Wingless and Beautiful

Chapter 13

“That's what love is. Love is keeping the promise anyway.”  - The Fault in Our Stars, now in theatres!

Chapter Thirteen

I couldn’t find my voice.  Tears rolled down my cheeks.  I couldn’t understand why or how it all happened.  But the truth was right before my eyes.  Chaise lied to me.  He pretended to be somebody he was not.

Hunter approached me.  The expression on his face was soft and gentle.  Gone was the look of disgust or anger that he usually wears whenever he sees me.

“It was… you?”  I asked in a weak voice.

He reached out to wipe my tears with his fingers.  Then he nodded gently.

“How?”

He took a deep breath.  “When I came back, the first thing that I did was look for you.  I know your name but I didn’t know where you lived, didn’t have your number.  I have a faint idea how you look like.  When Denise mentioned that she has a friend named Alice and that she has a scar on her face, I knew she was talking about you.  When she said that you were working at Alibri, I wasted no time to go there so I could see you.”  There was sadness in his voice when he added, “But when I went into the bookshop, I saw this beautiful blonde girl with a scar on her cheek in between the shelves.  She was with a boy, she didn’t notice my presence.  And I saw him kiss her.”  He sucked in a deep breath.  “I thought you moved on with your life… without me.  I thought you didn’t wait for me.”

I scanned my brain for that incident.  It was the night when Chaise went to the bookshop and kissed me against my will.  I did hear the bell chimes on the door.  Once, signaling that somebody came inside the shop.  But my hands were trapped in Chaise’s arms I couldn’t get away.  The chimes rang again after Chaise kissed me, signifying that whoever came in, immediately went out. 

God!  The person who came out as fast as he came in and saw me with Chaise was Hunter.

“But I didn’t kiss him.”  I said, shaking my head.  “He stole a kiss from me.”

Hunter nodded.  “I know that now.  I read your diary.”  He smiled at me ruefully.  “That night after I walked out of the shop, I stayed in my car.  I waited for you.  I wanted to be sure it was you.  Then I saw the guy leave without you and I thought your boyfriend was a jerk.  How could he leave you to walk home on your own?

“Even when I thought you were already with somebody, I couldn’t stop my feelings for you.  I still love you… and I couldn’t help worrying about you.  So I went to the bookshop every night, during closing time.  I… walked behind you, watched you… made sure you got home safely.  I told you I would get my eyesight back so I could protect you, remember?”  My heart sang and broke at the same time.  I couldn’t help crying while I listen to Hunter’s story.  “I thought, how could that douchebag not make sure you get home safely each night?  I figured if he couldn’t do it… then I would.  Even if I meant nothing to you anymore.”

I closed my eyes and shook my head.  I wanted to tell him that he meant the world to me then… he still means the world to me now. 

“I must be freaking you out.  But I was hoping after a couple of nights, you’d figure out that I meant you no harm.  Sometimes, I followed you while I was in the car, stopping by corners so you wouldn’t notice me.  Then one night… when I followed you in my car,  I stopped by a corner and waited for you to turn up.  You didn’t.  I panicked and retraced my route.  I found you in that street with two guys attacking you.  I saw… red.  I know I would not be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to you.  I would die first before I let them touch you.”