Arabella thought that she was dreaming or maybe she was just imagining it. But she swore she could hear Hunter's voice. He was yelling. There was pain and panic in his voice. Arabella wanted to open her eyes and tell him that it was going to be okay, that he didn't have to feel sad or guilty. He could move on with his life, grow old with Philippa, live a wonderful life. But she couldn't. Her body was weak and she felt herself slipping away. It was the end. It was too late for Arabella to say all of those things to Hunter, to say everything that she wanted to say to him but she had kept to herself. A small part of her felt him pulling her out of the water and placing her on the floor. After a few seconds, the small part of her that was still alive knew that he had her in his arms. She could feel his arm under her head. It was her favorite spot in the whole world. It was kind of comforting to know that Hunter was with her. He would never want her, but maybe he still cared about her. Arabella tried to open her mouth, to tell him that she was sorry, but her mouth wouldn't move. Arabella wanted to tell him that she loved him and that she was happy, now. But then she felt Hunter put something in her mouth. It tasted like the pesto that Hunter had made for her. Slowly, it was like everything was coming back to her. She could really feel and hear things, not like they were from a distance. It was like waking up from a long sleep during the flu. Arabella's whole body ached. Her arm throbbed and her hands stung where the glass had cut her. Suddenly, she took a deep breath, a gasp, and her eyes flew open.
"Ellie...I-Oh, my gods!" Hunter didn't know what to do when he heard her start breathing again. He fed her another piece of ambrosia and she chewed on her own. "Ellie! I can't...why...You..." He held her tightly and smiled. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou." He whispered as he lightly rocked back and forth, cradling her in his arms. "What do you need, Ellie? I will give you anything you could ever want. Please, tell me." Hunter said. He never wanted to let go of her again.
Everything seemed brighter, louder and more real. The water and blood on her clothes and in her hair was making her shiver but the heat in Hunter's arms and body were keeping her warm. Arabella looked up at Hunter with weak and tired eyes before letting herself fall apart in his arms. Her body went limp and she pressed her face into his body, sobbing like she had never sobbed before. She didn't answer his question. She didn't know if she could even work her vocal chords. All she wanted was Hunter. But how could she tell him that? How could she tell him that the only thing she wanted was Hunter when he was going to go back to Philippa? "I'm sorry" she was able to whisper in a weak voice.
Hunter was so happy to see her alive that he didn't know what to say. "What are you sorry for? You didn't do anything wrong." He held her closely as he fed her another piece of ambrosia. "I shouldn't have...I'm the one who should be sorry." He kissed her lightly on the head before grabbing a towel and throwing it on top of her. He wrapped her up and rubbed her arms to try and get the blood flowing to the rest of her body. "Come on, Ellie. Let's get you out of this water. You need to rest." He helped her stand, but every time he let go even a little she would fall. "Come on. Up up." He said as he lifted her up into his arms. She was so light. "Ellie...I'm so sorry. Let's put you to bed and I'll make you something." He said quietly. He walked into her bedroom and set her gently on her bed before helping her get out of her wet clothes and into some dry ones, without looking, of course. "Lie down. Rest. I'll be right back."
Arabella let Hunter lift her into his arms and carry her off to her room. Part of her was angry at him. She didn't want to live but he had stopped her from doing that. Everything was just going to get much harder now. Hunter was probably going to feel like he needed to stay with her and stay in her life, so Arabella was going to have to see Philippa. But the rest of her was sad and afraid and incredibly alone. She was sore and tired and vulnerable and the last thing she wanted was to be alone. Hunter set her down on her bed and told her that he was going to be back. She shook her head and looked at him with broken eyes, tears falling down her cheeks softly "Please don't leave me" she whispered desperately.
Hunter nodded and sat down next to her in her bed. "I won't. I'm never gonna leave you." He whispered as he put an arm around her. Could he bring himself to confess his love to someone who had just tried to kill herself? That might make her feel worse. "Ellie, I..." He didn't know what to do. He always knew what to do. He always had some idea as to what to do and when he didn't he knew where to find out what to do, but now... "Ellie, I'm so sorry."
Arabella collapsed in his arms, leaning against him. She felt so small and weak. Hunter's arms around her felt so strong and protective. Arabella closed her eyes and took shaky breaths, trying to wrap her brain around everything that had happened to her and everything that had just happened. "Don't be sorry, please don't be sorry" she whispered and shook her head "This is all my fault. You don't need to feel guilty" she whispered and leaned into him more, hiding her face in his side "I didn't mean to hurt you"
Hunter shook his head and ran a few fingers through her hair. "Ellie, I don't care. I've been hurt plenty. What you did was nothing new, but I need to know that you're okay. You're the one who just tried to kill herself for Olympus' sake." He lightly rubbed her arms and looked at the wrist that she had cut. The bleeding had stopped and in place of the gash was a thin white scar. Without thinking, he lifted her arm and gently pressed his lips to her wrist. "You're alive." He whispered.
Arabella watched as Hunter lifted her arm to his lips and while her skin tingled with his touch, she looked up at him "I don't want to be" she confessed in a heart broken voice. Arabella let her arm fall out of his hand and she looked down, away from him and the look on his face. It was horrible to see the pain in his eyes. Arabella felt so tired from all of the blood loss. She felt like she could fall asleep and not wake up.
"Don't say that." Hunter said putting a hand under her chin. He raised her face to his and lightly kissed her forehead. "Ellie, you're...amazing. How could you do this to yourself and waste such a bright, beautiful, kind, and wonderful young woman like yourself? People would miss you. Your father would miss you. Everyone at camp would miss you. Everyone at your company would miss you." He brought her in for a hug. "I...would miss you." He whispered, gently kissing the top of her head.
"Oh, whatever, you're supposed to say that" Arabella whispered, trying to wipe the tears off of her face "No one would miss me" she added in a soft whisper, more of an undertone. Like she was talking to herself. Arabella looked down at her arm before closing her eyes "I'm not any of those things, Hunter. You don't need to lie and say those things to me to make me feel better"
Hunter was taken aback. Did she really think that he would just tell her what she wanted to hear? How could he say what he meant and make her know that he meant it? "Ellie, you know me better than that." He said quietly. "Don't you dare say that no one would miss you. I would miss you. I would miss you more and more every day after your death. Your funeral would break my heart over and over again until it was nothing. Everyday I would look at a picture of you and I would never stop missing you." Hunter held her in a hug briefly before letting go and standing up. "If you think that no one would miss you, than what am I doing here? I came here to tell-" He stopped himself and looked at her for a moment before clearing his throat. "I came here because I missed you."
He missed her. But he wouldn't love her. What he had written in that note were just words. Arabella wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them up to her chest. The moment he let go of her, she felt empty and alone. She looked up at him and bit her lip "I missed you so much, Hunter" she whispered then put her forehead on her knees. After a few seconds of silence, Arabella took a shaky breath, trying to calm herself down and regain some of her composure "You should call Philippa. I'm sure she's wondering where you are by now" she whispered and looked up at him.
Hunter's heart sank. Had she seen him with her? She couldn't have known that he wished it was her the entire time. He shook his head and looked at her. When she said she had missed him he had sat down next to her and put his arm around her again. "Philippa and I...we're not...anymore." He said awkwardly. Could he give the reason without saying too much? "Ellie, I'm all yours." He said with a small smile before kissing her temple and gently rubbing her arm. He felt her shaky breaths in his side. She was so hurt. He didn't want to leave her. Ever.
When he said that he wasn't with Philippa, Arabella's heart leaped. He said that he was all hers. Arabella could stay in hunters arms forever. He made her feel warm, safe, protected. Arabella closed her eyes and let herself relax in his arms. "Everything hurts" she whispered to him and put her hand on her wrist, covering the thin scar "I'm sorry about Chad. I didn't know that you had written that note until it was too late" she confessed.
Hunter had almost forgotten about the note. "Oh uh..." He said quietly. Everything had happened so quickly, he didn't know what to say. He had written with the thinking that he might not see her again. He didn't entirely expect to have to talk about it. "It's okay. I don't want to talk about Chad. If I ever see him again..." He didn't know what he would do. The sound of his name made him want to break something. The sight of her crying on the couch holding her face with Chad standing over her. His fists clenched. Her dress askew. Hunter could feel his fingernails pressing into his palm. "You need to rest, Ellie. I'll be right here. Go ahead and sleep. We can talk more once you feel better." He said with a small smile.
Arabella looked up at Hunter and nodded softly. She was so tired and weak from all of the blood she had lost. Arabella's eyes were dry and sore from crying so much. Her whole body felt heavy. Arabella looked up at Hunter when he told her that she should sleep. She wanted to protest, to tell him that she wasn't tired and that she wanted to talk to him now. She was afraid that once she closed her eyes, he would leave. But she was already starting to fall asleep in Hunter's arms and she couldn't stop it. Arabella closed her eyes, leaning into him "Thank you, Hunter. For everything" she breathed before drifting off into a light sleep.
Hunter smiled gently as she fell asleep. It was about 1 in the morning and checking his watch made Hunter realize how tired he was. He gently rubbed her hair and lightly caressed the scar down her wrist. "I'm never going to leave you, Ellie." He whispered quietly to her before putting his head on hers and falling asleep.