Hunter looked a little uncomfortable for a moment but smiled eventually. “Yeah, I like to work out.”
“Do you play any sports?” Billy asked.
I held my breath. It was doubtful that Uncle Stewart would think of getting knocked out in a cage surrounded by drunken spectators as a sport.
“I used to wrestle in high school,” Hunter answered. “Do you play any sports?”
“Baseball and soccer,” he said, nodding sagely. “My mom won’t let me play football. She says the players hurt their heads too much.”
Hunter’s eyes shot quickly to me before going back to Billy. “Well, it is a dangerous game,” he said diplomatically.
“Yes it is,” my aunt said. There was agreement all around and we went back to our food.
We all ate in silence for a couple minutes. The food tasted good, but my mind was elsewhere. I couldn’t figure out why Aunt Caroline and Uncle Stewart were questioning Hunter as much as they were. It wasn’t quite unfriendly, but something seemed forced.
Suddenly I heard the sink come on, followed by the high-pitched sound of one of the kittens yowling.
“What’s that?” I asked.
But Hunter was already out of his seat and rolling up his sleeves to go to the sink. Aunt Caroline followed close behind. Hunter reached in and pulled out a soaking wet Taylor, who looked very displeased at what had just happened.
“I’m sorry,” he said to my aunt and uncle. “Do you have a towel or anything I can use to dry her off?”
The boys had gotten up for a better look at the unhappy kitty, who was squirming in Hunter’s arms. They were delighted at the excitement. Aunt Caroline handed Hunter a dish towel with an amused look on her face.
“Okay boys, excitement’s over. Back to dinner.”
“How did she turn on the faucet?” Hunter asked as he dried Taylor off tenderly.
“It’s one of those new sinks where you just have to touch the spout and it turns on or off,” I answered, finally realizing what had happened. “She must have touched it on somehow.”
“We just got it installed,” my aunt added, taking her place back at the table. “It’s amazing for when you’re cooking. Not so much for cats, I guess.”
Everyone laughed, including Uncle Stewart. It felt good to laugh at something silly. I was starting to feel more normal again.
After the laughter died down, Uncle Stewart gestured at Hunter’s arms as Hunter stood drying Taylor. “I see you have some tattoos.”
I swallowed nervously.
Uncle Stewart continued. “Caroline got a tattoo. To each their own, of course, but I have to say I don’t really get it. You have those things forever, you know.”
His tone didn’t seem quite hostile, but it still put me on edge.
Hunter shrugged. “I guess I see it as self-expression. If I wake up in twenty years and hate them, I guess I gotta deal with it then.”
Hearing Hunter talk about the future gave me a sick feeling in my stomach. Would he be around in twenty years? Would he be disabled if he was?
No. I couldn’t think like that. Treating Hunter like he was a patient just waiting to die was exactly what he was afraid of. I had to be stronger than that for him. Plus, I had no idea if it was even true. Maybe he’d be fine for years.
“Thank you, Hunter,” Aunt Caroline said. “Stewart has been asking me about my tattoo every other day since I got it.”
I exhaled, relieved my aunt had come to Hunter’s rescue.
“That’s not quite true,” Uncle Stewart said. “I just don’t understand what point you’re making by getting a tattoo.”
Aunt Caroline shook her head. “I swear you’re taking this thing as a call for help,” she said with a laugh.
My uncle turned to me. “Lorrie, what do you think?”
I looked furtively around the table and took a quick breath. “I think if the most Hunter and Aunt Caroline have to worry about in twenty years is their tattoos, they’re in pretty good shape.”
Sweat prickled across my skin. I had to keep reminding myself that nothing really bad was happening. I was just being nervous and assuming things that weren’t necessarily true. Hunter and I hadn’t really had a chance to talk too much about his condition. I made a mental note to ask him more questions about it as soon as we were able to get some alone time.
He shook his head. “I guess I’m on an island here. Boys, no tattoos while you live under my roof. Understand?”
I cracked a smile as the two looked wide-eyed at their father. They hadn’t been paying attention to the conversation. The spectacle of the kittens—and especially of Hunter drying off Taylor—was too much to resist.
“I think you’ll have to remind them,” I said.
He shook his head and we went back to finishing dinner, which by this point was getting lukewarm. I was finally starting to relax. Whatever motives Uncle Stewart and Aunt Caroline had, Hunter seemed to be handling this well. He came back to the table after finishing with Taylor and began eating his dinner quickly.
“So are you staying around town, Hunter?” Uncle Stewart asked.
“I was planning on getting a motel around here, actually. Me and Lorrie are gonna hang out some more before I head back to Studsen.”
My uncle nodded. “There’s no need to do that. We have room for you here and Caroline and I don’t mind having you stay.”
I was pretty sure my jaw had just dropped, but I didn’t even have time to check before my aunt chimed in. “I think it’s going to break the boys’ hearts if you leave without letting them play with those kittens just a little more.”
Hunter looked back and forth between them, as surprised as I was. “Oh no, I can’t do that. I really don’t want to be a burden, especially with the kittens.”
“Nonsense,” my aunt said. “I love cats, and none of us are allergic. I’m sure those little darlings will be no trouble at all. They’ve already gotten so much bigger!”
Hunter opened his mouth to respond, but Uncle Stewart spoke first. “You good with tools?”
Hunter’s mouth closed quickly and then he answered. “Pretty good, yeah. I used to help out with some repairs at my gym.”
“Well, how about you stay with us a few days and help us redo the dining room? It’s been a slow project and it would help us out a lot. I’ve been so busy with work and Caroline has to take care of the boys. Besides, it doesn’t make sense for you to waste money at a motel when we’ve got plenty of space here.”
Hunter looked back and forth. Both my aunt and uncle were gazing at him expectantly. I was too stunned to speak. He looked to me briefly, but I just shrugged.
“Uh sure, I guess,” he said finally. “That sounds great. Thank you very much.”
“Perfect,” Uncle Stewart said. He smiled and went back to his food.
I was so confused. Why were my aunt and uncle seemingly doing their best to keep Hunter in the house as long as possible? It was so unlike them, especially my uncle.
We all finished up eating and then helped clean up the kitchen. I tried to catch my aunt’s eye to see if she could fill me in on why she and my uncle were so eager to have Hunter stay with us, but it was no use. After dinner it was family time, and I couldn’t get her alone. I’d have to wait.
The rest of the evening flew by in a blur. It was strange seeing Hunter in the Perkins house after everything that had happened the past few weeks. He looked like he was totally comfortable, and spent most of the evening playing with Joel, Billy, and the kittens. My aunt and uncle seemed happy to have him. I sat on the couch and tried my best to hide my confusion and process everything that had happened today.
When Bones came up to me and meowed at my feet, I picked him up and snuggled him to my face. I was glad Hunter had brought the kittens. They were a fuzzy reminder of our happiest times.
Finally, it was time for bed. Aunt Caroline cleared out the guest bedroom of most of its junk and changed the sheets so Hunter could sleep there. Everyone said their goodnights??
?my cousins spent a long time with the kittens—and went to bed.
From the moment I said goodnight to Hunter, all I could think about was how I wanted to curl up with him and fall asleep in his arms again. I knew we couldn’t though. I hadn’t even told him about getting Marco’s letter yet and I still hadn’t fully wrapped my head around his condition.
I didn’t know if it was going to be easier or more difficult to work things out with Hunter staying with us, but I was starting to feel a lot better than I had this morning.
Chapter Five
A NEW MORNING
I couldn’t breathe. My chest spasmed in pain as I tried to inhale. My limbs were slow and heavy. Wet. I was underwater. My left ear itched.
The algae green waters churned around me, bubbles blocking my view. Something rough and strong circled around my waist, clutching around me and making me feel safe. He was going to save me. I kicked and flailed my arms, reaching up to my savior. To air. To life. But every movement of my limbs just made me sink deeper into the darkness. A fuzzy warmth rubbed against my nose.
I sank deeper. The darkness stretched out into eternity away from me. I floated along for some time before a face came into view.
It was too dark and I couldn’t make out the features, but somehow, I knew it was my dad. I blinked and tried to see him more clearly, but I still couldn’t picture him. He was too out of focus. His mouth was flapping. It looked like he wanted to say something to me, but I couldn’t hear it. Reaching forward, I tried to swim towards his voice, but it faded away.
When I turned, another face appeared suddenly in front of me. The eyes were wide and crazed, lolling around in the sockets, his grin frozen on his face.
Marco.
I could taste bile rising at the back of my throat. Panic seized my chest and I let out a wordless scream.
I woke up in a sweaty tangle of sheets.
I’m okay.
A high-pitched meow came from the left side of my bed, and I cracked my eyes open to take a look. The brown fur and heart-shaped spot on its back immediately told me it was Taylor.
I’m okay, Marco isn’t here.
Groaning, I pushed myself up against the headboard as Taylor climbed over the mountain of sheets and into my lap.
I’m okay, Marco’s in prison far away. He can’t hurt me anymore.
I thought about Dr. Schwartz’s advice regarding Marco. Should I write him a letter to ask why he killed my mom? What would he say? Would he really tell me just because I asked? Is that all I needed to banish him from my dreams?
I shook my head and tried to focus on the present. I could deal with that later. Right now I had an adorable kitten who wanted some attention.
Of course it had to be Taylor waking me up. She was such a trouble-maker. I was glad she had woken me up, though. This time. I rubbed her back gently, while she kneaded the sheets on my lap, trying to find a comfortable spot.
Her gentle purring helped to slow down the erratic beating of my heart. I sucked in a few deep breaths to calm myself down and get Marco’s face out of my mind. I tried to recall my father’s face, but all I saw was the fuzzy, out-of-focus image from my dream.
When I turned to the clock I saw that it was eight. Yesterday, I had slept in until one in the afternoon before going to see Dr. Schwartz. So much had happened in the span of a day; I was actually feeling a lot better. I didn’t know if it was because of the therapy session, or the fact that Hunter and I had finally had a chance to talk, but I liked it.
Whatever the reason, I wasn’t about to let a stupid dream ruin my mood.
I reassured myself that I knew what my father’s face looked like. He’d always had dark curly hair that fell across his forehead. Sometimes his hair would get into his eyes and he’d brush it away with a wave of his hand. Were his eyes black or dark brown? No, no they were definitely black. Damnit, the dream was bothering me more than it should.
I took a shower and threw on a pair of sweatpants and an old sweater before heading downstairs to the kitchen. On my way there, I passed by Rampage and Frida chasing each other in the hallway.
The savory aroma of bacon reached my nose before I even got to the kitchen, and my stomach rumbled loudly. Aunt Caroline must have made breakfast already. I smiled at the thought of my aunt’s delicious, calorie-laden breakfasts. They would be the perfect way to get my mind off of the dream.
When I got to the kitchen I was surprised to see that it was not my aunt, but Hunter at the stove. He was wearing a white t-shirt, his biceps bulging tightly against the sleeves. His cute butt filled up the jeans he was wearing. I smiled to myself guiltily. I guess I could still enjoy that part of Hunter.
Aunt Caroline was sitting at the kitchen table, sipping a cup of coffee.
She beamed at me when she saw me, her eyes twinkling. “Good morning, Lorrie. Hunter just made us and the boys breakfast. How are you feeling?”
Hunter turned around and gave me a quick smile. It was still so surreal to see him standing in Aunt Caroline’s kitchen. A concerned look flashed across his face for a second and he turned back to the stove. It seemed like we both wanted a chance to talk alone soon.
“I’m okay,” I said. “I see the kittens have taken no time to get adjusted to the house.”
Aunt Caroline let out a hearty laugh, “You have no idea. Your uncle was quite surprised to find a fuzzball next to his face this morning! Which one is it, the one with the spot on his back?”
I smiled with her. “That must’ve been Taylor, she woke me up too. Did Uncle Stewart go off to work already?”
She nodded. “Mmhm, just a few minutes ago.”
Hunter put a plate in front of me, with scrambled eggs and slices of bacon. My stomach grumbled its approval loudly.
“Breakfast’s served,” he said, with a small wink just for me.
Then he turned to my aunt. “Would you like some more food, Ms. Perkins?”
She waved him off, patting her stomach for emphasis. “I’m way too full. Please, have the rest yourself.”
Hunter shrugged and plated himself a mountain of food. I couldn’t help but smile when I noticed what he was wearing over his t-shirt. I hadn’t noticed it earlier when his back was turned, but now it was hard not to laugh at his tattooed arms poking out of Aunt Caroline’s frilly apron. I raised an eyebrow at him.
Hunter joined us at the table and looked at me confused for a second before his eyes lit up in realization. “Oh yeah, your aunt insisted that I wear it. She didn’t want me messing up my clothes.”
I shook my head slowly in disbelief. It was quite the amusing image.
My aunt chimed in. “Hunter even drove out this morning to get some eggs when we ran out. Isn’t he the sweetest thing?”
I looked to Hunter, only to see his cheeks stuffed full of food. He chewed and gulped it all down first. “Aw, it’s no big deal, Mrs. Perkins. You’re letting me stay here, it’s the least I could do.”
He was certainly making a good impression on my aunt. That gave me one less thing to worry about. Hopefully he was doing the same with Uncle Stewart.
Hunter seemed to want to talk, but he didn’t say anything with my aunt there. We ate in silence for a while, as Aunt Caroline sat there sipping her coffee at the table with us.
A little while later, the phone rang. Aunt Caroline put her mug down and walked over to the other side of the kitchen.
“Hello?” she said and then paused. “Oh of course! Yes, she’s right here!”
My aunt turned to me. “It’s Daniela, she wants to talk to you.”
Daniela and I hadn’t spoken since a couple of days after I got to my aunt’s place. I had filled her in on the whole fiasco with Hunter’s fight, but she didn’t know that Hunter had come all the way to Indiana to try to patch things up with me.
I had just barely picked up the phone when Daniela voice came through loud and clear. “Oh my god, Lorrie. Did he show? Is he there right now?”
I winced and held the phone an inch away from my ear.
“What? Who?” I asked.
“Who?! Are you kidding me? Who else? Hunter!”
I looked at him, hoping that he couldn’t hear Daniela’s voice from across the kitchen, but he was chatting with my aunt.
“Yeah, he’s here. Why am I starting to get the impression that I’m always the last person to get the full story?”
“Two days ago he came to find me. At first I was ready to kick his ass for you, but then he kept saying how sorry he was and how he wanted to fix things up. He seemed sincere, so I gave him your aunt’s address. He said he was going to surprise you and made me promise to not call you until today.”
Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place. So that’s how Hunter had found me. I looked over at him again. I was happy to see that he had finally taken the apron off, folded it neatly, and placed it on an empty seat.
“Lorrie, don’t leave me hanging! Should I have kicked him to the curb? He was practically delirious when he came to me and I thought you said you tried to talk to him but couldn’t and―”
I sighed. “It’s fine.”
“Are you okay? Did I make a mistake telling him where you are? Because I swear, if that guy hurts you again . . . ”
I looked over at my aunt and Hunter. They were still deep in conversation.
“I’m feeling better Daniela, a lot better. Everything isn’t perfect yet, but we’re working things out. Um . . . Can I talk to you later? I’ll tell you everything, I promise.”
I didn’t exactly want to be airing all of this dirty laundry with Aunt Caroline and Hunter sitting right there in the kitchen with me.
“Okay,” she said. “Pinky swear.”
I nodded, even though I knew she couldn’t see me. “Pinky swear. Thanks for checking up on me.”
“Bye girl, take care of yourself.”
When I rejoined Hunter and my aunt at the table, they were talking about tattoos. Hunter’s plate of food was completely empty already, and I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Aunt Caroline was right: he could eat.
I worked at my own breakfast slowly and zoned out while they talked. After we were done, Hunter grabbed both of our plates and washed them in the sink.