Hunter was sitting on the couch in Philippa's apartment. His head leaned back and his eyes closed. In his mind, he dreamed of a small patch of grass in the woods. There was sunlight shining through the tall trees and the faint echo of birds chirping and tweeting. It was peaceful. It was quiet. He was reclining on a red blanket, leaning back on his elbows with legs outstretched in front of him. He reached over and took a sip from a glass of lemonade. It tasted fresh and sweet. He set it down and looked to his other side to see a plate with a turkey club sandwich on it. He picked it up and took a bite. The combined crunch of the bacon and the lettuce and the lightly toasted bread made him smile.
"Did I do okay?" Hunter finished chewing and looked up before swallowing. He saw the silhouette of a girl. The sunlight behind her made her blonde hair glow like gold.
"It's delicious. Much better than I could do." Hunter said with a smile. He set it down on the plate and held out his hand after brushing crumbs off on his shorts.
"Oh, please. I'm shocked I didn't cut my hand off." She said with a smile. She took his hand and fell into position on the blanket next to him. She stumbled at the last minute and her hair fell and obscured her face. Hunter smiled at her as she sighed and tried to blow the hair out of her face.
"Let me help." He said as he reached a hand up and brushed a few locks behind her ear. He kissed her on the cheek before repeating the action on the other side of her face. He saw the radiant smile, he had come to love. The soft smooth skin he longed to caress. The hair he wanted to bury his face in and bask in the smell of. "Ellie, how did you get so beautiful?" He asked with a smile, looking into her bright blue eyes that seemed to look like the ocean in the reflection of the sunlight. She giggled softly before kissing him on the nose.
"Well, there's the wrinkle cream and the facial cleanser...." She said teasingly. Hunter laughed before rolling on top of her and kissing her on the lips. He could feel her hands on his back and his shoulders. Hunter had never felt happier. He broke the kiss and smiled against her lips. Suddenly, her arms slid off his body and fell to her sides. He pulled away from her and looked into her face. It was no longer perfectly tanned and full of life. It was pale, dark, sick. His hands felt warm against the red blanket. He pulled back onto his knees and looked at his hands. They were covered in blood. The red of the blanket flowed away into a pool around her body. Hunter fell backward off the blanket and watched in horror as the pool of blood grew larger and larger, flowing closer to him inch by inch.
Hunter woke up with a slight start. His body was covered in a cold sweat and he could feel tears around his eyes. He was back in Philippa's apartment.
"Hunter? You alright?" He looked down to see Philippa looking up at him from her spot on the couch, her head on his leg. Hunter blinked a few times before nodding.
"Yeah, I just...zoned out for a second." He said, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye and forcing a smile across his face. He looked up to see Monsters, inc. playing on the TV. He sighed quietly, remembering back to one of his first nights with Philippa. They had watched that movie and she had fallen asleep next to him. He carried her to her bed. She looked so peaceful. "I'll be right back. I uh...I need to use the restroom." He said in the quiet tone he had gotten over with Arabella. Philippa lifted her head and sat up.
"Hurry back. I don't want you to miss the best part. 'I'm Mike Wazowski!'" She said with a grin. Hunter forced a laugh and stood up. He walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He shut the lid to the toilet and sat down. He took a deep breath and buried his face in his hands. He felt like garbage.
"So, you're dating a girl's half-sister because she doesn't want you? Not only that, but every time she kisses you, hugs you, touches you in anyway you're imagining it's her half-sister." Hunter looked over to see Imaginary Hunter laying in the bathtub. He shook his head and folded his sunglasses before putting them in the collar of his shirt. He lifted up his foot and tied the red converse shoe with a wing on the heel before setting it back down on top of his other foot. "That's pretty low, man." He said with a nod.
"I know that. Don't you think I know that? That's why I feel like crap. I'm lying to her." Hunter said with a sigh. He leaned back against the toilet tank. "I can't believe that I would do this. It's been two days. I have no feelings for her. Whatsoever. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves to be with someone who actually wants to be with her. She liked me out of convenience and then she threw me away." He said with a shrug. "She came back. I took her back. I'm just a schoolgirl crush for her. I was the only guy she liked because I was the only guy she knew."
"It seems you know what you have to do then, eh?" IH said with a shrug. He stood up and brushed off his brown leather jacket and adjusted his watch. He rubbed his pendant for good luck and smoothed it against his shirt. "Let's go, then. You have a girl to break up with." He said with a half-smile. Hunter nodded and stood up before walking out of the bathroom. He looked at Philippa for a brief moment before sitting down next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. Hunter closed his eyes and took a deep breath before sliding away from her. He turned to look at her.
"Hunter, what's wrong?" She said, shutting off the movie. "Are you sick? I can call Dana and she-"
"I'm fine, Philippa, but I...I've been lying to you." He said quietly. She furrowed her brow and looked at him with sad eyes. "When you broke up with me, I...I was hurt. I had never put myself out there like that and when you broke it off, I was expecting it, but that didn't make it hurt less."
"I'm so sorry for all of that. I never-" Hunter shook his head.
"That's not it. After I left camp, I thought that I would never be able to like someone like that again. That was until about 2 weeks ago. I don't love you. I can't love you...I can't love you because I love Arabella." He said quietly, a lump forming in his throat. He looked at her. She seemed confused and sad.
"Arabella? How...But why...I-"
"I'm so sorry, Philippa. I didn't want to keep lying to you and I didn't want to keep lying to myself. I felt bad leading you on these past 2 days...And I didn't want to do it anymore. If you never want to see me again, I'll totally understand and I won't bother you ever again." Hunter said slowly before glancing up at her once and standing up. "Goodbye, Philippa." He said before turning to leave.
"I understand." Hunter turned around to see her looking at him and nodding. She stood up and stepped close to him. "I was awful to you. You didn't deserve me asking you to give up everything one second and then letting you go the next. You shouldn't be sorry." She said smiling softly up at him. "I should be. I'm sorry, Hunter. I really am." She straightened his jacket and patted him on the chest a few times before chuckling quietly. "If you still feel torn up about it, how about this? You go find Arabella and once you two are together, you ask her to give me a job. I'm great with hair." She said giving him a wink and a kiss on the cheek. Hunter blinked a few times before letting a smile spread across his face. He looked down at her and hugged her.
"Thank you, Philippa." He said quietly. He broke the hug and sprinted out of the apartment. He was high on the thought of seeing her. He had a good feeling about this. He imagined himself walking in and telling her that he loved her and she would respond in kind and they would be together and they would put in a movie or they would watch TV and he would make fun of the women on The Bachelor. I would be happy and easy and simple and natural. He wouldn't have to force happiness. He wouldn't have to think about his words before saying them. He could be himself because that's who she loved.
In a few minutes, he was at the door of her building. He froze and looked up at her balcony where a tarp flapped in the wind due to the broken window. "Hunter?" Hunter looked to see Tom looking at him. He was still wearing the jacket that he had given him days earlier. "Where have you been? That jagoff Chad has been around and Ms. Foster has been miserable." Hunter smiled slightly. He felt bad that she was miserable, but at the same time he was glad because he knew why. He smiled big before hugging Tom tightly. Tom stiffened in surprise before hugging back.
"Tom, they don't pay you enough." Hunter said with a grin. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I have a more pressing matter. No offense. I'll see you around!" with that Hunter sprinted into the building and up the stairs. After a few seconds, he was at her door. He took a deep breath and knocked. The door creaked open to a silent apartment. He raised an eyebrow. "Ellie? You here?!" He asked the silence as he walked inside. He heard the faint sound of running water and smiled. He walked toward the bathroom and stood outside. "You know, you really should lock your door." He said with a grin. No response. He looked down to see a small pool of water running from under the door. Water and...Oh, no. Hunter pushed open the door and looked at her in the tub. "ELLIE! NO! NO! NO! NO!" He shouted as he hurried over and knelt down by the tub. He shut off the water and pulled her out of the water. "Why did you do this?! This isn't how this was supposed to happen!" He shouted frantically as he pulled off his jacket and used it to wrap her wrist. He cradled her limp body in his arms. Her body was cold. He felt her face. Cold. "Wake up, Ellie! You have to wake up! You can't be dead! This isn't fair!" He said as he patted her cheek gently. He checked her pulse. "You're alive!" It was incredibly faint, but it was there. "You...You...You're a demigod! You have to have nectar or ambrosia or something around here! Where is it?!" He gently set her down and burst from the bathroom and headed straight for the kitchen.
He immediately opened one of the cupboards and scooped everything out. "It needs to be here! Somewhere! Where is it?!" He shouted as he scooped everything out cupboard after cupboard. "Come on! Come on!" He searched frantically for the small square until he found it in the back of a cupboard behind a can of chicken noodle soup. He grabbed it and immediately tore it open, making sure not to touch it. He held it in the plastic and ran back to her. He put her head in the crook of his elbow and fed her a small piece of the square. "Come on. Come on. Come on. Be alive. Be alive." He whispered as he held her close to his chest. Nothing. He fed her another piece and held her even tighter, tears starting to well up in his eyes again. "You didn't even say goodbye to me..." He said as a tear poured over his eyelashes. He fed her another piece and held her close. He didn't care that he was wet. He didn't care that he had her blood all over him. He just wanted her back.
Chapter 44 - Arabella
There were shouts and camera shutters from the ground level of the building. Her phone was ringing off the hook. Her face was all over TMZ and Showbiz Tonight and Access Hollywood. Arabella was curled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her. As her phone vibrated with calls and texts and emails, Arabella turned up the volume on her movie, Some Like It Hot. All she could do was sit in her apartment. It was all she said the energy for. Her whole body felt heavy and sore. The bruises on her neck and face were throbbing, but Arabella didn't bother trying to fix it somehow. She was sure that in the back of one of her cupboards, she still had a little baggie of ambrosia but she didn't want to look for it. The note from Hunter was lying flat on the floor. Arabella had read it so many times, it was hard to tell that it had ever been folded. Her eyes were red from crying and her skin was pale, she looked almost sick. Hunter. Hunter. Hunter. He was the only thing running through her mind. The more she thought about him, the worse she felt. She had kicked him out. She never let him talk to her. She just shoved him out the door. If she had given him a chance then maybe he would be sitting with her right now. Arabella heard her front door open and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Chad. Arabella paused her movie and looked up in fear. But the face she saw wasn't Chad's. It wasn't Hunter's. It was Daniel. Arabella's face softened when she saw him and she sat up. Her blond hair was a mess but she didn't bother fixing it. Daniel walked over to her and settled himself down beside her.
"Oh, Arabella.." Daniel whispered in a sad voice, looking at her messy hair and the expression on her face. Arabella wanted to just collapse in his arms but she didn't want him to know just how broken she was. Daniel moved so that she was closer to her and he looked through his bag, finally pulling out a hair brush and he went to work on her hair, gently pulling out the knots. Arabella turned so that he back was towards him and let him brush her hair, like how he used to at Camp when they would sit on her bed and gossip. Daniel took a breath "I'm really worried about you, hunnie" he said to her softly. Arabella bit her lip, not really sure what to say to him.
"I'll be fine" Arabella told him, trying to sound strong and sure that in a couple days she would be happy again. Daniel scoffed at her and Arabella could practically hear him roll his eyes.
"Arabella..you are a wreck. You look terrible. I haven't seen you eat anything since you came back from your weekend at the beach house. You've got a bruise on your face in the shape of a fist and bruises on your neck in the shape of finger prints. Not to mention you threw a chair out of your apartment yesterday" Daniel said and Arabella closed her eyes, feeling tears sting her eyes "Go find Hunter, Arabella. He made you the happiest and if you don't go look for him, I will. And I can't promise that I'll bring that stud back to you" he said, trying to use a light tone at the end. Arabella shook her head gently.
"I messed up, Danny. I messed up big time and I don't think that he'll ever want to talk to me again" Arabella told him "Besides, he could be anywhere. New York is huge and that's if he even stayed in New York" she added, looking down at her lap as Daniel brushed the ends of her long hair.
"You need to look for him. That boy is crazy about you. If you don't look for him, you will regret it for the rest of your life" Daniel said softly and he hugged her tightly from behind "I love you, sis" he whispered in her ear then he stood up and walked to her door. Arabella looked up at him with sad eyes. "I'll tell the people at work that you're taking a couple days off and that you're fine. Don't come back until you're happy again" he told her and walked out, closing the door behind him. Arabella leaned back against the couch. Daniel was right..she needed to go find Hunter.
The sun was beating on her as she sat outside of the coffee shop with a coffee and an uneaten muffin in her hands. She wore big sunglasses on her eyes, trying to hide from people. Luckily, no one stopped to ask her anything or bug her. Arabella looked around, wondering if Hunter would show up. Maybe this was a place that he went to often. Maybe he would stop to see if she was there. Arabella didn't know but she was trying to hold on to that little bit of hope. She had already walked around the park and looked everywhere she could think of. This coffee shop was the last place that she could think of. Arabella sat there for a couple hours, watching people walk past. Sometimes she would see a dark head weaving through the crowd and her heart would skip a beat but then she would see that he wasn't Hunter and her heart would sink down another level. Eventually, Arabella pushed herself off of her spot and started to walk home. Arabella tossed the uneaten muffin and coffee into the garbage. Daniel had been right. Arabella had hardly eaten anything since she got back from the beach house. After Hunter left, Arabella just wasn't hungry much anymore. Then Chad had told her that she looked like she had been gaining weight and she had cut out most food all together.
She wasn't looking where she was walking. She wasn't paying attention to anything, really. But when she looked up, Arabella was standing in an alley. There wasn't anyone in the alley but on the ground it looked like there was a little bit of dried blood. Now, for an alley in New York City..blood wasn't strange. Something was strange, however. There was something on the ground that was reflecting the light. Arabella knelt down and picked it up. When she saw it, her heart skipped a beat. It was Hunter's pendant. She had never seen it off of him. Arabella held it gingerly in her hands then rubbed it the way that Hunter used to. A dry sob escaped Arabella's lips and with shaking hands, she slipped it over her head and tucked it in her shirt. She stood up and slowly walked back to her apartment.
How much time had passed? A day? Two days? A week? Time seemed to blur together for Arabella. Logically, she knew that not that much time had passed, only one night. But every hour seemed to drag on for days. Arabella didn't sleep the past night. She spent the entire night lying on the couch and watching movies. she managed to watch the entire Harry Potter series for the first time. It was early in the afternoon now and Arabella was walking down the street. She needed to buy coffee and a couple more movies. Her hair was pulled into a bun and she didn't bother putting makeup on, so her face was pale with dark circles under her blank eyes. Arabella didn't spend much time in the stores. Everywhere she went had tabloid magazines with her face on the cover. Each magazine had a different story about what had happened to Arabella. They were saying that she was on drugs, that she was having a nervous breakdown, that she had gone crazy, etc. Soon enough, she was walking home with a stack of movies in a bag and a large coffee from Starbucks in the other.
As she walked towards her home, she saw something that made her heart leap with joy. She felt happy for the first time in what felt like years. Arabella found him. Hunter was sitting in Central Park, looking at a water fountain. Tears of joy stung her eyes and she started to walk towards him. They could be happy now. Life could be easy again. Arabella nearly tripped over her own feet she was so excited to get to Hunter. All she wanted to do was fall into his arms and tell him that she loved him too, that she missed him and she was sorry. Hunter stood up and Arabella thought that he had seen her, that he was going to come meet her and they would hug. It would be like in the movies. But then Arabella heard giggling and saw a beautiful girl run to Hunter and wrapping her arms around his neck. Arabella caught her breath and looked at the familiar face. Philippa. Maybe they're just friends. The hope in Arabella's heart was fading, but it was still there. It was a small glimmer. But then she saw something that shattered whatever hope she had left. Philippa kissed Hunter. Hunter kissed her back, leaning into her.
The moment she kissed Hunter, Arabella's heart broke into a million pieces. Her whole world seemed to flip upside down and she nearly collapsed right there on the sidewalk. Her knees were weak and she felt like someone had punched her in the gut. She turned away and rubbed Hunter's pendant, which she hadn't taken off since she found it. He didn't want her. He was happy with Philippa. Hunter would probably never want Arabella. He didn't love her. Arabella started down the street towards her apartment. She didn't cry. She was numb. She didn't feel anything except emptiness. Arabella walked into the building and into the elevator, ignoring Tom. She made it to her apartment before she collapsed on the couch. She felt weak and tired and alone. All she wanted to do was fall asleep and never wake up.
The early morning sun hit her face and Arabella moaned. She didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to move. Her whole body felt weak and sore. She didn't want to do anything. Arabella pushed herself off of the couch eventually and on weak legs, she walked to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would calm her nerves. Arabella stepped into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She lifted up her tank top so she could look at her stomach. Arabella was repulsed by what she saw. She let go of the shirt and looked into the reflection of her eyes.
"You stupid, ugly, pathetic girl" Her Reflection said. Arabella nearly jumped out of her skin and shook her head, now she really was going crazy "Why would Hunter ever love you? What would anyone ever love you? You are a gross, fat piece of trash and you are going to die alone. It's all your fault that Hunter left you. Mind you, he probably would have left even if you didn't say all of those things to him. He would wake up one day and realize that he was with someone as terrible as you and drop you like a hot cake" the voice said harshly. Arabella shook her head more, tears pooling in her eyes.
"No, that's not true" Arabella whispered but Her Reflection cackled and and glared down at Arabella.
"Not true? You and I both know how true it is. Hunter deserves the best and you, my dear, are the farthest thing from it. You could die today and no one would notice. Not a soul would show up at your funeral. No one" Her Reflection laughed. Arabella felt in her heart that it was all true. Tears spilled down her cheeks and Arabella looked at her reflection for a moment before snapping. With a strangled scream, Arabella threw her fists against the glass. She hit it over and over and over again, not feeling the glass piercing her skin or the blood running down her arms. After a few moments, Arabella collapsed against the sink, sobbing. She hated herself. She hated what her life had become.
Arabella glanced down at her cut hands and looked at the sink. It was filled with glass and blood. For some reason, the blood fascinated her. Arabella climbed into the bathtub and sat down by the facet. Gingerly, she turned on the water and let it flow over her sore hands. Maybe she was right. Maybe if she died, no one really would notice. Maybe everyone would be happier to be rid of her. Arabella looked down at the bracelet on her wrist and it seemed to read her thoughts. Without having to really think about it, the bracelet turned into a dagger. Arabella held it in her hand, turning it over in her palm. She watched how the light reflected on the sharp blade. Arabella thought about Hunter. He had taught her how to hold her dagger, how to fight with it, how to use it. Life seemed so much easier back then. But now, all she saw in her future was loneliness. Arabella didn't see a future for herself, really. Thinking about Hunter was the most difficult thing in the world for her. She thought of his face and his smell and how she felt when he hugged her. But now, she would never know that feeling from him again. He was with Philippa. Arabella hoped that she made him happy and that he could live a happy life.
Arabella glanced down at her arm and she did what felt right, what felt natural in that moment. She did the only thing that she thought would make her feel better. Maybe when she got to the Underworld, she would see people she knew. Friends and family. Loved ones that she had lost. The tip of the dagger pierced the skin at her wrist easily. Arabella let out a gasp as her skin broke but she didn't stop. The blood flowed from her arm easily as she dragged the blade down her arm, make a long gash in her skin. Arabella gave a small sob and she leaned against he back of the tub. Everything was fuzzy. Everything was fading. Arabella watched as the blood kept flowing out of her arm and mixing with the water in the tub. She rested her arm on the edge, letting her dagger clatter to the floor. Tears fell from her tired eyes as her entire world started to go black. Arabella slowly turned her head to look at the door and her eyes shut gently.
"Oh, Arabella.." Daniel whispered in a sad voice, looking at her messy hair and the expression on her face. Arabella wanted to just collapse in his arms but she didn't want him to know just how broken she was. Daniel moved so that she was closer to her and he looked through his bag, finally pulling out a hair brush and he went to work on her hair, gently pulling out the knots. Arabella turned so that he back was towards him and let him brush her hair, like how he used to at Camp when they would sit on her bed and gossip. Daniel took a breath "I'm really worried about you, hunnie" he said to her softly. Arabella bit her lip, not really sure what to say to him.
"I'll be fine" Arabella told him, trying to sound strong and sure that in a couple days she would be happy again. Daniel scoffed at her and Arabella could practically hear him roll his eyes.
"Arabella..you are a wreck. You look terrible. I haven't seen you eat anything since you came back from your weekend at the beach house. You've got a bruise on your face in the shape of a fist and bruises on your neck in the shape of finger prints. Not to mention you threw a chair out of your apartment yesterday" Daniel said and Arabella closed her eyes, feeling tears sting her eyes "Go find Hunter, Arabella. He made you the happiest and if you don't go look for him, I will. And I can't promise that I'll bring that stud back to you" he said, trying to use a light tone at the end. Arabella shook her head gently.
"I messed up, Danny. I messed up big time and I don't think that he'll ever want to talk to me again" Arabella told him "Besides, he could be anywhere. New York is huge and that's if he even stayed in New York" she added, looking down at her lap as Daniel brushed the ends of her long hair.
"You need to look for him. That boy is crazy about you. If you don't look for him, you will regret it for the rest of your life" Daniel said softly and he hugged her tightly from behind "I love you, sis" he whispered in her ear then he stood up and walked to her door. Arabella looked up at him with sad eyes. "I'll tell the people at work that you're taking a couple days off and that you're fine. Don't come back until you're happy again" he told her and walked out, closing the door behind him. Arabella leaned back against the couch. Daniel was right..she needed to go find Hunter.
The sun was beating on her as she sat outside of the coffee shop with a coffee and an uneaten muffin in her hands. She wore big sunglasses on her eyes, trying to hide from people. Luckily, no one stopped to ask her anything or bug her. Arabella looked around, wondering if Hunter would show up. Maybe this was a place that he went to often. Maybe he would stop to see if she was there. Arabella didn't know but she was trying to hold on to that little bit of hope. She had already walked around the park and looked everywhere she could think of. This coffee shop was the last place that she could think of. Arabella sat there for a couple hours, watching people walk past. Sometimes she would see a dark head weaving through the crowd and her heart would skip a beat but then she would see that he wasn't Hunter and her heart would sink down another level. Eventually, Arabella pushed herself off of her spot and started to walk home. Arabella tossed the uneaten muffin and coffee into the garbage. Daniel had been right. Arabella had hardly eaten anything since she got back from the beach house. After Hunter left, Arabella just wasn't hungry much anymore. Then Chad had told her that she looked like she had been gaining weight and she had cut out most food all together.
She wasn't looking where she was walking. She wasn't paying attention to anything, really. But when she looked up, Arabella was standing in an alley. There wasn't anyone in the alley but on the ground it looked like there was a little bit of dried blood. Now, for an alley in New York City..blood wasn't strange. Something was strange, however. There was something on the ground that was reflecting the light. Arabella knelt down and picked it up. When she saw it, her heart skipped a beat. It was Hunter's pendant. She had never seen it off of him. Arabella held it gingerly in her hands then rubbed it the way that Hunter used to. A dry sob escaped Arabella's lips and with shaking hands, she slipped it over her head and tucked it in her shirt. She stood up and slowly walked back to her apartment.
How much time had passed? A day? Two days? A week? Time seemed to blur together for Arabella. Logically, she knew that not that much time had passed, only one night. But every hour seemed to drag on for days. Arabella didn't sleep the past night. She spent the entire night lying on the couch and watching movies. she managed to watch the entire Harry Potter series for the first time. It was early in the afternoon now and Arabella was walking down the street. She needed to buy coffee and a couple more movies. Her hair was pulled into a bun and she didn't bother putting makeup on, so her face was pale with dark circles under her blank eyes. Arabella didn't spend much time in the stores. Everywhere she went had tabloid magazines with her face on the cover. Each magazine had a different story about what had happened to Arabella. They were saying that she was on drugs, that she was having a nervous breakdown, that she had gone crazy, etc. Soon enough, she was walking home with a stack of movies in a bag and a large coffee from Starbucks in the other.
As she walked towards her home, she saw something that made her heart leap with joy. She felt happy for the first time in what felt like years. Arabella found him. Hunter was sitting in Central Park, looking at a water fountain. Tears of joy stung her eyes and she started to walk towards him. They could be happy now. Life could be easy again. Arabella nearly tripped over her own feet she was so excited to get to Hunter. All she wanted to do was fall into his arms and tell him that she loved him too, that she missed him and she was sorry. Hunter stood up and Arabella thought that he had seen her, that he was going to come meet her and they would hug. It would be like in the movies. But then Arabella heard giggling and saw a beautiful girl run to Hunter and wrapping her arms around his neck. Arabella caught her breath and looked at the familiar face. Philippa. Maybe they're just friends. The hope in Arabella's heart was fading, but it was still there. It was a small glimmer. But then she saw something that shattered whatever hope she had left. Philippa kissed Hunter. Hunter kissed her back, leaning into her.
The moment she kissed Hunter, Arabella's heart broke into a million pieces. Her whole world seemed to flip upside down and she nearly collapsed right there on the sidewalk. Her knees were weak and she felt like someone had punched her in the gut. She turned away and rubbed Hunter's pendant, which she hadn't taken off since she found it. He didn't want her. He was happy with Philippa. Hunter would probably never want Arabella. He didn't love her. Arabella started down the street towards her apartment. She didn't cry. She was numb. She didn't feel anything except emptiness. Arabella walked into the building and into the elevator, ignoring Tom. She made it to her apartment before she collapsed on the couch. She felt weak and tired and alone. All she wanted to do was fall asleep and never wake up.
The early morning sun hit her face and Arabella moaned. She didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to move. Her whole body felt weak and sore. She didn't want to do anything. Arabella pushed herself off of the couch eventually and on weak legs, she walked to the bathroom. Maybe a shower would calm her nerves. Arabella stepped into the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She lifted up her tank top so she could look at her stomach. Arabella was repulsed by what she saw. She let go of the shirt and looked into the reflection of her eyes.
"You stupid, ugly, pathetic girl" Her Reflection said. Arabella nearly jumped out of her skin and shook her head, now she really was going crazy "Why would Hunter ever love you? What would anyone ever love you? You are a gross, fat piece of trash and you are going to die alone. It's all your fault that Hunter left you. Mind you, he probably would have left even if you didn't say all of those things to him. He would wake up one day and realize that he was with someone as terrible as you and drop you like a hot cake" the voice said harshly. Arabella shook her head more, tears pooling in her eyes.
"No, that's not true" Arabella whispered but Her Reflection cackled and and glared down at Arabella.
"Not true? You and I both know how true it is. Hunter deserves the best and you, my dear, are the farthest thing from it. You could die today and no one would notice. Not a soul would show up at your funeral. No one" Her Reflection laughed. Arabella felt in her heart that it was all true. Tears spilled down her cheeks and Arabella looked at her reflection for a moment before snapping. With a strangled scream, Arabella threw her fists against the glass. She hit it over and over and over again, not feeling the glass piercing her skin or the blood running down her arms. After a few moments, Arabella collapsed against the sink, sobbing. She hated herself. She hated what her life had become.
Arabella glanced down at her cut hands and looked at the sink. It was filled with glass and blood. For some reason, the blood fascinated her. Arabella climbed into the bathtub and sat down by the facet. Gingerly, she turned on the water and let it flow over her sore hands. Maybe she was right. Maybe if she died, no one really would notice. Maybe everyone would be happier to be rid of her. Arabella looked down at the bracelet on her wrist and it seemed to read her thoughts. Without having to really think about it, the bracelet turned into a dagger. Arabella held it in her hand, turning it over in her palm. She watched how the light reflected on the sharp blade. Arabella thought about Hunter. He had taught her how to hold her dagger, how to fight with it, how to use it. Life seemed so much easier back then. But now, all she saw in her future was loneliness. Arabella didn't see a future for herself, really. Thinking about Hunter was the most difficult thing in the world for her. She thought of his face and his smell and how she felt when he hugged her. But now, she would never know that feeling from him again. He was with Philippa. Arabella hoped that she made him happy and that he could live a happy life.
Arabella glanced down at her arm and she did what felt right, what felt natural in that moment. She did the only thing that she thought would make her feel better. Maybe when she got to the Underworld, she would see people she knew. Friends and family. Loved ones that she had lost. The tip of the dagger pierced the skin at her wrist easily. Arabella let out a gasp as her skin broke but she didn't stop. The blood flowed from her arm easily as she dragged the blade down her arm, make a long gash in her skin. Arabella gave a small sob and she leaned against he back of the tub. Everything was fuzzy. Everything was fading. Arabella watched as the blood kept flowing out of her arm and mixing with the water in the tub. She rested her arm on the edge, letting her dagger clatter to the floor. Tears fell from her tired eyes as her entire world started to go black. Arabella slowly turned her head to look at the door and her eyes shut gently.
Chapter 43 - Hunter
Hunter was confused. He thought that he would go up and kick Chad out. That she would readily accept him with open arms. That they would embrace and that he would kiss her all over. She would cut Chad out of her life for the rest of her life. Hunter and she would be together forever and ever. He never would have imagined that she would kick him out of his apartment. Maybe Chad was right. Maybe she didn't want to be with him. Maybe she was done trying with him. Hunter made his way out of the apartment and down the hall. He could feel it all sink in and he could feel the tears welling up in his eyes. The walk down the stairs, which he had done in a minute coming up, felt like days going down. Every step made his head hurt and his body ache.
"What was I thinking? I can't...She doesn't want me. She never did." He said, finally letting tears fall down his cheeks. "Just another daughter of Aphrodite-" His voice cracked. "Another daughter of Aphrodite that broke my heart." He said, tears pouring from his eyes. Part of him was angry. Part of him was sad. Part of him blamed himself for his stupidity. "Just like Aphrodite to lie. 'She likes you. How could you not tell?' because she doesn't! She never did! You just get kicks from breaking my heart! Why don't you just kill me already?!" Hunter finally reached the last floor and sat in the stairwell. "This is all your fault! What have the gods given me except trouble?" He broke down against the wall. "I became a hunter because of YOU. I have done everything you ever asked. I saved countless of your children. I'm not even part of the family. I have given my entire life. Everything. I have given you everything! What do I get in return? Pain. Anguish. Heartbreak. I lived according to what you wanted. Lived my life by your rules. All I got was pain." He finally got up and wiped the tears away. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he left the building. He ignored Tom's greeting and kept walking. He put his hands in his pockets and just walked. He didn't have a shirt. He didn't have shoes. He didn't have a purpose.
"You don't exist. The girl that you gave your heart, crushed it and threw it in the toilet. You don't even have clothes on your back." Hunter looked up to see Imaginary Hunter walking backwards in front of him, wearing his typical brown leather jacket and orange camp t-shirt. "You're homeless and alone again. That means I'm back." He said, folding up his aviators and tucking them into the neck of his shirt. He spun and fell in stride with Hunter. "So, what's your plan, then? You gonna live outside the coffeehouse again, hoping she'll come? She'll realize her feelings and accept you with open arms? It's not happening. Sorry, man."
"I'm working on it. I've been homeless before. I can do it again." Hunter said quietly. IH laughed.
"Yeah. Last time you were homeless, you sat went three days without a meal and got the crap beat out of you." IH shook his head. "That doesn't seem like successful homelessness."
"Just...shut up, would you? I can't focus with you talking in my ear." Hunter said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He had been walking for a while. For once, he wasn't sure where he was in this city. He chalked the confusion up to his anxiety. "This is...I was just here." He said quietly. He looked around. There it was. He slowly walked across the street and to the door. He stepped inside and up the stairs. He stood at the door and took a deep breath. He knocked a couple of times, so quietly he was surprised to see the door open a moment later.
"Hunter? What-" Philippa stood there in front of him with tears in her eyes. It had been hours since he turned her down. "What are you doing here? You told me that it was too late. What do you want?" She said bitterly. What was Hunter doing there? She liked him. He didn't not like her. Where's the problem?
"Philippa, I don't..." He took a deep breath and wiped his face. "Look, can I come in? We need to talk." She stared at him a moment before sighing and stepping out the way. "Thanks." Hunter said as he stepped inside. He walked over and sat down on the couch. "El-" He couldn't believe he made that mistake. "Philippa, I'm so sorry. I thought that..." He took a deep breath. "I made a mistake and I realize now that I..." As he spoke he watched as a small smile broke across Philippa's face. She sat down and hugged him.
"Please, tell me you're saying what I think you're saying." She said, burying her face into his chest. Was he? Hunter really didn't want to live on the street again. He liked her enough. She obviously liked him. Maybe...With time....
"Uh...Yeah, Philippa. I am." He said quietly. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't doing this just for a place to sleep.
"Oh, Hunter! I'm so glad! I was...I didn't know what I would do if..." She said with a sigh. Probably the same things he thought about. She squeezed him tight and looked into his eyes before kissing him lightly on the lips. What made him feel worse was the fact that he was wishing they were Arabella's lips on his.
"What was I thinking? I can't...She doesn't want me. She never did." He said, finally letting tears fall down his cheeks. "Just another daughter of Aphrodite-" His voice cracked. "Another daughter of Aphrodite that broke my heart." He said, tears pouring from his eyes. Part of him was angry. Part of him was sad. Part of him blamed himself for his stupidity. "Just like Aphrodite to lie. 'She likes you. How could you not tell?' because she doesn't! She never did! You just get kicks from breaking my heart! Why don't you just kill me already?!" Hunter finally reached the last floor and sat in the stairwell. "This is all your fault! What have the gods given me except trouble?" He broke down against the wall. "I became a hunter because of YOU. I have done everything you ever asked. I saved countless of your children. I'm not even part of the family. I have given my entire life. Everything. I have given you everything! What do I get in return? Pain. Anguish. Heartbreak. I lived according to what you wanted. Lived my life by your rules. All I got was pain." He finally got up and wiped the tears away. He didn't know where he was going to go, but he left the building. He ignored Tom's greeting and kept walking. He put his hands in his pockets and just walked. He didn't have a shirt. He didn't have shoes. He didn't have a purpose.
"You don't exist. The girl that you gave your heart, crushed it and threw it in the toilet. You don't even have clothes on your back." Hunter looked up to see Imaginary Hunter walking backwards in front of him, wearing his typical brown leather jacket and orange camp t-shirt. "You're homeless and alone again. That means I'm back." He said, folding up his aviators and tucking them into the neck of his shirt. He spun and fell in stride with Hunter. "So, what's your plan, then? You gonna live outside the coffeehouse again, hoping she'll come? She'll realize her feelings and accept you with open arms? It's not happening. Sorry, man."
"I'm working on it. I've been homeless before. I can do it again." Hunter said quietly. IH laughed.
"Yeah. Last time you were homeless, you sat went three days without a meal and got the crap beat out of you." IH shook his head. "That doesn't seem like successful homelessness."
"Just...shut up, would you? I can't focus with you talking in my ear." Hunter said, closing his eyes and shaking his head. He had been walking for a while. For once, he wasn't sure where he was in this city. He chalked the confusion up to his anxiety. "This is...I was just here." He said quietly. He looked around. There it was. He slowly walked across the street and to the door. He stepped inside and up the stairs. He stood at the door and took a deep breath. He knocked a couple of times, so quietly he was surprised to see the door open a moment later.
"Hunter? What-" Philippa stood there in front of him with tears in her eyes. It had been hours since he turned her down. "What are you doing here? You told me that it was too late. What do you want?" She said bitterly. What was Hunter doing there? She liked him. He didn't not like her. Where's the problem?
"Philippa, I don't..." He took a deep breath and wiped his face. "Look, can I come in? We need to talk." She stared at him a moment before sighing and stepping out the way. "Thanks." Hunter said as he stepped inside. He walked over and sat down on the couch. "El-" He couldn't believe he made that mistake. "Philippa, I'm so sorry. I thought that..." He took a deep breath. "I made a mistake and I realize now that I..." As he spoke he watched as a small smile broke across Philippa's face. She sat down and hugged him.
"Please, tell me you're saying what I think you're saying." She said, burying her face into his chest. Was he? Hunter really didn't want to live on the street again. He liked her enough. She obviously liked him. Maybe...With time....
"Uh...Yeah, Philippa. I am." He said quietly. He tried to convince himself that he wasn't doing this just for a place to sleep.
"Oh, Hunter! I'm so glad! I was...I didn't know what I would do if..." She said with a sigh. Probably the same things he thought about. She squeezed him tight and looked into his eyes before kissing him lightly on the lips. What made him feel worse was the fact that he was wishing they were Arabella's lips on his.
Chapter 42 - Arabella
Arabella watched, stunned, as everything unfolded in front of her. She didn't know how to react. She was frozen in shock. Hunter? What was he doing? What was happening? Arabella looked up at him when he asked her if she was okay. She felt a wave of anger and pushed him away "What were you thinking?!" Arabella said, pushing him out of the way. She fixed her dress and knelt down by Chad. Arabella touched his face lightly and bit her lip "This is not good..this is so not good" she mumbled, trying to get her phone out of her purse. Finally, her hand clasped around the small rectangle and she pulled it out, touching the numbers on the screen. Quickly, without stopping to breathe, Arabella rattled off her address to the operator and hung up the phone. Her face was starting to throb and she could feel a sharp pain on the sides of her neck where Chad had held her. Arabella knew that it was going to bruise. She let out a shaky sigh and looked up at Hunter. What was he doing in her apartment? Why did he think that he could just leave her without saying goodbye then just suddenly show up. Her eyes narrowed and she stood up, fixing her dress.
"Get out Hunter" Arabella said softly. She didn't know why she was kicking him out. All she had wanted was to see him again but now that she was looking at him, she was angry and wanted to kick him out. Hunter looked at her with hurt and disbelieving eyes.
"Ellie, I-" Hunter started but Arabella shook her head, cutting him off.
"Get out of my apartment, Hunter. I'm furious with you and if you stay, you're going to be arrested. Leave" Arabella said, pointing to the door. Hunter just looked at her, like he was stunned and didn't know what to say or do. His eyes were filled with worry and hurt and guilt. Hunter seemed to think over what she was saying.
"Can we please just talk, Ellie?" Hunter asked her, his voice quiet. He took a step towards her and Arabella turned away from him, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She shook her head
"NO! We can't just talk, Hunter!" Arabella said, her voice raising. She saw him flinch ever so slightly, stunned by her raising her voice. Tears started to flow easily and Arabella tried to rub them off of her cheeks "I can't talk to you, Hunter! Not after what you did to me! Will you please just LEAVE!" she yelled "I can't..we can't..I can't do this with you anymore, Hunter" she finished, not bothering to wipe her tears anymore. Hunter moved towards her, trying to pull her into a hug and Arabella shook her head, pushing him away from her. "Don't touch me. Just leave. Please" she said in a voice that was harsher than she meant it to be. Arabella took a shaky breath, folding her arms across from her. She didn't look at Hunter. She couldn't. If she did then she would probably have a totaly break down in his arms and she didn't want to do that to him. Not when she knew that he was probably just going to leave again. It seemed like forever before Hunter spoke again.
"Bye, Ellie" Hunter muttered, his voice quiet and sad. Arabella looked up at him as he turned and walked out of her apartment. She tried to take a deep breath, calm herself down. She hardly had the time to process the fact that Chad had hit her. Again. She took him back, trusted him for a third time and for a third time, he hit her. Right now, however, she was focused on getting Chad out of her apartment and out of her life for good. She wasn't going to talk to him again. Arabella also secretly hopped that Aphrodite was giving Apollo and big talking to and telling him to talk to his sons.
The paramedics arrived and loaded Chad onto a stretcher, asking Arabella a few questions. She told them that Chad had been jumped in the park on the way over to her house and he showed up like that. Arabella spoke quickly to the police but she convinced them that she didn't know much of what happened to Chad. Only that she showed up at her apartment like that. As they were taking chad out of her apartment, Arabella watched as a piece of paper fell out of Chad's pocket and floated to the ground. She walked over, picked it up then sat down on the couch, holding it in her hands. It looked like it was worn out a little bit, like it had been folded and unfolded multiple times. Did she really want to look at it? Arabella let out a small sigh and with shaking hands, she unfolded the paper. What she saw was not what she was expecting. It was Hunter's hand writing and there were tear spots all over it. She gingerly held the soft paper in her hands and scanned the words. The more she read, the more tears fell. I felt that I needed to be with you, but I will have to live without you. You deserve to live a good life, Ellie. I want that for you. I hope that you and Chad are really happy together. As Arabella read on, she started shaking more. A lot of it was scratched out, but she could read all of it. Her eyes landed on the words at the bottom. Three little words that meant everything. I love you. Arabella looked at the words again, reading them over and over and over again. I love you. I love you. I love you. Chad kept this from her. He found it and hid it. If Arabella had known, if she knew that he wasn't leaving her...if she knew that he loved her. Well, it wasn't a question about what she would have done. She would have ran down to meet him in the coffee shop and everything would be wonderful and easy. She wouldn't have a bruises forming on her face and neck. She wouldn't be alone.
Sobs rocked through her and Arabella leaned down, resting her forehead on her knees. Her whole body was shaking with sobs, tears pouring down her face. Arabella was so angry at herself. How could she think that Hunter actually left her? He would never have done anything like that. How could she have gone back to Chad? It was the same thing that he said every time that she broke up with him. He was sorry, he wasn't going to hurt her again...blah, blah, blah..lie, lie, lie. Arabella needed to stand up. There were too many thoughts in her head and she couldn't sit still anymore. With tears still pouring down her face, Arabella stood up and started pacing around her living room. Hunter said that he loved her. Arabella kicked him out. He would never forgive her, ever. Arabella folded her arms across her chest tightly as she paced, trying to steady her breathing but nothing was working. She just kept sobbing. Arabella felt a sharp pain in her toe and she looked down to see a chair in her way. Arabella let out a frustrated sigh and tried to kick it out of her way, but it wouldn't budge. Arabella looked down at the chair and kicked it again. It still didn't move. Anger and guilt and sadness coursed through her body and Arabella started kicking and hitting the chair over and over and over again. She sobbed and kept hitting the chair with balled up fists. Why did this have to happen? Why didn't she just say something to Hunter when she had the chance? Why did she go back to Chad? It was all such a blur of tears and hitting and kicking. Arabella then lifted the chair, not sure why she was doing it, then threw it out of the window. It smashed the glass and fell 15 stories to the street below. Arabella stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths. But then she heard the screams and what could possibly be the worst thing...cameras. She stumbled to the balcony, ignoring the glass on the ground and looked over the edge. All she saw were paparazzi camera's pointed up at her. With a sob, Arabella ran back into her apartment and she collapsed on the couch, sobbing until she fell asleep.
"Get out Hunter" Arabella said softly. She didn't know why she was kicking him out. All she had wanted was to see him again but now that she was looking at him, she was angry and wanted to kick him out. Hunter looked at her with hurt and disbelieving eyes.
"Ellie, I-" Hunter started but Arabella shook her head, cutting him off.
"Get out of my apartment, Hunter. I'm furious with you and if you stay, you're going to be arrested. Leave" Arabella said, pointing to the door. Hunter just looked at her, like he was stunned and didn't know what to say or do. His eyes were filled with worry and hurt and guilt. Hunter seemed to think over what she was saying.
"Can we please just talk, Ellie?" Hunter asked her, his voice quiet. He took a step towards her and Arabella turned away from him, tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She shook her head
"NO! We can't just talk, Hunter!" Arabella said, her voice raising. She saw him flinch ever so slightly, stunned by her raising her voice. Tears started to flow easily and Arabella tried to rub them off of her cheeks "I can't talk to you, Hunter! Not after what you did to me! Will you please just LEAVE!" she yelled "I can't..we can't..I can't do this with you anymore, Hunter" she finished, not bothering to wipe her tears anymore. Hunter moved towards her, trying to pull her into a hug and Arabella shook her head, pushing him away from her. "Don't touch me. Just leave. Please" she said in a voice that was harsher than she meant it to be. Arabella took a shaky breath, folding her arms across from her. She didn't look at Hunter. She couldn't. If she did then she would probably have a totaly break down in his arms and she didn't want to do that to him. Not when she knew that he was probably just going to leave again. It seemed like forever before Hunter spoke again.
"Bye, Ellie" Hunter muttered, his voice quiet and sad. Arabella looked up at him as he turned and walked out of her apartment. She tried to take a deep breath, calm herself down. She hardly had the time to process the fact that Chad had hit her. Again. She took him back, trusted him for a third time and for a third time, he hit her. Right now, however, she was focused on getting Chad out of her apartment and out of her life for good. She wasn't going to talk to him again. Arabella also secretly hopped that Aphrodite was giving Apollo and big talking to and telling him to talk to his sons.
The paramedics arrived and loaded Chad onto a stretcher, asking Arabella a few questions. She told them that Chad had been jumped in the park on the way over to her house and he showed up like that. Arabella spoke quickly to the police but she convinced them that she didn't know much of what happened to Chad. Only that she showed up at her apartment like that. As they were taking chad out of her apartment, Arabella watched as a piece of paper fell out of Chad's pocket and floated to the ground. She walked over, picked it up then sat down on the couch, holding it in her hands. It looked like it was worn out a little bit, like it had been folded and unfolded multiple times. Did she really want to look at it? Arabella let out a small sigh and with shaking hands, she unfolded the paper. What she saw was not what she was expecting. It was Hunter's hand writing and there were tear spots all over it. She gingerly held the soft paper in her hands and scanned the words. The more she read, the more tears fell. I felt that I needed to be with you, but I will have to live without you. You deserve to live a good life, Ellie. I want that for you. I hope that you and Chad are really happy together. As Arabella read on, she started shaking more. A lot of it was scratched out, but she could read all of it. Her eyes landed on the words at the bottom. Three little words that meant everything. I love you. Arabella looked at the words again, reading them over and over and over again. I love you. I love you. I love you. Chad kept this from her. He found it and hid it. If Arabella had known, if she knew that he wasn't leaving her...if she knew that he loved her. Well, it wasn't a question about what she would have done. She would have ran down to meet him in the coffee shop and everything would be wonderful and easy. She wouldn't have a bruises forming on her face and neck. She wouldn't be alone.
Sobs rocked through her and Arabella leaned down, resting her forehead on her knees. Her whole body was shaking with sobs, tears pouring down her face. Arabella was so angry at herself. How could she think that Hunter actually left her? He would never have done anything like that. How could she have gone back to Chad? It was the same thing that he said every time that she broke up with him. He was sorry, he wasn't going to hurt her again...blah, blah, blah..lie, lie, lie. Arabella needed to stand up. There were too many thoughts in her head and she couldn't sit still anymore. With tears still pouring down her face, Arabella stood up and started pacing around her living room. Hunter said that he loved her. Arabella kicked him out. He would never forgive her, ever. Arabella folded her arms across her chest tightly as she paced, trying to steady her breathing but nothing was working. She just kept sobbing. Arabella felt a sharp pain in her toe and she looked down to see a chair in her way. Arabella let out a frustrated sigh and tried to kick it out of her way, but it wouldn't budge. Arabella looked down at the chair and kicked it again. It still didn't move. Anger and guilt and sadness coursed through her body and Arabella started kicking and hitting the chair over and over and over again. She sobbed and kept hitting the chair with balled up fists. Why did this have to happen? Why didn't she just say something to Hunter when she had the chance? Why did she go back to Chad? It was all such a blur of tears and hitting and kicking. Arabella then lifted the chair, not sure why she was doing it, then threw it out of the window. It smashed the glass and fell 15 stories to the street below. Arabella stood there for a moment, taking deep breaths. But then she heard the screams and what could possibly be the worst thing...cameras. She stumbled to the balcony, ignoring the glass on the ground and looked over the edge. All she saw were paparazzi camera's pointed up at her. With a sob, Arabella ran back into her apartment and she collapsed on the couch, sobbing until she fell asleep.
Chapter 41 - Hunter
Hunter walked out of Arabella's apartment and threw himself up against the opposing wall. Tears streamed down his face as he slumped down to the ground. He genuinely hoped that no one came out. He didn't want to interrupt anyone. After about 15 minute, he finally regained enough composure to stand back up and walk into the elevator. He leaned up against the wall and hit the button for the ground floor. He could feel tears pool in his eyes. He quickly wiped them away as the doors opened.
He took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator and walking out of the lobby. He had actually gotten used to seeing this. Kelly at the counter. Tom at the door. He had gotten used to it and now he had to leave. He was homeless again. He stepped out of the building and gave a teary nod to Tom who raised an eyebrow.
"Hunter? You doing okay?" Tom said quietly, taking a step toward him. Hunter didn't want to turn around. He knew that if he turned around he would cry again, but he swallowed back a few tears and turned around.
"I uh...Yeah. Just fine." He lied. He was upset that Arabella was with Chad, but it was what she wanted. If she was happy, he was happy. Or at least he was going to try and be happy. "You doing okay, Tom?" He asked trying to change the subject. Tom nodded.
"Oh, yes. Of course, Hunter. It's a cold night out, but I'm okay." Tom said with a shrug. Hunter furrowed his brow and took off his jacket. He offered it out to Tom. "Oh, no. I couldn't. You keep it. Surely, you're cold to." Hunter shook his head.
"No, no. I'm good. I've got thick skin. I spent lots of time...outdoors." Hunter said with a nod. To be honest, he was numb. He hadn't noticed that it was cold outside or that it was even night time. He was shut off. "Just take it." Tom reluctantly grabbed it and slipped it on. It was a little tight, but he looked warmer.
"Thanks, Hunter." Tom said, rubbing his arms. "You know? In all the years that I've worked here. And in all the years that Ms. Foster has lived here. I've never seen her happier than I've seen her in the past couple of weeks." Tom said with a smile and a nod. Hunter closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Goodbye, Tom." Hunter said quietly before turning around and walking away. The tears poured again. He didn't want to go back. Right now, he needed to get as far away as possible. After walking, what felt like hours, he laid down under an overpass and fell asleep.
He woke up the next morning to a grubby-looking man, rifling through his pockets. Hunter didn't care. He could feel the dried tears around his eyes and the pure ache you felt after a long night of crying yourself to sleep. He had never put his heart as far out as he did for Arabella. He had also never been this hurt before. Even with Philippa, they had been drifting apart for a while, so when she decided to end it, sure it hurt, but he was expecting it.
He finally batted the man's hands away and stood up. "I don't even have anything! Go rob someone worthwhile!" He snapped at the man with a raised fist. The man took a few steps back before beating a hasty retreat. Sadly, he recognized him. His name was Adam and he had eaten with him at a homeless shelter, before. He felt bad for him, but if he could have given him help he would have. He shook his head and walked out from under the overpass, the only thing on his mind was Arabella. He tried to shake it from his mind, but she stayed there like cement. He checked his watch and found it to be noon. He ran through where he could get a meal at this time of day. All of the tricks and tips and tactics he had gained in all of the time he was homeless, were gone. He had imagined himself staying with Arabella for so long, that he thought it was okay to forget how to be homeless. Not only that, but his mind was elsewhere. He stood there alone, wishing that she were there. The only thing he had to look forward to was going to the coffee shop and hoping that she might be kind enough to buy him something. Even if he didn't deserve it.
Hunter finally made it to the coffee shop. He was about 30 minutes early. He walked inside and after about 20 minutes of waiting, he was told he had to buy something or leave. He sighed and complied. Outside, he was cold. He stood outside on a bench outside for so long he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was getting dark. He checked his watch. "6:00." He said with a sigh. "She didn't come. So what? Maybe she was just busy." He convinced himself. He sat there for another 30 minutes before standing up and walking to Central Park. He found a spot under a tree and settled in for the night.
The next day, his day was mostly the same. He managed some water from a hotel water fountain and returned to the coffeehouse. He didn't bother going inside and settled in on the bench. After waiting for a long time, he decided to call it quits. "She's got Fashion week coming up. That's a big deal. No messenger, though? She's busy. I'll just...Tomorrow." He said to himself.
"You really think she's gonna show, Hunter?" He looked over to see Imaginary Hunter leaning up against the building and looking at him. "I say you go back to being homeless. She's not going to show up. Chad and her are a thing. You don't expect to give him, a tall and muscular and not-homeless son of Apollo, up for you, a homeless, sickly, little weakling?"
"I just want to talk to her!" He exclaimed, receiving some odd looks from passers by. "She can't even give me that....No. She's coming tomorrow. She wouldn't do that to me. Even if she doesn't care for me like that, I'm still her friend, right? Right?" He said quietly, his eyes welling up with tears again. He took a deep breath and stood up. "Go away, Hunter. I don't want to talk to you." He turned and walked back to his spot in Central Park before settling in for the night.
The next day was hard. He hadn't had a meal in a few days and was starting to feel it. At this point he was wishing that he had never gone with Arabella in the first place. Then he would be used to being hungry and Martha would still be Martha. He sighed and managed to stand up. The walk to the coffeehouse was long and arduous. He got there around 1:45 and settled into the bench out front. He waited and waited and finally at 3 he saw a familiar face.
"Hunter, right?" Chad said with a friendly grin. Hunter felt anger toward him, but tried to push it away. He needed to like this guy if he was going to be friends with Arabella.
"Yeah-Yeah. That's me." He said, his voice dry and underused. "What are you doing here?" Chad chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Oh, you know her. She's holed up in the apartment, busy with fashion stuff. She told me to come and get you." Chad said with a nod. Hunter eyed him cautiously. Hunter assumed that she would make some time for him. It didn't sound like her to just delegate like that.
"What about uh..." Hunter said, gesturing toward Chad. Chad raised his eyebrows.
"Between me and her?" Chad said, calmly. Hunter gave a little nod. "We talked it over. I wanted to see if there was some chemistry. There wasn't. We agreed to be done. We are still friends though." Chad said with a shrug. "Come on, though. She doesn't have forever." He chuckled and helped Hunter up. "Follow me. I know this shortcut." If Hunter were in better shape, he would have recognized how suspicious this was. He followed Chad around the corner and down an alleyway. Chad turned around to look at Hunter and before he could react, Chad punched Hunter in the face. Hunter fell to the ground and could feel tears burns his eyes and the taste of blood hit his lips. "Come on, Hunter. What's wrong?" Chad said as he circled around him. He kicked Hunter in the ribs three times in quick succession, causing Hunter to let out a cry of pain. He lay there on his stomach, sobbing.
"Why are you doing this?" Hunter cried. Chad knelt down and pushed Hunter's face into the ground.
"Did you really think that you could take her away from me? What do you have to offer?" He asked, standing back up again. "Let me guess. A wonderful personality?" He said before stepping on the back of his knee and walking over him. He drove a knee into Hunter's spine and grabbed Hunter's neck. He pulled back, causing Hunter to groan in pain. Chad let go flinging Hunter's face back into the ground. Chad crouched down and grabbed Hunter's hair, pulling him up to look him in the face. "Now, am I going to see you again, anywhere near Arabella?" He said, turning his ear toward him. Hunter could barely move. Chad gritted his teeth and drove Hunter's face into the ground. "Did you hear me?! If I see you near her again, I'm going to kill you! Consider yourself lucky this time." He said before pushing Hunter's face into the ground one more time. He stood up and brushed himself off. "She's done with you. She told me to make sure you didn't bother her anymore. Just forget about her. It'll be easier." He said before straightening his jacket and leaving the alley.
Hunter laid there for what seemed like days. He cried for even longer. He wasn't sure if he was crying because of the pain or Chad's words. All he knew was that he couldn't stay there. He managed to get up to his feet. He felt lightheaded and was sure that there was blood pouring down his face and onto his shirt. His knee could support no weight and his back was causing him to remain hunched over. He walked out from the alley and kept one hand on the building. He managed to walk a block or two before reaching the goodwill store. He rang the bell and promptly collapsed.
"Hunter? Hey, it's Hunter! Come here! Help me!" He heard Mike saying, before Hunter's vision blacked out.
When he woke up, he was on a couch. He woke up to the feeling of air conditioning and a bandage around his head. His eyes shot open and he sat up. "Ellie?!" He asked looking around. The apartment was unfamiliar, but by the couch, sleeping in a chair was a familiar figure. "Philippa." He said quietly. He used the armrest and managed to stand up, but his knee was too weak. He fell back onto the couch with a cry of pain loud enough to wake Philippa up. She sprung from her chair and blinked a few time before hurrying over.
"Hunter, are you okay? What happened to you? I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She said quickly, lightly caressing his face. Hunter looked into her eyes and pulled away. "Hunter? What's wrong?"
"What are you doing here, Philippa?" Hunter asked quietly. She sighed and looked into his eyes.
"You stumbled to Mike's store and we took you back here. Dana will be home from the store in a few minutes." She said quietly. "Who did this to you?" She lifted a hand and placed it lightly on his head. Hunter winced slightly.
"Dana is here? What happened to camp? Is everything okay?" He asked worriedly. She nodded.
"Yes, yes. Everything's fine." She said quietly. "I left camp to look for you. I've been thinking..." She didn't have to finish for Hunter to know what she was talking about. Hunter studied the couch between them.
"Philippa, you broke my heart. I was willing to give everything up for you. The gods turned their back on me, because I convinced you to stay at camp. I only did that because I wan-" He was interrupted by the door opening. Hunter looked as Dana walked in and set some groceries down on the counter.
"Philippa, would you leave him alone? He needs to rest." She said. Philippa looked at him for a second before standing up off the couch.
"I'll be in my bedroom, if you need me." She said before disappearing down the hallway. Dana glanced at Hunter.
"You know? I figured that when you left, I would never see you again. That you wouldn't be waking up in my infirmary anymore." She said with a grin as she ground up a plant with a mortar and pestle. "Now, I come back last night from visiting my mom and you're in my apartment." Hunter couldn't help, but smile a little.
"Old habits die hard, I suppose." Hunter said with a shrug. Dana shook her head and chuckled.
"Here. Eat this. I'm about to do some major mojo and it's going to hurt. A LOT." She said with a nod. Hunter looked at the green gristle at the bottom and sighed before reaching in and eating it. He swallowed it down and blinked a few times before his vision blacked out again.
When he awoke, he opened his eyes to Philippa's face looking down at him. He could feel her rubbing his head. "Hey, we were worried that she used too much." She said quietly. Hunter took a deep breath before sitting up and swinging his feet off the couch.
"Where's Dana?" He asked, trying to not look at her. If he had he would feel bad. Philippa sat next to him.
"She's at her mom's. We both had our reasoning to leave camp, so we left together." She said with a shrug. She turned her body to face him. "Hunter, we were talking yesterday, before Dana came in. What were you saying?" Hunter sighed.
"Look, Philippa. I liked you. A lot. I was willing to give everything up for you." Hunter said plainly. "When it came to crunchtime, you welshed. You backed out. So, don't expect me to ju-" Hunter suddenly felt the feeling of her lips on his. They were a little salty from tears, that she had no doubt shed, worrying about him. That only made Hunter feel worse. There was something different here. There was nothing. No feeling. No connection. No...chemistry. Hunter sat there like a statue as she kissed him. She finally broke it and held his face, while looking into his eyes. "Philippa, I'm sorry, but it's too late." He said standing up. "Thanks for all your help, Philippa." He said before quickly hurrying out of the room. He had been kissed like that before, except the difference was the feeling. There was chemistry in the other one. He had to go see her. He took a deep breath before sprinting down the stairs and out of the building. He quickly got his bearing and ran as fast as he could, without a shirt and in scrubs pants. He looked like a patient escaped from a mental ward.
He didn't bother nodding to or even recognizing Tom, but ran past him and to the elevator. He pressed the button and waited impatiently. He finally gave up and sprinted to the stairs. He ran up all of the floors and stood in front of the door. He quickly caught his breath and that's when he heard the scream. "Ellie?" He said before his mind tried to figure out what to do. His body thought faster and kicked in the door. He looked at Arabella, holding her face on the couch, and Chad standing over her fists clenched. His eye burned with rage. "You son of a b-" He said as he ran and tackled him to the ground before he could finish. He straddled his stomach and punched him over and over again in the face. This wasn't just for Arabella. This was for Hunter. If he hadn't showed up, Hunter wouldn't have gotten beaten up and he wouldn't have had to talk to Philippa again. "Go ahead and kill me, Chad! You said you would! I'm pretty near her, now, aren't I, Chad?!" He said, landing punch after punch. Chad kneed Hunter in the back hard and pushed him over his head. Hunter got to his feet and that's when reflexes kicked in. He dodged Chad's first jab and spun, grabbing his arm and bringing it up under his. He rolled and elbowed Chad in the side of the neck and then the temple. Chad fell to the ground in a daze. Hunter turned to Arabella. "Ellie, are you okay?"
He took a deep breath before stepping out of the elevator and walking out of the lobby. He had actually gotten used to seeing this. Kelly at the counter. Tom at the door. He had gotten used to it and now he had to leave. He was homeless again. He stepped out of the building and gave a teary nod to Tom who raised an eyebrow.
"Hunter? You doing okay?" Tom said quietly, taking a step toward him. Hunter didn't want to turn around. He knew that if he turned around he would cry again, but he swallowed back a few tears and turned around.
"I uh...Yeah. Just fine." He lied. He was upset that Arabella was with Chad, but it was what she wanted. If she was happy, he was happy. Or at least he was going to try and be happy. "You doing okay, Tom?" He asked trying to change the subject. Tom nodded.
"Oh, yes. Of course, Hunter. It's a cold night out, but I'm okay." Tom said with a shrug. Hunter furrowed his brow and took off his jacket. He offered it out to Tom. "Oh, no. I couldn't. You keep it. Surely, you're cold to." Hunter shook his head.
"No, no. I'm good. I've got thick skin. I spent lots of time...outdoors." Hunter said with a nod. To be honest, he was numb. He hadn't noticed that it was cold outside or that it was even night time. He was shut off. "Just take it." Tom reluctantly grabbed it and slipped it on. It was a little tight, but he looked warmer.
"Thanks, Hunter." Tom said, rubbing his arms. "You know? In all the years that I've worked here. And in all the years that Ms. Foster has lived here. I've never seen her happier than I've seen her in the past couple of weeks." Tom said with a smile and a nod. Hunter closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Goodbye, Tom." Hunter said quietly before turning around and walking away. The tears poured again. He didn't want to go back. Right now, he needed to get as far away as possible. After walking, what felt like hours, he laid down under an overpass and fell asleep.
He woke up the next morning to a grubby-looking man, rifling through his pockets. Hunter didn't care. He could feel the dried tears around his eyes and the pure ache you felt after a long night of crying yourself to sleep. He had never put his heart as far out as he did for Arabella. He had also never been this hurt before. Even with Philippa, they had been drifting apart for a while, so when she decided to end it, sure it hurt, but he was expecting it.
He finally batted the man's hands away and stood up. "I don't even have anything! Go rob someone worthwhile!" He snapped at the man with a raised fist. The man took a few steps back before beating a hasty retreat. Sadly, he recognized him. His name was Adam and he had eaten with him at a homeless shelter, before. He felt bad for him, but if he could have given him help he would have. He shook his head and walked out from under the overpass, the only thing on his mind was Arabella. He tried to shake it from his mind, but she stayed there like cement. He checked his watch and found it to be noon. He ran through where he could get a meal at this time of day. All of the tricks and tips and tactics he had gained in all of the time he was homeless, were gone. He had imagined himself staying with Arabella for so long, that he thought it was okay to forget how to be homeless. Not only that, but his mind was elsewhere. He stood there alone, wishing that she were there. The only thing he had to look forward to was going to the coffee shop and hoping that she might be kind enough to buy him something. Even if he didn't deserve it.
Hunter finally made it to the coffee shop. He was about 30 minutes early. He walked inside and after about 20 minutes of waiting, he was told he had to buy something or leave. He sighed and complied. Outside, he was cold. He stood outside on a bench outside for so long he fell asleep. When he woke up, it was getting dark. He checked his watch. "6:00." He said with a sigh. "She didn't come. So what? Maybe she was just busy." He convinced himself. He sat there for another 30 minutes before standing up and walking to Central Park. He found a spot under a tree and settled in for the night.
The next day, his day was mostly the same. He managed some water from a hotel water fountain and returned to the coffeehouse. He didn't bother going inside and settled in on the bench. After waiting for a long time, he decided to call it quits. "She's got Fashion week coming up. That's a big deal. No messenger, though? She's busy. I'll just...Tomorrow." He said to himself.
"You really think she's gonna show, Hunter?" He looked over to see Imaginary Hunter leaning up against the building and looking at him. "I say you go back to being homeless. She's not going to show up. Chad and her are a thing. You don't expect to give him, a tall and muscular and not-homeless son of Apollo, up for you, a homeless, sickly, little weakling?"
"I just want to talk to her!" He exclaimed, receiving some odd looks from passers by. "She can't even give me that....No. She's coming tomorrow. She wouldn't do that to me. Even if she doesn't care for me like that, I'm still her friend, right? Right?" He said quietly, his eyes welling up with tears again. He took a deep breath and stood up. "Go away, Hunter. I don't want to talk to you." He turned and walked back to his spot in Central Park before settling in for the night.
The next day was hard. He hadn't had a meal in a few days and was starting to feel it. At this point he was wishing that he had never gone with Arabella in the first place. Then he would be used to being hungry and Martha would still be Martha. He sighed and managed to stand up. The walk to the coffeehouse was long and arduous. He got there around 1:45 and settled into the bench out front. He waited and waited and finally at 3 he saw a familiar face.
"Hunter, right?" Chad said with a friendly grin. Hunter felt anger toward him, but tried to push it away. He needed to like this guy if he was going to be friends with Arabella.
"Yeah-Yeah. That's me." He said, his voice dry and underused. "What are you doing here?" Chad chuckled and rolled his eyes.
"Oh, you know her. She's holed up in the apartment, busy with fashion stuff. She told me to come and get you." Chad said with a nod. Hunter eyed him cautiously. Hunter assumed that she would make some time for him. It didn't sound like her to just delegate like that.
"What about uh..." Hunter said, gesturing toward Chad. Chad raised his eyebrows.
"Between me and her?" Chad said, calmly. Hunter gave a little nod. "We talked it over. I wanted to see if there was some chemistry. There wasn't. We agreed to be done. We are still friends though." Chad said with a shrug. "Come on, though. She doesn't have forever." He chuckled and helped Hunter up. "Follow me. I know this shortcut." If Hunter were in better shape, he would have recognized how suspicious this was. He followed Chad around the corner and down an alleyway. Chad turned around to look at Hunter and before he could react, Chad punched Hunter in the face. Hunter fell to the ground and could feel tears burns his eyes and the taste of blood hit his lips. "Come on, Hunter. What's wrong?" Chad said as he circled around him. He kicked Hunter in the ribs three times in quick succession, causing Hunter to let out a cry of pain. He lay there on his stomach, sobbing.
"Why are you doing this?" Hunter cried. Chad knelt down and pushed Hunter's face into the ground.
"Did you really think that you could take her away from me? What do you have to offer?" He asked, standing back up again. "Let me guess. A wonderful personality?" He said before stepping on the back of his knee and walking over him. He drove a knee into Hunter's spine and grabbed Hunter's neck. He pulled back, causing Hunter to groan in pain. Chad let go flinging Hunter's face back into the ground. Chad crouched down and grabbed Hunter's hair, pulling him up to look him in the face. "Now, am I going to see you again, anywhere near Arabella?" He said, turning his ear toward him. Hunter could barely move. Chad gritted his teeth and drove Hunter's face into the ground. "Did you hear me?! If I see you near her again, I'm going to kill you! Consider yourself lucky this time." He said before pushing Hunter's face into the ground one more time. He stood up and brushed himself off. "She's done with you. She told me to make sure you didn't bother her anymore. Just forget about her. It'll be easier." He said before straightening his jacket and leaving the alley.
Hunter laid there for what seemed like days. He cried for even longer. He wasn't sure if he was crying because of the pain or Chad's words. All he knew was that he couldn't stay there. He managed to get up to his feet. He felt lightheaded and was sure that there was blood pouring down his face and onto his shirt. His knee could support no weight and his back was causing him to remain hunched over. He walked out from the alley and kept one hand on the building. He managed to walk a block or two before reaching the goodwill store. He rang the bell and promptly collapsed.
"Hunter? Hey, it's Hunter! Come here! Help me!" He heard Mike saying, before Hunter's vision blacked out.
When he woke up, he was on a couch. He woke up to the feeling of air conditioning and a bandage around his head. His eyes shot open and he sat up. "Ellie?!" He asked looking around. The apartment was unfamiliar, but by the couch, sleeping in a chair was a familiar figure. "Philippa." He said quietly. He used the armrest and managed to stand up, but his knee was too weak. He fell back onto the couch with a cry of pain loud enough to wake Philippa up. She sprung from her chair and blinked a few time before hurrying over.
"Hunter, are you okay? What happened to you? I'm so sorry. I had no idea." She said quickly, lightly caressing his face. Hunter looked into her eyes and pulled away. "Hunter? What's wrong?"
"What are you doing here, Philippa?" Hunter asked quietly. She sighed and looked into his eyes.
"You stumbled to Mike's store and we took you back here. Dana will be home from the store in a few minutes." She said quietly. "Who did this to you?" She lifted a hand and placed it lightly on his head. Hunter winced slightly.
"Dana is here? What happened to camp? Is everything okay?" He asked worriedly. She nodded.
"Yes, yes. Everything's fine." She said quietly. "I left camp to look for you. I've been thinking..." She didn't have to finish for Hunter to know what she was talking about. Hunter studied the couch between them.
"Philippa, you broke my heart. I was willing to give everything up for you. The gods turned their back on me, because I convinced you to stay at camp. I only did that because I wan-" He was interrupted by the door opening. Hunter looked as Dana walked in and set some groceries down on the counter.
"Philippa, would you leave him alone? He needs to rest." She said. Philippa looked at him for a second before standing up off the couch.
"I'll be in my bedroom, if you need me." She said before disappearing down the hallway. Dana glanced at Hunter.
"You know? I figured that when you left, I would never see you again. That you wouldn't be waking up in my infirmary anymore." She said with a grin as she ground up a plant with a mortar and pestle. "Now, I come back last night from visiting my mom and you're in my apartment." Hunter couldn't help, but smile a little.
"Old habits die hard, I suppose." Hunter said with a shrug. Dana shook her head and chuckled.
"Here. Eat this. I'm about to do some major mojo and it's going to hurt. A LOT." She said with a nod. Hunter looked at the green gristle at the bottom and sighed before reaching in and eating it. He swallowed it down and blinked a few times before his vision blacked out again.
When he awoke, he opened his eyes to Philippa's face looking down at him. He could feel her rubbing his head. "Hey, we were worried that she used too much." She said quietly. Hunter took a deep breath before sitting up and swinging his feet off the couch.
"Where's Dana?" He asked, trying to not look at her. If he had he would feel bad. Philippa sat next to him.
"She's at her mom's. We both had our reasoning to leave camp, so we left together." She said with a shrug. She turned her body to face him. "Hunter, we were talking yesterday, before Dana came in. What were you saying?" Hunter sighed.
"Look, Philippa. I liked you. A lot. I was willing to give everything up for you." Hunter said plainly. "When it came to crunchtime, you welshed. You backed out. So, don't expect me to ju-" Hunter suddenly felt the feeling of her lips on his. They were a little salty from tears, that she had no doubt shed, worrying about him. That only made Hunter feel worse. There was something different here. There was nothing. No feeling. No connection. No...chemistry. Hunter sat there like a statue as she kissed him. She finally broke it and held his face, while looking into his eyes. "Philippa, I'm sorry, but it's too late." He said standing up. "Thanks for all your help, Philippa." He said before quickly hurrying out of the room. He had been kissed like that before, except the difference was the feeling. There was chemistry in the other one. He had to go see her. He took a deep breath before sprinting down the stairs and out of the building. He quickly got his bearing and ran as fast as he could, without a shirt and in scrubs pants. He looked like a patient escaped from a mental ward.
He didn't bother nodding to or even recognizing Tom, but ran past him and to the elevator. He pressed the button and waited impatiently. He finally gave up and sprinted to the stairs. He ran up all of the floors and stood in front of the door. He quickly caught his breath and that's when he heard the scream. "Ellie?" He said before his mind tried to figure out what to do. His body thought faster and kicked in the door. He looked at Arabella, holding her face on the couch, and Chad standing over her fists clenched. His eye burned with rage. "You son of a b-" He said as he ran and tackled him to the ground before he could finish. He straddled his stomach and punched him over and over again in the face. This wasn't just for Arabella. This was for Hunter. If he hadn't showed up, Hunter wouldn't have gotten beaten up and he wouldn't have had to talk to Philippa again. "Go ahead and kill me, Chad! You said you would! I'm pretty near her, now, aren't I, Chad?!" He said, landing punch after punch. Chad kneed Hunter in the back hard and pushed him over his head. Hunter got to his feet and that's when reflexes kicked in. He dodged Chad's first jab and spun, grabbing his arm and bringing it up under his. He rolled and elbowed Chad in the side of the neck and then the temple. Chad fell to the ground in a daze. Hunter turned to Arabella. "Ellie, are you okay?"
Chapter 40 - Arabella
Click.
Arabella pulled away from Chad a little bit, looking around her apartment. Was that a door closing? Was Hunter back? Her heart skipped a beat "Did you hear that?" she whispered to Chad, trying not to get her hopes up. If she ran to see if it was Hunter and saw that it just her imagination..it would probably split her heart in two. Chad looked at her with a little frown on his face and shook his head. Arabella couldn't tell if he was lying or if she was really just hearing things.
"It was probably nothing..you're hearing things" Chad whispered to her, running his fingers through her golden hair. Arabella bit her lip and nodded sadly. Where was Hunter? Did he really leave her? The more the thought about it, the more tears started to form in her eyes. Chad didn't notice that she was trying not to cry, he just leaned back in, kissing her neck again. Arabella closed her eyes, putting her hands on his sides. She tried with everything she had to keep Hunter out of her mind. Maybe he would come back soon. Arabella let out a little gasp when she felt her bra come undone. She was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that Chad had put his hands up her shirt again. Was he really expecting this from her? He had just swept back into her life and expected her to go to bed with him. Arabella pulled away from him and looked in his eyes. Was it only about sex for him? Chad leaned down and he kissed her lips softly "Come on" he whispered, pulling her close to him and walking down the hall towards her bedroom.
The next morning, Chad pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked down at Arabella. She was curled up into the fetal position and had her back to him, fast asleep. Chad smirked a little bit to himself and slid out of the bed, pulling on his clothes from the day before. He walked down the hall quietly, hoping that he wouldn't wake up Arabella. Yesterday afternoon, he heard someone come in and leave. But he wasn't about to tell that to Arabella. Chad walked into the kitchen and saw a small envelope with Arabella's name on it. His eyes narrowed and he picked it up, slicing it open in a quick swipe. Chad quickly scanned the words on the page, anger boiling up inside of him. He had just gotten her back. He wasn't about to lose her to Hunter. Chad folded up the note, slipping it into his pocket and ripping the envelope into pieces before throwing it out. She didn't need to know that it had ever existed.
Two days had passed. Two days and not a word from Hunter. Arabella thought that he would at least stop by to say goodbye or let her know that he was okay. But she didn't hear a thing from him. Why would he just leave her like that? It would be one thing if he stayed with her, as friends. Arabella could maybe deal with that. She had been his friend for a long time, maybe she would be able to go back to that. But he didn't seem to want to be her friend let alone anything more than that. It broke her heart when she thought about how he left her. Arabella's self esteem plummeted. She was so critical about everything, especially her looks. She hated what she saw in the mirror. She was sure that the reason why Hunter left was that there was something wrong with her. The only time that she felt halfway decent was when she was with Chad. He paid attention to her and even though he always expected her to sleep with him, at least he wanted her too. She felt a little bit better knowing that Chad liked the way she looked.
Arabella stepped out of her bathroom, pulling her wet hair up into a bun. She didn't look in mirrors anymore, she avoided them like the plague. Arabella walked down the hall and into the living room. Chad was standing at the fireplace, his designer jeans were low on his hips. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Arabella could see that the muscles in his back were tense. As soon as she saw that, Arabella's stomach got tight. He didn't look happy. Chad turned around and looked at her. His golden hair was messy and in his tanned hand, he held the small statue that Arabella kept on the mantle piece. It was something that she had gotten made for her when she was visiting Greece. It was a small statue of Aphrodite and it meant a lot to Arabella. It was like having her mom with her all the time. Chad was clutching it now, like it was ugly and horrible, like he just found drugs in Arabella's apartment.
"Why do you keep something like this?" Chad snapped at her, holding the statue up. Arabella flinched slightly and folded her arms across her chest.
"I like it Chad. Most people keep pictures of their mothers around the house. That's my mother" Arabella said simply, like it was obvious. Why was he acting like this? Chad rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so proud of that? So what, she's Aphrodite. You're still stuck here in New York, living a plain and mortal life. There is nothing special about any of this shit. And I'm sick of looking at your mother's face everyday" Chad said, his voice raising slightly. He walked over the the closet and tossed the statue in and closed the door. Arabella flinched and looked down at the ground.
"I'm proud of who I am Chad, I'm proud of who my mom is" Arabella said softly and looked up at him. Chad glared at her, clenching his fists. He looked livid and Arabella knew that it was best not to push the issue any more. Arabella bit her lip.
"Just order the damn food" Chad said harshly and walked over to the couch, sitting down. Arabella nodded softly and walked over to the phone, quickly ordering the Chinese food. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the fridge, listening to Chad flip through the channels.
"Arabella?" Chad called to herArabella didn't respond. She didn't know why..she just..didn't. Arabella wasn't used to actually hearing her name, she was used to hearing Ellie.. She just kept thinking about other things, ignoring the voice from the living room "Arabella?! When is the food coming?" Chad snapped. Arabella shook herself and cleared her throat
"It'll be here in 20 minutes" Arabella told him in a small voice. Arabella couldn't help it, her mind flashed back to Hunter. If Hunter was with her, Arabella would have been curled up on the couch, watching the Jersey Shore marathon. Hunter would probably be cooking super for them. Then he would join her and they would make fun of Snooki together. They would have talked for a little bit, Arabella would have made hot chocolate then they would have gone to bed happy. She would not be ordering Chinese food and pouring herself a shot of Absolut.
When the food came, Arabella paid for it and put it on plates. She quickly finished her shot and brought the food out to Chad, placing it on his lap. He was paying attention to the football game on TV and he just started eating, not saying a word to Arabella. Arabella wasn't hungry. she had a couple bites of steamed veggies before putting her plate down and resting her chin on her knees. "We should watch a movie tonight" she suggested and looked over at Chad "I just bought I Am Number Four"
"There's a football game on" Chad said to her in a harsh voice. Arabella sighed and looked out the window. She pushed herself off of the couch and took the plate to the sink then looked at Chad.
"I'm going to bed" Arabella told him. He waved in response. Arabella sighed softly and walked off to her bedroom, curling up under the blanket.
Another day and a half had passed and still no word from Hunter. Arabella started to really worry about him. but her worry was quickly replaced with anger. Her anger was quickly replaced with sadness. What if something happened to him? How dare he leave without saying goodbye! Was he missing her like she was missing him? Arabella sat at her desk in her office, organizing her papers. She just had a meeting with her team about Fashion Week and she was stressing out about it. There was a knock on her door and Arabella looked up "Come in" she called and watched as the door opened. Her brother Daniel walked in, closing the door behind him. Daniel sat down in the chair across from her with a look in his dark eyes that said 'I am about to give you a speech'. Arabella sighed "What is it, Danny?" she asked, folding her arms on the table.
"I think you know" Daniel said to her simply, not taking his eyes off of her. Arabella let out a sigh, pretending that she didn't know what he was talking about.
"What? Is is the twinkle lights for Fashion Week? It's not too much, is it? I know that I need a lot of them but it will pay off in the end, I know it" Arabella said quickly. Daniel, however, ignored this. He leaned forward and looked at her.
"Chad? Really Arabella? Of all the guys in the world, you pick Chad?" Daniel said to her in a soft voice and Arabella looked down at the desk "In case you forgot, he was horrible to you. I haven't forgotten the sound of you crying every night or all of those bruises on your body. You can say whatever you want about the bruises being from training, but I'm not stupid Arabella. You never trained. You tanned. How could you go back to someone like that? He was terrible and I know that he still is because you look so sad all the time. Whatever happened to Hunter? I know that you have feelings for him"
"He doesn't want me" Arabella said, looking up at Daniel "He doesn't want me and he probably never will. He left. Without saying goodbye. He just...left" she said, her voice breaking off at the end. She looked out side the window and took a breath "It doesn't matter if I have feelings for him. It doesn't matter what I want. I can't force him to stay with me"
"Arabella..." Daniel said softly. He moved to go give her a hug but just then, her office door opened and Chad walked in. Daniel sat down, glaring at Chad. The look of anger in Daniel's eyes was enough to make you think that he could possibly be Ares' son if you didn't know better. Arabella looked over at Chad, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Come on, Babe" Chad said, grabbing Arabella's purse "Let's get home. I already talked to your assistant and told her that you were going to be going home early" he finished and looked at her, waiting for her to get up. Arabella bit her lip.
"I have to stay, Chad..I've got a lot to do here. I can't just..go home" Arabella said and she immediately regretted saying that. Chad looked at her with angry eyes and she flinched. He didn't even have to say anything. Arabella stood up and looked at Daniel with sad eyes before walking out with Chad leading the way.
As soon as Arabella walked into the apartment, she pulled off her shoes "I'm going for a bath" she told Chad but she didn't get very far. Chad put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. Arabella looked at him for a moment and Chad smirked. He pushed her against the wall and he started kissing her. She tried to push him away but he was so much stronger than her.
"Chad..I'm tired" Arabella said and bit her lip as he kissed her neck. She wanted to push him away but the warmth of his hands on her back felt so good. Next thing she knew, he had picked her up and walked over to the couch with her. Her sat her down then leaned over her, kissing neck and down to her chest. Chad sat up and pulled his shirt off before he went back to kissing her. Arabella closed her eyes and pretended that she wasn't there. That she was somewhere else. Or that Hunter was the one who was kissing her. Chad's hands found their way up her dress and he started running his fingers up and down her sides. His lips worked their way to her chest again and he kissed with urgency, knowing full well that Arabella didn't really want to do this with him.
Arabella thought about Hunter, still pretending that it was his hands, his lips that were touching her body. Not Chad. Maybe she just got caught up in the moment or maybe she didn't realize that she was saying out loud, but ever so softly, Arabella moaned "Hunter.."
Chad stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. Her dress was rumpled and pulled up to her stomach. She had a worried look on her face as soon as she realized what she had said "What did you call me?" Chad hissed, leaning over her so that his face was inches from her. Arabella shook her head.
"Chad. I said Chad" She whispered, trying to make him believe her. Chad's hand was around her throat then and Arabella tried to pull him off of her. He was squeezing a little too tight.
"You said 'Hunter'" Chad hissed and before Arabella could do anything, before she could stop him or defend herself, she felt his fist hit the side of her face.
Arabella pulled away from Chad a little bit, looking around her apartment. Was that a door closing? Was Hunter back? Her heart skipped a beat "Did you hear that?" she whispered to Chad, trying not to get her hopes up. If she ran to see if it was Hunter and saw that it just her imagination..it would probably split her heart in two. Chad looked at her with a little frown on his face and shook his head. Arabella couldn't tell if he was lying or if she was really just hearing things.
"It was probably nothing..you're hearing things" Chad whispered to her, running his fingers through her golden hair. Arabella bit her lip and nodded sadly. Where was Hunter? Did he really leave her? The more the thought about it, the more tears started to form in her eyes. Chad didn't notice that she was trying not to cry, he just leaned back in, kissing her neck again. Arabella closed her eyes, putting her hands on his sides. She tried with everything she had to keep Hunter out of her mind. Maybe he would come back soon. Arabella let out a little gasp when she felt her bra come undone. She was so lost in her own thoughts, she didn't realize that Chad had put his hands up her shirt again. Was he really expecting this from her? He had just swept back into her life and expected her to go to bed with him. Arabella pulled away from him and looked in his eyes. Was it only about sex for him? Chad leaned down and he kissed her lips softly "Come on" he whispered, pulling her close to him and walking down the hall towards her bedroom.
The next morning, Chad pushed himself up into a sitting position and looked down at Arabella. She was curled up into the fetal position and had her back to him, fast asleep. Chad smirked a little bit to himself and slid out of the bed, pulling on his clothes from the day before. He walked down the hall quietly, hoping that he wouldn't wake up Arabella. Yesterday afternoon, he heard someone come in and leave. But he wasn't about to tell that to Arabella. Chad walked into the kitchen and saw a small envelope with Arabella's name on it. His eyes narrowed and he picked it up, slicing it open in a quick swipe. Chad quickly scanned the words on the page, anger boiling up inside of him. He had just gotten her back. He wasn't about to lose her to Hunter. Chad folded up the note, slipping it into his pocket and ripping the envelope into pieces before throwing it out. She didn't need to know that it had ever existed.
Two days had passed. Two days and not a word from Hunter. Arabella thought that he would at least stop by to say goodbye or let her know that he was okay. But she didn't hear a thing from him. Why would he just leave her like that? It would be one thing if he stayed with her, as friends. Arabella could maybe deal with that. She had been his friend for a long time, maybe she would be able to go back to that. But he didn't seem to want to be her friend let alone anything more than that. It broke her heart when she thought about how he left her. Arabella's self esteem plummeted. She was so critical about everything, especially her looks. She hated what she saw in the mirror. She was sure that the reason why Hunter left was that there was something wrong with her. The only time that she felt halfway decent was when she was with Chad. He paid attention to her and even though he always expected her to sleep with him, at least he wanted her too. She felt a little bit better knowing that Chad liked the way she looked.
Arabella stepped out of her bathroom, pulling her wet hair up into a bun. She didn't look in mirrors anymore, she avoided them like the plague. Arabella walked down the hall and into the living room. Chad was standing at the fireplace, his designer jeans were low on his hips. He wasn't wearing a shirt and Arabella could see that the muscles in his back were tense. As soon as she saw that, Arabella's stomach got tight. He didn't look happy. Chad turned around and looked at her. His golden hair was messy and in his tanned hand, he held the small statue that Arabella kept on the mantle piece. It was something that she had gotten made for her when she was visiting Greece. It was a small statue of Aphrodite and it meant a lot to Arabella. It was like having her mom with her all the time. Chad was clutching it now, like it was ugly and horrible, like he just found drugs in Arabella's apartment.
"Why do you keep something like this?" Chad snapped at her, holding the statue up. Arabella flinched slightly and folded her arms across her chest.
"I like it Chad. Most people keep pictures of their mothers around the house. That's my mother" Arabella said simply, like it was obvious. Why was he acting like this? Chad rolled his eyes.
"Why are you so proud of that? So what, she's Aphrodite. You're still stuck here in New York, living a plain and mortal life. There is nothing special about any of this shit. And I'm sick of looking at your mother's face everyday" Chad said, his voice raising slightly. He walked over the the closet and tossed the statue in and closed the door. Arabella flinched and looked down at the ground.
"I'm proud of who I am Chad, I'm proud of who my mom is" Arabella said softly and looked up at him. Chad glared at her, clenching his fists. He looked livid and Arabella knew that it was best not to push the issue any more. Arabella bit her lip.
"Just order the damn food" Chad said harshly and walked over to the couch, sitting down. Arabella nodded softly and walked over to the phone, quickly ordering the Chinese food. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the fridge, listening to Chad flip through the channels.
"Arabella?" Chad called to herArabella didn't respond. She didn't know why..she just..didn't. Arabella wasn't used to actually hearing her name, she was used to hearing Ellie.. She just kept thinking about other things, ignoring the voice from the living room "Arabella?! When is the food coming?" Chad snapped. Arabella shook herself and cleared her throat
"It'll be here in 20 minutes" Arabella told him in a small voice. Arabella couldn't help it, her mind flashed back to Hunter. If Hunter was with her, Arabella would have been curled up on the couch, watching the Jersey Shore marathon. Hunter would probably be cooking super for them. Then he would join her and they would make fun of Snooki together. They would have talked for a little bit, Arabella would have made hot chocolate then they would have gone to bed happy. She would not be ordering Chinese food and pouring herself a shot of Absolut.
When the food came, Arabella paid for it and put it on plates. She quickly finished her shot and brought the food out to Chad, placing it on his lap. He was paying attention to the football game on TV and he just started eating, not saying a word to Arabella. Arabella wasn't hungry. she had a couple bites of steamed veggies before putting her plate down and resting her chin on her knees. "We should watch a movie tonight" she suggested and looked over at Chad "I just bought I Am Number Four"
"There's a football game on" Chad said to her in a harsh voice. Arabella sighed and looked out the window. She pushed herself off of the couch and took the plate to the sink then looked at Chad.
"I'm going to bed" Arabella told him. He waved in response. Arabella sighed softly and walked off to her bedroom, curling up under the blanket.
Another day and a half had passed and still no word from Hunter. Arabella started to really worry about him. but her worry was quickly replaced with anger. Her anger was quickly replaced with sadness. What if something happened to him? How dare he leave without saying goodbye! Was he missing her like she was missing him? Arabella sat at her desk in her office, organizing her papers. She just had a meeting with her team about Fashion Week and she was stressing out about it. There was a knock on her door and Arabella looked up "Come in" she called and watched as the door opened. Her brother Daniel walked in, closing the door behind him. Daniel sat down in the chair across from her with a look in his dark eyes that said 'I am about to give you a speech'. Arabella sighed "What is it, Danny?" she asked, folding her arms on the table.
"I think you know" Daniel said to her simply, not taking his eyes off of her. Arabella let out a sigh, pretending that she didn't know what he was talking about.
"What? Is is the twinkle lights for Fashion Week? It's not too much, is it? I know that I need a lot of them but it will pay off in the end, I know it" Arabella said quickly. Daniel, however, ignored this. He leaned forward and looked at her.
"Chad? Really Arabella? Of all the guys in the world, you pick Chad?" Daniel said to her in a soft voice and Arabella looked down at the desk "In case you forgot, he was horrible to you. I haven't forgotten the sound of you crying every night or all of those bruises on your body. You can say whatever you want about the bruises being from training, but I'm not stupid Arabella. You never trained. You tanned. How could you go back to someone like that? He was terrible and I know that he still is because you look so sad all the time. Whatever happened to Hunter? I know that you have feelings for him"
"He doesn't want me" Arabella said, looking up at Daniel "He doesn't want me and he probably never will. He left. Without saying goodbye. He just...left" she said, her voice breaking off at the end. She looked out side the window and took a breath "It doesn't matter if I have feelings for him. It doesn't matter what I want. I can't force him to stay with me"
"Arabella..." Daniel said softly. He moved to go give her a hug but just then, her office door opened and Chad walked in. Daniel sat down, glaring at Chad. The look of anger in Daniel's eyes was enough to make you think that he could possibly be Ares' son if you didn't know better. Arabella looked over at Chad, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Come on, Babe" Chad said, grabbing Arabella's purse "Let's get home. I already talked to your assistant and told her that you were going to be going home early" he finished and looked at her, waiting for her to get up. Arabella bit her lip.
"I have to stay, Chad..I've got a lot to do here. I can't just..go home" Arabella said and she immediately regretted saying that. Chad looked at her with angry eyes and she flinched. He didn't even have to say anything. Arabella stood up and looked at Daniel with sad eyes before walking out with Chad leading the way.
As soon as Arabella walked into the apartment, she pulled off her shoes "I'm going for a bath" she told Chad but she didn't get very far. Chad put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. Arabella looked at him for a moment and Chad smirked. He pushed her against the wall and he started kissing her. She tried to push him away but he was so much stronger than her.
"Chad..I'm tired" Arabella said and bit her lip as he kissed her neck. She wanted to push him away but the warmth of his hands on her back felt so good. Next thing she knew, he had picked her up and walked over to the couch with her. Her sat her down then leaned over her, kissing neck and down to her chest. Chad sat up and pulled his shirt off before he went back to kissing her. Arabella closed her eyes and pretended that she wasn't there. That she was somewhere else. Or that Hunter was the one who was kissing her. Chad's hands found their way up her dress and he started running his fingers up and down her sides. His lips worked their way to her chest again and he kissed with urgency, knowing full well that Arabella didn't really want to do this with him.
Arabella thought about Hunter, still pretending that it was his hands, his lips that were touching her body. Not Chad. Maybe she just got caught up in the moment or maybe she didn't realize that she was saying out loud, but ever so softly, Arabella moaned "Hunter.."
Chad stopped what he was doing and looked down at her. Her dress was rumpled and pulled up to her stomach. She had a worried look on her face as soon as she realized what she had said "What did you call me?" Chad hissed, leaning over her so that his face was inches from her. Arabella shook her head.
"Chad. I said Chad" She whispered, trying to make him believe her. Chad's hand was around her throat then and Arabella tried to pull him off of her. He was squeezing a little too tight.
"You said 'Hunter'" Chad hissed and before Arabella could do anything, before she could stop him or defend herself, she felt his fist hit the side of her face.
Chapter 39 - Hunter
Hunter shook his head. "So, are you Martha or did she die and you just took her spot?" He said coldly. Martha had become an important person to him. She was the mother figure that he never had growing up at camp. Now, that he found that she was a lie, part of him was sad. Even if she wasn't an old lady, she still saved his life, on more than one occasion. Overall, he was okay with it.
"I am Martha. I've always been Martha. Did you not notice all the times that you spoke of me and no one had any idea what you were talking about?" She said giving him a smile. She sat down on the couch and gingerly crossed her legs. She put one hand on her knee and another on the couch. She patted it lightly and smiled at Hunter. Hunter looked at her hand and then back at her. He blinked and sat down in the armchair. Aphrodite sighed, looking a little disappointed. "So," She said turning to look at him. "What's going on with my daughter?" She said with a devious smile on her face. "Did you guys make-out, yet, or what?"
"I uh...no." He said, his cheeks bright red. She looked at him with a look of disbelief.
"What are you? Gay? I can get Daniel, if you want me to." She said, shaking her head.
"NO! Uh...No, please, don't do that." He said, clearing his throat. "I've never liked a girl, like this before. I mean, I have, but I haven't been able to do anything about it."
"Right...Right...That pesky oath of celibacy thing." She said quietly before taking a deep breath. "So, what's stopping you, now? You're not under that oath anymore. Do you find Arabella unattractive? Does she not do it for you? I can tell you, she likes you plenty." She said, leaning back into the couch. Her words stung Hunter's ears and bounced around his head.
"No, no, no. Nothing like that. I think she's the most beautiful woman on the planet." He said quietly, studying his feet. Wait. "She likes me? She LIKES me? Why...Why didn't she tell me? Why did she have to get drunk to do anything about it?" He asked frantically. Aphrodite rolled her eyes.
"Wow. You really are new to this." She said with a sigh. She sat forward and looked into his eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I feel it needs to be said. Ahem. HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW!?" She shouted at him. "I think that she did everything short of smoke signals and semaphore. Letting you live in her house. Complimenting everything you cooked and believe me, that pork was dry." She said pointing at him. Hunter nodded. "She bought you clothes. She flirted with you everyday. If that didn't tip you off, she tried to get you into bed. So, in summary, yes. She likes you. At this point, I'm having a hard time seeing why, but that's up to her." She said quietly. "That leaves one question. Do you like her?"
Hunter froze. Did he? He wasn't sure. "I don't know. I mean, when she's not around, I don't know what to do. Every time I see her, my day feels brighter. I started this not thinking that I would stay, but now, I can't think of leaving. I don't know." He said, studying the ground. He didn't know why he would just open up like this. Especially to Arabella's mother. Aphrodite leaned back in the couch again, a smile on her face.
"That pretty much sums it up." She said with a grin. "You are head over heels for her. It's about time, you knew." Hunter smiled. He liked her. She liked him. It was perfect. It was absolutely perfect and it was also 7:00. Hunter stood up quickly.
"I need to go. I want to be there when she gets back from work." He said quickly as he walked toward the door. He looked back at Aphrodite who stood up as well. She looked down and smoothed her dress. "Thank you, Aphrodite. You saved my life." He said with a smile. Aphrodite looked up at him. "Why didn't you just tell me you were Martha? That would have saved so much time."
"Well, where's the fun in that? Not to mention, I had you cook for me for a while. and to be honest I was hoping you'd figure it out on your own." She said with a smirk. "Obviously, that didn't happen. Once you leave, however, I'm not coming back to help you. Martha will be gone and this apartment will be empty." She said solemnly. Hunter sighed and nodded.
"Either way, thank you. You-" He said, before Aphrodite sprung her head up. She seemed to be reading something.
"You need to go. NOW. Arabella jut prayed to me. There's someone in the apartment. Go! Go!" She said, as she shoved him out the door.
"What?! Oh, crap!" Hunter said as he turned and sprinted down the stairs. He ran as fast he could and took the stairs 3 at a time. Be okay, Ellie. You have to be okay. He though to himself, tears starting to form in his eyes. He burst from the building and took off through the park. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him all the way back to Arabella's apartment. He found the door open and drew his bow. He crept inside and what he saw broke his heart. Arabella kissing Chad. His hands up her shirt. He put his bow away as the tears poured down his face. He was speechless. After all of this, he missed his chance. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he confront her? She made the mistake of trusting Chad before. Why did she do it this time? He was angry, sad, confused, and he just wanted to die. He felt broken. Everything that he had come to know and enjoy was taken from him in one second. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pen, a piece of paper, and an envelope. He wiped tears away, but more came. He bent over the paper and began to write, tears splashing the page. Dear Arabella, He froze. He had so much to say, but there wasn't enough time to say it in. I wanted to thank you for everything. You've given me so much and even though we're calling it even, I can't begin to thank you enough. I even started to think that I could stay around and maybe He let out a small sob and made a sloppy attempt at scratching that last sentence out. I intruded on you and Chad. I didn't want to interrupt. He obviously makes you happy and that makes me happy. More than anything, I just want to see you happy. You deserve it. I hoped that I would be the one to make you happy. I wanted to be wi- He scratched it out and wiped away more tears. I felt that I needed to be with you, but I will have to live without you. You deserve to live a good life, Ellie. I want that for you. I hope that you and Chad are really happy together. He stood up again and wiped his eyes in his shirt. Ellie, I don't want to live the rest of my life without you. He scratched it out as more tears fell onto the page. I can't He scratched it out. If there's any doubt. Please. I need to know. I don't want to sit through the rest of my life wondering what this could have been. Ellie, if there's any doubt, I'm going to be at the coffeeshop around the corner at 2 o clock. Please. Please. I love you. He stared at his words before scratching the last three out. Hunter. He signed before slipping it into the envelope and writing her name in big letters on the back. He left it on the table and let out a small sob before walking out of the kitchen, out of the apartment, and out of her life.
"I am Martha. I've always been Martha. Did you not notice all the times that you spoke of me and no one had any idea what you were talking about?" She said giving him a smile. She sat down on the couch and gingerly crossed her legs. She put one hand on her knee and another on the couch. She patted it lightly and smiled at Hunter. Hunter looked at her hand and then back at her. He blinked and sat down in the armchair. Aphrodite sighed, looking a little disappointed. "So," She said turning to look at him. "What's going on with my daughter?" She said with a devious smile on her face. "Did you guys make-out, yet, or what?"
"I uh...no." He said, his cheeks bright red. She looked at him with a look of disbelief.
"What are you? Gay? I can get Daniel, if you want me to." She said, shaking her head.
"NO! Uh...No, please, don't do that." He said, clearing his throat. "I've never liked a girl, like this before. I mean, I have, but I haven't been able to do anything about it."
"Right...Right...That pesky oath of celibacy thing." She said quietly before taking a deep breath. "So, what's stopping you, now? You're not under that oath anymore. Do you find Arabella unattractive? Does she not do it for you? I can tell you, she likes you plenty." She said, leaning back into the couch. Her words stung Hunter's ears and bounced around his head.
"No, no, no. Nothing like that. I think she's the most beautiful woman on the planet." He said quietly, studying his feet. Wait. "She likes me? She LIKES me? Why...Why didn't she tell me? Why did she have to get drunk to do anything about it?" He asked frantically. Aphrodite rolled her eyes.
"Wow. You really are new to this." She said with a sigh. She sat forward and looked into his eyes. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I feel it needs to be said. Ahem. HOW DID YOU NOT KNOW!?" She shouted at him. "I think that she did everything short of smoke signals and semaphore. Letting you live in her house. Complimenting everything you cooked and believe me, that pork was dry." She said pointing at him. Hunter nodded. "She bought you clothes. She flirted with you everyday. If that didn't tip you off, she tried to get you into bed. So, in summary, yes. She likes you. At this point, I'm having a hard time seeing why, but that's up to her." She said quietly. "That leaves one question. Do you like her?"
Hunter froze. Did he? He wasn't sure. "I don't know. I mean, when she's not around, I don't know what to do. Every time I see her, my day feels brighter. I started this not thinking that I would stay, but now, I can't think of leaving. I don't know." He said, studying the ground. He didn't know why he would just open up like this. Especially to Arabella's mother. Aphrodite leaned back in the couch again, a smile on her face.
"That pretty much sums it up." She said with a grin. "You are head over heels for her. It's about time, you knew." Hunter smiled. He liked her. She liked him. It was perfect. It was absolutely perfect and it was also 7:00. Hunter stood up quickly.
"I need to go. I want to be there when she gets back from work." He said quickly as he walked toward the door. He looked back at Aphrodite who stood up as well. She looked down and smoothed her dress. "Thank you, Aphrodite. You saved my life." He said with a smile. Aphrodite looked up at him. "Why didn't you just tell me you were Martha? That would have saved so much time."
"Well, where's the fun in that? Not to mention, I had you cook for me for a while. and to be honest I was hoping you'd figure it out on your own." She said with a smirk. "Obviously, that didn't happen. Once you leave, however, I'm not coming back to help you. Martha will be gone and this apartment will be empty." She said solemnly. Hunter sighed and nodded.
"Either way, thank you. You-" He said, before Aphrodite sprung her head up. She seemed to be reading something.
"You need to go. NOW. Arabella jut prayed to me. There's someone in the apartment. Go! Go!" She said, as she shoved him out the door.
"What?! Oh, crap!" Hunter said as he turned and sprinted down the stairs. He ran as fast he could and took the stairs 3 at a time. Be okay, Ellie. You have to be okay. He though to himself, tears starting to form in his eyes. He burst from the building and took off through the park. He ran as fast as his feet would carry him all the way back to Arabella's apartment. He found the door open and drew his bow. He crept inside and what he saw broke his heart. Arabella kissing Chad. His hands up her shirt. He put his bow away as the tears poured down his face. He was speechless. After all of this, he missed his chance. He wasn't sure what to do. Should he confront her? She made the mistake of trusting Chad before. Why did she do it this time? He was angry, sad, confused, and he just wanted to die. He felt broken. Everything that he had come to know and enjoy was taken from him in one second. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a pen, a piece of paper, and an envelope. He wiped tears away, but more came. He bent over the paper and began to write, tears splashing the page. Dear Arabella, He froze. He had so much to say, but there wasn't enough time to say it in. I wanted to thank you for everything. You've given me so much and even though we're calling it even, I can't begin to thank you enough. I even started to think that I could stay around and maybe He let out a small sob and made a sloppy attempt at scratching that last sentence out. I intruded on you and Chad. I didn't want to interrupt. He obviously makes you happy and that makes me happy. More than anything, I just want to see you happy. You deserve it. I hoped that I would be the one to make you happy. I wanted to be wi- He scratched it out and wiped away more tears. I felt that I needed to be with you, but I will have to live without you. You deserve to live a good life, Ellie. I want that for you. I hope that you and Chad are really happy together. He stood up again and wiped his eyes in his shirt. Ellie, I don't want to live the rest of my life without you. He scratched it out as more tears fell onto the page. I can't He scratched it out. If there's any doubt. Please. I need to know. I don't want to sit through the rest of my life wondering what this could have been. Ellie, if there's any doubt, I'm going to be at the coffeeshop around the corner at 2 o clock. Please. Please. I love you. He stared at his words before scratching the last three out. Hunter. He signed before slipping it into the envelope and writing her name in big letters on the back. He left it on the table and let out a small sob before walking out of the kitchen, out of the apartment, and out of her life.
Chapter 38 - Arabella
Arabella stepped out of the cab and into the lobby of her apartment. As soon as she stepped foot on the clean floor, she took her Louboutins off. Tom gave her a small smile and nodded once. Arabella let out a sigh, happy to be home. It had been such a long, stressful day at work. She stepped into the elevator, thinking of what she was going to do once she got home. Maybe Hunter would be busy cooking supper and then they could watch a movie together. Arabella also planned on taking a long, hot shower. Arabella stepped into her apartment "Hunter?" Arabella called, pulling her hair out of the bun it was twisted in "Are you home?!"
Silence answered her and her stomach twisted up into knots. Where was he? Maybe he just went out for a walk or something. Just because he wasn't there, it didn't mean that he had left her for good..right? To calm her nerves, Arabella headed for the shower, grabbing a pair of shorts and a loose tee shirt along the way. She stepped into the hot water and closed her eyes. With a sigh, Arabella thought of last night. She had made a fool of herself in front of Hunter. But that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was knowing that Hunter had turned her down. He didn't want anything with her or from her. Was there something wrong with her? Arabella looked down at her stomach, running her hands over it and pinching at the skin. Arabella let out a little sigh, moving her hands to her thighs and pinching at the skin there too. There must be something wrong with her. After a little while, Arabella got out of the shower. She squeezed the extra water from her hair and wrapped a towel around herself. The more she thought about the previous night, the more she hated things about herself. She was nearly 100% sure that she had done something wrong, that there was something wrong with her. And that's why Hunter wouldn't go to her room with her. Arabella quickly pulled on her clothes, throwing her hair up into a bun. She looked into a mirror for a second before stepping out of the bathroom.
Right away, Arabella knew that something was off. There was someone else in the apartment, she could feel it. Arabella took a breath and walked down the hall, towards the front door and the living room. Her mind raced back, trying to remember if she locked the door when she had come home. She didn't. She left it open while she was in the shower. Nervously, she played with the bracelet on her wrist. What if it was a monster? It wasn't totally out of the question. Arabella could hear someone sitting down on her couch and her leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She sent a silent prayer to her mom then turned around the corner. What she saw made her heart stop. It wasn't a monster, not really. But the sight of him nearly made her faint.
"What are you doing here Chad" Arabella asked in a quiet voice. He stood up from the couch and walked over to her. He looked her up and down, looking like he was undressing her with his eyes. He paused at her chest then looked up at her face. Arabella blushed but she didn't look away from him. She wasn't weak anymore. She wasn't going to let him frighten her.
"I'm here to see you, Arabella" Chad said, like it was obvious. He held up his cell phone "I got your message this morning and as soon as I could, I came over. Your door was unlocked so I thought I'd make myself at home" Arabella looked at his phone, confused. She couldn't remember leaving him a message. Then, it all came back to her in a blurry memory. Arabella shook her head and folded her arms across her chest.
"No..no, no, no, no.." She said, moving away from him "You need to go Chad, right now. Hunter is going to be back soon and he..." Arabella paused. She didn't know how Hunter would respond to seeing a post-shower Arabella with Chad. Chad gave her a little smirk and moved closer to her, placing a hand on her hip. Arabella felt like an electric shock went through her whole body when he did that.
"You don't want me to go" Chad said in a smooth voice. He moved closer to her, backing her into the wall "You and I are always going to have something, Arabella. We have a history and you loved me. I know you. I know that when you love someone, they never leave your heart. That's just who you are. I messed up Arabella. I messed up big time and I threw away the best thing about me. You" he said, looking her in the eyes. Arabella felt her cheeks turn pink and she turned her eyes away from him. Chad took a step back from her, but he took her hands in his. He looked at her body again, like she was just something to look at, something pretty that he had just bought "How could I ever hurt someone who is as damn fine as you are?" he said. Arabella couldn't help herself. A little smile slid onto her lips. He was being a pig but it felt nice to hear someone say something like that about her. Especially when she was feeling so low.
"I..I don't know Chad" Arabella said softly "You really hurt me last time and I already took you back once and you just hurt me again. How can I be sure that you're not going to do it for a third time?" Arabella asked him, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Chad moved closer to her, so he was standing right in front of her. He ran his fingers along her jawline and he looked in her eyes.
"You're just going to have to trust me" Chad whispered. He kissed her forehead and Arabella's stomach flipped around. She looked up at him and nodded softly, not really sure why she was doing that.
"Yeah, okay..I forgive you" Arabella whispered and the next second, Chad was kissing her. The kiss was urgent and forceful, but it nearly knocked Arabella off her feet. The more he kissed her, the prettier and prettier she felt. Hunter didn't want her. That was okay. Chad wanted her and even though she was settling for Mr. Right now, she didn't care. Arabella slipped her hands around his neck and she felt his hands slide down to her hips. Chad pulled her body close to his. She could feel every muscle in his body against hers and she loved the feeling. She felt like she was worth something. Chad's lips left her mouth, traveling down her jaw line to her neck then down to her collar bone. Arabella closed her eyes, leaning into him and running her hands down his back.
Chad's hands slid under her shirt and he started playing with the hooks of her bra. For a brief moment, Hunter's face flashed into Arabella's mind and she opened her eyes. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, wishing that it was Hunter that was about to take her back to her bedroom..not Chad.
Silence answered her and her stomach twisted up into knots. Where was he? Maybe he just went out for a walk or something. Just because he wasn't there, it didn't mean that he had left her for good..right? To calm her nerves, Arabella headed for the shower, grabbing a pair of shorts and a loose tee shirt along the way. She stepped into the hot water and closed her eyes. With a sigh, Arabella thought of last night. She had made a fool of herself in front of Hunter. But that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part was knowing that Hunter had turned her down. He didn't want anything with her or from her. Was there something wrong with her? Arabella looked down at her stomach, running her hands over it and pinching at the skin. Arabella let out a little sigh, moving her hands to her thighs and pinching at the skin there too. There must be something wrong with her. After a little while, Arabella got out of the shower. She squeezed the extra water from her hair and wrapped a towel around herself. The more she thought about the previous night, the more she hated things about herself. She was nearly 100% sure that she had done something wrong, that there was something wrong with her. And that's why Hunter wouldn't go to her room with her. Arabella quickly pulled on her clothes, throwing her hair up into a bun. She looked into a mirror for a second before stepping out of the bathroom.
Right away, Arabella knew that something was off. There was someone else in the apartment, she could feel it. Arabella took a breath and walked down the hall, towards the front door and the living room. Her mind raced back, trying to remember if she locked the door when she had come home. She didn't. She left it open while she was in the shower. Nervously, she played with the bracelet on her wrist. What if it was a monster? It wasn't totally out of the question. Arabella could hear someone sitting down on her couch and her leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She sent a silent prayer to her mom then turned around the corner. What she saw made her heart stop. It wasn't a monster, not really. But the sight of him nearly made her faint.
"What are you doing here Chad" Arabella asked in a quiet voice. He stood up from the couch and walked over to her. He looked her up and down, looking like he was undressing her with his eyes. He paused at her chest then looked up at her face. Arabella blushed but she didn't look away from him. She wasn't weak anymore. She wasn't going to let him frighten her.
"I'm here to see you, Arabella" Chad said, like it was obvious. He held up his cell phone "I got your message this morning and as soon as I could, I came over. Your door was unlocked so I thought I'd make myself at home" Arabella looked at his phone, confused. She couldn't remember leaving him a message. Then, it all came back to her in a blurry memory. Arabella shook her head and folded her arms across her chest.
"No..no, no, no, no.." She said, moving away from him "You need to go Chad, right now. Hunter is going to be back soon and he..." Arabella paused. She didn't know how Hunter would respond to seeing a post-shower Arabella with Chad. Chad gave her a little smirk and moved closer to her, placing a hand on her hip. Arabella felt like an electric shock went through her whole body when he did that.
"You don't want me to go" Chad said in a smooth voice. He moved closer to her, backing her into the wall "You and I are always going to have something, Arabella. We have a history and you loved me. I know you. I know that when you love someone, they never leave your heart. That's just who you are. I messed up Arabella. I messed up big time and I threw away the best thing about me. You" he said, looking her in the eyes. Arabella felt her cheeks turn pink and she turned her eyes away from him. Chad took a step back from her, but he took her hands in his. He looked at her body again, like she was just something to look at, something pretty that he had just bought "How could I ever hurt someone who is as damn fine as you are?" he said. Arabella couldn't help herself. A little smile slid onto her lips. He was being a pig but it felt nice to hear someone say something like that about her. Especially when she was feeling so low.
"I..I don't know Chad" Arabella said softly "You really hurt me last time and I already took you back once and you just hurt me again. How can I be sure that you're not going to do it for a third time?" Arabella asked him, looking up at him through her eyelashes. Chad moved closer to her, so he was standing right in front of her. He ran his fingers along her jawline and he looked in her eyes.
"You're just going to have to trust me" Chad whispered. He kissed her forehead and Arabella's stomach flipped around. She looked up at him and nodded softly, not really sure why she was doing that.
"Yeah, okay..I forgive you" Arabella whispered and the next second, Chad was kissing her. The kiss was urgent and forceful, but it nearly knocked Arabella off her feet. The more he kissed her, the prettier and prettier she felt. Hunter didn't want her. That was okay. Chad wanted her and even though she was settling for Mr. Right now, she didn't care. Arabella slipped her hands around his neck and she felt his hands slide down to her hips. Chad pulled her body close to his. She could feel every muscle in his body against hers and she loved the feeling. She felt like she was worth something. Chad's lips left her mouth, traveling down her jaw line to her neck then down to her collar bone. Arabella closed her eyes, leaning into him and running her hands down his back.
Chad's hands slid under her shirt and he started playing with the hooks of her bra. For a brief moment, Hunter's face flashed into Arabella's mind and she opened her eyes. She sighed softly and closed her eyes, wishing that it was Hunter that was about to take her back to her bedroom..not Chad.
Chapter 37 - Hunter
Hunter watched as Arabella left and leaned on the back of the couch. He looked around the apartment. "What do I even do, now?" He asked himself quietly. When he was homeless, he would just move or look for a job. When he was at the beach house, he could just work on the house. Now that he was here, and Arabella was gone, he had no idea what to do. He sat on the couch and turned on the TV. "The Bachelor is still on? Ugh...They're not going to get married." He said quietly. He watched for a couple minutes before turning off the TV and standing up. He stood there for a second before deciding to put away his clothes. That took about 15 minutes and the only thing Hunter could do was pace around the apartment. He walked into the kitchen. He wasn't hungry, but he thought maybe there would be something to do. He looked at the counters. "I'll just clean. Everything." He said calmly as he dug under the sink for some cleaning supplies. He immediately went to work. He scrubbed down every surface, cleaned the sink, tightened and cleaned the pipes under the sink, threw out all of the expired food, and wrote out a set of instructions on how to use the dishwasher. He finally sat down at the table after putting everything away. "I wonder when she's going to get back." He said quietly as he checked his watch. "4:30. She left an hour and a half ago." He groaned as he put his head down on the table.
"What do I care? It's not like I sit by myself doing nothing, because I don't know what to do when she's not around." He said glancing around the kitchen. "I cleaned." He said quietly. "And I did plumbing. I plumbed. And..." He set his head back down on the table and sighed. "Why do I keep thinking about her?!" He muttered into the table as he flailed his arms. He finally stood up and walked to his room. He quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before walking back out. He paced around the living room. "I don't know what this is! Who would know...Who would know....OTHER than Arabella." He tapped his chin and continued pacing. "I could talk to-No, they live at camp. There's-At camp." He said with a sigh as he sat down on the couch. "I don't know anyone..." He said quietly. "Wait. What about Mike? No...He's only married out of boredom. That leaves..." He stood back up and calmly walked out the door after slipping on a hoodie. He climbed down all of the stairs to the ground floor and walked out, making sure to give a smile and a nod to Tom the Doorman.
Hunter walked quickly. He needed to figure this out and he wanted to be back before Arabella got home. He walked across Central Park and found a boarding house that seemed a little worse for wear. He took a deep breath and walked in. He started up the stairs.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" A voice from behind Hunter came. He turned around to see Calvin, a college student who wasted most of his money on a girlfriend that left him and the proceeding heroin addiction. Hunter had met him a few times on the stairs. He had a job at the museum and was trying to turn his life around.
"It's me. Hu-" He started. Did Hunter really want Calvin to recognize him? He didn't have the time. "Umm...No. I don't think so. Never met you before." He lied before turning and continuing to climb the stairs.
"Well, hold on, friend." Calvin said, catching up with him and putting a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "I'm Calvin. Can I direct you to someone?" Hunter sighed.
"I'm...Bill." Hunter said shaking Calvin's hand. "I know where I'm going. I'm just visiting my...mother...in-law." He lied. "She lives on 8." He said pointing up the stairs. "I really need to get going though. I'll see you around, Calvin." Hunter said before sprinting up the stairs to the eighth floor. He walked to the 4th apartment and knocked gently. He heard shuffling and movement on the other side of the door. Finally, the door creaked open to reveal a shortish woman with white curly hair and big glasses. "Hi, Martha." Hunter said with a small smile. Martha adjusted her glasses and looked up at him.
"Hunter? Is that you? It doesn't look like you, but I'd recognize that voice of yours anywhere." She said giving him a smile and a wink. "Come in, dear. I'll let you make me some tea." Hunter chuckled and entered the apartment.
"How you doing, Martha?" Hunter said in a loud voice. He walked into the kitchen and worked on preparing some tea.
"Quiet down, Hunter. It's my eyes that are gone, not my ears. I'm doing alright. These old bones are going on me. I'm not the looker I once was." She said with a chuckle as she eased down into a armchair. Hunter walked in and sat down on one side of the couch.
"You're still as beautiful as always, Martha." Hunter said with a grin.
"Oh, you're too kind." She said with a scoff. "Look at you. Back to your former glory. I presume. You seem to be taking care of yourself." She said just as the teapot whistled. Hunter excused himself and walked back into the kitchen. After a few minutes, he returned with two cups of tea. "Thank you, dear. So, what brings you here?" She said before taking a sip of tea.
"I need your advice on something. I'm...a little confused, I think." He said setting his tea down on the coffee table. Martha raised her eyebrows at him. She scooted to the edge of her seat and set her tea down.
"Oh? Are you okay, dear? Is there something wrong with Arabella?" She asked offering him a friendly smile, but worried eyes. Hunter shook his head.
"No, nothing wrong, I guess. I'm just-" Something struck Hunter. He looked up at Martha and tilted his head. "Martha, how did you know about Arabella? I haven't been here for about 2 weeks." He said, eying her cautiously. Martha cleared her throat.
"You uh...You sent me a letter. Don't you remember?" She said quickly before standing up in her chair and shuffling quickly down the hallway. She came back after a moment with a piece of paper in hand. Hunter looked up at her and for a split-second he thought he saw...He thought he saw Arabella. She handed it to him. Hunter looked at it. It was his handwriting.
"Dear Martha, You have helped me so many times. I can't thank you enough for all that you've given me. I've been in many awful predicamants and you've gotten me out of them. I'm happy to tell you that I'll be living with a friend from camp named Arabella. She's beautiful and smart and kind and I love her. Thank you for the help. Love, Hutner." He read aloud. He blinked at the letter before looking up at a very nervous looking Martha. "I've never written a letter to anyone." He said quietly. "And even if I did, I probably wouldn't misspell predicaments or Hunter, my name. So, now that I know that you just materialized this letter, which god are you?" He said, standing up and walking to stand in front of Martha. Martha sighed and took a step back. Hunter watched as her glasses disappeared and her white hair grew into long blond hair that fell down around her shoulders. Her clothes, that were too big for her frail frame, transformed into a long slinky dress that hugged every curve of her body. He blinked as he thought he saw Arabella again. He focused on her again and immediately recognized her.
"You just have to be so smart, don't you, Hunter?" She said, with a pouting smile. She looked him up and down and gave him a wink. "My, my, my. Danny did a good job. It seems all of my kids have a thing for you, Hunter." She said giving him a devious smile. Hunter sighed and shook his head.
"Aphrodite."
"What do I care? It's not like I sit by myself doing nothing, because I don't know what to do when she's not around." He said glancing around the kitchen. "I cleaned." He said quietly. "And I did plumbing. I plumbed. And..." He set his head back down on the table and sighed. "Why do I keep thinking about her?!" He muttered into the table as he flailed his arms. He finally stood up and walked to his room. He quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before walking back out. He paced around the living room. "I don't know what this is! Who would know...Who would know....OTHER than Arabella." He tapped his chin and continued pacing. "I could talk to-No, they live at camp. There's-At camp." He said with a sigh as he sat down on the couch. "I don't know anyone..." He said quietly. "Wait. What about Mike? No...He's only married out of boredom. That leaves..." He stood back up and calmly walked out the door after slipping on a hoodie. He climbed down all of the stairs to the ground floor and walked out, making sure to give a smile and a nod to Tom the Doorman.
Hunter walked quickly. He needed to figure this out and he wanted to be back before Arabella got home. He walked across Central Park and found a boarding house that seemed a little worse for wear. He took a deep breath and walked in. He started up the stairs.
"I'm sorry, do I know you?" A voice from behind Hunter came. He turned around to see Calvin, a college student who wasted most of his money on a girlfriend that left him and the proceeding heroin addiction. Hunter had met him a few times on the stairs. He had a job at the museum and was trying to turn his life around.
"It's me. Hu-" He started. Did Hunter really want Calvin to recognize him? He didn't have the time. "Umm...No. I don't think so. Never met you before." He lied before turning and continuing to climb the stairs.
"Well, hold on, friend." Calvin said, catching up with him and putting a hand on Hunter's shoulder. "I'm Calvin. Can I direct you to someone?" Hunter sighed.
"I'm...Bill." Hunter said shaking Calvin's hand. "I know where I'm going. I'm just visiting my...mother...in-law." He lied. "She lives on 8." He said pointing up the stairs. "I really need to get going though. I'll see you around, Calvin." Hunter said before sprinting up the stairs to the eighth floor. He walked to the 4th apartment and knocked gently. He heard shuffling and movement on the other side of the door. Finally, the door creaked open to reveal a shortish woman with white curly hair and big glasses. "Hi, Martha." Hunter said with a small smile. Martha adjusted her glasses and looked up at him.
"Hunter? Is that you? It doesn't look like you, but I'd recognize that voice of yours anywhere." She said giving him a smile and a wink. "Come in, dear. I'll let you make me some tea." Hunter chuckled and entered the apartment.
"How you doing, Martha?" Hunter said in a loud voice. He walked into the kitchen and worked on preparing some tea.
"Quiet down, Hunter. It's my eyes that are gone, not my ears. I'm doing alright. These old bones are going on me. I'm not the looker I once was." She said with a chuckle as she eased down into a armchair. Hunter walked in and sat down on one side of the couch.
"You're still as beautiful as always, Martha." Hunter said with a grin.
"Oh, you're too kind." She said with a scoff. "Look at you. Back to your former glory. I presume. You seem to be taking care of yourself." She said just as the teapot whistled. Hunter excused himself and walked back into the kitchen. After a few minutes, he returned with two cups of tea. "Thank you, dear. So, what brings you here?" She said before taking a sip of tea.
"I need your advice on something. I'm...a little confused, I think." He said setting his tea down on the coffee table. Martha raised her eyebrows at him. She scooted to the edge of her seat and set her tea down.
"Oh? Are you okay, dear? Is there something wrong with Arabella?" She asked offering him a friendly smile, but worried eyes. Hunter shook his head.
"No, nothing wrong, I guess. I'm just-" Something struck Hunter. He looked up at Martha and tilted his head. "Martha, how did you know about Arabella? I haven't been here for about 2 weeks." He said, eying her cautiously. Martha cleared her throat.
"You uh...You sent me a letter. Don't you remember?" She said quickly before standing up in her chair and shuffling quickly down the hallway. She came back after a moment with a piece of paper in hand. Hunter looked up at her and for a split-second he thought he saw...He thought he saw Arabella. She handed it to him. Hunter looked at it. It was his handwriting.
"Dear Martha, You have helped me so many times. I can't thank you enough for all that you've given me. I've been in many awful predicamants and you've gotten me out of them. I'm happy to tell you that I'll be living with a friend from camp named Arabella. She's beautiful and smart and kind and I love her. Thank you for the help. Love, Hutner." He read aloud. He blinked at the letter before looking up at a very nervous looking Martha. "I've never written a letter to anyone." He said quietly. "And even if I did, I probably wouldn't misspell predicaments or Hunter, my name. So, now that I know that you just materialized this letter, which god are you?" He said, standing up and walking to stand in front of Martha. Martha sighed and took a step back. Hunter watched as her glasses disappeared and her white hair grew into long blond hair that fell down around her shoulders. Her clothes, that were too big for her frail frame, transformed into a long slinky dress that hugged every curve of her body. He blinked as he thought he saw Arabella again. He focused on her again and immediately recognized her.
"You just have to be so smart, don't you, Hunter?" She said, with a pouting smile. She looked him up and down and gave him a wink. "My, my, my. Danny did a good job. It seems all of my kids have a thing for you, Hunter." She said giving him a devious smile. Hunter sighed and shook his head.
"Aphrodite."
Chapter 36 - Arabella
The early morning sun hit her face and Arabella moaned, rolling over onto her stomach. Her head was throbbing and her mouth was dry and she felt sick to her stomach. The worst feeling though, was the shame and the embarrassment. How could she let herself drink that much? She knew that it was stupid and it was horrible. She was sure that Hunter would never speak to her again. Arabella couldn't remember all of the previous night. But she remembered enough. She knew that she had made a fool of herself in front of Hunter and tried to get him into her room. "I'm never drinking again" she moaned into her pillow. With a heavy sigh, Arabella pushed herself out of bed. It was time to go home. Back to reality. Arabella made her bed, quickly changing into a pair of sweat pants and her old, orange Camp Half Blood shirt. She packed her bags, trying not to think too much aboout anything. The sooner they left the beach house, the sooner she would be able to focus on her work and they could pretend that the previous night never happened. It wasn't long before her bags were packed.
Arabella walked down the stairs slowly, carrying her bags with her. She placed all of her things at the door and saw Hunter's things there too. She looked at his things for a moment, lost in thought. Would he want to stay with her after what had happened? Arabella let out a little sigh and walked to the kitchen. Her eyes landed on Hunter, sitting at the table and eating toast. She saw the Fruit Loops and sat down gingerly. Her head felt like it was pounding to the beat of some techno dance song. It was horrible. They sat across from each other in silence for a moment, both of them unsure and afraid of what to say. Finally, Arabella managed to say something to him "I'm sorry about last night" she muttered, looking down at the Fruit Loops. She picked a pink one up and popped it in her mouth. Hunter swallowed the toast that was in his mouth. He seemed to pause and think about his words before he said them.
"A whole bottle, huh? I was pretty impressed" Hunter said, there wasn't a smile on his face but Arabella could tell that he wasn't being sarcastic. He was just trying to make things less awkward. Arabella looked up at him. Her eyes were tired, but she smiled lightly at him. She tossed a Fruit Loop at him and thanks to all the training he had given her at camp, she was able to hit him right in the middle of his forehead. Arabella let out a little giggle at the look of shock on Hunter's face.
"Come on, Fruit Loop. Let's just get home. I miss my round bed" Arabella said and stood up. She dumped the rest of her Fruit Loops into a little baggy and grabbed her purse. She looked around to make sure that she had everything, stuffed the Fruit Loops into her purse and headed outside with her car keys. Maybe they could ride home together and not talk too much about last night. She didn't want to deal with any of the bad stuff. She just wanted to drive in peace. Arabella helped Hunter carry some of the bags back to the car and helped him pack it up a bit. It didn't take them long to get on the road, which was a good thing.
They drove along in silence for the first little bit of the drive. Arabella was too tired to really say anything and Hunter was staring out of his window, lost in thought. After driving for about 45 minutes, Arabella looked at Hunter briefly "How did you sleep last night?' she asked him. She didn't really remember much after she had passed out. Arabella didn't really know what happened exactly, all she could remember was Hunter's warmth and how feeling him beside her had comforted her. Hunter shook himself out of whatever world he was lost in and back into reality. He looked at her briefly before looking out the window.
"I slept fine" He responded, shrugging slightly "How did you sleep?" he asked her, his voice quiet but steady. Arabella leaned her head back on the head rest, keeping her eyes on the road.
"I slept good. I guess. I'm a little stiff for some reason.." Arabella said but she shrugged it off. She took a deep breath for a moment, not really thinking about what she was about to say "Hunter? Why do you sleep on the floor? Is it because you're still not comfortable in a bed?" she asked him.
"Yeah, I guess" Hunter said in a quiet voice. Arabella nodded and took a sip from her water bottle. She hoped that he would be used to a bed soon. She didn't know how long that was going to take but she felt bad when she saw him sleeping on the floor or the couch. Arabella drove on. They were almost home. She could see the tops of the buildings in Manhattan and her heart skipped a beat. She loved that city and everytime she saw it after being away, she couldn't help but smile.
Arabella drove up to her apartment, parking the car and helping Hunter carry the bags to the elevator. When they got up to her apartment, Arabella let out a happy sigh. Being at the beach house was nice, but coming home was amazing. She carried her bags to her room then walked out to see Hunter. He was lost in thought again, like he was trying to decide between something.
"What are your plans for the day?" Arabella asked him, leaning against the wall. Just then, her phone rang. She ran and picked it up. After a couple minutes, Arabella cursed under her breath and pulled on some new clothes, not even bothering to close her bedroom door. Arabella ran out "I gotta go! Work!" she said, slipping into her shoes "Have a good day!" she called before running out of her apartment in a whirl of perfume
Arabella walked down the stairs slowly, carrying her bags with her. She placed all of her things at the door and saw Hunter's things there too. She looked at his things for a moment, lost in thought. Would he want to stay with her after what had happened? Arabella let out a little sigh and walked to the kitchen. Her eyes landed on Hunter, sitting at the table and eating toast. She saw the Fruit Loops and sat down gingerly. Her head felt like it was pounding to the beat of some techno dance song. It was horrible. They sat across from each other in silence for a moment, both of them unsure and afraid of what to say. Finally, Arabella managed to say something to him "I'm sorry about last night" she muttered, looking down at the Fruit Loops. She picked a pink one up and popped it in her mouth. Hunter swallowed the toast that was in his mouth. He seemed to pause and think about his words before he said them.
"A whole bottle, huh? I was pretty impressed" Hunter said, there wasn't a smile on his face but Arabella could tell that he wasn't being sarcastic. He was just trying to make things less awkward. Arabella looked up at him. Her eyes were tired, but she smiled lightly at him. She tossed a Fruit Loop at him and thanks to all the training he had given her at camp, she was able to hit him right in the middle of his forehead. Arabella let out a little giggle at the look of shock on Hunter's face.
"Come on, Fruit Loop. Let's just get home. I miss my round bed" Arabella said and stood up. She dumped the rest of her Fruit Loops into a little baggy and grabbed her purse. She looked around to make sure that she had everything, stuffed the Fruit Loops into her purse and headed outside with her car keys. Maybe they could ride home together and not talk too much about last night. She didn't want to deal with any of the bad stuff. She just wanted to drive in peace. Arabella helped Hunter carry some of the bags back to the car and helped him pack it up a bit. It didn't take them long to get on the road, which was a good thing.
They drove along in silence for the first little bit of the drive. Arabella was too tired to really say anything and Hunter was staring out of his window, lost in thought. After driving for about 45 minutes, Arabella looked at Hunter briefly "How did you sleep last night?' she asked him. She didn't really remember much after she had passed out. Arabella didn't really know what happened exactly, all she could remember was Hunter's warmth and how feeling him beside her had comforted her. Hunter shook himself out of whatever world he was lost in and back into reality. He looked at her briefly before looking out the window.
"I slept fine" He responded, shrugging slightly "How did you sleep?" he asked her, his voice quiet but steady. Arabella leaned her head back on the head rest, keeping her eyes on the road.
"I slept good. I guess. I'm a little stiff for some reason.." Arabella said but she shrugged it off. She took a deep breath for a moment, not really thinking about what she was about to say "Hunter? Why do you sleep on the floor? Is it because you're still not comfortable in a bed?" she asked him.
"Yeah, I guess" Hunter said in a quiet voice. Arabella nodded and took a sip from her water bottle. She hoped that he would be used to a bed soon. She didn't know how long that was going to take but she felt bad when she saw him sleeping on the floor or the couch. Arabella drove on. They were almost home. She could see the tops of the buildings in Manhattan and her heart skipped a beat. She loved that city and everytime she saw it after being away, she couldn't help but smile.
Arabella drove up to her apartment, parking the car and helping Hunter carry the bags to the elevator. When they got up to her apartment, Arabella let out a happy sigh. Being at the beach house was nice, but coming home was amazing. She carried her bags to her room then walked out to see Hunter. He was lost in thought again, like he was trying to decide between something.
"What are your plans for the day?" Arabella asked him, leaning against the wall. Just then, her phone rang. She ran and picked it up. After a couple minutes, Arabella cursed under her breath and pulled on some new clothes, not even bothering to close her bedroom door. Arabella ran out "I gotta go! Work!" she said, slipping into her shoes "Have a good day!" she called before running out of her apartment in a whirl of perfume
Chapter 35 - Hunter
Hunter could hear Arabella drunkenly speak in her room. He tried not to care, but it was hard not to. It was quiet for a long time. At least it felt like a long time. Finally he heard frantic footsteps through the hallway. "Ellie?" He said, perking up from his pillow. "No. I don't care." He said quietly putting his face back into his pillow. He sat there for a moment before listening to the retching coming from the bathroom. He lifted his head again and listened for her footsteps returning to her room. He waited. And waited. Finally, he buried his face into his pillow. "I don't care." He said smashing his face into the pillow. "I don't care." He said lifting his head and smashing it into the pillow again. "I don't care." He said once more, but he didn't smash his face into his pillow. He blinked a few times. "I'll just check on her." He said standing up and walking out of his room.
He silently crept through the hall and to the bathroom. He stood outside the door and lifted his hand to knock, but finally he let it drop to his side. He took a deep breath before pushing lightly on the door. It swung open to reveal Arabella passed out on the floor.. "Oh, Ellie." He said as he knelt down and brushed the hair out of her face. He sat her up and gently rubbed her back. He wrapped her arm around his neck and helped her stand. She groaned softly. "Shh. Shh. Let's put you in your bed." He said quietly. She mumbled something that Hunter couldn't understand. "What is it? Do you need something?" He asked her.
"Toilet." She said before letting go of him and rushing back to the toilet. She knelt down and threw up. Hunter walked over and grabbed her hair. He piled it up behind her head as she vomited again. With his other hand he rubbed her back.
"It's okay. Just let it all out." He whispered as she threw up the food from the past day. "Oh, Ellie. I'm so sorry." He said quietly. She finally stopped throwing up and groaned. Her back and her shoulders jolted as sobs shot through her body. He knelt down and put an arm around her shoulder. She collapsed into his arms. He quickly flushed the toilet and leaned her up against the wall across from the toilet. "Shh...It's okay. You're done, now." He said before he quickly stood up and grabbed a small Dixie cup and filled it with water. He grabbed a few more, filled them, and set them on the edge of the sink. He grabbed a towel and draped it over his shoulder before shutting the lid to the toilet and sitting down next to her. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. "Alright. Let's clean you up a little. Let me see." He said quietly as he tried to catch her eyes. She turned away and buried her face in her hands. "Hey, now." He said turning her head toward him. "Why would you hide that beautiful face?" He said before lightly grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. He dipped a little bit of the towel in to one of the Dixie cups and wiped her mouth and her cheeks. She groaned and turned away. "Come on. We're almost done." He said pulling her head back again. He wiped the rest of her face before gently kissing her forehead. "There. We're all done." He said with a small smile. He took one of the cups of water off of the sink. "Here. Drink this." He said opening her mouth a little with his thumb. He poured a little into her mouth and grabbed the trashcan. "Go ahead and spit it out." She complied by spitting it into the can before collapsing into Hunter's arms. She sobbed quietly as she pressed her face into the towel on Hunter's shoulder. Hunter lightly kissed her head. "Just sleep." He said before putting his head onto hers. He could feel her small sobs against his body. "Shh....Shh...We're okay. I've got you." He said quietly. He repeated it until she fell asleep against him. He looked at her to make sure she was actually asleep before brushing the hair out of her face and gently kissing her head. "Good night, Ellie." He said quietly as he put his head against hers and fell asleep.
Hunter's eyes blinked open with sunlight streaming into the bathroom from the skylight in the ceiling. He sighed and looked over at Arabella who had seemed to snuggle up to him in her sleep. Hunter slowly removed his arm and cautiously pulled away from her. He knelt down and picked her up off the ground. He carried her back to her room and tucked her into her bed before silently leaving her room and going back to his. He reset the room exactly like how it was after packing up his clothes. He brought his bags down and set them by the door and walked into the kitchen. He poured a bowl of Froot Loops and a glass of milk and set them in front of a chair at the table. He, then, went to work on cleaning up the kitchen. He put away dishes and threw away the leftovers and food that they couldn't use back at the apartment. He made sure every counter top was clean and that the fridge, stove, and oven were clean before leaning up against one of the counters. He was desperate for something to do to take his mind off of this entire weekend. He wasn't sure how he felt about what had transpired during this weekend. Part of him felt like he'd be better off if he had left that night. Another part wished he had given in or acted sooner. He was genuinely torn. He made some toast and sat at the table while he ate it in complete silence.
He silently crept through the hall and to the bathroom. He stood outside the door and lifted his hand to knock, but finally he let it drop to his side. He took a deep breath before pushing lightly on the door. It swung open to reveal Arabella passed out on the floor.. "Oh, Ellie." He said as he knelt down and brushed the hair out of her face. He sat her up and gently rubbed her back. He wrapped her arm around his neck and helped her stand. She groaned softly. "Shh. Shh. Let's put you in your bed." He said quietly. She mumbled something that Hunter couldn't understand. "What is it? Do you need something?" He asked her.
"Toilet." She said before letting go of him and rushing back to the toilet. She knelt down and threw up. Hunter walked over and grabbed her hair. He piled it up behind her head as she vomited again. With his other hand he rubbed her back.
"It's okay. Just let it all out." He whispered as she threw up the food from the past day. "Oh, Ellie. I'm so sorry." He said quietly. She finally stopped throwing up and groaned. Her back and her shoulders jolted as sobs shot through her body. He knelt down and put an arm around her shoulder. She collapsed into his arms. He quickly flushed the toilet and leaned her up against the wall across from the toilet. "Shh...It's okay. You're done, now." He said before he quickly stood up and grabbed a small Dixie cup and filled it with water. He grabbed a few more, filled them, and set them on the edge of the sink. He grabbed a towel and draped it over his shoulder before shutting the lid to the toilet and sitting down next to her. He put his arm around her and she leaned into him. "Alright. Let's clean you up a little. Let me see." He said quietly as he tried to catch her eyes. She turned away and buried her face in her hands. "Hey, now." He said turning her head toward him. "Why would you hide that beautiful face?" He said before lightly grabbing her hands and pulling them away from her face. He dipped a little bit of the towel in to one of the Dixie cups and wiped her mouth and her cheeks. She groaned and turned away. "Come on. We're almost done." He said pulling her head back again. He wiped the rest of her face before gently kissing her forehead. "There. We're all done." He said with a small smile. He took one of the cups of water off of the sink. "Here. Drink this." He said opening her mouth a little with his thumb. He poured a little into her mouth and grabbed the trashcan. "Go ahead and spit it out." She complied by spitting it into the can before collapsing into Hunter's arms. She sobbed quietly as she pressed her face into the towel on Hunter's shoulder. Hunter lightly kissed her head. "Just sleep." He said before putting his head onto hers. He could feel her small sobs against his body. "Shh....Shh...We're okay. I've got you." He said quietly. He repeated it until she fell asleep against him. He looked at her to make sure she was actually asleep before brushing the hair out of her face and gently kissing her head. "Good night, Ellie." He said quietly as he put his head against hers and fell asleep.
Hunter's eyes blinked open with sunlight streaming into the bathroom from the skylight in the ceiling. He sighed and looked over at Arabella who had seemed to snuggle up to him in her sleep. Hunter slowly removed his arm and cautiously pulled away from her. He knelt down and picked her up off the ground. He carried her back to her room and tucked her into her bed before silently leaving her room and going back to his. He reset the room exactly like how it was after packing up his clothes. He brought his bags down and set them by the door and walked into the kitchen. He poured a bowl of Froot Loops and a glass of milk and set them in front of a chair at the table. He, then, went to work on cleaning up the kitchen. He put away dishes and threw away the leftovers and food that they couldn't use back at the apartment. He made sure every counter top was clean and that the fridge, stove, and oven were clean before leaning up against one of the counters. He was desperate for something to do to take his mind off of this entire weekend. He wasn't sure how he felt about what had transpired during this weekend. Part of him felt like he'd be better off if he had left that night. Another part wished he had given in or acted sooner. He was genuinely torn. He made some toast and sat at the table while he ate it in complete silence.
Chapter 34 - Arabella and Hunter
After Hunter made lunch for Arabella, he washed the dishes. He lingered on the job. Maybe if he took long finishing the dishes, then he would take long finishing the floors and then they wouldn't get done. Maybe they could stay out here. Out here it was...simple. They woke up separately. They both did their own things throughout the day. Then they made dinner together and ate together and it was...peaceful. Calm. Simple. He regretfully finished the dishes and went to finish sanding the floors. Unfortunately, he was almost done with that too. He finished it in about 30 minutes. Finally, he went out to paint. He passed Arabella and didn't look at her. Purely out of nerves. He finished the painting in a few hours and checked his watch. "5:30. Time to start dinner." He said quietly before wiping the sweat from his forehead, a streak of paint on his face. He set the paint stuff down and walked over to her. Why was he excited to see her? Why was he nervous about what to say to her? He shook his head as he turned the corner to see her. "Hey, Ellie. Do you want--Are you okay?" He asked walking over and sitting across from her.
Arabella looked up when Hunter sat down. Crap... She quickly put all of her things in her bag and she nodded slightly. She was so upset about the phone call from Brian, but she wasn't going to let it show "Yeah, every thing's fine" she lied with a shrug and looked up at him. Was Brian right? She found out that Hunter had renounced his oath and she went off for the weekend with him. Did a part of her only want him because he was 'the only guy from camp that she hadn't slept with'? Arabella put a small smile on her face and she reached out and touched the streak of paint on Hunter's face "I see that you've been busy" she teased. Hunter nodded. Arabella didn't think that he actually bought her lie but he didn't push it.
"The outside of the house is finished" Hunter told her, his voice hesitant. Arabella stood up, grabbing her bag and the rest of her things and walked towards the house with Hunter.
"That's awesome Hunter, thanks so much" Arabella said then took a breath. Honestly, the only thing she was really thinking about was how nice it would be to must out her bottle of Goldschlager "What's for dinner tonight?" she asked him. She had already forgotten what he had written on the menu.
"Chinese. And you're doing the rice" Hunter said, looking at her. Arabella raised an eyebrow at him then forced herself to let out a laugh.
"Yeah, sure. You just want me to burn the house down" Arabella said and sat down at the table when they walked inside. Hunter started getting all of the things ready. She didn't know what he was doing, or how he was doing it, but it wasn't long before the kitchen started to smell amazing.
"Come here" Hunter said and looked back at Arabella. She pushed herself up and walked over to him, looking down at everything he had laid out for her "The rice is simple..just cook it then put it in the pan with everything else" he explained, pointing at the other things to go in the rice.
"You must really trust me.." Arabella said but she started to work on the rice, following Hunter's instructions exactly. He had to help her out a few times and fix a few mistakes. Soon enough, the rice was done and Hunter was putting all of the food onto plates. As he did that, Arabella looked into the cupboard where she had stashed her alcohol. She picked out her rum and grabbed a glass. She put ice into the glass and almost filled it up with the rum, but she put a splash of Pepsi in it. Arabella sat down at the table and took a sip of her drink before taking a bite of her egg roll. They ate in silence, Arabella didn't really feel like talking much. She kept looking up at Hunter for a few seconds then looking down at her plate. After talking to Brian, she felt so insecure and unsure of herself. She was starting to believe what Brian had said to her. Arabella finished off her drink pretty quickly and went to get another glass. This time, she hardly put any Pepsi in it at all. It pretty much just rum. Arabella sat back down and took a long drink from her glass. She was starting to feel the alcohol now, but she could still feel the sting from Brian's words. Hunter was looking at Arabella with a slightly worried look on his face, but he didn't say anything. Arabella knew that she was being horrible to Hunter, but she felt so terrible about herself and whenever she looked at Hunter, she remembered what Brian said to her and the pain came back.
"I'm going to sit in the sand on the beach and enjoy whatever is left of the sun" Arabella told him and she grabbed her sunglasses and the bottle of rum "You're welcome to join me" she added and she took off towards the beach, plopping herself down on the sand.
Hunter stared at her leave. His heart sank. "Did I do something?" He said to himself with a sigh before gathering the plates and putting them in the sink. "I don't think I...I thought that we..." He took a deep breath and swallowed his anxiety as he started the dishes. As soon as he finished them he walked up to his room and changed into a pair of swim trunks. He grabbed a towel and walked out to the beach to find her and a bottle of rum about 3/4ths empty. "Are you sure you're okay, Ellie?" He asked sitting down next to her. "I've never seen you tie one on like this." He said in his usual quiet tone.
Arabella turned to look at Hunter when he sat down next to her. She took a swig from the bottle, looking out at the water "Oh yeah, I'm totally fine" she said, her words slurring. Hunter was a little blurry in her eyes, but she could still see him fine "You clearly don't know me as well as you thought you did" she said with a little giggle "I've had more than this before!" she added and looked at his swim trunks then at his bare chest. Her cheeks flushed and she drank from the bottle, nearly finishing it. Arabella wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself close to him. "I missed you" she whispered
Hunter blushed at her closeness. "I uh...missed you too, Ellie." He said quietly. Hunter could smell the alcohol on her breath. He could tell that she was very drunk. "What's wrong, Ellie? You can tell me." He said quietly. She shook her head and looked up at him. He looked down into her eyes. He reached for the bottle. "Maybe we've had enough. How about I just take this?"
"No!" Arabella said, grabbing the bottle away from him "And I can't tell you because I don't want to tell you. Everything is fine with me Hunter..everything is peachy" she said before taking a big gulp from the bottle, finishing it off. She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't feel like she was really all there. She didn't really feel the pain. Arabella looked into Hunter's eyes and she blushed. Arabella wanted everything with Hunter and because of the alcohol, she couldn't stop herself. She leaned into him and planted a kiss on the side of his neck "Let's go skinny dipping" she whispered.
Hunter froze. Was this actually happening? He felt himself blush. Hard. "I...um...Ellie we..." He said, lightly pushing her away. She moved his hand and leaned into him again. He could feel her lips on his neck. "Ellie, I....We...this is..." He stammered before pushing her away again. She renewed her efforts and this time sucked on his neck. He jumped and rolled away from her and to his feet. "I prefer regular swimming actually. Fully clothed. not naked. or close to each other. Or anything. Just a couple of people swimming. fully clothed." He said frantically turning his back to her.
"Oh, come on, Hunter" Arabella slurred, moving so that she was standing in front of him. She placed her hands on his chest and felt him stiffen under her hands, like he was nervous "Fine. Why don't we just skip swimming and go up to my room?" she breathed, raising an eyebrow suggestively. Arabella figured that the first time he had turned her down, it was because of nerves. She didn't expect him to do it a second time. So her heart sank a little when he pushed her hands away. "Hunter..it's okay. Most guys only want sex from me and I've gotten used to it. It's fine" she told him, putting her arms around his neck "And according to Brian, I'm just a slut. And a whore. So having meaningless sex with you is kind of in the job description"
Hunter was losing his mind. Part of him wanted to give in and take her back into the house and up into her room. Another part of him wanted to just walk away completely. He grabbed her arms and took a step back. He held her at an arms length. "Ellie, don't listen to Brian. He's an idiot who missed out on the best thing to ever happen to him." Hunter said quietly. "You're not a slut. You're not a whore. You're a beautiful, smart, kind, and wonderful young woman who deserves to be happy and to be with a guy who will treat her the way she deserves to be treated." He said looking into her groggy and drunken eyes. He hoped that she was drunk enough to not remember any of this. "One of these days you're going to find that guy..." He said looking down at the ground.
"I already did" Arabella whispered. Her heart ached, hearing Brian say everything that he did to her was bad enough. But now Hunter was turning her down. Was is something wrong with her? Was she just not good enough? Not smart enough? Not pretty enough? She felt tears trickle down her cheeks and she folded her arms across her chest "I already found him, but he clearly doesn't want anything from me" she said in a sad voice before turning and running up to the house.
Hunter stood there, feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. "Ellie! Wait! Not like this! I don't...Not like this!" He shouted after her, but to no avail, she was gone. He fell back into the sand. He didn't care. Maybe the tide will come in and sweep him away. He's not that lucky. "I wanted to. Believe me, I wanted to, but..." He said a tear falling down into the sand. "Not drunk you. I don't..." He laid there, quietly crying. "She doesn't want me. She had an itch. I was the scratch. That's why she has to get drunk to do anything!" He said sadly. He wasn't mad, but he felt mad. He wasn't sure why. He stood up and picked up his towel and the empty bottle. "Damn the gods! The gods have given me nothing, but trouble! Damn them!" He shouted before throwing the bottle into the water. He buried his face into his towel and breathed deep. It smelled like her detergent. It smelled like her. He dropped it on the sand and walked back to the house. When he entered he walked up to his room and closed the door behind him. He climbed into his bed on the floor and buried his face in his pillow. "Maybe, I'll just die here. If the gods care at all, they'll kill me right here."
Arabella ran up to the house and into her room, stummbling slightly. She was crying the whole time. Arabella felt so alone. She desperatley needed someone. Someone to hold her and kiss her and tell her that she's beautiful. Arabella flopped down on her bed and looked over at her purse. Arabella bit her lip then grabbed it, digging though it for a piece of paper. Finally she found what she was looking for and called the phone number scribbled on it. She got the answering machine. "Hi Chad, it's Arabella. I was thinking about what you said to me and I'd like to give you another chance" she said twisting a piece of hair in her fingers "I'm up at the beach house now and I'll be back home tomorrow afternoon, you should stop by. I was thinking about that time that we snuck off in the middle of the night to the beach at Camp and we spent 3 hours under the moon together..anyway..I live in the big apartments building across from The Met. I hope I'll see you tomorrow night" she finished and hung up the phone. Arabella sat on her bed for a moment. It wasn't long before she felt a horrible tug in her stomach. She bolted to the bathroom and knelt over the toilet. pulling her hair out of her face. Being sick was the worst part about drinking, in her opinion. It was just painful. Arabella stood up on shaky legs, flushing the toilet. She brushed her teeth and looked in the mirror at her reflection. Arabella let out a dry little sob before curling up on the floor of the bathroom and passing out.
Arabella looked up when Hunter sat down. Crap... She quickly put all of her things in her bag and she nodded slightly. She was so upset about the phone call from Brian, but she wasn't going to let it show "Yeah, every thing's fine" she lied with a shrug and looked up at him. Was Brian right? She found out that Hunter had renounced his oath and she went off for the weekend with him. Did a part of her only want him because he was 'the only guy from camp that she hadn't slept with'? Arabella put a small smile on her face and she reached out and touched the streak of paint on Hunter's face "I see that you've been busy" she teased. Hunter nodded. Arabella didn't think that he actually bought her lie but he didn't push it.
"The outside of the house is finished" Hunter told her, his voice hesitant. Arabella stood up, grabbing her bag and the rest of her things and walked towards the house with Hunter.
"That's awesome Hunter, thanks so much" Arabella said then took a breath. Honestly, the only thing she was really thinking about was how nice it would be to must out her bottle of Goldschlager "What's for dinner tonight?" she asked him. She had already forgotten what he had written on the menu.
"Chinese. And you're doing the rice" Hunter said, looking at her. Arabella raised an eyebrow at him then forced herself to let out a laugh.
"Yeah, sure. You just want me to burn the house down" Arabella said and sat down at the table when they walked inside. Hunter started getting all of the things ready. She didn't know what he was doing, or how he was doing it, but it wasn't long before the kitchen started to smell amazing.
"Come here" Hunter said and looked back at Arabella. She pushed herself up and walked over to him, looking down at everything he had laid out for her "The rice is simple..just cook it then put it in the pan with everything else" he explained, pointing at the other things to go in the rice.
"You must really trust me.." Arabella said but she started to work on the rice, following Hunter's instructions exactly. He had to help her out a few times and fix a few mistakes. Soon enough, the rice was done and Hunter was putting all of the food onto plates. As he did that, Arabella looked into the cupboard where she had stashed her alcohol. She picked out her rum and grabbed a glass. She put ice into the glass and almost filled it up with the rum, but she put a splash of Pepsi in it. Arabella sat down at the table and took a sip of her drink before taking a bite of her egg roll. They ate in silence, Arabella didn't really feel like talking much. She kept looking up at Hunter for a few seconds then looking down at her plate. After talking to Brian, she felt so insecure and unsure of herself. She was starting to believe what Brian had said to her. Arabella finished off her drink pretty quickly and went to get another glass. This time, she hardly put any Pepsi in it at all. It pretty much just rum. Arabella sat back down and took a long drink from her glass. She was starting to feel the alcohol now, but she could still feel the sting from Brian's words. Hunter was looking at Arabella with a slightly worried look on his face, but he didn't say anything. Arabella knew that she was being horrible to Hunter, but she felt so terrible about herself and whenever she looked at Hunter, she remembered what Brian said to her and the pain came back.
"I'm going to sit in the sand on the beach and enjoy whatever is left of the sun" Arabella told him and she grabbed her sunglasses and the bottle of rum "You're welcome to join me" she added and she took off towards the beach, plopping herself down on the sand.
Hunter stared at her leave. His heart sank. "Did I do something?" He said to himself with a sigh before gathering the plates and putting them in the sink. "I don't think I...I thought that we..." He took a deep breath and swallowed his anxiety as he started the dishes. As soon as he finished them he walked up to his room and changed into a pair of swim trunks. He grabbed a towel and walked out to the beach to find her and a bottle of rum about 3/4ths empty. "Are you sure you're okay, Ellie?" He asked sitting down next to her. "I've never seen you tie one on like this." He said in his usual quiet tone.
Arabella turned to look at Hunter when he sat down next to her. She took a swig from the bottle, looking out at the water "Oh yeah, I'm totally fine" she said, her words slurring. Hunter was a little blurry in her eyes, but she could still see him fine "You clearly don't know me as well as you thought you did" she said with a little giggle "I've had more than this before!" she added and looked at his swim trunks then at his bare chest. Her cheeks flushed and she drank from the bottle, nearly finishing it. Arabella wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling herself close to him. "I missed you" she whispered
Hunter blushed at her closeness. "I uh...missed you too, Ellie." He said quietly. Hunter could smell the alcohol on her breath. He could tell that she was very drunk. "What's wrong, Ellie? You can tell me." He said quietly. She shook her head and looked up at him. He looked down into her eyes. He reached for the bottle. "Maybe we've had enough. How about I just take this?"
"No!" Arabella said, grabbing the bottle away from him "And I can't tell you because I don't want to tell you. Everything is fine with me Hunter..everything is peachy" she said before taking a big gulp from the bottle, finishing it off. She didn't know what she was doing. She didn't feel like she was really all there. She didn't really feel the pain. Arabella looked into Hunter's eyes and she blushed. Arabella wanted everything with Hunter and because of the alcohol, she couldn't stop herself. She leaned into him and planted a kiss on the side of his neck "Let's go skinny dipping" she whispered.
Hunter froze. Was this actually happening? He felt himself blush. Hard. "I...um...Ellie we..." He said, lightly pushing her away. She moved his hand and leaned into him again. He could feel her lips on his neck. "Ellie, I....We...this is..." He stammered before pushing her away again. She renewed her efforts and this time sucked on his neck. He jumped and rolled away from her and to his feet. "I prefer regular swimming actually. Fully clothed. not naked. or close to each other. Or anything. Just a couple of people swimming. fully clothed." He said frantically turning his back to her.
"Oh, come on, Hunter" Arabella slurred, moving so that she was standing in front of him. She placed her hands on his chest and felt him stiffen under her hands, like he was nervous "Fine. Why don't we just skip swimming and go up to my room?" she breathed, raising an eyebrow suggestively. Arabella figured that the first time he had turned her down, it was because of nerves. She didn't expect him to do it a second time. So her heart sank a little when he pushed her hands away. "Hunter..it's okay. Most guys only want sex from me and I've gotten used to it. It's fine" she told him, putting her arms around his neck "And according to Brian, I'm just a slut. And a whore. So having meaningless sex with you is kind of in the job description"
Hunter was losing his mind. Part of him wanted to give in and take her back into the house and up into her room. Another part of him wanted to just walk away completely. He grabbed her arms and took a step back. He held her at an arms length. "Ellie, don't listen to Brian. He's an idiot who missed out on the best thing to ever happen to him." Hunter said quietly. "You're not a slut. You're not a whore. You're a beautiful, smart, kind, and wonderful young woman who deserves to be happy and to be with a guy who will treat her the way she deserves to be treated." He said looking into her groggy and drunken eyes. He hoped that she was drunk enough to not remember any of this. "One of these days you're going to find that guy..." He said looking down at the ground.
"I already did" Arabella whispered. Her heart ached, hearing Brian say everything that he did to her was bad enough. But now Hunter was turning her down. Was is something wrong with her? Was she just not good enough? Not smart enough? Not pretty enough? She felt tears trickle down her cheeks and she folded her arms across her chest "I already found him, but he clearly doesn't want anything from me" she said in a sad voice before turning and running up to the house.
Hunter stood there, feeling like the biggest idiot on the planet. "Ellie! Wait! Not like this! I don't...Not like this!" He shouted after her, but to no avail, she was gone. He fell back into the sand. He didn't care. Maybe the tide will come in and sweep him away. He's not that lucky. "I wanted to. Believe me, I wanted to, but..." He said a tear falling down into the sand. "Not drunk you. I don't..." He laid there, quietly crying. "She doesn't want me. She had an itch. I was the scratch. That's why she has to get drunk to do anything!" He said sadly. He wasn't mad, but he felt mad. He wasn't sure why. He stood up and picked up his towel and the empty bottle. "Damn the gods! The gods have given me nothing, but trouble! Damn them!" He shouted before throwing the bottle into the water. He buried his face into his towel and breathed deep. It smelled like her detergent. It smelled like her. He dropped it on the sand and walked back to the house. When he entered he walked up to his room and closed the door behind him. He climbed into his bed on the floor and buried his face in his pillow. "Maybe, I'll just die here. If the gods care at all, they'll kill me right here."
Arabella ran up to the house and into her room, stummbling slightly. She was crying the whole time. Arabella felt so alone. She desperatley needed someone. Someone to hold her and kiss her and tell her that she's beautiful. Arabella flopped down on her bed and looked over at her purse. Arabella bit her lip then grabbed it, digging though it for a piece of paper. Finally she found what she was looking for and called the phone number scribbled on it. She got the answering machine. "Hi Chad, it's Arabella. I was thinking about what you said to me and I'd like to give you another chance" she said twisting a piece of hair in her fingers "I'm up at the beach house now and I'll be back home tomorrow afternoon, you should stop by. I was thinking about that time that we snuck off in the middle of the night to the beach at Camp and we spent 3 hours under the moon together..anyway..I live in the big apartments building across from The Met. I hope I'll see you tomorrow night" she finished and hung up the phone. Arabella sat on her bed for a moment. It wasn't long before she felt a horrible tug in her stomach. She bolted to the bathroom and knelt over the toilet. pulling her hair out of her face. Being sick was the worst part about drinking, in her opinion. It was just painful. Arabella stood up on shaky legs, flushing the toilet. She brushed her teeth and looked in the mirror at her reflection. Arabella let out a dry little sob before curling up on the floor of the bathroom and passing out.
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