Where We Left Off (A Hunter Hayes Fanfiction, Book 2 of the HunTia Trilogy)

Chapter Eleven

*EARLY JUNE, 2013*

TIA'S POV:

Coming home from the recording studio with Hunter, we're both happier than ever. I've stopped writing 'Jolene', I couldn't think of any more lyrics. That, and the fact that we're getting married tomorrow.
Holy crap.
Tomorrow.
He sneaks a look at me while driving, and I smile, thinking of tomorrow. He's dying to see my dress. I can't believe that all my wildest dreams are coming true all at once. It's amazing.
"You look like your thoughts are driving you crazy. Is everything okay?"
"It's never been better," I answer truthfully. He blushes, before turning to our driveway. He didn't want a "buck's night"and I didn't want a "hen's night". He was more than happy to leave his single days behind. I had to say, I agreed with him. My life before I met him was... horrible. It was thanks to him that I was saved, and thanks to him that I found my real family again.
He's everything.
I can't believe that he loves me. It's too crazy, and I keep expecting to wake up from this wonderful dream, that's much too good to be true. He's just so... perfect. He's perfect in every way possible. He's beautiful, smart, an amazing singer, romantic, loyal, talented and I truly believe that he's the best husband any girl could ask for.
Oh my god. He's going to be my husband in a matter of hours.
"Our last night being engaged, Tia. Tomorrow, we're officially married."
"Uh huh."
"Are you okay, babe?" he asks suddenly.
"I'm better than okay. I'm over the moon. I can't believe that it's only been a year, and here we are, getting married."
"Why wait?" he asks, a smile in his voice. "If this is how our lives were supposed to play out, then so be it."
I sigh in content, and he parks in the driveway. He takes my hand so that we can walk inside together. His hands are warm, soft. I don't want to let go.
We lie on the couch, cuddling up like we do when we're watching a movie together. This time though, the TV isn't on. Hunter plays with my hair, twisting his fingers into my thick curls, trapping his fingers for a second, before pulling them loose. I close my eyes and sigh, moving closer to him. The crickets outside chirp, and I think about how lucky we are that our home isn't on some sort of major highway. This place is serene, quiet. There are times where you can't hear anything but the sound of our breathing.
"What're you thinking about?" he asks, still playing with my hair. I look up to see him watching me intently.
"How lucky we are that this house is in such a nice, quiet place. I would hate it if we lived on the edge of a highway or something, since it would be so loud all the time."
He kisses the top of my head. "I'm glad you like it then. I had to pick it by myself." He goes silent again.
"Hunt, how bad was it when I was in the coma?" He freezes in the act of stroking my hair. He doesn't speak, and he doesn't seem to be breathing. "Hunter?" I ask again. "Babe, are you alright?"
"I... yeah," he says softly. "Yeah, I'm okay."
"Tell me what happened. What happened when I was in the coma?" I press him. I honestly have no idea what was going on, other than the little snippets I heard.
"It was terrible," he says in a whisper. "The band were doing their best to comfort me, but nothing was working. It got to the point where I had no idea what to do with myself anymore."
I sit in total silence, listening to him. I don't think he even realised that I was there anymore. He was too lost in memories.
"I stopped doing things I normally do to look after myself. It was only thanks to Carrie in the end, it was only then that I started again. Do you remember the day she came in, and told me I looked like a wreck?"
I nod. That was the day I saw Mark again...
"When I looked in the mirror, I couldn't recognise myself. I hadn't shaved, my eyes were red, my hair looked limp - it wasn't the best time of my life."
"I know," I whisper. "I hated it, knowing you were hurting, knowing that I needed to come back. You know, it was your speech, in the end. That's what woke me up. Because I needed you, as much as you needed me."
He closes his eyes, and winds his fingers through my hair. "I love you."
When I lean up to kiss him, we both freeze, as we hear a knock on the door.
I groan. "Someone just had to come and ruin the moment," I mutter. He laughs at my exasperation.
"I'm gonna go get changed into something more comfortable. Can you answer the door?"
"Sure."
He walks to our bedroom, and I open the door.
The black haired, blue eyed man is dressed in an UPS uniform, and he looks like someone who was forced to clean up after himself.
"Hello, sweetheart" he leers, and I recognise him with a gasp. " Fancy seeing you here, eh?"

HUNTER'S POV:

I hear the front door slam.
"Tia?" I call down the hallway.
No answer.
"Tia, is everything alright?"
All I can hear is the sound of the crickets.
"Tia?" I call again, panicking a little. "What happened?"
That's it.
I run to the front of the house, and thankfully, Tia's still there, but she's closing the blinds, turning off all the lights and locking the doors.
"Honey...?" I ask cautiously.
"Shh!!!" she hisses at me. "Please, Hunt, don't make any noise."
"Who's at the door?" I whisper back. "Is it someone we know? We can't leave them outside!"
"Believe me, I know him, but we don't want him inside."
I peek through a gap in the blinds, and see a black haired man standing there. He looks smug about something. He's dressed in a UPS uniform.
"Tee, we don't need to worry. He's a UPS delivery man, he's delivering a new set of drums that I got online-"
"Hunter, that's the man who attacked me!"
I freeze. "He's who?" I ask in a low voice. She looks a little scared by my sudden change of tone.
"He - he attacked me."
I keep her gaze held in mine. "What should we do?"
"I don't know," she says, looking like she's on the verge of a panic attack. 
"Okay, Tee. I'm going to answer the door." Just as she looks like she's going to scream, I hush her. "I'm going to open the door, but I won't let him hurt you. Trust me."
She looks at me, her eyes wide with fear. "Trust me," I repeat softly.
Tia holds my gaze for about half a minute, before nodding.
She stays behind me, and I open the door.
The man is tall, much taller than I had thought. His muscles are bulging, and I gulp.
"Are you here to deliver the drums?" I ask, trying to act as though I don't know what he's capable of. He isn't looking at me though; he's staring at Tia like she's a piece of meat. It disgusts me. Slowly, he turns back towards me.
"Yeah," he says. "I'll bring 'em out for you then."
Once I take the box from him, he keeps staring at Tia, licking his lips. Anger suddenly flares up inside me.
"My fiancée isn't eye candy. Leave. Now," I say in my most intimidating voice.
"Or what?" he asks, cracking his knuckles. I realise that he's willing to fight me.
I can't let that happen.
I pull out my cell. "I'll call the police."
He sneers at me, before getting back into his delivery truck, and driving off. Tia starts hyperventilating.
"Tee, love, it's okay. He's gone."
"He knows where I live," she gasps. "He knows where I live."
"I'll never let him get you."
She looks up at me, calming down enough to stop hyperventilating. "Thank you."
I hug her, and she buries her face in the crook of my neck. "No one has the right to treat you like that. Not even me."
"Now, where were we?" she asks, pulling away from me enough to look at me.
"I think we were rudely interrupted somewhere around here," I reply, before leaning down to kiss her.

*A/N: OMG THE WEDDING IS NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EEEEEK!!!! I honestly cannot WAIT to write the wedding!!
Now, I have two important things to talk about today:
1. Today, I read a fanfiction named Where Fate Leads Us, by @juliebee_123. She's a great writer, but she doesn't get the recognition she deserves. It's another HH fanfic, and I'm sure that you'll enjoy it as much as I did. I dedicated this chapter to her, so go onto her profile page, and start reading :)
2. Now, many of you may have noticed a certain @Mad_MoMo_Stories who always votes and comments for my chapters. We formed a close friendship over two months, and we've created a Wattpad account together, named @SWAG_USA_AUS. Through this account, we're writing a fanfiction together, named Cyber World Tour. Tia from my very own fanfictions, and Siana, who features in Be My Mistake, by @Mad_MoMo_Stories are the two main characters, best friends in fact. I ask all of you to read the story we're writing together, it would mean a lot to us :)
VOTE, COMMENT AND FOLLOW!!!!
Love you all, minions!
Nethii <3*