surprise surprise it's not the end. Btw I'm so sorry I don't update as fast. My dad has been borrowing my laptop to do some stuff and writing on my phone is just so frustrating and it just takes so long
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"I'm okay. How's Dad? Alright. I'll be back home soon. Yeah, we still have some money left. I don't know. Yeah. Yep. Yep. Yes, Mum. Okay, bye. Love you." I hang up the call, sighing heavily. I'm almost 100% sure this is what homesick feels like.
Now, don't get me wrong, I've enjoyed travelling around and spending time with Hunter a lot, but I can't help but miss the familiar feeling of my own bed and the smell of my parents' homemade cooking.
Arms slither around my waist, pulling me back into a warm chest. "You want to go home early?"
I smile, setting my phone down on the table beside me and leaning back into Hunter's strong embrace. "No. I'll barely see you when I go to college and I want to spend as much time as I can with you now."
We both fall into a quiet bliss as we watch the sun reflecting on the surface of the pool water. A woman had gone and swam a few laps earlier in the morning, but the pool has been empty ever since she went back to her room.
"You up for a swim?" He mumbles, hot breath fanning the bare skin of my shoulder.
"Not really. I just want to relax a little today."
"I hope you're not feeling too sore from last night."
I smile and turn around, pecking him on the lips. "A little, but I'll live. You should go for a swim if you really want to."
"No way. We're taking a shower together."
He starts to tug my arm as he walks toward the bathroom but turns around to look at me again when I don't budge. "It's not that I don't want to, but I don't think I've recovered enough from last night to go another round," I admit, feeling my face flush from embarrassment.
"What are you talking about? We're taking a shower, Leah, not shooting porn."
"Oh."
He chuckles as he watches my face turn the colour of beetroot. We make our way to the bathroom and slip into the shower space where the rain shower hangs from the ceiling.
I purse my lips as I strip out of my robe and panties. Hunter is still taking off his boxer when I turn on the warm water.
I close my eyes as I enjoy the scalding water cascading down my head and body. "Do you blame yourself?" I ask Hunter as he comes in to join me in the shower.
He raises his eyebrow at me in confusion. I purse my lips, not knowing whether I should continue or risk asking him something that might be a little sensitive to bring up. "About Eric." I lather some shampoo on my hair, gently massaging my head.
He helps with washing me up, gathering liquid soap in his hand before rubbing my back and shoulders, obviously avoiding pressing too hard into my scar even though it doesn't hurt anymore. "Yes. Are you scared of me?"
I shrug. "I trust you."
He grabs my waist, turning me around so I'm facing him. "Don't lie to me, Leah." For some people, alarm bells might already be ringing in their head by now but the tone of voice that he uses is soft and gentle like he's desperate to know the truth. "Just don't lie."
"I gave you my virginity last night. Doesn't that prove something?"
Not a day passes that I don't think about that day he had murdered Eric in front of my own eyes. If he hadn't had killed him I probably wouldn't even be here today. It irritates me that in the back of my mind I'm still doubtful about our future together. Why can't I just convince myself that what he did was for the best? His actions could have saved me from an early death.
"There was no other way," he mumbles quietly as he looks down at the floor. "If I didn't shoot him I would have lost you. And by that point, I knew that if I shot him that I would risk losing you anyway. I expected you to run away from me and I was ready to let you go. I would rather see you alive and with someone else than you dead because of Eric."
His words seem to melt all my doubts away. Maybe it's temporary, but I've never been so convinced and sure that I love him. His father may have been a monster, but what Eric had done doesn't define Hunter.
"But you're here and I feel like the luckiest person in the world. Why did you end up staying with me after that? Doesn't it scare you that I could kill a person like that?"
"Would you kill me?" I ask.
"What? No. Why would you ask that?"
"Then why should I leave you? What you did wasn't wrong. It was self-defence."
After our chat in the shower, we resume with cleaning ourselves up, taking turns on soaping each other. We didn't end up doing anything that could be classified as inappropriate except for a few kisses because I'm still slightly sore from last night.
Even though last night had been amazing, I still feel like I want more. I want something a little more rough and fast and dirty, but I understand that last night was not the right time. I was still getting used to the feeling and pain and going too hard could lead to an injury. Hunter understands it too. He had been nothing but patient and caring, always gauging out my reaction whenever he did something.
"Where should we get lunch?" Hunter asks as he continues to pack his bag.
"Are we not eating here?"
"No. The food was terrible. I could hardly get through breakfast this morning."
"The egg did taste funny. Where do you wanna go?"
We end up going to a small cafe nearby that serves the most delicious plate of Greek yoghurt chicken salad sandwich. Hunter went with spicy chicken and avocado wrap that I found out to be even more delicious than what I had ordered.
For once I can finally take my jacket off and relish the warm air and sunlight. Living in Davenport your whole life has its perk. For one, you don't have to put in the effort to shave your legs every day because it's too cold to wear anything short outside anyway.
"What's on your mind?" He mumbles as we sit on the bench in front of a massive church.
"I'm scared of college. I don't know. Just the thought of having to wait for so long to see you again is just..."
"Your college is only two and a half hours away from mine. I'll visit you every month. Let's not think about that. Let's just make the most out of the time we have left now."
Sadness starts to creep at the thought of having to go back home and then going to college where I will have to be away from Hunter for so long. On top of that, I will have to start from scratch on finding new friends and adapting to a completely new environment.
We stroll along the church and watch the couple of people sitting on the benches, their head tilted down as they pray.
+
"You're going to be fine."
I shake my head, my nose starting to sting as I try to hold back tears. Hunter grabs my hand, chuckling as I harshly wipe my tears away. "What will you do now?"
He looks down, busying his fingers by playing around with mine. I shift uneasily when he suddenly frowns. "I haven't told you this, but I'm going to compete in the tournament again. Try to win this month's cash."
I grab his hand, my eyes bulging wide as I drag him further away from my family who are busy talking with Emily and Kaylin. I texted Matthew to ask about his whereabouts but he never texted back.
When I see that no one is going to eavesdrop I look back at Hunter. "You're competing again?"
"Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
"You promised me you were done with shit like that. Why didn't you say something? Why are you doing it? What?" My words are hurried and panicked. Only a week ago he had told me he was done with boxing and fighting.
"I'm sorry I didn't. If I told you before I registered myself I know you would stop me."
"Why are you doing it, though? What for? Has Eleanor come back? Does she want money?"
He shakes his head. "Eleanor doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. I just need to let some steam off."
He broke his promise. How stupid of me to think that maybe he has changed just a little bit. He is still the same Hunter Kings that he used to be. He still craves fights and the hurt that comes with it. Maybe he doesn't know it but right about now, I feel as though someone had slapped the naivety right out of me. He hasn't changed.
I had told him to never go back to that tournament ever again. It's illegal. It's wrong on so many levels. I said to him that if he liked boxing, then he should do it professionally. He had nodded his head and gave his promise to me.
"Good luck, I guess." I sigh before walking away to hug my family and friends. They all wish me luck as I enter the car, but not once do I have the courage to look at Hunter after what he had just told me. Maybe it seems a little dramatic but to me, it just means that he doesn't trust me enough to tell me about what he wants. He doesn't trust me enough to let me in.
"You ready to go, kiddo?"
"Yeah, Dad. Just drive please." Tears start to trickle down my cheeks as I turn my head away from where my family and friends are standing.
"What'd Hunter say to you? You look very upset."
I fake a smile and huff. "How could I not be? I'm leaving all of you behind."
From the look of it, my father falls for my lie.
+
The engine dies as I turn the key. I look towards my apartment building once again before getting out and making my way to the front door.
The weather has been nothing but sunshine and warmth. Even the winter isn't as cold as a normal day back in Davenport.
Turns out that finding friends around here isn't as bad as it seems. I don't really speak with anyone back in Davenport anymore. All of us are too busy with our own lives. Last time I called Emily she told me she was already moving out with Cory. Cain is also busy with his art gallery in the city that from what I have read from the internet is slowly blooming. Kaylin and I have spoken a couple of times on the phone but we don't usually do it anymore unless we have something important to tell each other.
My family constantly check up on me to see how I am doing. Elliot and Liam seem to always be busy in university so I try not to call or text them unless I really have to.
Elliot had apologized to me on the phone the day I arrived at my college but since then we haven't been able to find the right time to meet up and really talk about the incident face to face.
Matthew did meet me at the French Dip Lounge the day after the graduation ceremony but we haven't spoken since. He accepted my apology, but our friendship just wasn't the same after so we ended up not talking to each other at all.
I've spoken to Hunter once on the phone where he proceeded to tell me he was sorry for not letting me know he was fighting in another tournament. I didn't want to be dramatic, but I hung up after giving him a curt 'I love you'.
"Leah!" Naomi shouts. I look up, to see her leaning against the railing of her apartment balcony dressed in her white night robe. If you wore that in Davenport on any evening you would get diagnosed with hypothermia in under a minute. "Do you know how late it is?"
"Yes. I have the time on me, Naomi." I bring my hand up to point at the watch on my wrist.
"I'll buzz you in, roomie."
"Thanks." I watch her enter the apartment again, shutting the balcony door closed.
"My god, where were you? You smell like trash."
"Somewhere you don't need to know." I sigh as I shrug my bag off of my shoulders and toss it onto the leather couch. My jacket comes off next and I find myself lying on my bed with Naomi staring from the doorway.
"Well, somebody came looking for you today while you were out. They told me to give you this."
I sit up, looking down at the small piece of paper Naomi hands me. She immediately exits my room, probably to get a good smoke before heading to sleep.
We have to talk. Meet me in front of the college tomorrow.
I can safely say it's probably Hunter. He just seems like someone who would give me a letter instead of just texting or calling me.
I purse my lips as I throw the letter into the bin. It was time we talked anyway.
+
I dangle my feet as I lean back on my arms, soaking in as much sunlight as I can get before I have to go back and visit Davenport next week.
I bob my head to the beat of the song playing in my earphones, blocking out the loud noises of college students walking by and chattering loudly.
I continue to look around for any familiar faces, but all of them are just college students trying to get around.
I jolt when someone calls my name. "What the fuck?" I mutter to myself as I ready myself to run. She sees this and shakes her head before jogging closer.
"Hello, Leah," Eleanor speaks.
Everything about her is the same except for her hair. Heir hair that was once long and curly is now only up to her shoulder and coloured sandy blonde.
I'm totally dumbfounded. "Have you come here to finally kill me or something?"
She bitterly chuckles. Now I can slightly see the resemblance between her and Hunter. "I purposely chose a crowded area so you wouldn't be scared."
Some people stare at Eleanor as they walk past. It's understandable. Eleanor stands out with her all black leather outfit that covers her from head to toe. "What do you want?"
"I needed to give you this." She takes her right hand out of her pocket and hands me a small blue velveteen box. "Don't lose it. It's not for you. Next week when you go back to Davenport give it to Hunter."
"How did you know I'm going next week?"
"I have my ways."
"I have so many questions right now."
"And I don't have the time to answer them. Just make sure you give it to Hunter."
I look down at the box and slowly open it. Inside lies an elegant silver pendant with a small diamond dangling from it. I trace the diamond with my finger, watching as the sunlight glints off of it.
When I realise I should probably hide it before someone tries to steal it I close the box and put it in a hidden pocket in my bag.
"Who's is it?" I ask as I look up, only to find that Eleanor is nowhere to be seen.