definitely one thing,” he said with a smile.
“All right, well, I’ll leave you two kids alone,” Betsy said with a roll of her eyes. “Will I see you back here tonight after the match?” she asked me.
“Um,” I started, not quite sure how to respond. I certainly hoped that Hunter would be taking me home with him afterwards, but I didn’t want to say it right out.
“No,” Hunter chimed in. “If it’s all right with the lady, I think I’d like to take her back to my place afterwards.”
“Oh,” Betsy cooed. “Well, don’t mind me.”
“Shall we, then?” Hunter asked.
“Sure. I can’t wait to watch you cream this guy. Who are you fighting, anyway?” I asked, trying to make conversation if only to get my mind off of what would happen afterwards.
“His name is Wayne. Actually, he’s a friend of mine,” Hunter told me as we walked to the car. “I am still hoping to kick his ass, though.”
“I’ll never understand your line of work,” I said with a smile.
Hunter walked around to the passenger side of his snazzy red Firebird and opened the door for me.
“My lady,” he said with a bow.
“Oh my,” I said with a sigh. “I’d forgotten you were such a gentleman.”
“Always,” Hunter said, getting in and starting the engine. I couldn’t help but think that he was right about that. He always held doors for me, paid for my dinners even though I knew he couldn’t afford it, and treated me with the utmost respect. Even though he was the poorest kid in school, he was always perfect gentleman.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Hunter began as he started the car, “why have you been staying at Betsy’s when you have your own place?”
“Oh,” I said, not sure how to answer. I knew that Betsy was right, that I really needed to tell Hunter what had been going on. But I didn’t think it was a good idea to get him upset right before his fight. “Could we talk about that later?”
“Later, why?” Hunter asked, turning toward me. I could see concern flashing in his eyes. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
“It’s OK,” I said. “Don’t worry. I just don’t think we should talk about it right before your fight.”
Hunter shook his head.
“Can you just tell me now?” he asked. “I think wondering and worrying about it is going to be worse before the fight.”
“All right,” I said. “If you really think it’ll be better that way.”
“I do,” Hunter said, reaching over to take me by the hand. “Just tell me what’s going on."
I took a deep breath.
“So, I was seeing this guy before I left Australia,” I said, finally. “And then a few days ago, he showed up on my doorstep.”
Hunter was quiet for a moment before he spoke, and I was afraid he might get madder than I realized.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice icy.
“Nothing, exactly. I tried to break it off with him,” I said.
“You tried to? What do you mean you tried to?”
“I mean, I did break it off with him. But he didn’t take it well,” I answered.
“Did he do something?” Hunter asked, anger rising in his voice. “Who the hell is this guy?”
“He didn’t do anything. But he was acting strange. He scared me a little,” I admitted. “But I don’t think he’s going to come back.”
“God damn it,” Hunter swore, hitting the steering wheel with his hand. “I can’t stand fucking guys like that.”
“It’s OK, Hunter,” I said, quietly.
“It’s not OK! My dad was a piece of shit just like that. Scaring people just because he could,” Hunter said, getting quiet again.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“What?” Hunter said, his voice softening instantly as he turned toward me. “Let’s get one thing straight, you don’t have anything to be sorry about. My piece of shit dad has something to be sorry about. Your piece of shit ex has something to be sorry about. But not you.”
“Thanks, Hunter,” I said, touched that he was so angry on my behalf,
“All right, well, I’ll leave you two kids alone,” Betsy said with a roll of her eyes. “Will I see you back here tonight after the match?” she asked me.
“Um,” I started, not quite sure how to respond. I certainly hoped that Hunter would be taking me home with him afterwards, but I didn’t want to say it right out.
“No,” Hunter chimed in. “If it’s all right with the lady, I think I’d like to take her back to my place afterwards.”
“Oh,” Betsy cooed. “Well, don’t mind me.”
“Shall we, then?” Hunter asked.
“Sure. I can’t wait to watch you cream this guy. Who are you fighting, anyway?” I asked, trying to make conversation if only to get my mind off of what would happen afterwards.
“His name is Wayne. Actually, he’s a friend of mine,” Hunter told me as we walked to the car. “I am still hoping to kick his ass, though.”
“I’ll never understand your line of work,” I said with a smile.
Hunter walked around to the passenger side of his snazzy red Firebird and opened the door for me.
“My lady,” he said with a bow.
“Oh my,” I said with a sigh. “I’d forgotten you were such a gentleman.”
“Always,” Hunter said, getting in and starting the engine. I couldn’t help but think that he was right about that. He always held doors for me, paid for my dinners even though I knew he couldn’t afford it, and treated me with the utmost respect. Even though he was the poorest kid in school, he was always perfect gentleman.
“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Hunter began as he started the car, “why have you been staying at Betsy’s when you have your own place?”
“Oh,” I said, not sure how to answer. I knew that Betsy was right, that I really needed to tell Hunter what had been going on. But I didn’t think it was a good idea to get him upset right before his fight. “Could we talk about that later?”
“Later, why?” Hunter asked, turning toward me. I could see concern flashing in his eyes. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
“It’s OK,” I said. “Don’t worry. I just don’t think we should talk about it right before your fight.”
Hunter shook his head.
“Can you just tell me now?” he asked. “I think wondering and worrying about it is going to be worse before the fight.”
“All right,” I said. “If you really think it’ll be better that way.”
“I do,” Hunter said, reaching over to take me by the hand. “Just tell me what’s going on."
I took a deep breath.
“So, I was seeing this guy before I left Australia,” I said, finally. “And then a few days ago, he showed up on my doorstep.”
Hunter was quiet for a moment before he spoke, and I was afraid he might get madder than I realized.
“What happened?” he asked, his voice icy.
“Nothing, exactly. I tried to break it off with him,” I said.
“You tried to? What do you mean you tried to?”
“I mean, I did break it off with him. But he didn’t take it well,” I answered.
“Did he do something?” Hunter asked, anger rising in his voice. “Who the hell is this guy?”
“He didn’t do anything. But he was acting strange. He scared me a little,” I admitted. “But I don’t think he’s going to come back.”
“God damn it,” Hunter swore, hitting the steering wheel with his hand. “I can’t stand fucking guys like that.”
“It’s OK, Hunter,” I said, quietly.
“It’s not OK! My dad was a piece of shit just like that. Scaring people just because he could,” Hunter said, getting quiet again.
“I’m sorry,” I said.
“What?” Hunter said, his voice softening instantly as he turned toward me. “Let’s get one thing straight, you don’t have anything to be sorry about. My piece of shit dad has something to be sorry about. Your piece of shit ex has something to be sorry about. But not you.”
“Thanks, Hunter,” I said, touched that he was so angry on my behalf,
Similar Books
