Fractured by Amanda Meadows

laughing by telling outrageous stories from her own past dating.
    At the end of the evening, Amber felt remarkably relaxed and upbeat. She was sure that some of the love stories had been exaggerated, but the evening was surprisingly enjoyable.
    “I almost didn't date him,” Mrs. Webb said, referencing her husband as she slathered butter on a slice of bread.
    “Really? Why not?” Amber asked, her curiosity aroused.
    “Oh, I thought he was secretly gay,” Mrs. Webb said, her face serious.
    “You're putting me on,” Amber said, gaping.
    “Nope. It's true.”
    “But why? He doesn't look gay to me!” Amber paused. “Well, come to think of it, I don't know what being gay should look like.”
    Mrs. Webb smiled. “It was his openly gay friend that made me wonder. Everyone could see that he had a huge crush on Mr. Webb.”
    “And he didn't know about the crush. Your husband, I mean?”
    Mrs. Webb put a hand to her chin as she thought.
    “I don't think he had a clue. But he came from a very liberal family and would have been sympathetic.”
    “So how did you end up going out with him?” Amber asked, poking at her salad with her fork.
    “I got tired of refusing him,” Mrs. Webb said with a laugh. “We had a class together. Every day he would block the doorway and ask me out. Finally, I agreed to one date if he promised to stop pestering me.”
    “That must have been some date,” Amber said, smiling.
    “It was,” Mrs. Webb said, suddenly blushing. “Let's just say that I discovered that he was not gay.”
    Amber laughed and the two continued a congenial meal together. She had such a lovely time that she was in a good frame of mind once she got back to the hotel.
    After a shower, she donned her baggy pajama bottoms and relaxed on the sofa. She grabbed an empty notebook and began a decision tree. You are such a nerd! she told herself. She made two columns and started filling them in.
    REASONS TO BREAK UP WITH HUNTER
    He is a control freak.
    He will always be a control freak.
    It is wrong to make someone change.
    Whoa! Where the hell did that last thought come from?
    REASONS TO STAY WITH HUNTER
    I fell in love with him just as he is.
    He can't help his control freak nature.
    His control freak nature is annoying but has saved my ass twice.
    He makes me feel beautiful.
    I love his gorgeous green eyes.
    Sex is pretty incredible.
    He overlooks my bad habits.
    He feeds me even when I reject him.
    He gave up this hotel room for me.
    Suddenly, she stopped. This list wasn't helping at all! In fact, it was making her feel bad about herself. She crumpled it up and threw it in the corner. Okay, so much for the good mood. Now she was sobbing again.

Chapter Nine
    Hunter
     
    Hunter excused himself right after arriving home with his dad. He was sleeping in the same room he had slept in as a child. Though his family had moved to the United States when he was still very young, they had not wanted to give up the family home. When they returned to Paris, everything was as they left it.
    A staff of cleaners had simply removed all the furniture coverings before polishing the wood, airing out carpets, and washing linens. Hunter's twin bed still had the same blue striped sheets and comforter. Most of his toys and stuffed animals had been packed up and stored somewhere in the attic. However, sitting in an antique rocking chair in the corner, there was still a large, gray stuffed rabbit with one of its button eyes missing. Damn, he had loved that thing, dragging it everywhere he went.
    He walked over and got it now, gathering it in his arms as he sank onto the bed. Hugging the rabbit against his chest, he curled into a ball, finally letting himself cry for the first time since he walked out of the hotel room. The evening before had been one of shock and numbness.
    He couldn't remember crying like this since his grandparents passed away. He had certainly never cried over a girl before. His heart literally hurt. Telling his parents how he