Finding You

Chapter 34 - Found a Demon in My Safest Haven

I press my lips into a straight line in an attempt not to bite them out of nervousness. My stomach is doing all these twists and turns, and I just can't seem to get a grip. My entire body tenses as Hunter takes a step closer again, but this time, I don't move back. After all, he's still the boy I love, the boy I trust.

So Hunter used to go to St. John's. That doesn't necessarily mean anything bad, right?

But this entire situation. Something just doesn't feel right, and with the way he's looking at me? It can't be anything good...

He reaches out and hesitantly takes my hand, gently running his thumb over my knuckles. "Mia, I - I have to tell you something." I've been hearing that a lot lately. "But promise me that you'll hear me out," he finishes.

I knit my eyebrows together in concern. "Why? What -"

"Just promise me. Please," Hunter repeats, cutting me off and giving my hand a squeeze. He looks down at me desperately with those ocean-blue eyes, and even though I'm completely on edge right now, I still can't find it in my heart to say no.

"Alright..," I answer. He lets out a small relieved sigh before leading me over to one of the benches in between the rows of lockers. "Hunter, what is this whole thing about? You're scaring me," I say as we sit down.

He winces at my choice of words, and I quickly regret them. "Not like that, you don't scare me, I just meant... You know, I'm worried," I rephrase.

"I know and I'm sorry," Hunter says, frustratedly running a hand through his hair. "Your question just caught me a little off guard," he says, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I didn't know it would be such a big deal," I reply. "It's just that yesterday, I was talking to Sean, and - "

"Sean?" Hunter repeats, before letting out a short dry laugh. "That bastard, I should've known," he says, then he sighs. "But this isn't his fault, it's mine." He runs a hand through his hair again. "Fuck...," he curses under his breath.

He only ever curses like that when he's really worked up, and somehow, that thought doesn't make me feel any better right now.

"Maybe I should take you home first," Hunter suggests. "Like I said, it's a long story and now might not be the best time to tell it. I mean, your parents probably want to see you, and I've got an empty house to get home to, and - "

"Hunter," I say, cutting him off. "My parents are at a conference this week, and you're stalling. Now would you please just tell me what's going on?"

"God, Mia, I want to, but I don't know how," Hunter says, frustration evident in his voice. He glances at me before tearing his gaze away again. "Just don't hate me... Please don't hate me," he repeats. He sounds so different right now, so different from the confident, self-assured boy I've grown to know him as. He sounds... scared. And if he's scared, then I'm terrified.

Exhaling deeply, he starts to explain.

"I went to St. John's and.. and I knew Sean," he admits regretfully, and at his words, my heart drops into the pit of my stomach.

"You knew him..," I manage to get out, although it feels like my throat is starting to close. I take deep breaths through my mouth, and try to stay calm, although every fiber of my being is telling me to run before this gets any worse.

"More than knew him. I hated him. We hated each other," he continues. "I don't remember how it started, all I know is that we couldn't stand each other. He was an asshole, I had an ego. It was a stupid rivalry, I know, but we just never really got along. We would go back and forth trying to screw with each other. When he moved schools, it should've been over." Hunter stops and stares down at his shoes. The look of shame and regret is so prominent on his features now that it's hard for me to remember a time when they weren't there. "Fucking hell, I was so stupid...," he mutters.