Wingless And Beautiful
?EPISODE 14 ?
We stayed there for a little while more. Just then,
Hunter’s watch beeped.
“Eight o’clock,” he groaned.
“Which means?”
“Means one hour before lights out. As if that would be a
problem for me, right?”
When I thought he would normally feel angry about
that, he actually looked amused with his own joke.
I think Hunter was beginning to accept his condition… embrace it even. He was beginning to find happiness after the storm.
And I felt good thinking that I was part of his change. I was
part of his reason to smile again… laugh again… live again.
I stood up from the bench and pulled him to his feet. He
put an arm around my shoulders. “Stay close to me, if you
don’t want to lose your…”
“Life?” I supplied for him.
“Your shoe.” He grinned.
I laughed. “You’re not even funny.”
“Charming, though,” he said smugly.
“Alright, Prince Charming, lead the way.”
We walked out the path quietly. Hunter walked the same
way he always does.
With quiet precision, you won’t even think he’s blind if it weren’t for the walking stick in his hand.
“Is Meredith going to pick you up?” he asked.
“Yes. She’s probably here already. Wonder why she
hasn’t called me up yet.”
We walked slowly, still savoring our time with each
other. I had my arm around Hunter’s waist.
There were fireflies all over us, keeping our path illuminated. It was
amazing.
Hunter walked me all the way to the parking lot where
Meredith’s car was, but without signs of her.
“I’ll be okay. You can go in now,” I said to Hunter.
“I will not leave you until she comes… until I know
you’re gonna be safely home.”
“Protective, aren’t we?”
He smiled ruefully. “I just wish I could do more for you,
you know.”
“You are,” I assured him. “Since I met you… I can sleep
better at nights.”
He grinned smugly. “You’re saying you’re thinking about
me before you go to sleep and you dream about me?”
“No. I’m saying you’re hideous enough, even my nightmares went running scared.”
He laughed heartily. “Unbelievable! Allison Harley…
your sense of humor alone got me wrapped around your
little finger.”
Then his face turned serious. “As long as you think of me often… that would be enough.” And then he leaned forward and kssed me.
He kssed me like he would
never be able to kss me again.
When he pulled away, I was left breathless… complete and empty at the same time.
I felt like I didn’t want to let him go… because the minute I did… I might never get to
hold him again… see him again… or kss him again.
It was then that I realized how I really felt about Hunter.
If a guy could make you feel happy and sad… full and
empty… complete and broken… all at the same time…
I didn’t have to be a genius like him to know what was
happening to me.
I realized, I’ve just made myself vulnerable to him. I’ve completely fallen in love with him.
Somebody coughed behind us. I turned around and saw
Meredith looking at me.
“Your aunt?” Hunter whispered behind me.
“Yes.”
“I would like to meet her,” he said.
I took his hand and guided him towards Meredith.
“Mer… this is Hunter. Hunter, this is Meredith, my aunt.”
Hunter extended his hand and waited for my aunt to
shake it. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Meredith.”
“Pleasure is all mine, Hunter.” Meredith smiled. “I’m
glad that somebody is making my niece smile these days.”
“She not only makes me smile, she taught me how to
laugh again too,” Hunter said, smiling at her politely.
“Well, we better go. I have an early start tomorrow,”
Meredith said. “I’ll wait for you in the car,” she said to me
and then she turned to Hunter. “Nice meeting you, Hunter.”
“Same here, ma’am,” Hunter said.
I turned to him. “So… I need to go.”
His face turned sober. And then he nodded. He pulled
me to him and gave me a tight hug.
Then he kssed my forehead and then my lips. One kss. But it felt like he wanted it to last forever.
I was breathless again when I pulled away from him. “I’ll
see you.”
He nodded. “Take care, angel.”
“You too.”
Then I hopped inside Meredith’s car. Hunter was still
standing at the parking lot even when Meredith drove away.
And somehow, I couldn’t help my heart breaking at the sight
of the widening distance between us. I turned away and
faced the road sadly.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Meredith asked.
I sighed. “I think so.”
“He’s cute! No… he’s, I don’t know how kids your age
call it these days… but we usually score from one to ten.
And that boy, Alice… is a perfect ten.”
“We still score that way. For me, he’s actually a twelve.
And I’m not even accounting the looks yet,” I said, looking
out the window, missing Hunter already.
Click 5 below to continue reading
