Page 70 of Sunrises & Salvation
“My ex-boyfriend is moving back,” I say in a daze. Trent slams his laptop closed and walks over, slapping me on the back.
“Hell yeah, dude.” He knows a little bit about me and Hunter, but I never told him a name or exactly what happened between us. Just that I was an idiot, and Trent has watched me pine over him since we became friends.
I know right?I want to say.
Instead, I sit there and try to tamp down my excitement.
Hunter is coming home, finally.
39
HUNTER
“You didwhat?”I ask my parents, staring at the two strangers in front of me. And they have the audacity to act surprised that I’m reacting badly? They just dropped the bomb that they’ve stayed in contact with the man who broke my heart eight years ago.
Granted, my reaction was a little dramatic, and I’m grown enough now to realize that, but I still remember the hurt I felt while I waited for my parents to come pick me up that night. My heart shattered like fine china inside my chest while the words he said repeated in my head.
My mom looks at my dad, and my dad sighs. “I’m sorry, Hunter. We were worried about him—” I cut them off, irritably.
“Worried? Abouthim? Need I remind you he’s the reason I dropped out of college?” My mom flinches, my harsh tone loud in the quiet of their house. But Adam has been here, in this house, who knows how many freaking times. And my parents have let him. No, scratch that, theyinvitedhim.
“Honey, we know it’s a lot, but after he came by, he was very distraught. I really think you should talk to him.” I make an argumentative noise in the back of my throat and push themashed potatoes and gravy on my plate around, making a slight mess. I hate this feeling bubbling up inside of me.
Regret.
That’s what this feeling is, but I’ve been training myself not to regret anything. And it’s worked for me so far. I’ve done a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t have before.
I’ve faced my fears, learned to accept rejection, and experienced life so much more than I thought I was ever going to. Skydiving. Trips, plural, overseas to experience different countries and cultures. Taking every moment given to me and making the most of it.
I thought I was over it, over the betrayal I experienced at the hands of the two people who were supposed to be my friends. But I guess that’s a part of life; you have to have the bad times to appreciate the good ones.
I just wish the bad ones wouldn’t involve Adam.
I can understand why my parents did what they did; they’ve always had a soft spot for him since the first time I brought him home. Every time after that gave them the chance to let him into their hearts. And that’s another thing, because Adam is so easy to love.
That’s not my place anymore, though. He’s not mine, and he never will be again. It’s something I’ve accepted, and I’ll never regret the times we were together. I learned a lot about myself because of him.
“I’m not going to talk to him.” My mom looks like she wants to argue, but I press on. “And I need you both to be okay with it. There are a lot of feelings from the past that I don’t want to dredge up. But I won’t interfere when you say you want to invite him over. The only thing I ask is to respect my wishes, and don’t have us here at the same time.”
Because if I see him, I would probably do something stupid. Like accepting whatever half-assed apology he offers because I’m a sucker when it comes to him.
My dad nods, and my mom does too, albeit reluctantly.
“Can we please drop this now? I want to enjoy my dinner with my parents before I move right back out tomorrow.”
I’m only here for tonight, and that’s because the movers don’t deliver on Sundays, which is understandable, no matter how much I don’t want to sleep in my childhood bedroom.
My mom fawns over me, asking if I need anything or if there’s anything she can help me with, while my dad focuses on his food and nods his head whenever my mom acknowledges him.
“I have everything, Mom, but there is something you can help me do.” They both listen while I lay out my plans. It won’t be the most profitable idea, but the business plan is sitting pretty in my black messenger bag, propped against the leg of the chair I’m sitting in.
I excitedly explain my plans, laying out even the minuscule details.
This is my chance to start over and do what’s been calling to me for the past eight years.
Three weeks later,I shake the realtor’s hand and take the keys. The day I’ve been waiting for is finally here. Kind of.
The space is empty; the cinder block walls bare, and the cheap lights halfway lighting the space. That’s okay, though, because I didn’t buy this because of how it looks now, I bought it for the vision I’m going to bring to life in this spacious storefront. The windows let in just enough sunlight to leave arainbow stripe against the floor, and I can’t hide the wide smile that overtakes my face.
