Footprints In The Sand

Chapter 13

Gonna start the chapter with Hunter's POV

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Hunter

I flipped through the TV channels, but nothing was sparking my fancy. I decided on the animal planet and set the remote down beside me. All I was thinking about was Ellie. How she seemed rather out of it last week on our date. She's also been quite distant this whole week too. Every time I was working at the studio, she was never there. It was almost like she was avoiding me.

I'll buy her a bracelet or something. Girls like that kind of shit, right? I'll take her horseback riding. I think she mentioned she liked horses when we were at her apartment the afternoon before last.

Actually, I don't want to get dirty and sweaty, so I'll take her somewhere more posh. I don't need my girl looking like trash, especially when she's with me.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts and decided to call Ellie and have her come over for lunch.

~*~*~

"Hey baby," I said closing the door behind Ellie as she walked into my apartment.

"Hi," she said smiling. We walked into the living room and I watched as she set her purse on the single couch and sat down beside it.

"Geez, I'm tired," she said stretching her arms above her head and yawning, "long night last night at the studio. I was with two girls and a boy from the local middle school helping them pick out a guitar for their friend, and they wouldn't make up their mind," she explained, letting out a light, breathy laugh.

I walked around the couch and began massaging her shoulders.

"Were you by yourself?"

"I was the only one helping the kids, but I think Emmett and Owen were there on the second third floor connecting cords into walls and stuff like that," she said closing her eyes and rolling her neck to my touch.

I held her head still by lightly grabbing her the ponytail that held together her long ebony hair. Her eyes shot open and I stared into her eyes.

"I don't want you to be there by yourself even if the guys are there. Especially Emmett."

I let go of her hair and continued to massage her shoulders, working my magic fingers all the way down her back as she sat forward so I could massage better. I stopped at the hem of her shirt, slowly lifting it up, massaging back up her back, taking her shirt as I went. I walked back around the couch, not letting go of her shirt as I did so. Once I was in front of her I pulled her shirt off completely. Damn, she's sexy. And all mine.

I lifted her up, twirled us around and sat down on the couch where she was moments ago. She held onto my shoulders and straddled my waist. She flicked her head to move her hair from her face and kissed me. I grabbed her ass and moved pulled her closer to me, causing her to grind against my hard on.

I pulled her hair down to her head hung behind her, giving myself access to kiss down her neck and down between her tits. I trailed my hands down to my pants and unbuckled my pants.

"Hunter..." Ellie pushed against my chest. I wasn't in the mood for foreplay. I just wanted to get down to business. I began unzipping her shorts, but she kept pushing against my chest.

"Hunter... I'm not ready," she said trying to scoot off my lap, grinding against my in the process, fueling my fire even more.

"C'mon, don't be a prude, babe."

"I don't want to do this right now," Ellie said sounding annoyed, wriggling out of my grasp. She roughly pushed me away from her and I fell back into the couch.

I'm getting annoyed, Ellie.

I got off the couch and roughly grabbed her waist and pressed our bodies against each other.

I whispered into her ear, "C'mon babe, let me fuck you senseless."

Out of nowhere, she bitterly pushed me away and slapped my cheek. Painful needles travelled the side of my face, leaving it feeling hot. I was pissed now. She started to walk away, but I grabbed her wrists and pulled her back to me, fuming.

"Hunter! Get off of me!"

"What the fuck is wrong with you," I shouted at her.

"Fuck, Hunter, you're hurting me," she tried to get out of my grip, only making me tighten my hands around her wrists.

"Apologize, whore," I yelled. She looked down to the floor pathetically, not answering, making me even more pissed.

"Apologize, dammit!"

"I-I'm s-sorry, Hunter," she sniffled and stuttered.

I threw her hands down and walked passed her to my room, slamming the door in the process.

Ellie

I fell to my knees with my face in my hands. I tried to suppress my involuntary cries. I brought my wrists to my face and saw the purple bruises forming. I tried my best to stop crying as I searched for my shirt and slipped it back on. I walked to Hunter's bedroom door. I knocked lightly, but he didn't answer. I wiped the tears away as I trailed back to the living room.

I made way to the front door and quietly slipped outside. I didn't feel like calling a ride, so I decided on walking home.

I didn't have any cover-up or foundation to cover the bruises on my wrists, so I'd have to get to my bedroom before Brooke saw me. I think it was because I didn't want her worrying about me.

Or maybe I was just too scared that Hunter would find out she knew, and he would hurt me and her.

After about 15 minutes of walking, I finally made it to the building. I got upstairs, fixed my hair, and then, ever so quietly slipped through the door. I peered around the perimeter and saw no sign of Brooke. I let out a relieved sigh and closed the door and continued into my room.

But before I could make it to my room, Brooke popped out of her bedroom.

"Hey boo! Where were you?! I went to the studio, but only Emmett and Marc were there," she walked to me.

I nervously turned my wrists inward so she couldn't see the fresh bruises.

"I- was- um –at the –I was with," I stammered nervously. Fuck.

You know when you're on the verge of breaking down and if you try to speak, you'll just burst into a fit of tears? That's how I was feeling right now.

"Ellie, what's wrong," Brooke looked at me with utter concern written all over her face. She grabbed my hands in hers comfortingly. I panicked and looked at my wrists only for a split second. But the observant little shit caught me.

She turned my hands over so my wrists were exposed to her vision. She gasped and let go of one of my hands to cover her mouth.

"Ellie," her eyes glassed over. She pulled me to her chest as I started weeping against her warm, welcoming chest. We didn't need to speak. She knew exactly what was running through my head.

We didn't speak for about 10 minutes. We just sank to the floor and cried in each other's arms. We didn't need words. She knew everything without even having to be told. I was scared for her and what Hunter might do if he found out she knew, but I just needed to cry everything out for a moment. I just needed her to hold me. No words. No questions. Just her and I.