Hunt Me Down {boyxboy} ✓

Chapter 45

A/N: Want to see what I look like? Find me on Instagram (I'll give a link in the comments)

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Nathaniel's POV

"That."

He took Raph and the brush out of my hands and dipped the latter in the water before beginning to scrub the turtle's shell. Neither of us spoke; I was waiting, he was stalling.

Hunt turned on the tap to a small stream and placed Raph under the running water. Perhaps he wasn't going to talk about jail.

The tap was off and he went into the room. I followed. He put the turtle on the floor without sparing a glance at me. Perhaps he wasn't going to talk at all.

He returned to the bathroom and I heard the swoosh of water; Hunt must've removed the plug. How long did he plan not to speak to me?

He walked back into the room, a frown on his face.

"I'm not sure how much I should tell you; there are other people involved," he began, leaning on the doorframe.

"So... You are going to tell me?" I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice.

"Some of it," he nodded. "It's a long story."

"Give me the gist of it," I incited, stepping towards him. "I just want to know why..."

"Because Blake is an idiot and he wouldn't have lasted in jail."

His reply rooted me where I stood, just a couple of feet from him, my eyes large and my jaw slack.

"Blake?" I repeated in confusion. "Your friend Blake? What does he have to do with it?"

Hunter walked to the bed, gesturing for me to follow as he did. He sat on the edge with legs apart and his elbows on his knees. His body turned slightly towards me when I sat next to him at an angle so that I could see him better.

"The reason why I spent only a year in jail was because I gave myself up and confessed. Well, there were a few other factors, but mostly that," he added. "And the reason why I confessed to something I had not done..."

"You didn't do it?" I interrupted and he narrowed his eyes at me, irritated that I had interrupted him. "I'm sorry," I hurried to apologize, my hands raised at about the level of my shoulders, palms facing him. "Please, go on."

"I don't enjoy talking about this, Nathaniel, so you might want to stay quiet," he warned before carrying on. "The reason why I confessed to something I had not done was because Blake Nelson is an idiot and got mixed up with people who he shouldn't had gotten mixed with and who were going to let him take the blame for something that was only partially his fault. As I said, he wouldn't have lasted in jail so I told the cops that I did it. That's the gist of it. And you can talk now," he added when I spent about a minute just staring at him.

"You are innocent?" I'd listened to his story, but I needed one more confirmation; I'd spent so many months thinking he'd done something wrong. Unfortunately, the confirmation was not what I'd expected and only made things worse:

"Of this, yeah. I'm guilty of other things though."

My foot twitched on impulse and my fingers drummed over my knee.
"What things?" I asked quietly, back to the point where I both wanted and dreaded to know more about Hunter Harris. If I intended to have a relationship with him though - and I very much wished that - I had to know.