Razor Sharp | ✓

Thirty

♡♡♡

I'm rinsing my face in the tiny basin in my bathroom when the door swings open and Hunter comes in, surprisingly grinning.

"What's got you in such a good mood this morning?" I ask, already smiling back at the look of cheerfulness written across his face.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go for a walk with me," he says, not even phrasing it as a question. He already knows I'll say yes to get out of this dusty room.

"Why not?" I smile, as he reaches for my hand.

The house is quiet when we walk out. Once we're outside, I fill my lungs with fresh air, sighing loudly. "I will never take for granted being outside again," I say, and my smile falters.

I probably won't get too many more opportunities to be outside again, anyway. But I don't want to think about that right now. All I want to do is remember the feeling of Hunter's warm, calloused fingers brushing against mine as he tugs me towards the open land next to the horse stables.

"Did you like growing up on a farm this big?" I ask Hunter. My farm is a lot smaller than this, and if it wasn't for Hunter's dad and the Razors, I'd probably be jealous of his upbringing.

"I mean, sure. It was fun as a kid when I didn't have much to worry about. Ridge and I didn't have a care in the world until..."

I already know what he's going to say. Until his mother's death. If she died five years ago, Hunter would have only been 13 and Ridge just 12. They weren't much older than me when my mum left and it would have been much harder losing someone who actually loved you.

Wanting to take his mind off it, I squeeze his hand, forming an idea. "Hey, wanna race?"

"Seriously?" he laughs and my heart fills with warmth. It always makes me happy hearing that sound.

"Yeah, seriously," I say, nudging him and climbing over the low fence to hit the ground on the other side. I draw an imaginary line with my toe and bend forward, getting ready to race.

"Damn," he says, bending down next to me, his fingertips touching the grass. "I didn't think you'd make it so professional."

"If we're gonna race, we've got to do it properly," I say, crouching slightly to stretch my muscles.

"I'll count down, alright?" I say, smirking over at him.

"Alright, but no cheating—"

"GO!" I shout, running ahead of him and laughing like a maniac. My hair wipes behind me as I run faster, the landscape blurring in my periphery.

"Hey!" Hunter booms, laughing so loudly that I can't help but smile. "I said no cheating!"

"What? I don't remember hearing that!" I sarcastically remark, starting to feel the full weight of not being allowed to exercise for a month.

He's catching me, and it's not long before he's ahead. He turns to smirk at me and I take my chance to grab onto his shoulders, pulling myself onto his back.

He's laughing so loudly that it's the only sound that I can hear surrounding me. I'm laughing too, even though nothing is particularly funny. Tears of laughter pour down my face, and before I know it, I'm being tipped over. I shriek as we go down together, Hunter falling under me. I rest my head on his chest. He runs his fingers through my wind-swept hair and I sigh in contempt. I roll off him and we lay next to each other, looking up at the blue clouded sky. I turn my head to look at him at the same time he does and I grin.

This moment is too perfect to be true.

"I wish we'd gotten to know each other outside of here," I whisper. "I wish we could have been normal together, doing things like this all the time."

He brushes his thumb over my cheek and I lean in closer, lightly brushing our lips together. It's times like this that make everything harder for me. I don't want to leave him. I don't want to live without him at all. 

How did I meet someone so bright and loving in the darkest month of my life?

"I'm sorry," Hunter, whispers, brushing a strand of hair from my eyes.

"Hunter—"

"No, it's not about that," he breathes out. "I'm sorry I always fought with your brother. To be honest, I only did it so that I didn't look weak."

I sigh, grasping his hand in mine again. "In a weird way, I get it. There is so much pressure on guys to act tough, and it's ridiculous."

"What I hate more than that, though, is the fact I almost hit you that day when you stepped in to stop us. I always go over the moment, realising how close I actually came to hitting you. I will never be able to forgive myself for it."

I lean over him, brushing my fingers through his hair. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything," he says, holding my gaze.

"Was that the reason why you decided not to kidnap me at school when you had the chance?"

He sucks in a breath, closing his eyes. After a beat, he finally opens his mouth to speak. "Yes. Yeah, it was."

"Honestly, El, I felt so bad that day that I knew I had to make it up to you. And it wasn't just that. When you stepped in to protect your brother, it was the first time I realised what a strong, beautiful and courageous woman you were."

I start to laugh and cover my mouth with my hand. "I can't believe you just said something so cliché."

Hunter smiles sadly up at me, brushing my hair behind my ear. "Is this what you're really like?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, brushing his lips lightly with my fingers.

"Is this what you were like before we met? Happy?"

"I mean, I guess. My friends always used to say I laughed too much."

He closes his eyes momentarily. When he opens them again, the vibrant blue orbs are glistening with tears. "I wish I could have had longer to get to know this side of you. The real side of you, the happier side."

"Hey," I say, cupping his jaw. "You do know that side of me. I'm happy right now. I've always been real with you, I hope you know that."

"I don't get it," he frowns. "I don't get why you can be so happy when you are fucking stuck here."

"Well," I breath, "I don't want my last day to be full of sadness. I want to be happy and remember the best parts of my life, not dwell on the worst."

"Hey," he says, his voice turning serious now. "Today will not be your last day, I promise."

"Hunter, you know you can't promise me something like—"

"Listen to me, Ellie," he says, his eyes frantically searching my face. "I need you to be awake at eleven tonight."

I furrow my eyebrows, wondering why he's suddenly gone so serious. "Why? What's going to happen?"

"I can't say, I...just—look, please be awake, alright? It'll be easier if you're awake."

"Okay," I whisper.

Hunter's eyes are glazed over now and I feel the emptiness of the situation ending in the pit of my stomach. I'm not ready to go back inside yet.

He stands, lending a hand out for me to grasp. "Come on," he says, pulling me up and wrapping his arm around my shoulder. He kisses my hair, whispering to me. "Let's get you back."