"For the last time, stay still."
"All I said was be careful with those things."
"Mia, if he doesn't quit moving, my hand's going to slip, and you're going to be dating a bald guy," Dejay threatens, clearly a little ticked that Hunter still hasn't stopped fidgeting.
I sigh. "Come on, Hunter," I say. "Dejay knows what he's doing, I promise. Would you please just hold still?" I ask, setting my hand over his.
He looks up at me for a moment, then closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. "Fine..," he says, reluctantly.
Wow, I really wasn't expecting that to work.
Dejay chuckles. "Dude, you're so whipped," he says, picking up the clippers again.
"Shut up," Hunter shoots at him before glancing at me. "Remind me why I'm getting a hair cut again?" he asks.
"Because," I say, taking a seat across from him on Dejay's bed, "you're meeting my parents tonight, and we're trying to convince them to let me go out with you."
"I know that," he replies, "but is a haircut really necessary? I'm pretty sure I could win them over with just my charm and devastatingly good looks," Hunter smirks at me.
I laugh. "I'm sure you could," I say, "but you have no idea what we're up against here. They're already strict, and I don't want the first thing out of my dad's mouth to be 'get a haircut.' We're just trying to cover all our bases. Besides, it's not even a real haircut, he's just going to trim the back a little."
"Really?" Dejay starts. "Are you sure you don't want me to give him a nice clean look like mine?" he asks, running a hand over his own short dark hair, and Hunter starts to look skittish again.
"Hell no." "Absolutely not." Hunter and I respond at the same time.
"Fine, fine. Keep your pants on, it was only a suggestion," he mumbles, returning to trimming Hunter's hair.
I personally love Hunter's hair, but lately, it has gotten a little too long in the back to suit the tastes of my retired Marine father. Hence, the trim.
Since Hunter and I started dating, it's only natural that he'd want to take me out. Like on an actual date. But, like I said before, my parents aren't exactly warmed up to the whole idea.
I refuse to lie to my parents though, not again, not even for Hunter. They trust me, and I don't want to abuse that. With that in mind, I was absolutely terrified to mention this to Hunter the other day when he asked me on a proper date.
I mean, why wouldn't I be? The last guy I mentioned it to promptly dumped me afterwards.
I approached the topic cautiously, bracing myself for what I knew was coming. He would think I'm one of those girls who expects a marriage proposal after a few kisses. He would tell me he wasn't sure about me anymore. That he thought things were moving too fast or getting too serious. That maybe we should take a break, or worse, that he didn't want me anymore. After all, that's all I'd ever experienced.
But Hunter was different. He shocked me.
I was expecting the worst, and he managed to do the exact opposite. He didn't even hesitate to say that he would talk to my parents. He said that it wasn't a big deal, and that he had been expecting that since the day I told him my parents were strict. Actually, he didn't even seem fazed at the challenge of trying to win them over.
But what stuck out to me the most, was that not once during the entire conversation did he suggest that I lie.
It was at that moment I knew exactly what it is that I feel for him, and it definitely surpasses liking or strong attraction. The exact word for how I feel has been in the back of my mind for a while now, but I won't admit it, not even to myself. Not yet.
So I told my parents that I'm bringing my friend, Hunter, over for dinner tonight. I've mentioned him to them quite a few times now, and I know that they're getting suspicious. We're planning on ambushing them with the whole dating thing at some point during the meal, so fingers crossed that this goes well, because if it doesn't... Well, I don't even want to think about that.
"Alright, almost done, and... oops," Dejay says, staring at the back of Hunter's head with a grimace on his face.
"Oops? Oops what? What happened?" Hunter says. His hands immediately go to the back of his head, frantically feeling around for bald spots.
Dejay laughs. "Nah, I'm just kidding. You're all good man. I'm done," he says, and I bite my lip to keep from laughing.
Hunter glares at Dejay. "Screw you, man. That wasn't funny," he says before standing up and turning to face me.
"It was a little funny," I reply, holding up my fingers to indicate the amount. The corners of Hunter's lips turn up in a small smile.
He rolls his eyes at me playfully. "Would you at least tell me if it looks alright?" he asks.
I motion for him to come towards me. He does so and leans down a bit, giving me full view of the back of his head. "It looks great. Thanks Dejay," I smile, turning to face him as Hunter moves to stand beside me and takes my hand. "I know this was last minute."
"Yeah, don't worry about it. Glad I could help," he replies, before looking down and spotting our intertwined hands. "Now would you two lovebirds get out of my house? I'm not looking to catch feelings from you two."
"Alright, alright, we're going," Hunter replies with a smirk. "Although I'm pretty sure it's not contagious," he says as he pulls me towards the door of the house.
"Not taking any chances," Dejay calls after us, just before the door shuts.
We both walk across the street and get into Hunter's car.
"So what now?" I ask, clicking my seat belt in to place. "We've still got some time before the inquisition," I say with a smile.
Hunter laughs, and puts the key into the ignition, starting the car. "Well, at least I'll be spending my final hours with you," he says dramatically, placing his hand over his heart and leaning towards me.
"Yeah, I'm honored," I reply, lightly pushing him away from me. He laughs again, before pulling the car away from the curb.
****************************
We drive for a while in comfortable silence, the radio playing in the background until Hunter pulls the car up to a familiar spot. My heart flutters remembering the last time we were here.
We get out of the car, and Hunter takes my hand and leads me towards the lake-front park where we had our first kiss. There are people here this time, considering it's not two in the morning, but only a few still linger on various spots in the grass as the sun gets lower in the sky, bathing everything and everyone in golden light.
We make our way to a spot under a tree, which provides some much needed shade from the sun, and sit down, not leaving much space between us.
"So do you have any pointers that would maybe keep your dad from killing me?" he asks. "Because I'd really like to make it out alive so we can actually go on a date."
I manage a weak laugh, but I don't answer, choosing instead to stare at my hands in my lap. The time we'll be heading to my house for dinner is getting closer and closer now, and mind is racing. This is really happening. I'm really about to do this. My God, so many things could go wrong...
Hunter notices my lack of response and looks at me.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Hunter asks, placing his hand over mine. I continue to keep my eyes downcast before answering.
"I'm just a little nervous about this," I reply.
"What's there to be nervous about?" he says. "Your parents are going to love me. I tend to have that effect on people," he jokes, and I manage a small smile at his attempt to cheer me up. "Don't worry, by the end of the night, I'm sure I'll be part of the family."
I glance up at him. "How do you know that though? What if it goes really bad, and they freak out, and like forbid me to ever leave my room again or something?" I ask. I know I'm getting myself too worked up over this, especially considering how fast my heart begins is beating, but I can't seem to calm myself down. This is a big deal to me.
Hunter chuckles. "Mia, you're asking to go on a date. You didn't do meth. Don't you think that'd be a little excessive?"
"No," I reply immediately. "Well, yes. Maybe. I don't know, I've never asked my parents anything like this before, Hunter," I say exasperatedly, covering my face with my hands.
"Come on, Mia," he begins, reaching out and gently removing my hands from my face. He laces his fingers with mine, drawing small, soothing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. "Everything's going to be fine. I promise."
But with one question lingering in the back of my mind, I can't bring myself to believe him. I look away and stare out across the lake before speaking again. My voice comes out more quietly than I intend it to.
"What happens if they say no?" I ask, drawing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my free arm around them. "What happens if...," my voice trails off. "What happens with us if they say no?" I force out.
Hunter looks at me with those beautiful blue eyes and squeezes my hand, bringing it close to his chest. "If they say no...," he starts, "then I'll try again. We'll just try again."
My heart races at his words, and I want to believe him, I do, but I can't.
"No, you won't," I say, shaking my head. "Hunter, anyone else... You wouldn't have to go through all this to see them, and you wouldn't want to either. People don't go through all this trouble for someone they just started seeing. I just don't want to make you feel trapped. It's not fair to you, and it's not worth it," I finish, keeping my gaze trained on the ground. I can't look at him. It's so hard to look at him at times like this.
"Stop it," Hunter says. His harsh tone takes me by surprise, and I glance up. "Don't say that," he starts. "You're not anyone else. It's not trouble, and even if it were, I don't care. You're worth it, all of it," he finishes. He looks up at me then. "Am I not worth it to you?" he asks, eyebrows drawn together.
The concern and disappointment on his face are so prominent that it nearly breaks my heart. I never thought he'd take this personally. That he'd think I was unsure about this because I'm unsure about him.
"No!" I say immediately. "No, of course you are, that's not what I meant. God, you're so worth it... I just..." I start. The sudden need to put some space between us takes over, and I sigh and let go of his hand. Standing up, I brush the grass off of my jeans. "Look, it's not you," I continue. "I only meant that I'll understand if you want to leave."
Hunter stands up as well. "What is that supposed to mean?" he asks.
"I mean, that's what people do, right?" I say, wrapping my arms around myself. "Things get too serious, and they get all confused and freaked out, and they want to leave."
He steps towards me. "You say that like it would be easy for me."
The intensity in his gaze as he says this, makes me instinctively take a step back, but Hunter doesn't let me get far. He takes hold of my wrist and gently tugs me to him before engulfing me in a tight embrace.
He holds me like he's trying to make sure I'm still here, fingertips tracing my spine. I wrap my arms around him tightly, fisting my fingers in his shirt and burying my face in his chest. His scent and touch are comforting to me in a way I can't understand.
"Why do you keep thinking I want to leave you?" he asks softly, just barely above a whisper.
The way his voice sounds when he says this, like he's afraid that he's let me down somehow, like my lack of trust must be his fault. It breaks my heart. I suddenly feel terrible for not trusting him. He's never given me any reason to doubt him, so why am I starting now?
"I don't know," I reply quietly.
And I really don't. I don't know why people leave me. I don't know why no one seems to stick around for long. I don't know why people lose interest in me.
All I know is that I've learned to expect it.
Expect it, and it'll hurt less when they inevitably do. Or at least that's what I tell myself.
"I told you before. I'm not going to leave you," he says adamantly. "To tell you the truth, I don't think I could even if I wanted to. Sorry, but you're stuck with me now, Mia Valiente," he says, leaning down to kiss the top of my head.
I nod my head and mumble into his shirt.
Hunter chuckles. "I'm sorry, what was that?" he says, leaning back and tilting my chin up to look at him.
"I said, thank you. And I'm still sorry for all the trouble," I repeat.
Then he gives me that trademark grin of his. "Come on, Mia, I told you. Trouble's kind of my thing."
***************************
I don't know how we got here, but we're sitting at my family dinner table, and we've actually managed to get through almost an entire meal without anything exploding. It's only my mom, dad, and Clara tonight since Ali is away at college right now.
I can tell that my dad knows something is up though. He keeps looking at Hunter out of the corner of his eye and asking him tons of questions, like he's trying to trip him up or something.
Hunter's been keeping up amazingly well so far though. If you didn't know him, you would never guess he was anything other than a completely respectable young man.
I, on the other hand, have not been taking the awkwardness so well. I've barely even touched my food all night, and I've been looking so stressed that my mom has already asked me if I'm alright twice.
We're just finishing up dinner, when my dad speaks again.
"So, Hunter, what sort of things are you interested in?" he asks. I take a sip of my water and wait for Hunter's reply.
"Actually Sir, most recently, I'm interested in your daughter," he says.
I immediately start choking on the water I was in the process of swallowing. Clare starts quietly snickering from her seat across from me as I cough.
Oh my God, is he trying to get himself killed? More importantly, is he trying to get me killed??
My dad gives Hunter a stern look before turning to face me, his gaze not softening in the slightest. "Mia, why don't you compose yourself and help your sister and mom with the dishes while I have a talk with your.. friend in the living room."
Everyone gets up and begins clearing plates. My mom and Clara both head to the kitchen while my dad walks down the hall to the living room. Hunter moves to follow him, but I grab his arm to stop him.
"That wasn't very subtle," I say, keeping my voice low to ensure no one else can hear.
"Well, we had to bring it up sooner or later," he replies. I frown and give him a look. "Don't worry, I think your dad likes me," Hunter finishes with a smile, and heads off to follow my him.
Oh God...
I head to the kitchen and start helping my mom and Clara with the dishes. As I dry off the plates, my mind is only on one thing.
What is my dad saying to Hunter? More importantly, what the heck is Hunter saying to my dad?
It's only been about ten minutes since I saw him disappear around the corner down the hallway, and already, the thoughts and worry are driving me insane.
I can't take this anymore, I need to know what they're saying. All I need now is an excuse to leave.
Luckily, not long after that, Clara drops the dishrag she was using to dry into the soapy water in the sink.
"Don't worry, I'll get another one," I offer, a little too enthusiastically.
They both give me weird looks, but I choose to ignore them as I exit the room, heading towards the hallway just off the living room.
As I approach, I begin to hear the voices start to drift in more clearly. Thank God for having a small house.
"Look, you seem like a nice kid. I actually think you're pretty mature for your age. But the thing is, neither one of you are ready for a serious relationship yet. You can't be more than sixteen," my dad says. "What's the rush?"
"Seventeen actually," Hunter replies. "I'll be eighteen by summer. And there's no rush. I just know that I'll never find another girl like Mia, and with your permission of course, I'd like to take her on a date."
"See? The problem with young kids like you and Mia dating is that you become too dependent on each other, and it's unhealthy. It leads to bad decisions, some of which have permanent consequences," my dad replies, tone growing serious. "Mia doesn't need some boy distracting her, messing up her grades, messing up her future."
My eyes grow wide from my position in the hallway. This does not seem to be going well.
"You're right," Hunter says.
Oh God, I hope he knows what he's doing.
"But you raised her well," he continues. "She's smart and kind. She's really insightful, and most importantly, independent. I knew from the day I met Mia that nothing was going to stop her from getting where she needed to go. Believe me, I'd never want to do anything to get in the way of that. She makes me want to rise to her level, not drag her down."
My dad is silent for a few moments, and I can only imagine he must be sizing Hunter up, making a final decision on him.
"Look, you won't understand this until you have a daughter," he begins, "but I'm just trying to protect her. I was a teenage boy once. I know what they're like. I know what they think about. Mostly, I know that even the good ones can end up doing a lot more harm than good if they're not careful. They have a tendency to jump the gun. They say a lot of things they don't mean, make a lot of promises they can't keep," my dad continues.
"I'd never lie to you or Mia about my intentions -" Hunter interjects.
"I'm not accusing you of lying," my dad says, cutting him off. "In fact, I'm sure you think you're being honest, but at your age, feelings change faster than the weather. Give me one good reason why I should believe that this isn't just a phase for you, because I'm not letting some punk-ass kid waste my daughter's time," he finishes.
My heart beats rapidly as I wait for Hunter's response. The few seconds of silence seem to stretch into an eternity, and I'm relieved when he finally speaks.
"Look, I know you don't know me," he begins. "I know what I must look like to you, coming into your home and making all these declarations. But I want you to know that I wouldn't say any of this lightly. Mia isn't just some girl to me, she's not just a romantic interest. She's my friend. One of the best friends I've ever had, and I would never hurt her or let anyone else hurt her. Those feelings aren't going to change," he says. "I want to be a part of her life in any way she'll have me. Just know that if we're ever not together, it'll be because she leaves me, not the other way around," Hunter finishes.
His voice is confident and genuine, and I know that he meant every word of that. I just hope that my dad knows the same thing.
There's silence for a few moments, and I hear my dad stand with a sigh. "Alright, fine, you have my permission for a date," he says.
I hear Hunter stand as well, and then the sound of the two of then shaking hands. "Thank you, Sir," he replies.
Then my dad lowers his voice so much I can't make out what he's saying. Whatever it was must have been threatening because I hear Hunter nervously laugh along.
"Understood," Hunter replies.
I know I'm supposed to be hiding, but I can't hold back the gasp that escapes my mouth. I'm extremely happy, lost in my excitement until-
"Mia?" my dad's voice calls from around the corner, making me freeze.
Crap.
*************************
I walk Hunter to the door and out onto the front porch as he prepares to head home.
"You're insane, you know that?" I say. "I can't believe he actually said yes."
"I told you, charm and good looks. Gets them every time," he replies with a grin.
"Oh whatever," I laugh, shoving him lightly. "And all that stuff you said.."
"Oh, you heard all that?" Hunter asks, raising a hand to rub the back of his neck.
"No, no, I only came in on the tail end," I say to spare him the embarrassment. "I just meant, you must've said something pretty great to convince my dad."
He shakes his head. "I just tried to be honest with him," he says before looking up at me. "I thought finding the words would be hard but.. when it comes to you, it's easy."
A smile slowly spreads across my face. "You know I'd kiss you right now if my parents weren't inside," I say.
He shakes his head and holds a hand over his heart, letting out a groan in disappointment. "How about tomorrow?" he asks.
"It's a date," I reply.
He smiles. "Yes, it is."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N - Hey guys! Thanks for your support, and I really hope you guys like the chapter!
Song at the top is "Wake Me" by Bleachers.
Please remember to vote and comment while reading! Happy Reading!