~One week later~
"OH MY FUCKING FUCK-FACE!" I yell when I see my reflection for the first time. Since it's been a little while, the bruises have gotten darker and more evident. I did not expect to see my face and especially my stomach covered in purple bruising. At least the worst patches aren't on my face.
"What is it?" Lauren comes running into the room, to find me standing in front of the mirror. Yes I can actually move now. It's about time I can walk.
"My poor face!" I wail, touching my cheeks lightly. Lauren stifles a giggle, "didn't you expect this Bree?"
"Hell no!" I gasp.
"Well it was bound to happen, it'll heal over the next few weeks and in a month it'll look like it never happened." She smiles.
"A freaking month?!" I groan, sitting back down on the bed.
"Well guess what! I have 2 sets of good news!" Lauren smiles, sitting down next to me.
"Mm?"
"One, I got you some really good concealer for your face."
"Thankyou." I sigh, relieved. Yeah I have concealer but I never had to buy one that had super good coverage.
"And two, you can go home!"
"YES. finally!" She smiles at my excitement. Each day has gone so slowly, all I've been doing is eating jelly, like the whole week. I'm not even joking.
Hunter has been MIA since our phone call and I've tried not to think about it. What if he's screwing random girls? What if he lost his feelings for me?
What did I do wrong?
----
I limp into the house after mum drove me home from the hospital.
"aye bryan?" I ask. "Have you seen Hunter lately?"
"Nah I haven't actually." He looks confused. "Not since the party, I've been more worried about you."
"Oh." so where the hell is he? After a while of fidgeting around in my room, I really start to worry. What if he ran away? Or what if he's hurt or sick or dying?!
"Hey mum, I'm just going to drive over to Hunter's place."
"Sure, drive safe and don't do anything that'll hurt you."
"Of course." I smile before looking over myself in the mirror. The concealer works like magic. I'm wearing one of Hunter's hoodies which he left in the hospital room, and jeans with vans. I know he's ok, he has to be ok. I take a deep breath, praying that he's at home.
I hobble out to my car, speed right to Hunter's house, tapping on the steering wheel nervously.
I don't see his car on the street which worries me but then I remember that he has a garage. I knock on the front door to be greeted with Leah.
"Hey Leah." I force a smile.
"Hey hun, how are you feeling?"
"Much better, still walking around like a penguin."
"I feel so bad for you, you're a fighter." She smiles sadly.
"I don't want to nag, but have you seen Hunter?"
"Yeah he said he was going out today. He hasn't been himself lately though, now that I think of it."
"Did he say where he was going by any chance?"
"No he didn't actually, but he usually doesn't anyway so I wasn't worried." She replies, pressing her lips into a thin line.
I go up the stairs and into Hunter's room which looks pretty normal. Piles of clothes are scattered around the floor, the bed messy and un made. I sit on his bed and rack my brain. Where else could he be?
He's not here, he's not with me or Bryan or his mum...If I wasn't in any usual places, I would be-
"Bingo." I mutter, saying bye to Leah. "I think I know where he might be." I say before I climb into my car.
I drive to the only other place that I, and hopefully Hunter, will be. I hop out of the car an hour later, and start walking through the grass and onto the thin path leading into an ocean of trees. I look around, taking everything in, and the memories come flooding back.
I remember racing Hunter down this path and into our favourite 'secret' hang out. He would win but slow down at the end so I could catch up. Then we would unpack our backpacks usually consisting of an array of junk foods, and watch the sun go down before riding our bikes back home in time for bed.
As I make my way into a small clearing, I can just make out a small figure dressed in black, sitting on the grass. Please be Hunter...
As I come closer, I realise it's a random stranger, and I feel like an idiot. This place mustn't be so secret after all. You haven't reached the main spot yet. A small voice nags at me and I finally listen to it, continuing on the dirt trail, despite the pain flaring up my body.
I remember clearly that we used to turn off in between the two blackberry bushes, careful not to touch them. I veer off the track, and am surprised when I see that the bushes have been parted, like someone's been here. Hunter.
I find the clearing and smile at how much joy this place brought us, and how important it was to our childhood. Hunter actually found this place first, and introduced it to me when I was angry one day, then it became a normal place to go. It was nice having something just between the two of us.
I walk over to the grassy area that overlooks the town that I now call home. The sun is just beginning to set, the sky still bright blue. I sit down, worried to death about Hunter and where he is. If he's not at home and not here, did he run away? He's okay, he's strong and can look after himself. I sigh, laying back onto the soft bed of grass, resting my sore body. Where are you?
In less than a minute, I feel someone come up behind me and I get up, ready to punch the shit out of some kind of psycho.
"Whoa, careful there clumsy." It's Hunter...I feel my lips turn all the way up, into the widest grin ever, and I run into his arms. He embraces me tightly, smiling into my hair, before putting me back on the ground.
"What-where were you? Are you okay?" My mouth floods with questions and I force myself to shut up and listen.
"I drove here this morning, and I've just been hanging around here. And yeah I'm fine." He smiles but something in his eyes tells me there's more.
"Let's be real, you aren't some hippie dude who just hangs out in the forest." I cross my arms.
He sighs before saying, "I feel really bad alright? I should've looked out for you and told you not to take that drink. But me being a dumbass, thought everything was fine. I was blind B, and it nearly cost you your life."
"It's not your fault Hunter. You didn't really know Trevor and I didn't expect it from Georgia, so it's okay." I take his rough hands in mine. His knuckles are red and scabbed from beating up Trevor.
"What if you died B? Then what would I do?" His eyes turn glossy and my heart breaks to see him this upset, this vulnerable. All his emotions are on display as he looks at me with such intensity I think I might cry.
"I didn't die ok? See, I'm right here." I say, smiling at him.
"You weren't alive by much. Seeing you connected to a bunch of machines messed with my head. I'm sorry I didn't stay."
"You have nothing to apologise for." I reply, "nothing at all." And with that, I crash my lips onto his and we move in sync. Practice makes perfect they say.
Hunter pulls away and says, "I can't- I mean, you should be with someone better. You deserve someone better."
"I don't want to be with anyone else." Hunter then kisses me once more, with such passion that my heart practically explodes.
---
ok, here's the dealio. i love hunter and bree, but they don't have a bloody ship name. fr, someone think of one and comment here!
i'm thinking of finishing the book soon, maybe at like 25 chapters. would you's be interested in a sequel?
ok one more thing. majority of the teen fiction books i've read all have smut. i honestly dont wanna write it tho, and it'll be hella awkward to write...so idk if ill write it. pls dont be disappointed if i dont lmao.
ily all,
-L