Page 80 of 2204 Hunter Lane
As I read along the articles, I found a written interview between a journalist and Hunter a few weeks after the crash.
Q: “How is your family coping with the loss of your mother, Hunter?”
H: “It’s tough.”
Q: “You’re only twenty-one years old, a promising young athlete drafted to play baseball for Iowa State. Do you think this will hinder your ability to participate this season?”
H: “I think my mom would want me to keep moving forward. She wouldn’t want me to stay stuck in her loss. She always used to say that pain was a necessity to life, and to keep your head up when it was falling down.”
Q: “What amazing advice. Leslie will be missed, as such a prominent part of this community. I cannot even imagine what you and your father must be going through. Is it just you two remaining?”
H: “Yeah. Me and my dad.”
I shut my laptop closed, feeling the anchor in my chest sinking deeper and deeper into the most fragile parts of my soul. Tears blurred my vision as I recounted all of the times Hunter mentioned his mom, all in the most heart-warming ways and I allowed the sadness to break.
This was four years ago. Four years ago he was involved in the crash of his mother, and from the articles it said he only withstood minor injuries while his mother died right then and there.
A drunk driver lost control of his wheel and smashed into their truck, sending it rolling over the ditch on Tintsy road.
And Hunter… he managed to call the paramedics while his mother was bleeding out inches away from him. He saw it all, he was a direct witness to the loss of his own mother. Saw her take her last breaths, mouth her last words… all towards him.
My heart broke for Hunter, myeverythingbroke for him. I couldn’t imagine what he went through in that moment, what thoughts were racing through his head. And now I understood, I understood why he became this cold, broken person.
No one, at any age, should ever experience seeing their parent die in such a horrendous way. Not even the strongest warriors could battle that pain and come out unscathed. Hunter was reckless, drank himself into oblivion, jeopardized the relationships around him because a part of him already died with his mother.
And now I understood.
Why he got behind the wheel of his truck that night without question. Why he was rash and careless and incautious. He didn’t care about life, he blamed it. His soul wasn’t redeemable because he deemed himself irreparable.
But the one thing I couldn’t grasp, the only thing that weighed heavy in my brain was the reason behind his drunk driving. Why would he want to re-enact the exact scene that killed his mother, by being the driver himself? What the hell was the purpose of that? Did he want to torture himself more? Why would he jeopardize other people when he knew the possibilities of a deadly outcome?
God he was broken. Hunter Lane was so broken.
He was a jumbled mess, living inside a labyrinth he created, and he only found peace in a few things: Josh, his dad, painting his boats, drinking and… me.Not anymore.
Now I knew why he valued the people in his life so much. He lost someone so important to him, he didn’t want to go through that again. He didn’t take those closest to him for granted even though he was a pain in the ass sometimes. He wanted his dad to care the way he used to before his mother passed away. He wanted to accept Payton but he couldn’t, because anyone he let in was a chance at loss.
But he let me in.
And only now did I realize the severity of my own actions.
He chose to let me in, and I fucked it up.
How the hell am I going to fix something completely beyond repair?
Chapter Thirty-One
Hunter
Iunlocked my front door for Britt six times in the past two weeks.
Six times she’s come in here, letting me fuck out my frustration, playing with her as I pleased.
Tonight was no exception, and the good hospitality could go fuck itself. I was half a bottle of Jack down, craving something pretty to entertain me. And that blonde haired bombshell standing in my living room was just the thing.
She dropped her black coat to the ground, revealing a matching set of silk panties and a bright red bra that exposed her perky pink nipples.
I sat back in my bed, stroking my cock as she smirked, unclasping her bra so I could revel at the sight of her tits.
