"I love you, and that's the beginning and end of everything".
~F. Scott Fitzgerald
Alex
You got this. You got this. You got this. I was frozen in my seat, for what felt like eternity. Hunter next to me must have noticed. Slowly, he reached out to place his hand on my thigh.
"Look, this must be scary for you, but you managed to tell your family. You have managed to tell Don. You can do this. You can tell the truth to them. And no matter what, I will be there for you," Hunter said, giving me a soft smile. I took a couple of deep breaths and reached for the door of Hunter's car.
I was wearing a borrowed shirt from Hunter since I couldn't go home and grab a fresh one. I was thinking of going home at some point this week when I was sure no one would be around, but today was not that day. The shirt I was currently wearing was a black baseball shirt, which sleeves reached down to my elbows. On the left side of my chest was a small pocket, in the colors of the pride flag.
When Hunter had presented it this morning I had protested, but I couldn't say no to his puppy eyes. So here I was now. Walking towards my friends, wearing a pride shirt, with Hunter by my side and Calla and Noah a few steps behind us.
"Hey, Alex..." Don started, but his voice flattened as his eyes fell on Hunter next to me. "Oh," he exclaimed, the dots connecting and finally realizing what was going on.
"What's going on? What does he want?" Matt snapped, nodding towards Hunter, who glared at him. Matt and Don were sitting on the bench, with Beth sitting on top of Don's lap. Vicky was standing next to Matt with a friendlier smile than the rest.
"I was wrong. When I told you about having found my soulmate. I was wrong. I did find my soulmate, but..." I stopped to breathe in and broaden my shoulders, "but my soulmate isn't a girl. Hunter is my soulmate".
"But you're... you're hooking up with a different girl at every party," Matt noted with a toothy smile, not actually believing me.
"I like girls and guys. And ever since I started dating Hunter I haven't been with anyone else," I replied. He opened his mouth to say something, but I spoke up once again, guessing what he was about to ask. "No, I haven't felt like this for another guy before, but I also haven't felt like this for another girl. I've never loved anyone else, but Hunter".
They all stayed silent for a few moments, and then Don pushed softly Beth off of his lap. He stood up and extended his hand towards Hunter. With a frown, Hunter shook his hand.
"I'm sorry about everything we have said about you and to you. If we had known you were Alex's soulmate..."
"You shouldn't have said those things even if I wasn't his soulmate, but yeah, thanks... I guess," Hunter snapped back with a bitter smile.
"Well, I hope we can make it up to you at some point," Don said with a small nod.
My eyes wandered to the rest of my friends. Beth and Vicky were smiling, still processing the whole thing, but they seemed happy about it. Matt, on the other hand, had a darkened expression, not telling much about how he felt. He was clearly trying to wrap his head around it, but at the same time that didn't mean that he wouldn't be okay with it. Seeing as the tension had pretty much vanished, Calla and Noah decided to join us.
"Eh, Alex...?" Hunter said, pulling my attention.
With a smile I turned to look at him, only to see that he was looking away from me and behind me. I turned around and my smile vanished. My parents had just parked and were now heading our way. I turned back at Hunter, with a panicked expression.
"Is it too late to leave?" I asked him in a hushed voice. Hunter didn't answer me, but instead, he pulled out his phone and gave it Noah.
"Call my father and tell him to come here, right now," Hunter told him.
"Why..." he didn't get to finish that sentence as he turned and saw my parents stalking toward us. "Shit, they know?!" he exclaimed and immediately opened Hunter's phone.
My eyes flickered to my parents, who were getting closer by each second that passed. My attention was drawn back to Hunter as his hand inched closer to mine and finally took ahold of it.
"I'm here with you. You can do this," he told me through our bond and squeezed my hand tighter as my father came to stand before me.
"No, I can't".
As my father squinted down at me, his eyes moved to our intertwined hands and then they fell on Hunter, the gaze fueled by more anger now.
"Are you Hunter?" he asked and at once I started to shake.
No, no, no, no, no! Turn your attention back to me. Leave him out of it.
"Yes, I'm Hunter," Hunter replied, his voice staying as confident as ever. He seemed so calm and collected. My father sneered at him and then he spat by Hunter's feet, making both of us jump back.
"How dare you? How dare you sit there so calmly after ruining my son?"
Hunter was about to say something, but I beat him to the punch. "After ruining me?" I questioned.
"Alexander, shut up," my father snapped as me, making me flinch.
"Mr. Richardson..." Don started from behind me, but all it took was an angry glare from my father to shut him up. My father's eyes fell on Hunt again, who now seemed angrier than before. He actually seemed as angry as the day our bond was formed.
"With no respect sir, I didn't ruin your son. In fact, I'm the one that has been trying to fix everything that you have ruined so far," Hunter snapped back and I looked surprised and proud. That's my boyfriend.
My father seemed as if he was about to murder someone, which I wouldn't have minded, but since it was directed to Hunter, I did mind. I minded a fucking lot.
"Where do you even get the nerve? I'm trying to save my son," my father told Hunter.
"I thought I told you I wasn't your son anymore," I snapped at him, inching closer to Hunter so I would be the one against my father.
"Alexander..." my mother muttered from behind my father, clearly hurt by my words. But I didn't care. Had they cared when they constantly hurt me?
"What is wrong with you?" my father asked me, with a disgusted tone in his voice. Just then did I notice Hunter's father was approaching us. I let out a puff of air, relieved, but that soon dispensed as my father spoke up again. "What has this fag even done to you?"
"Mr. Richardson!" Aaron yelled, folding his arms before his chest as he came to stop right behind my father. As we all turned to look at him, I could have sworn my heart stopped beating. He had an expression that put any tyrant to shame. So, this is where Hunter gets that scary side. Fully noted.
"Who are you?" my father asked. Even though, our fathers were about the same height, Aaron, with his upright stance and scornful expression, seemed to be a lot taller than my father.
"I'm this 'fag's' father," he growled, making air quotations with his fingers. "I'm also someone who has no issue with calling the police on you for abusing your own son". My father actually took a step back.
"Abusing my own..." he said, not actually believing what he was hearing. "I'm not at fault for yours and your wife's failed attempt at parenting!"
I felt Hunter's hand go limp in mine and for a spare second my eyes flickered to him. Color had drained from his features and he seemed as if he was about to cry. God, I hated my father so fucking much.
Aaron moved forward all till he was barely an inch away from my father. A vein was popping on his forehead and all that color that had disappeared from Hunter's features was now on Aaron's.
"If you ever as much as mention my wife again, I will personally make sure they bury you right next to her". His voice had been low and dangerous and it made my father take another step backward. "Come on boys, we're leaving," Aaron said and we didn't need to be told a second time.
"It's all your fault!" we heard from behind us and everything started moving slowly.
I barely managed to turn around as someone yanked Hunter away from me, only to see Matt's fist connect with Hunter's jaw. I couldn't move fast enough as Hunter hit the ground and Matt sat on top of him, his fists still landing on Hunt's face.
As soon as I shook off the initial shock, I kicked Matt in his ribs, pushing him away from Hunter and I fell next to him. I was sure someone was holding back Matt, but I didn't bother to check who it was. My eyes were glued on Hunter as if, if I stopped looking at him he would disappear.
He had a huge red mark on his cheekbone, with blood oozing out of it. Most of his face was covered in blood, from his nose who was letting out more blood than I ever thought was possible.
Someone was screaming that we should call for an ambulance –maybe that was me-. Hunter opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.
"Hey, don't talk... don't talk," I told him through our bond.
"I look like shit, don't I?" he asked, letting out a pained laughter. I shook my head.
"No, no, you're as handsome as always. You're going to be okay..." I whispered back, running a thumb over his cheek. His eyelids turned heavy and he huffed tiredly. "Hunter? Hunter!" I yelled out, seeing as he began to lose consciousness.
After the medics took him away, with his father tagging along in the ambulance, Calla pulled me up, and she dragged me to her car. I didn't protest and I didn't say anything as she drove towards the hospital. I could hear a throbbing in my head as Calla drove and drove. Noah was sitting behind me, occasionally tapping on my shoulder to check if I was okay –not that I responded more than letting out a soft grunt.
"Alex, he's going to be okay," Calla said, once she pulled over and stopped the car in the parking lot of the hospital.
"We don't know that yet," I muttered and got out.
They both followed me as I tried to navigate through the building. A nurse had told us Hunter should be at the ER, but as we got there another nurse informed us that he was taken to the ICU and his father was at the waiting room there.
I didn't bother saying anything and once again I was navigating through the white hallways and the nurses and doctors. That's until I reached an open space, where I saw Aaron sitting in one chair with his hands covering his face. Immediately, I froze as a shiver running down my spine. With Calla and Noah nudging me, we got closer to him, until he heard us.
"How..." my voice cracked, the sound scratching my throat. "How is he?"
"They took him for some scans and test, but because he fell unconscious twice on the ride here they are not sure," he explained and I went and fell down next to him.
"I'm so sorry," I gasped as I covered my face with my palms.
"Why are you apologizing?" Calla asked and I heard her come closer to me. I didn't raise my head, I just sobbed against my palms.
"Had I not said anything... had I kept it a secret... my parents wouldn't have shown up and Matt wouldn't have..." I muttered between sobs. I felt a big hand land on my back softly and I pulled up to look at who was touching me.
"None of this is your fault. You cannot blame yourself for the actions of others. You cannot blame yourself for the bigotry of others. Yes, I am sad about what happened to Hunter, but I'm so proud of you, son," Aaron told me and pulled me in a hug. "Could you... could you leave us alone for a second?" Aaron asked Calla and Noah as I pulled back.
Both nodded and took off, muttering something about going to get coffees. When I turned back to Aaron he gave me a look that told me I should go ahead and tell him whatever I was thinking about. So, I did that.
"I can't do this without him, Aaron. I can't. I'm not as brave as he is. I'm not as strong as he is. It might look like I am, but without him, I... I feel so scared". He frowned at me and after a few moments flicked his tongue and took a deep breath.
"Maybe, maybe Hunter is brave, but just because he is brave that doesn't mean he isn't scared. That doesn't mean you're anything less than he is. Has he told you how he came out to my and Estelle?" I nodded, not wanting to say anything yet. "Did he also tell you that he was so scared about how we would react, that once he told us he's gay he started crying? Did he also tell you that he wouldn't stop shaking even after he told him that no matter what we loved him? I... I think sometimes people confuse being brave with not being scared. Being brave is knowing you're scared and choosing to ignore it".
Hearing how even Hunter had cried when he came out made me feel a little bit better. Not because he had been scared, but because I had been a complete crybaby Saturday night and I kind of felt weird about it now.
"Coming out to your parents took a lot of guts. It took a lot of strength. And you might not see it now, but things will turn around. Things will get better and you will be happier..." his voice dimmed down until he stopped talking and his eyes focused behind me.
With an uneasy feeling, I turned around and saw my mother alongside Aunt Claire standing a few feet away from us. I gulped and took a deep breath, figuring since my father wasn't around, things would probably be better. I also did have my aunt for support. And Aaron didn't seem too keen on leaving my side.
This should be interesting...
A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, I had to leave it at that. Also, I'm sorry for the last few chapters, I know they have been kind of angsty and chaotic but trust me, it will get better. Yes, this story does have a happy ending... sort of.