Page 15 of The Hunt
She peered over at me. “Huh?”
“Earlier you said that I ruined your night, that you hated me.”
“Apollo,” she whispered, looking away. “I think… it complicated.”
Outside, the snow fell relentlessly, not letting up even a bit. The hum of the heater drifted through my ears, and I pressed my lips together. Daphne had pushed me away for so long, and tonight, when she actually begged for me, it made me feel… wanted.
For once in a long time.
Dad could barely stand the sight of me anymore. Mom was fucking dead. I had nobody until I met Daphne. And yet, she hated me for what I had done tonight, because I had followed her up here after Mark.
“You ever feel like you’re not enough?” I asked, my eyes widening as I realized what I had actually just said, because what the fuck was that? I hadn’t planned to say that to her; I wasn’t the type of guy to make girls feel guilty about shit.
An empty laugh left her mouth, but she didn’t say anything.
The silence filled the room for so long, until I felt uncomfortable. Me.
“My dad has this idea of who I’m supposed to be. Ever since… Well, for a while now. Perfect grades. Perfect image. Perfect person to take over the family business when I get out of high school. I just want to study medicine.”
She turned onto her side and tucked her hand underneath her pillow. “Why don’t you?”
I laughed bitterly and ran a hand through my hair. “Try telling him that.”
Another long silence filled the air, then she brushed some hair off my face. “Why?”
“Why what?” I asked, stiffening from the warmth of her fingers.
“Why do you want to study medicine?”
“Because…” I want to be the guy who saves someone’s mom. “I just do.”
“You have to have a reason.”
I turned onto my side and faced her. “Do you have a reason for volunteering at the gardens?”
A small smile fluttered onto her face. “Nobody has asked me that before. And yes, I do, actually. I really like the laurel trees. Everyone comes to see the flowers blooming all year round, but the trees don’t get much love. And they’re beautiful.”
“Oh yeah?” I murmured, loving the way her eyes lit up when she spoke. “Why though?”
“Fine, you got me,” she said with a small giggle. “I guess you don’t need a reason.”
“I do have a reason for wanting to study medicine,” I said. “But I can’t share it with you.”
Not now.
I hadn’t shared it with anyone ever. Nobody except Dad knew about Mom. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone how it made me feel, not a therapist, not a counselor, and definitely not the girl I liked. I didn’t want to break down crying in front of her.
“Promise me that you will one day,” she said, holding out her pinky.
“I promise,” I whispered, curling my finger around it.
She didn’t let go, and neither did I. She looked from eye to eye, then down to my lips, her breathing hitching. And I did the same, my gaze traveling all across her face, taking it all in because I didn’t know when she’d let me get so close again.
Another silence filled the room, but this one was filled with unspoken tension.
And so I filled the quietness by leaning forward and kissing her lips. It was soft at first, hesitant, like I was waiting for her to stop me. She never wanted me like this before, and I was waiting for the moment for her to pull away.
But instead, she moved closer, deepening it.
