's not holding mine.
No, we still haven't let go, and yes, it's making me incredibly giddy inside.
"Yeah, you're probably right," I reply, but I can't help but be a little disappointed that such a perfect day with him is coming to an end.
"Come on," he says, and stands up before helping me to my feet. We walk back to his car in comfortable silence, and finally unlace our hands as Hunter opens the door for me.
My hand immediately feels empty without his in it, and I wonder how I got so used to it so fast.
Hunter hops in the drivers' side and turns the car around to head back the way we came. After a while, I notice that we're not going in the direction of my house.
"I thought you said we should head back?" I ask.
"We are, but not before I get you something to eat. I mean, you must be hungry by now," he says, glancing at me as he drives.
"Oh, you don't have to do that," I say. I'm about to tell him I'm not hungry, before I'm promptly cut off by a loud growl coming from my stomach.
Hunter chuckles. "I'll take that as a yes," he says, and I consider hurling myself out of the car.
"Oh God," I reply, covering my face with my hands. "Okay, fine, maybe I'm a little bit hungry."
Hunter nods and turns on the radio, which I'm insanely grateful for, just in case my stomach decides to emit another stupid embarrassing whale noise. My head rests on my hand as I stare out the window, watching the trees fade into buildings and cars. I guess we're back in the real world.
I'm just starting to wonder how much homework I'll have to do when I get home tonight when a thought enters my mind.
Is this a date??
At the idea of it, nerves start to take over, and my stomach starts doing flips. This isn't supposed to be a date, is it? I mean, not that I don't want to go on a date with Hunter, I do. I just would need more time to adjust and prepare and, not to mention, I would really really hate being in my school uniform for that. Maybe I should just ask..
"What are you thinking about?" Hunter says, and I look up to see that he's been looking at me, eyebrow raised.
"Sorry, what?" I reply, having been completely distracted by my train of thought.
"Let me rephrase that, what are you worrying about?" he asks, a knowing look on his face.
I glance down at my hands, which are both resting in my lap. "Okay, how did you know that? I wasn't even playing with my necklace," I say. I swear this guy can read minds.
"You don't have to be. Your eyes are a dead-giveaway, Mia. You can look into them and just tell." He says it so casually, like he barely even needed to take his eyes off the road to see it.
Curse my stupid giant eyes. I should really work on hiding my emotions better, but there's never been any need to up until now. I've never had someone pay so much attention to me before.
"Well, it's nothing really," I say, looking down at my hands in my lap. "I was just wondering. Is this a, you know..," I trail off, hoping he's not going to make me say it.
Hunter looks at me, confused for a moment, then I see realization dawn on his features. "Oh, you thought? Oh no, this isn't a date," he says quickly.
A little too quickly.
And now I'm extremely embarrassed that I even asked. "Oh, okay.. Got it," I reply.
"Oh, God, no, that's not what I -," he pauses and lets out a breath, looking incredibly flustered, and it's the most adorable thing I have ever seen. "It's not that I don't want to go on a date with you, because I do. I just meant that I wouldn't want... I mean, I wouldn't let our first date be this unplanned," Hunter finishes running a through his hair. "Does that make any sense?"
At his words, I swear my heart melts right then and there. I can feel my face heating up as I blush, but I don't try to hide it.
I look up at him, with what I hope is a reassuring smile. "It makes perfect sense," I reply.
Hunter smiles back, and I see his confidence return. It amazes me that a guy like him could ever get awkward or nervous around me. I mean, seriously, look at him. I'm sure he's been on hundreds of dates by now. Whatever this is that we're doing can't be anything new or special for him. And yet..
After a few more minutes, we pull into the parking lot of this cafe. It's a really small hole in the wall kind of place, and I'm again struck by what a mass of contradictions Hunter is.
I mean, he looks like bad news, all dark clothes and harsh edges, but I've literally never met anyone kinder. He drives this expensive car, but he chooses to walk to and from school with me. And now, when he has all the places in the world to choose from, he picks this quaint little shop that's barely even bigger than its parking lot.
It's just interesting, all of it, and it all makes me want to know him that much more.
The bell over the door rings as we enter, and I get a good look around the place. Inside, it's a little bigger than it looks on the outside, with walls of mirrors that make it feel more open. Still, it has a really warm, homey feel to it, which is only added to by the fact that there aren't very many people in here. Nothing like the busy Starbucks that Rose usually drags me to on weekends.
Actually, the only customers I see are a couple of teenage boys sitting at a table near the front of the shop. They both look a little older than us, maybe seniors. When the bell above the door signals our arrival, the two of them look up. One of them looks me up and down, and the other smiles at me. Neither of them even acknowledges the fact that I'm clearly with Hunter or makes any attempt to hide their obvious staring.
It makes me uncomfortable, but before I can even turn away, Hunter reaches out and takes my hand, lacing his fingers with mine and pulling me close into his side. He sends the boys a menacing glare, and if looks could kill, they'd be goners. The only person I've ever seen him look at like that is Sean.
The two guys quickly turn around and return to their conversation.
Hunter starts leading us towards the other end of the cafe, as far away from those two as the small space will allow. About halfway there, I realize just how tightly he's gripping my hand. Pretty sure he's cutting off my circulation.
"Uh, Hunter," I say tentatively. "I can't feel my fingers."
"Hm? Oh, sorry," he says, quickly loosening his grip. He gives me an apologetic look as we sit down at a table in the corner.
"It's fine, see?" I say, quickly flexing my fingers to show him they still work. "No harm, no foul," I finish, giving him a smile.
He sighs. "I swear I'm not one of those crazy jealous guys, I just didn't like the way they were looking at you..," he mumbles, almost to himself. I'm so busy getting used to the idea that Hunter just got jealous over me that I almost miss the back half of his statement, but I can't deny the butterflies that erupt in my stomach at his words. "I just haven't done this in a while, you know?" he adds.
I look up at him. "Done what?"
"Hung out like this," he says, "with someone I care about."
"How long is a while?" I ask, averting my eyes and trying to sound casual, but I have to admit, I'm curious. It was impossible to avoid the topic of my dating history, but I don't know anything about Hunter's.
"Well, ever really," he admits.
I suppress a smile. "I find that hard to believe," I reply.
"It's the truth," he says, and I swear I see a faint blush on his cheeks. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I've gone out with girls, just not like this," he says. "Not when I cared if someone looked at them the wrong way. I guess I'm going to have to get used to guys staring at you like that though, huh?"
I let out a short laugh and shake my head." I doubt it," I say. "That pretty much never happens."
He raises an eyebrow at me. "This coming from the girl who was literally getting hit on when I met her," he says.
"That was a special case, and it doesn't count," I reply with a laugh. "So how do you know this place? It's nice. Feels homey."
He smiles at me. "I used to come here all the time with my uncle when I was a kid," he replies, the light from earlier returning to his eyes. "I swear, they have the best crepes in the world, and that's including France."
"You've been to France?"
"Well, no, but I'm just guessing," he shrugs.
I laugh. "Well, I guess we'll see then," I reply.
The waitress comes over and takes our order. Hunter orders two different crepes, one for each of us, and it's not long before she comes back out with our food. I pick up my fork and carve off a piece before taking a bite.
"So? What do you think?" Hunter asks.
"I think it has chocolate in it," I reply.
"Yeah, that one does," he says. "Is that bad? You're not allergic, are you?"
"No," I answer quickly. "I just don't really like chocolate."
Hunter gives me a deadpan look. "You don't like chocolate?"
"Yeah, I know, you don't have to say it. It just tastes bitter to me though," I immediately start to defend. "Then people say, 'oh, are you sure you're not just eating dark chocolate?' And I say, I'm sure. Then of course, they don't believe me, so they start naming chocolates, asking me if I've tried them. Then when I tell them, yes, I have, and I still don't like chocolate, they just shake their heads and tell me how weird I am. Honestly, sometimes I do just tell people I'm allergic so they'll leave me alone about it," I finish with a sigh, resting my head in my hand.
By the end of my rant, during which I barely paused to take a breath, Hunter's just looking at me with a smirk on his face.
"What?" I ask.
"Mia, all I was going to say is that you should've told me that before I ordered," he says.
"Oh.. Sorry," I say, sheepishly as he lets out a laugh.
He smiles. "It's cool. Here, take this one, it's caramel," he says, switching our plates.
I give him a grateful smile
"I can't believe you'd rather tell people you have a life-threatening allergy than to just admit you don't like chocolate," he says after a moment.
I let out a laugh, a wide smile making its way onto my face, and I immediately reach my hand up to cover it.
"I wish you wouldn't do that," Hunter says, an expression on his face I can't seem to read.
"Do what? Tell people I have an allergy?" I ask through my fingers.
"Cover your face when you laugh," he replies, and it catches me completely off guard.
You know, I'm not sure exactly when I started doing that.
It could've been in the fourth grade when we had this awful teacher who would only ever yell at me for laughing in class and would never punish Zack and Jay. It could've been in middle school when one of the girls in my math class told me that I looked like a boy when I laughed, whatever that means. It could've been last year when Sean and I were out, and I laughed, and he made fun of the way I smiled.
Hunter reaches out, gently taking my hand and lowering it from my face. "I think you look beautiful when you smile."
My face immediately flushes, and I shake my head. I don't know how to respond, so I just say what I'm thinking. "I'm not - "
"Call me selfish," he begins, stopping me before I can say anything self-deprecating, "but I like seeing you laugh, especially when I'm the one who made you do it. So don't deprive me, alright?"
I offer him a small smile in return and look away as I feel myself blush. For the rest of the day, when I laugh, I make a conscious effort to listen to him.
I don't know when or why I started doing that, covering my mouth when I laugh. But I'll always know why I stopped.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N - Song at the top is "New York" by Ed Sheeran.
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