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Anna's heart felt as if it was crumbling. Piece by piece, she was falling apart. And it was all because of him. He'd said he would never hurt her, but he had.
He hurt me worse than Mason did.
Her head ached from the crying she'd done the night before. She could barely bring herself to get out of bed and go be with her family. But she had to. She put makeup on to cover up the dark circles, and she drank two cups of coffee to make herself wake up.
He kissed me. That's what I've always wanted, right? I wanted him to want me. But not like that. Not when he was drunk. Not when he probably doesn't remember what he did. I want him, I still do. But I want him to know what he's doing. I want him to remember the next day. I want him to cherish the moment forever. I didn't want our first kiss to be like that.
I really don't think he wanted it at all.
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Hunters Christmas Day had started out horribly. He had a splitting headache, and the first thing he'd done was throw up. He couldn't even keep his coffee down.
How sad is that?
He had no idea what had happened the night before, or how he'd gotten home. All he knew was that he had been drunk. Very, very drunk.
I hope I didn't do anything stupid. I hope Anna got home ok.
He made his way to his parents, where they opened presents and then headed to the airport to fly down to Louisiana. The moment he left Nashville, he missed her.
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Text Message From: Anna:
Anna: how was your Christmas?
Hunter: pretty good. I'm about to leave to come home for New Year's Eve. The guys and I usually have a party.
Anna: oh, that's cool.
Hunter: how was your Christmas?
Anna: it was alright. The food was good. I got some clothes.
Hunter: were your cousins annoying?
Anna: I've never felt so degraded since Mason tried to rape me.
Hunter: where do they live? I can go like, murder them or something.
Anna: you say that so casually.
Hunter: well I've been planning Masons death for a while now.
Anna: make sure you let me help when you do it.
Hunter: sure thing babe.
Anna: babe?
Hunter: yeah, like the piglet.
Anna: oh so I'm a piglet now?
Hunter: well no. Piglets are chubby, and you don't fit that description. Also you don't snort. Unless you're laughing really hard.
Anna: you're an idiot.
Hunter: I get that a lot.
Anna: yeah, I'm sure you do.
Hunter: anyway, now that I've thoroughly hurt your feelings, let's change the subject. What did your cousins do/say?
Anna: they found creative redhead nicknames and jokes. My least favorite of all of them, Liam, googled redhead nicknames. I almost stabbed him with my butter knife.
Hunter: what did they say? You're avoiding it.
Anna: idk. They just said a bunch of really stupid things.
Hunter: stupid things covers a lot of things.
Anna: well they said a lot of things.
Hunter: I'll be specific. What was the worst one? Like, what made you really mad?
Anna: I don't want to tell you.
Hunter: tell me. Come on Anna!
Anna: it's embarrassing.
Hunter: it can't be that bad.
Anna: he called me fire crotch.
Hunter: hang on a second.
Anna: ok.....
Hunter: I have to decide between acid or scorpions.
Anna: what?
Hunter: how we're going to kill him. Come on Anna, keep up with the conversation!
Anna: I wasn't aware that we were killing him.
Hunter: well we are.
Anna: I appreciate you.
Hunter: aww, thanks.
Anna: no I really do. My family all just kind of laugh when he says stuff like that.
Hunter: I don't like your family.
Anna: you've never met them.
Hunter: and I already don't like them.
Anna: see, you're the type of person who understands me.
Hunter: yup. Now I have to go, my flight is leaving.
Anna: ok! I'll see you when you get back.
Hunter: yup. And maybe you can come to the New Years party.
Anna: idk.
Hunter: think about it. Now I have to go.
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Hunter crawled into his bed tiredly, undressing as he did. His flight had ended up being delayed, so he'd arrived in Nashville at three in the morning. He was exhausted. He tossed his shirt and jeans into the corner and pulled his blankets around him, sighing and closing his eyes. Sleep overcame in, filled with dreams of her.
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Anna walked slowly into her kitchen, turning the coffee maker on and opening the fridge to find something to eat. It was New Year's Eve, and she had no plans. But she was ok with that. She usually just laid in her bed and watched the fireworks through her window. And that was exactly what she planned on doing that night. She would fall asleep to the sound of fireworks echoing in the night.
And alone. I'll fall asleep alone. I bet Hunter will have some girl with him. Some gorgeous girl will be his first kiss of the new year. And I'll be laying in my bed wishing that I was cuddling with him. He's probably a great cuddler. He looks very comfortable. And that chest is lovely.
Anna spent the day cleaning her apartment and thinking about Hunter. She found herself to be very pathetic, but she didn't really care. She was twenty-three, she was allowed to be a bit pathetic when it came to guys. Especially since she didn't have one. She was just sitting down in front of her TV to watch the New Year's Eve show when someone knocked on the door. She groaned and stood up, walking over and opening the door.
"Hey," Hunter said cheerfully, "watcha up to?"
"Uh, I was just watching the New Year's Eve thing on tv," she told him.
"Oh, well go put some real pants on. We're going to my apartment," he told her.
"Why?" She asked.
"The guys are there, with their significant others. And Andy brought Jett. You'll have more fun with us, trust me. Now go change out of those sweatpants!" He said, gesturing down the hall to her room.
She sighed and reluctantly let him come in before walking down the hall to her room. She put on a pair of light skinny jeans and a black long sleeved waffle knit t shirt. She grabbed her phone off of the charger and walked into the kitchen. Hunter was looking in the fridge, chewing something.
"Why do you feel the need to steal my food?" She asked.
"Cause that cake is delicious!" He told her, grabbing what she guessed was his second piece from the tray.
"Put the cover back on," she sighed.
He smirked and covered the cake up, shutting the fridge and taking a large bite of the chocolate cake she'd made.
"Was that for something?" He asked through his mouthful.
"No," she shrugged.
"So you just bake for fun?" He asked.
"Yup. I love baking. It makes me not think about things. And it calms me down," she told him.
He nodded and held out the last bite to her. She eyed him as she took it from him, popping it in her mouth.
"It is good, isn't it?" She said.
He nodded and wiped his hands on his jeans.
"Alright, let's go. I don't trust them alone at my apartment," he told her.
She nodded and followed him out to his car. She felt inexplicably happy as they drove in silence over to his apartment.
He shared that cake with me. He'd bitten off of it, too. I feel special for some reason. I don't know why, but he makes me feel special.
"You look happy," he told her.
"I am," she admitted.
"Mind if I ask why?"
"Because I was going to spend my evening completely alone. But now I get to hang out with friends. Although I am a bit scared to meet the girlfriends. Girls scare me," she told him.
He laughed. "Nah, they're cool. You really don't need to worry. They're awesome."
"Has that ever stopped me from worrying before?" She asked.
He sighed. "No. It hasn't. But that's not your fault."
"I could like... I mean if I worked harder to like... I don't know, do something about it. I could get better maybe," she said quietly.
"What do you mean worked harder? Anna, you going to this party with me, and knowing that there's going to be people you don't know is an accomplishment," he told her seriously.
"I... I don't know Hunter," she mumbled.
"You need to learn that you're not a failure Anna. Too many people have told you that, and not enough people have told you that you're actually the opposite," he said matter of factly.
She didn't reply.
He's so nice to me. Why is he so nice? He looks great tonight. That shade of blue looks good on him. Also those jeans. Does he try to kill me?
"You don't believe me," he said quietly.
"I don't not believe you. I just don't quite have the confidence to believe you," she admitted.
"Mm," was all he responded with.
Ok. Whatever that means.
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Those jeans will be the death of me. They fit her so nicely. She just looks perfect all the freaking time! Her hair looks so nice, too. I could run my fingers through it forever. I would, if she'd let me. Just being friends totally sucks. She ate that cake earlier though. She ate it even though I'd bitten off of it. Does that mean something? Anything? Probably not.
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Hunter noticed that Anna started slowing down as they walked into his apartment. She was nervous, he could tell by the way she bit her lip and wrung her hands nervously. He placed his hand on her lower back and urged her forward.
"It's fine. They're cool," he whispered as they entered his spacious living room.
She nodded and he led her over to an open space on one of the couches. Matt was sitting next to Devo on the couch across from them, with Devo's girlfriend Abby. Andy and Melissa were next to Sam on the other couch. Jett was on Andy's lap. Steve was next to Hunter and Anna on their couch.
"Abby and Melissa, this is Anna. She's worked on like, every tour," Hunter said with a laugh.
They said hi to Anna, and Hunter noticed her relax a bit once some conversation picked up with the group.
"Is there any food?" She asked him quietly after a while.
"We talked about ordering pizza earlier but we never did," he told her.
"So there's no food?" She asked.
"I'll see if anyone wants pizza," he said.
"Does anyone want pizza?" He asked everyone.
Everyone said a passionate yes, so Hunter got up to call. He ordered a few pizzas and after he was finished, he went to the kitchen to get some drinks.
"Need help?" Anna asked, startling him as he scanned the bottles of wine in his cabinet.
"Choose one or two of those that's good. You're better at wine than me. I'll grab chips," he said.
"Usually you eat cheese with wine," Anna pointed out as she ran her fingers over the labels on the wine bottles.
"I don't have any good cheese. We'll have to settle with chips," he told her.
"Men are so hopeless," she whispered.
"What's that Anna? Something you'd like to say to my face?" he asked sassily.
She turned to look at him, raising one eyebrow.
"I said that men are hopeless," she told him with a smirk.
"Maybe we are. But we're also irresistible," he said cockily, "now choose some wine."
She turned back to the cabinet and grabbed two bottles while he grabbed wine glasses from the cabinet.
"You're impossible," she told him as she brushed past him and walked into the living room, leaving him in a cloud of whatever intoxicating perfume she wore.
He smirked a bit and walked into the living room, setting the bowls of chips down before bringing the wine glasses in.
"Pizza and wine. What a glamorous evening," Andy commented when the pizza arrived.
"You don't have to eat," Hunter said with a laugh.
Andy rolled his eyes and took a bite of pizza.
"You didn't order any cheese?" Anna complained as she looked at the pizza.
"Oops, I'll have to take your pepperoni's," Hunter apologized.
Anna sighed and grabbed a piece, taking the pepperoni's off and putting them on his plate. He smirked a bit.
She's so cute. Look at her, sitting there looking out the window while she chews. She's so gorgeous.
"Hunter. Eyes on the prize man," Steve whispered from beside him.
"What?" He asked, turning to look at him.
"Stop staring at her," Steve said.
Hunter blushed and looked down at his pizza, taking a bite and resisting the urge to look at her.
Maybe I can sneak a New Years kiss later.