“I fear oblivion. I fear it like the proverbial blind man who's afraid of the dark.” – The Fault in Our Stars, now in theatres!
Chapter Ten
Denise and I stayed up talking until three in the morning. For once, it was our turn to make fun of the kids at school and how fake they were… how hard they try to make up for the things they lack. And while they hide what’s wrong with them, they spend so much energy highlighting what’s wrong with me. Sometimes the way people try so hard to look for faults and flaws, you would think that there’s some sort of grand prize attached to it.
We had to wake up at eight because Chaise told me he would pick me up at nine. Denise was not happy about this and she was still insisting that I join her and her cousins to spend the rest of the week at their lake house.
But again, I used Chaise as an excuse.
Hunter didn’t join us for breakfast and I was glad. I don’t know what went on between us last night. I played it over and over in my head, which is the reason why I only had two hours of sleep instead of five.
For a while there, I was positive he would know who I was. I wondered why he didn’t push me away or repelled me. Instead, he took that chance to touch me. I wished he touched my scars again. I used to love it when he did that. He was the first one to make me feel that my scars do not matter at all. That I was beautiful even with them. And I desperately wanted to know that he still felt the same way.
But now… every time he looks at me, he looked repulsed, abhorred, disgusted and angry that I couldn’t help thinking that he was just embarrassed and ashamed he ever fell in love with me in the first place.
Maybe when you have nothing left it was easy to fall in love with the next person who showed you any appreciation or affection. You mistake that feeling to be love… and that love to be extraordinary. So you pursue it, go after it… do everything you could to hold on to it. But once you get everything back, you realize that that there was no extraordinary about your feelings or that person after all.
But no matter how bad I feel, no matter how broken my heart was, or how much I wanted to go back to that garden with Hunter… I know I couldn’t have it any other way. I was still thankful for that time that we had, the moments that we shared that are now reduced to mere memories. Memories I know I would hold on to for the rest of my life.
Tears rolled down my cheeks and I realized even though it was painful, I was still happy that at least, Hunter got his sight back. He will be able to do great things with his life. He will be able to see the beauty of the world with his own eyes, even if he now chose to look at it without me.
Chaise was in front of Denise’s house by nine in the morning.
“Why didn’t you come in?” I asked him when I got inside his car. “You could meet Denise’s mom. She’s really nice.”
Chaise shook his head. “The guard dog has a ‘Do not enter’ sign written all over his forehead.” He said in a sober voice.
I didn’t get what he meant but when I looked at him, I saw that he was looking at something in Denise’s house. I turned and saw that Hunter was standing in his balcony again. He was only wearing a pair of blue pajama pants. He has a mug in his hand and he was looking at us with a bored expression on his face.
“Does he ever wear a shirt?”
I wanted to laugh. I didn’t see Hunter wear a shirt since I came in last night, but I wonder if it was just to piss me off. After all, I couldn’t help biting my lip in front of him when I saw him shirtless. How embarrassing! If I do that in front of Chaise, he would be over the moon. But with Hunter… well, his ego must be over the moon now.
Chaise’s house was also huge. It was a two-story mansion and every furniture in the house just screams luxury. A girl came up to us. She was beautiful, with dark brown hair and beautiful gray eyes. She looked a lot like Chaise.
“Hi. I’m Alice. What’s your name?”
“Chastity.” She replied with a bright smile.
“How long have you been playing the piano?” I asked her.
“Only a couple of months.” She replied. She stared at me quizzically and then she asked, “Are you Chaise’s girlfriend?”
My eyes widened and I wasn’t able to answer immediately.
I heard Chaise chuckle behind us. He put an arm around my shoulder. “I’m working on it, sweetheart.”
“Well, you’re not working hard on it, are you?”
Chaise laughed. “She’s pretty hard to get.”
The girl gave me an impressed smile. “Hmmm… I like her.”
She took my hand and we sat in front of the grand piano.
“Do you sing?” She asked.
I shrugged. “I try.”
“Can you play and sing for me?”
Chaise stood in front of us. He was grinning at me, smiling at me encouragingly.
“I know you could play. But I haven’t heard you sing yet.” He said to me.
“Come on, sing for us, Alice.” Chastity urged.
I sighed and raised a brow at Chaise. He continued smiling at me.
I put my hands on the keys and started playing. And then I sang the song I haven’t sang in a long time.
“Spend all your time waiting…”
A song that brought back so many memories to me. The song that reminds me of the first boy I ever loved… the boy I know I still love. The boy who replaced my nightmares with beautiful memories so they could not chase me in my sleep again. The boy who saw me when he couldn’t see… and looked right through me when he got his eyesight back.
When I finished playing, I didn’t even know that a tear rolled down my cheek until Chaise reached forward and wiped it with his thumb.
“I’m sorry.” I whispered, wiping my cheek with my own fingers.
Chastity was quietly watching me. Then she breathed and said, “You sing like an angel.”
That sentence made me want to cry again. It was the same thing that Hunter said when he first heard me sing. I looked up at Chaise and his face was sober, as if the song spoke to his soul too.
“Can you teach me that?” Chastity asked.
I smiled at her and reached forward to give her nose a little pinch. “Sure. It’s easy.” I said to her. “You know your chords right?”
She nodded.
“You start with a C. And then an F over a C.” I said.
Chaise watched me teach his sister. She was a fast learner and she knew all her chords beforehand so after only two hours, she could play the song by herself.
By noontime, Chaise announced that lunch was ready. Afterwards, Chastity and I played the piano again. She already knew her piece so this time, I just played random songs and the three of us sang along.
It was one in the afternoon when Chastity said she will take a nap. She kissed me on the cheek and made me promise to come back to their house again.
“She likes you.” Chaise said to me.
“I was waiting for her to ask me about my scar.” I said wearily.
“She won’t.” He said. “I already told her about it.”
I stared at Chaise. “What… did you say?”
“That you were beautiful. You were scarred when you were young and your mother fought for you to live. In spite of the burn on your skin, you were tough and you chose to live on. Instead of being mad at the world, you chose to laugh and smile. Instead of breaking down, you chose to stand up. And that is a very admirable trait.”
I smiled at him and reached out to squeeze his hand. “Thank you.”
He turned his hand over and intertwined our fingers. He stared at our hands for a while. “Our hands fit quite well together.” He said quietly.
I squeezed his hand again and then I gently pulled mine away. He took a deep breath. “That song…” He started. “Is that your song for him?”
It took me a moment to answer. I nodded. I know I must be hurting Chaise over and over. But I can’t lie to him. I won’t give him false hopes. He knows that I love him as a friend. I’m not going to say otherwise unless… there’s really hope for us. But right now… I’m hopeless to even get Hunter out of my mind.
“I used to sing that to him a lot.” I said. “I played it once on the piano and every day on the guitar.”
“What happened to him?”
I shrugged. “He went away… and then I guess he just moved on.”
Chaise sighed. “Have you moved on?”
I shook my head slowly. “I am just trying to get over the fact that he may never see me the same way he did before when we were together. I need to accept that there is no hope for us first. And maybe only then could I try to move on.”
“I’ll be there, Alice.” He said softly. “When that time comes… I’ll be there beside you.”
“I know.” I said sadly. “I know I must be hurting you… stringing you along like this. But I want your friendship. I needed it. I love you as a dear friend now.”
He nodded. “If I am hurt… don’t blame yourself. It’s my choice. I know what I’m getting myself into. I just have to… take a chance.” He said softly, reaching forward and pushing a lock of stray hair away from my face. “I wish I know who he was.”
I raised a brow. “And what do you plan to do?”
“Punch him in the face so he could see how much he is hurting you.” He replied and I thought my heart broke even more for him.
I sighed. “Why do you have to be so damn good?” I asked him, tears welling up in my eyes.
He reached forward and wiped my eyes with his thumbs. “Hey. Don’t cry.” He said, smiling. “I’m supposed to be good. I’m your Guardian Angel, remember?”
I giggled sadly. “I will always owe you my life.”
He stared at me for a long moment and I saw some emotion cross his face. He opened his mouth to say something but then his phone rang.
He fished it from his pocket and answered it.
“Alright!” He said to the person on the other line. “We’re leaving.” Then he hung up.
I stared at him and raised a brow.
“Denise.” He said. “Come. We are kidnapping you.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
Chaise stood up and pulled me to my feet. “I promised Denise we’ll come with her to the lake house for the weekend.”
“What? Chaise, no!” I protested. “I told her I couldn’t come because of you.”
“And she called me a while ago and made me swear to come and bring you. Or she’s hanging herself. And as much as I wanted to see that happen, I don’t want her death on my conscience. So I agreed.”
“Chaise!” I groaned. “I didn’t want to come! Her cousins are from out of town.”
“So? They’re… people. Not aliens. They came from out of town, not out of the planet.”
“But they may see me as… you know.”
Chaise raised a brow. “Then they’re gonna have a problem with me.” He said. “Don’t worry. I’ll be with you. Let’s do Denise a favor, okay? She sounded like she really needed us to be there.”
“Chaise, I’m not ready for this.” I said. “I’m not ready to… go to weekend getaways and parties and meet new people.”
He raised a brow. “Babe, you’ve got less than a year of high school left. When are you going to be ready?” He asked. “I’m there. Don’t you trust that I will not let anything happen to you under my watch?”
I sighed. I guess he was right. I shouldn’t really care about Denise’s cousins. I may never see them after this weekend. And I should really start gathering my courage to venture new things… meet new people. At least, Denise’s cousins didn’t live in this town when the death of my ‘delusional’ stepfather and ‘suicidal’ mother were all everybody could talk about.
We made a quick stop to our house so I could get my clothes for the weekend. Meredith was home. She was quite pleased that I was finally opening up my shell and that I have found friends I could really trust and hang out with.
When we got to Denise’s house, she was already in the front garden waiting. She almost cursed at Chaise for being late. She went inside a black SUV and I could see there were people with her. Just then, a beautiful white Cadillac Escalade went out of the garage and went ahead of us. As soon as the Escalade was in motion, Denise drove behind it, signaling Chaise to start his engine and follow.
“How long is this drive?” I asked Chaise.
“Not sure. But it could be more than half an hour.”
I yawned, my eyes getting heavier by the second. My lack of sleep last night was catching up on me.
“Sleepy?” He asked.
I nodded.
“Go ahead and close your eyes. I will wake you up when we get there.”
I leaned back on Chaise’s passenger seat and immediately drifted off. I was panting when Chaise tapped my cheeks after almost an hour. I sat up on the seat, ready to shield my face from the blow that I thought was coming.
But nothing came. Sunlight hit my skin and I could smell the fresh scent of the earth.
Chaise was looking at me with a worried expression on his face. I realized that I was having one of those nightmares again. They rarely come now. But when they do, they didn’t feel like dreams or nightmares at all. They were fresh memories replaying in my head over and over again.
I sighed in relief when I realized that I was safe. I looked at Chaise’s handsome face and I knew nothing would hurt me where I am. After all, my Guardian Angel was just sitting right next to me.
“I’m sorry. Are we here?”
Chaise nodded. Then he asked, “Are you alright? It looked like you were having some nightmares.”
I shook my head. “I’m okay.”
Chaise opened the door and went down the car. I also went down and took my bag from the backseat. We approached Denise. She was with two guys and two girls who were all eyeing us curiously. The girls were stealing side glances at Chaise and I couldn’t blame them. Chaise is quite a looker.
The two guys were Ben and Ross. The girls introduced themselves as April and Mica. While they looked interested in Chaise, they barely smiled at me. Mica didn’t even hide the fact that she was curious about my scars when the wind blew the opposite direction and made my hair fly away from my face, revealing the monstrous patch of skin I hide underneath my mass of blond hair.
The Escalade’s door opened and the driver came down. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the familiar figure step out of it, wearing a pair of jeans, black shirt and sleek pitch-dark sunglasses. I heard Chaise’s silent groan. I also did not miss the hard intakes of breath coming from Mica and April.
I stared at them curiously. Cousin, right?
Mica caught me staring at her and realized how obvious they were in ogling at Hunter. Since Denise was already leading everybody inside the massive house, she glared at me. I just shook my head and looked away.
Great! This weekend getaway is going to be epic!
The house was a magnificent combination of wood and glass. The ceilings were high and the walls facing the beautiful view of the lake was made of glass, making the whole house almost visible to anybody on the opposite side.
“Why don’t you do the honors of touring us, Hunter?” Denise asked.
Hunter just raised a brow at her. “Go knock yourself out.” He said and then left us to disappear through the glass doors.
Denise rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t even care!”
“Why does he need to come anyway?” Ben asked. Obviously, he wasn’t fond of Hunter either.
“Because Dad thought there should be somebody older than me who should be in-charge. And besides… this is not really our house. It’s actually Hunter’s.”
“Isn’t he too young to own a house?” Ross asked.
“He’s eighteen.” Denise replied. “After his operation, he gained access to his trust funds and inheritance from his Mom. Part of that inheritance is his own place. He chose this one. It’s been under his name for months, and yet he barely comes here. And when you guys came, Mom thought it would be a good idea for this house to have visitors.”
Chaise rolled his eyes and I had to nudge him with my elbow.
Denise led us all towards the glass staircase that led to the second floor of the house. It has five massive bedrooms. Denise announced the room assignments. The master’s bedroom of course will be occupied by Hunter. According to Denise, she’s seen all the parts of the house in her previous visits, but only Hunter was allowed in the master’s bedroom. Denise and I will be sharing the room opposite Hunter’s. The two girls will room together while the two guys got another room. Chaise got the room nearest to the staircase. Chaise’s room was almost empty save for the sofa bed lying on the corner.
“Hunter planned to turn this into a game room. But I hope you will find this cozy enough.” Denise told Chaise apologetically.
“I’ll be fine.” Chaise winked at her.
Denise and I went to our room to freshen up and change into bathing suits.
“Denise, how are you cousins with them?” I asked.
“They’re my Mom’s brothers’ kids. Ben, Ross and April are siblings. Mica is an only child. You have to excuse her. She’s seventeen and quite a brat when we were growing up.”
“So Hunter is…”
“Not related to them at all. But they’ve met him plenty of times when we were growing up.” She said.
That explains why they were drooling over him. Not related by blood. I was almost afraid that something’s wrong with Denise’s family.
“What do you think of the house?” Denise asked.
“It’s a dream.” I whispered.
“Hunter has a certain preference for lakes, I guess. I don’t know why. He was so obsessed with getting a lake house before he returned here.”
I know why Hunter likes lakes. For almost a year since he lost his Mom and his eyesight, that garden by the lake was what made him feel safest. It had been his refuge… a place where he found a haven.
“There’s a smaller cabin on the opposite side of the lake. It’s part of this property.” Denise said, interrupting my thoughts. “It only has one bedroom and a fireplace. The water on that side is much more suitable for swimming. We will go there in a while.”
I emerged from the bathroom wearing a pair of purple shorts and a decent yellow bikini top. I had this swimming outfit for more than a year as a gift from Meredith, but I never wore them. There was no need for me to go swimming. I couldn’t even swim to safe my life.
Denise gave me a smile of approval. “See? That’s one of the reasons why Chaise is crazy about you!”
“Denise!” I groaned at her.
“I’m just saying. You’re pretty. And your body… rocks!” Okay, in a way, that wasn’t really a lie. I don’t always show much skin but I do have a slender figure and a flat belly. I don’t exercise much but since I’m so careful about spending money, I get to walk a lot, which has its own advantages too.
I took a smaller bag with me and stuffed it with one set of clothes that I could change into. The others were already in the patio, all dressed in their swimming outfits. Chaise was staring at me as I walked towards him, I actually felt self-conscious.
“Stop that!” I hissed at him.
He laughed and pushed a lock of hair away from my face.
“You never cease to take my breath away, Rock Princess.” He said.
“And you never cease to make me feel guilty about it, Chaise.” I said evenly.
He smiled at me but that smile did not exactly touch his eyes. “Maybe someday, babe.”
I sighed. “Chaise… could you also not… call me that?”
“Babe?” He asked, his eyes twinkling playfully.
I nodded. “It gives others the wrong impression about us.”
“I don’t really care what others think. I can’t hear their thoughts, you see.” He grinned playfully.
I sighed. “But I care. Because it makes them hate me even more.”
He raised a brow. “Why?”
I shrugged. “People can’t seem to believe that I could get a guy like you.”
“They better believe it. Because you got me. Unfortunately, it does not work both ways.”
“They can’t hurt or touch you. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work both ways too.”
Chaise groaned. “Okay. I’ll stop.”
I smiled up at him. “Come on, Denise is getting impatient.”
We went to the dock.
“What are we doing here?” Chaise asked when we reached Denise. She was only with Mica.
“We’re swimming on the other lake house. The water there is better for swimming. Hunter took Ross, Ben and April already. The speedboat could only carry four at a time. We’re waiting for one of the guys to come back and take us to the other side.”
After half an hour, we were all in the little house in the middle of the lake. This house was small but cozy. It only has one bedroom and a big living room with a fireplace and a metal countertop kitchen. The glass doors open up into a huge patio with a sundeck, and loungers. The edge of the dock were about thirty meters away from the house itself.
Denise was right. The water here seemed cleaner and deeper. Denise’s cousins wasted no time jumping into the water. Denise and Chaise also dove in. I sat at the edge of the dock and watched them.
“Come on, Alice! Jump in!” Chaise urged.
I shook my head. “I’ll be okay here. You guys have fun.” Well, the truth is, the water looked very deep and I know I don’t stand a chance of staying afloat the minute I dive in. There weren’t even enough posts to hold on to.
I stared at the sky. It was unusually dark for this time of the day. The clouds looked thicker and darker. I suspect that rain would come in the evening. I hope the others realize that too because the speed boat could not carry all of us in one go.
I heard music from afar. I looked to my right and found Hunter sitting in one of the loungers in the opposite end of the deck, dressed in only a pair of board shorts. He was wearing his sunglasses I wouldn’t know if he was looking at me or watching the other kids swim. He just acted like we didn’t exist.
I turned back to the others. I felt really sad because the truth is… he has been acting like I didn’t exist at all. Since the time he came back, he made no attempt to acknowledge my existence. Not only does he make me feel like he doesn’t know me, he makes me feel that he doesn’t give a damn.
After a while, the others went up from the water and into the deck. We ate some of the snacks that Denise brought with her. I only half-listened to the conversation. Chaise seemed to be feeling at ease with our new company. The girls were absolutely charmed by him and I couldn’t blame them. If they didn’t give me the impression that they were brats, I would have liked for Chaise to hook up with one of them. They were gorgeous and seemed eager for his attention. But I love Chaise as a friend. I would want someone better for him.
Hunter was still on his spot on the opposite end of the deck, playing his guitar, oblivious of our existence.
While Chaise was telling a story to the group, I turned around and admired the view before me. I was reminded of the lake I shared with Hunter. I sighed as I looked at the water in front of me. If Hunter and I were still together, this place would have been a dream for me. It was absolutely beautiful. This little lake house was almost a mile away from the main house. It seemed isolated, like it was in a world of its own. Like if a couple owned the house and prefer to spend time in isolation and privacy, this little house would be perfect for them to leave the rest of the world behind.
I was so engrossed in my thoughts I didn’t realize that somebody was standing behind me. I didn’t have time to think or even turn around. I felt hands on my back and then a strong push that made me lose my balance and sent me flying out to the water.
Panic gripped me. I know that once my entire body and weight sank into the water, I would be helpless to go back up. I just hope that somebody realizes quickly that I would not be coming up for air soon.
The water was cold and dark, I couldn’t see a thing even if I opened my eyes. I waved my arms and legs around me and struggled to come up to the water on my own but I was only sinking lower and lower.
Suddenly, I felt strong arms wrap around my waist, pulling me securely above the water. I wrapped my arms around the person who caught me, thankful enough that I didn’t have to struggle too much or too long. Somebody jumped in the second I fell off the dock. I know it could only be Chaise. He was the closest person to me, apart from the person who pushed me in.
When we emerged to the surface, I looked up and found that it wasn’t Chaise who saved me this time. Hunter was looking down at me, his arms were wrapped tightly around my tiny waist.
“Are you okay?” He asked.
His voice was familiarly gentle, I wanted to cry. He sounded like he did before he left. Gentle. Concerned. I couldn’t find my voice, so I nodded.
“I got you.” He whispered so softly only the two of us heard that. He swam towards the ladder. He gently guided me until I could grip the handles securely. He slowly let me go so I could pull myself up the stairs. Chaise and Denise were standing at the top, waiting for me anxiously. Chaise pulled me up to the deck and Denise wrapped a towel around me. Hunter followed soon after.
I took a couple of breaths to steady myself and I realized how scared I was. Chaise put an arm around my shoulder and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Are you okay?” He asked and I managed to nod.
Hunter walked past us with a furious look on his face. He went straight to Mica and pointed a finger at her.
“Next time you push people into deep waters, make sure they know how to swim!” He said in a booming, angry voice.
Mica looked dumbfounded. The rest of Denise’s cousins were quiet too and they genuinely looked scared of Hunter.
“You don’t know how to swim?” Denise whispered to me.
I didn’t answer.
“Try something like that again, and I’ll kick you out of my house!” Hunter said in a threatening voice, even I felt scared.
Hunter turned around to look at me. My eyes were welling up with tears. Mixed emotions are running wildly inside my chest. I could still feel the fear and the panic that I felt when I fell into the water. And I feel happy and broken about the fact that Hunter saved me… and he spoke to me so gently, the concern on his face when he said he got me was genuine. For a short moment, I was reminded of the boy he used to be, the boy who used to love me.
“How did you know she doesn’t know how to swim?” Chaise asked Hunter in a cool, careful voice.
Hunter stared at us for a moment. My heart pounded inside my chest while I waited for his answer. I was waiting for any sign that he remembers anything that I said to him during our time together.
He turned away from us and replied in a sober voice, “If she did, then she would have joined you all when you were in the water, wouldn’t she?” His voice was steady, emotionless and his response was nothing but logical. If I could groan in frustration, I would.
Hunter walked away from us and disappeared into the house. When I met Mica’s eyes, she looked away from me. Denise went to her.
“What were you thinking?” She asked her angrily. “Do you guys have a problem with Alice?”
The girls looked down on their feet, unable to answer.
“Alice is my best friend! She’s done nothing to you. Now, apologize!” Denise sounded like she was talking to a bunch of ten year olds.
April and Mica approached me. Mica has tears in her eyes when she said, “Alice, I’m sorry. I meant that as a joke. I didn’t know you couldn’t swim. I never intended to hurt you.”
They didn’t like me. If I had to guess, I think they were jealous because they thought I was with Chaise and they found him charming. I know they don’t intend to drown me. I don’t exactly come with an “I don’t know how to swim.” sign written on my forehead.
I just nodded at Mica and April. They both smiled at me ruefully and then went back into the house. We were all quiet after that.
Chaise was unusually quiet too. I eyed him curiously. He seemed genuinely bothered that I was almost endangered from right under his nose.
“I’m okay.” I said to him, giving him a reassuring smile.
He snapped out of his deep thoughts and stared back at me. He gave me a gentle smile. “I’m glad you’re alright.”
April and Mica didn’t want to stay a minute longer in the house. I suspect, it was because they were afraid of Hunter. Ross volunteered to take them on the boat first and come back for the rest of us.
“Do you mind if I come with them?” Chaise asked.
“Why?”
“I… left my phone in the car. I need to call my Mom. She would be worried.” He replied.
I thought his excuse was weird but I was really not in the mood for an argument right now. So I nodded instead.
It was getting dark and we could hear the soft bellows of thunder. My suspicions were right. It was going to rain soon and we still needed to make two trips so all of us would be back in the main house.
“You’re going to be cold.” Denise told me. “Go change your clothes in the bathroom while we wait for Ross to come back.”
I nodded and took my bag. As I went into the bathroom, I caught a glimpse of Hunter sitting in the deck alone, making no effort to make chit-chats with Denise and Ben. He was already dressed in a clean pair of shorts and white shirt.
I took a quick shower to wash out the lake water from my skin. Then I dried myself off and took out a fresh pair of underwear from my bag. I dressed in a pair of white capri pants and purple long-sleeved shirt. The trip back was going to be cold. I didn’t hear Denise knock or call for me so I assumed that Ross has not returned yet. I got hold of a blow-drier and dried my hair.
When I went out of the bedroom, the whole house was quiet and the living room was empty.
“Denise!” I called.
No answer. I went out to the front door and found that the boat was not there.
“Denise!” I called again.
Still no answer.
I went to the deck. I found Hunter standing at the edge of the dock, looking out the view in the horizon, lost in his thoughts. It was already drizzling but he didn’t look like he had plans of coming inside the house. I approached him nervously.
“Where is Denise?” I asked.
“They left.” He replied.
“Without me?”
He turned around to face me. “Apparently, Mica was having panic attacks, she had to breathe into a brown bag. Denise had to rush there to control the situation. I guess I am scary if I chose to be.”
“So Denise left me here alone?” I asked, trying not to panic.
He raised a brow and looked at me as if I was out of my mind. “Not really.” He replied. His face turned serious and mischievous at the same time. Then he added, “She left you here alone… with me.”
My heart made three booming beats before it plummeted to my toes. I held my breath for the longest time in my life. And as I saw the slight smirk on Hunter’s face, I was sure that my face turned into the brightest shade of red.