Two Steps Back (Hunter Hayes fanfic Bk.3)

Happy

Hey! This is Book three of my Hunter Hayes Fanfiction series! The first was "Secret Love" and the second was "What You Don't Know", and I'm pretty sure you'll be a little confused reading this one if you don't read those, too. Maybe not totally confused, but there will definitely be some references to the prequels in this work, so be aware. But thanks for sticking around! I hope you enjoy this! This will be more fanfictiony than the last one, so we're getting back to our roots here. ;)

God Bless and Happy Reading!

Bethany took another unsure step, leaning heavily on the shoulder of her physical therapist, Jordan. She bit her lip, tears building up and threatening to spill onto her cheeks.

"Come on, Bethany, you got this. Three more steps and you're done, I promise."

She nodded feebly, following Jordan's orders and slowly stepping onto her ruined leg again. She clenched Jordan's shoulder with her left hand, and she shot him an apologetic look before she forced herself to take yet another step. Sweat beaded up on her forehead, and it had already soaked through her deodorant to stain her armpits.

One more step, Bethany, she chanted to herself, breathing deeply and staring at the last foot of the walkway ahead of her, a distance which seemed insurmountable after an hour of intense therapy on her knee.

"One more step, Bethany. One more. You're doing so well; don't give up now!"

She nodded again, taking another fortifying breath and dragging her left foot off the ground to take that final step. Jordan rejoiced next to her, his handsome face pulling into a congratulatory smile as he helped her off the platform and into the therapy chair. He handed her a hand towel, which she used to wipe her forehead and the tears off her cheeks.

"You did so well today, Beth," Jordan commented, poking at already sensitive spots to be sure she had not managed to fracture or pull anything else in her knee during their session.

She grimaced, but she was secretly proud of herself for not giving in to her injury. She had been told to expect her leg never to recover, but after only two weeks of physical therapy with Jordan, she thought it was at least possible to get better, even if it mean that she would always walk with a limp and never be able to indulge in her running habit ever again.

"Thanks, Jordan, I really appreciate what you're doing for me. It means a lot." She smiled wryly and adjusted her pant leg over the cast. She was so ready to change the cast out for a brace; this thing was itchy!

He laughed at her comment and helped her out of the chair. "Of course! It's my job after all!"

They schedule their next appointment for Friday, two days later, and Bethany climbed into the limo Ned had insisted she use while they remained in Nashville. Though it was her left leg that was messed up, he still thought it was imprudent for her to drive, and Bethany had not really tried to protest. Honestly, having a chauffeur was kind of fun, and the limo was so cozy.

They would be in Nashville for a while longer, since Hunter's next tour wasn't scheduled to begin for another three months. Which gave Bethany a lot of time to get settled into her new apartment, and try to get used to the idea that she was safe again. Being back had been a huge adjustment, and everything seemed to strange to her now.

Amanda was one of those things. It had taken her two days to gain the courage to talk to her best friend when she had arrived back in Nashville, and Amanda had admittedly not taken it very well. Hunter had apparently told her a little of what had happened to her, but Amanda was understandably hurt that Bethany hadn't just told her the truth. She was even more upset that Bethany had left without speaking to Amanda at all.

Bethany sighed, thinking about their conversation. Amanda hadn't said anything that had surprised her; there was nothing Amanda had expressed that hadn't made sense, really. Bethany knew she was doing wrong by leaving Amanda in the dark, no matter her reasons for doing so, and she imagined she would have been equally angry if their places had been reversed. There was, however, one point Amanda brought up that Bethany had not expected: Hunter.

Truth be known, Amanda was more than a little displeased with the fact that Bethany and Hunter were no longer together. She blamed Hunter; she blamed Beth. She blamed herself. It was a mess. Bethany had found her concern touching, but also encouraging. She had seen in Amanda's concern hope that their friendship could be salvaged, something she desperately wanted now that she was no longer bound by law not to interact with her. With that in mind, she had tried to keep Amanda in the loop about as much as possible in the last two weeks, and had spent as much time with her as she could spare, between unpacking and physical therapy and work. She had promised Amanda that she would be honest about her time in New York, and Amanda had taken full advantage of that vow. Bethany was unsure she would ever get enough of hearing about her intrigues there, and though Amanda never asked, Beth knew her main curiosity was whether or not Bethany loved Trenton McDermott.

It was complicated to think about, even though she hadn't been able to stop thinking about it. Most of what she felt towards Trenton was regret, but there was no denying that a part of her stayed with him. Not a good part, not even a part she really thought she'd miss in the months to come, but she felt its absence nonetheless. She had left with Trenton her purity. She had let him kiss her, when she only ever wanted to kiss Hunter. She had done with him what she had sworn never to do with any other man, and all while she had been engaged to a man she had now lost. It didn't seem to matter to her that her reasons had been sound, that she had done it all in order to return to her life with Hunter without coming to harm, or that she had been manipulated. All she knew was that she felt like a criminal, her sin the loss of her integrity.

She pushed those thoughts aside and focused just as the limo drove into a small parking lot next to a coffee shop where she was supposed to meet Amanda. It was an important day for their friendship, and Bethany longed for the opportunity to shower before she went inside, but there was no time for that. She was scheduled to finally meet the mystery man Amanda had been dating, Markob Jakobie. She had heard so much about him from both Amanda and the FBI, and she hoped she liked him. Amanda deserved to be happy, and if Markob made her so, she wanted nothing more than for them to be together.

Someoneought to be happy.