In Between Seasons

Chapter 21

"Something smells amazing," Hunter commented as he came into the kitchen later that evening.

"It's not you," I teased, wrinkling my nose as I took in his sweat and dirt covered body.

"It's not that bad!" he replied as he pulled me into his arms and rubbed his sweaty head on me. "Didn't you miss me?"

"Oh, God, you smell like something died!" I gagged as I pushed him away.

He raised an eyebrow at me. "And now so do you!"

"Well, dinner is almost ready, and now we both need to bathe," I snapped as I dusted off my jeans, but there was no venom to my voice.

"So you found the store, eh?" he asked, his eyes going from my face down.

"Yeah, what do you think?" I asked, looking down at the tight v-neck with a silver scroll design and my skinny jeans.

I felt amazing in it, and the best part was I picked it out myself. I made my own choice of what clothes I wanted to wear. I was supposedly a prisoner, but I had never felt so free.

I smiled at Hunter and cocked my head as I waited for his response.

"I think if you had a quarter in your back pocket I could read the writing on it," he replied, sitting down at the table with his hand covering his smiling mouth

"Really?" I asked as I turned around and then looked over my shoulder at him.

"Yeah, but there haven't been quarters in years...umm...I mean, you look nice," he stammered as he swallowed.

I turned back to the stove with a smile before asking, "How was your barking today?"

"Huh?" he asked, and when I looked over my shoulder at him his muscles were tensed as he played with the napkin from the table.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Hunter's voice was strained; "my father said he wants to visit."

My stomach fluttered, suddenly empty. "What does that mean? Is he going to want to kill me?"

It was as if all the air had been sucked from the room when his eyes met mine.

As I stared at him my mind faded to the darkness of my lids pressed together as the cold metal of the gun pressed against my skull. I heard the sound of the release on the gun. Then my heart staggered its beating as fear rushed through my veins, numbing my limbs. I could hear Trevor's breathing as it echoed through the air, and it was almost as harsh as the sound of the shot exploding from the gun.

My knees collapsed as I faded into nothing.

When I opened my eyes I was in the tub with the shower head pulsating water into my face. Hunter was sitting on the floor beside me with his head in his hands, and the numbing fear began to fade as I realized how this affected him.

He hated his father.

I was his only friend.

And I was born his enemy.

"I didn't know my face was that easy to read," Hunter muttered into his hands. "How am I going to be able to lie to my father if it's that easy to read?"

"I know you, Hunter," I said as I leaned forward and touched his shoulder. "I know what that look in your eyes means. You told all of these people the same thing you're going to tell him. Do any of them suspect who I really am?"

"Not at all. They think you're some runaway I picked up on my way home from a failed mission," he replied as he lifted his head and placed his chin on my hand.