Keep On Walking (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 3 of the Hardships Saga)

Chapter Forty-Nine

❝mind (pronounced mʌɪnd or mahynd), noun
the element of a person that enables them to be aware of the world and their experiences, to think, and to feel; the faculty of consciousness and thought.❞

"I'll see you in Hell, Ryan," whispered Peter, before shooting.

Ryan sat bolt upright in bed, taking great, heaving gasps. Her heart raced, and she was covered in a cold sweat. She glanced at Hunter, who was still asleep, and shook her head, feeling tears in her eyes. She couldn't stop imagining it. She couldn't stop thinking about it. It was all that ever plagued her mind anymore. It had been almost three weeks now, and it was still the only thing she could ever think about.

She closed her sore eyes, before looking at Hunter. He seemed peaceful when he slept. Would he look the same in death? Peter had. Peter looked so calm. So... distant. He looked like he did in class sometimes, when he was twirling a pen around in his hand, and his eyes were staring at the board, but he was unfocused.

She slipped out of bed and pulled on a sweater and trackpants, before leaving the house quietly. Her heart was racing, and her head was buzzing. She needed time to think.

"Hey, girl," she breathed softly, finding Polka awake. Blaze neighed softly, and Ryan quickly fed them both, before saddling Polka. She quickly put on her helmet and climbed onto her back. She made a loud clicking sound, and Polka sprinted away from the stable.

The cool wind in her golden hair and the sweet, calming sounds of the nighttime were soothing. She felt like a kid again, racing through the fields on her old trusty steed. Polka was just like her namesake. Her saviour, in some ways. There were some things that she just didn't want to tell Hunter. He was so worried about her as it was. He didn't need the extra stress in his life.

She rode for at least an hour, revelling in the sweet night air, before stopping near a small lake. She dismounted Polka, sitting down at the base of a large tree, and watched the lake.

Ripples.

One leaf would fall out onto the lake, and it would send out ripples, shockwaves. And no matter how weak the ripple became, it would always reach the banks of the lake. No matter how weak the impact was, the impact was still there.

Ryan knew it wasn't purely her fault that Yasmina and Peter were gone. But she did know that her impact was definitely what pushed him over the edge. What a stupid thing to fight over. She was caught in Peter's ripple, and she was drowning. Hunter called her his dove... but wings can only get you so far.

She missed them. She missed them both. Yasmina, with her silky smooth skin and her high cheekbones and beautiful smile. Peter, with his intellect and the dimple in his forehead when he furrowed his brow.

It couldn't get much worse than this, could it? Now that she knew why she had missed her period, too... why did it always have to happen like this? First when she was about to officially marry Hunter, and now, when she was mourning death? She felt a sharp pain in her leg and shoulder simultaneously and gasped. The bullet wounds were healing, though they were still painful- especially when she rode Polka as fast as she did.

She stared out over the water again. The ripples were almost calming, the croaking frogs leaving a soothing impression on her. Hunter didn't know she was pregnant again. He had already cancelled his tour, already cancelled the search for his daughter... all for her. She was a lowkey murderer, and he'd still give up the world for her.

Meanwhile, Hunter's eyes drifted open, and he looked around. "Ryan?" he called in a hushed voice. "Ryan, are you in here?"

When there was no response, he slowly got out of bed and found some proper clothes to wear. He pulled on a thermal and his jacket, along with a pair of jeans and running shoes. He had a feeling Ryan had ridden off on Polka. It was her favourite thing to do when she needed time to herself.