BROKEN VOWS

Chapter Eleven. Hide and seek or something?

Rainbow's POV.

Weave, nod and smile...smile, nod and weave etc. One week, two days, five hours, thirty minutes and forty five seconds. Wait...make that forty six seconds now.

Unlike the usual he weaves i pretend i didn't see him, this has been our routine in the duration of the times I've mentioned. I didn't know what to do with myself at first or how to deal with my neighbor's knowledge of my supposed panic attacks.

I'd found myself spacing out during meals more than often than before trying to imagine his opinions of me, and i think its starting to get on Ben's nerves but instead of chastising me as usual he just stands up and leaves.

Frankly, it doesn't bother me as much as it used to anymore, because that's not my biggest concern right now. I'm more worried about why i care about how Hunter sees me( his opinions of me)

I've always had issues with people's perception of me, though those issues were based on my physical appearance. Nobody except my husband has ever seen me looked scared, broken and beaten up; which is understandable because he's the cause of my vulnerability most times.

For days all I've thought about is how am i going to face Hunter next time i visit? Which also brings me to my next question; should i visit him? That takes me to my next! next! question: will it be okay with my husband that I'm talking to another person? Of course he won't be okay with it! My conscience tells me; but i don't really care about that anymore. Does Hunter considers me his friend? Are there protocols for things like this? Aish! I'm losing my mind!

Call it anxious apprehension or whatever; but I'm terrible at this people's stuff! I've never really had to converse with other people any longer then what's necessary, but my neighbor has awaken my hunger for it.

I'm going over there! I have questions that needs answers. This game of hid and seek we've got going on here has got to stop! And if there's something else i still need to know before i lose my mind.

Before i could even finish thinking that; my legs have carried me out of my house and I'm now standing in his front door wearing an oversized hooded sweater and a ripped jeans with the hood of my sweater over my hair. Great! Just great! I've been obsessing about his perception of me and this is how i appear here? Before i can do what only i know how to do best, which is to talk myself out of doing what's necessary for my sanity his front door is thrown open with him smiling and saying.

''Are you coming in?" I'm stunned to say the least.

"How did you know i was here?" I just had to ask.

"I've been watching you watching me through your window blinds and i saw when you left your house to come here." He answers without hesitation, weird indeed. So its definitely something but not hid and seek. I'm thinking about what the something is but my thoughts will have to wait right now because he's still holding the door open and smiling at me expectantly.

"Yeah of course I'm coming in...thanks for asking" I smile and step into the house, the memory of what had transpired here only last week is very fresh in my mind but i try to push it down telling myself he's a good person he won't hurt me.

"Welcome to my home, my name is Hunter Riggs. I am your new neighbor, nice to meet you." He manages to say all that in one breath. Realizing what he's trying to do, i stretched my right arm towards him with a smile of my own and said.

"My name is Rainbow Williams, welcome to the neighborhood Hunter'' He takes my hand, with soft a chuckle then replies.

"Thank you very much! You're too kind" I laugh before asking him. "Am i the first person to arrive for the house warming party?" his laughter matching mine as he says "Their invites must have gotten lost in the mail or something"

"Or something." I muttered. One look at each other caused us to laugh louder and just like that the tension is gone. Hunter gave me a tour of his newly painted and decorated house, his yard is coming back to life. the garage is now surprisingly accommodating then it was last week, with lights fixed and all items organized. The odd colored looking car is now replaced with a with black W140 Mercedes Benz. How do i know that? He told me of course.

Apparently that's his job, buying beat up cars and bringing them to life then sells them for higher prices.

After thirty minutes long tour of his home which I'm impressed with what he's done with the place, though he refused to go into that one room that looks like an attic which was strange but i decided not to push it. Because there was a distant look on his face when we passed by the door, we're now back in his sitting room, speaking of looks...

"Hunter?" Of course it sounds like a question since i don't know how to ask the real question. "Yeah? What's up?" He asks. "Um...what did you mean, when you said i had a look?" "Oh, that? I was wondering when you were gonna bring it up." He replies and i raise my brow at him.

"The first few times i watched you, you had that stray cat kinda vibe around you." Still not satisfied with his answer i quark my brows at him and he chuckles, the nerve!

"That stray cat vibes that anything can spook them, except yours was more like being watchful and keeping your distance kinda look." He explained like you would to a child and i scowl.

"And that made you stay away?'' I asked and he nods before saying.

"It seemed you were afraid of something bad happening if you didn't and i didn't want to be the reason your fears becomes real" he explains further and stands before asking.

"Tea?" Not even waiting for a reply he walks towards the direction of his kitchen and i follow suit asking.

"So...why did you change your mind?" Handing me a cup of hot liquid he says

"We both needed the distraction." Then before sipping his tea he mutters a silent "plus...i can't let it happen again."

When i looked at him, his eyes were closed, i don't think i was supposed to hear that last part so i didn't push for further answers. He will tell me when he's ready. Not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere i sipped my own cup of hot liquid,hmmm...chamomile tea, my favorite.

Author's Note
Another complete chapter guys!!! Hunter was supposed to be some kind of temporal distraction to Rainbow's and Benjamin's catastrophic marriage but I've decided to make him a vital part of the story because he also has his own story to tell. What do you think he meant by "i can't let it happen again" Keep reading to find out, i might include his POV later depending on how my spirit leads me.🙏🙏🙏🙏