She could have stayed in that bed with Hunter forever. She could have melted into his arms and never left. Her skin tingled where he had touched her, making her fully aware of every inch of her body. It was late afternoon at that point, she guessed that it was somewhere around 3:30PM. Arabella snuggled into side, running her fingers up and down his bare chest. In that moment with Hunter with her skin touching his skin, she was blissful. She was happy. Arabella gently placed a kiss on his side and looked up at him with a small smile on her face. In the distance, she could hear the door opening and Will and Penny walking inside.
Penny stepped into the house, her hand in Will's and looked around. It was quiet. She looked up at Will and smiled softly. It was heart breaking that they were going to have to leave this beach house and this weekend. But she knew that her and Will were in a good place and that things weren't going to change between them because they had gone back to their lives. Penny took a breath and looked around again "I wonder where Hunter and Arabella went" she said then shrugged.
Will chuckled. "Well, if Arabella got something from Victoria's Secret too..." He said with a smile. He kissed her on the temple and walked up the stairs, her hand in his. "I need to pack up my stuff. Let's meet back up right here." He said facing her. He kissed her on the nose and smiled. "I'll miss you." He said with a chuckle before turning back into his room.
Hunter ran his hand up and down her back and smiled. "We should probably say goodbye." He said quietly as he placed small kisses on her shoulder. Even though he suggested getting up, he didn't move. He didn't want to move. He was so comfortable and he was so warm and he was absolutely in love with Arabella all over again. He knew that no matter how long they stayed there, their feelings toward each other wouldn't change. "We really should say goodbye." He said, without moving again. "Eh...in a few minutes." He said before pulling her up placing a tired yet tender kiss on her lips.
Penny grinned up at him "I'll miss you too" she teased before she turned and she slipped into her room and she looked around. A small sigh slipped out of her lips and she started to pack her things. Maybe they would be able to come back at some point, spend more time at the beach house and in the ocean. Penny folded her clothes gingerly and placed them all into her bag. Quickly, she made the bed and cleaned up the room before stepping back into the hall.
Arabella rolled so that she on top of him with her legs straddling his torso. She leaned down and she nuzzled her face into his neck, placing little kisses along the skin there. She heard Penny walk out of the room again and she pressed her body closer to Hunter's. Arabella didn't want to get up either. She was tired and she would have be content to fall asleep right then and there. But she knew that they were going to have to get up soon enough. Arabella pulled away softly to look at his neck and she giggled softly. She ran her fingers across the skin then pressed her lips against his jaw lightly "Sorry about the hickey" she whispered and smiled without moving her lips away.
"I knew it." Hunter said with a chuckle before burying his face into her neck. He kissed and lightly sucked on her neck, biting gently every once in a while. "We're going to match." He said against her skin. He kept that up for a few minutes before he heard a door close outside. He sighed and broke away. "Alright. I'm getting up." He said, putting an arm around her and sitting up. He swung his legs over the side and stood up. She wrapped her arms tightly around her neck and when he stood up she hung from his neck. Hunter sighed. "My clothes aren't going to fit over both of us." He said with a chuckle.
Will walked out after packing up and tidying up the room a little. He met Penny in the hallway and a smile broke out across his face. He actually did kind of miss her in those brief few moments. "Hey." He said as he kissed her on the forehead and took her hand. They walked down the stairs and into the foyer. "Are they still in bed?" Will said with a chuckle.
Penny plaed her bags down and she looked up at the stairs. She let out a little giggle and she leaned against Will slightly, taking his hands in hers "Yeah, I think they are" she said and she kissed his cheek "If they're not down here in 10 minutes, I say we write them a note and leave" Penny teased with a slight roll of her eyes.
Arabella nuzzled her face into his chest, holding herself close to him "Mmm..we can try" she suggested and turned her face away from his skin to yawn. She felt his fingers dance up her spine and after a moment, she let go of him and stood up. She wobbled for a second before she got used to standing again and she kissed the hollow of hie neck before walking away to find some clothes. Arabella pulled on a pair of loose, cotton shorts and a simple t-shirt "You ready?"
Hunter pulled on a pair of jeans and a long sleeve shirt. "Yep." He said with a smile as he laced his fingers through hers. They walked out of their room and started down the stairs.
"I'm so glad that you guys could stop fornicating for a little while to say goodbye." Will said with a laugh. Hunter walked down the stairs and punched him in the arm.
"Anytime, Will." He said, pulling him into a hug. He patted him hard on the back and laughed. "Well, I'll see you later, Will." He said as he broke the hug. He turned to Penny and hugged her. "Penny, it was good to see you again. Watch out for Will, will you? He's a pain in the neck." He said as he stepped backward.
"Yes, but I'm her pain in the neck." Will said with a oddly proud smile.
Penny laughed and she smacked Will's arm before turning to Arabella. The two girls looked at each other for a moment before jumping into a hug. Arabella held her tightly for a moment before they pulled away and looked at each other "Keep in touch, okay? We'll do this again sometime" Arabella said with a smile.
"That sounds awesome" Penny said with a smile on her face. She backed up and took Will's hand in hers lightly "Thank you so much for having us here, it was really amazing"
"It was no problem" Arabella said with a wave of her hand. She smiled softly at Will and Penny and she took a deep breath "Have a safe drive"
Hunter corralled them out the door and helped load their car. He said goodbye again as they got into the car. "Thanks for coming, guys!" He shouted as they drove away. Will honked the horn twice and waved out the window. In a few moments, they were out of sight. Hunter turned around to see Arabella standing on the porch of the house. It was so picturesque. He smiled softly and walked toward her. She smiled back at him and Hunter sighed. He'd never felt happier. He finally reached the porch and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Hi." He said quietly as he kissed her lightly on the lips.
Arabella smiled softly and she leaned into him, putting her hands on his chest. She kissed him once before resting her head on his shoulder "Hi" she whispered back and a smile spread across her lips. Being in Hunter's arms was special and it was perfect and it never got old. She yawned softly and her stomach grumbled. "Sorry" she whispered with a giggle and bit her lip.
Hunter smiled and put his hand on her stomach. "Come, my dear. I shall prepare your sustenance." He said with a smile as he swept her into his arms. He lifted her and pulled up her shirt, revealing her stomach. He pressed his lips and exhaled sharply, blowing a raspberry against her stomach. She giggled and squirmed and Hunter finally stopped. He walked into the kitchen and sat her on the counter. "Alright. What would you like? I am your chef for the day." He said with a smile as he stuck his head in the fridge.
Arabella looked over at Hunter, running her fingers through her hair and getting some of the tangles out. She didn't realize that she had messed up her hair so much when she was with Hunter in bed. Arabella leaned forward and shrugged "Anything but raspberries" she teased and played with the hem of her shorts for a moment before giving him a serious answer "Something light. I don't want anything too heavy" she said and shrugged "A salad or something like that"
"Sounds good." He said as he pulled out some assorted vegetables and things. He made a chef's salad with cheese and lettuce and tomatoes and onions. He added some ham and a little bit of chicken before crumbling some cashews over it. "Alright. Done and in record time at that." He said with a chuckle as he produced two servings. He added some light dressing and slid a serving to Arabella. "Dinner is served." He said with a chuckle.
"Mmm, thanks" Arabella said softly and she took a bite of the salad. It was perfect. She realized just how hungry she was after taking a few bites of the salad. Her stomach was practially yelling at her for more. Arabella took another bite "This is really, really good" she said and looked up at Hunter. He was standing beside her, leaning against the counter and he was eating. He also had a splatter of dressing on the corner of his mouth. Hunter turned and looked at her but before he could say anything, Arabella had put her food down and had her arms around his neck, pulling her closer to him. With a giggle, put her lips against the corner of his mouth, kissing the dressing off.
Hunter chuckled and took another bite of salad. He put some dressing on his finger and smeared it all over her mouth. "Oh. There is something on you lip. I shall get it." He said, pretending he hadn't just put it there. He kissed her mouth, getting rid of all of the dressing. He turned back to his salad for a second before licking her cheek. the same way she had done weeks ago. He laughed to himself and went back to eating.
Arabella giggled softly and she picked up her salad again, eating for a little bit in silence. She was thinking of certain things, of her life after this weekend. Arabella's whole reality was about to change. There was no company for her to work at, she was madly in love with someone who made her heart flutter and she was moving in with that someone. She was moving out of the city and moving in with Hunter. The idea made her grin like an idiot into her salad. She imagined the two of them waking up in the morning and eating breakfast. Hunter would read the paper and Arabella would maybe sketch out a dress. They would spend the day fixing up the house, painting and decorating. He would make something for supper and he would teach her how to cook. They would curl up on the couch and watch a movie then they would go up to their bedroom and fall asleep in each other's arms. It was perfect. It was a wonderful and special life and she couldn't wait for it to start. "I was thinking that maybe we should go back to my apartment today, get some of my things packed up for the move" she said and looked up at Hunter.
Hunter looked over at her and smiled. "Sounds great." He said with a smile. He took another bite of salad and sighed. He was mostly nervous about her moving in with him. He loved her. There was no doubt about it, but it was going to be different having her around all the time. He had the house to escape to when things got difficult. He had a place to go. From then on he'll be sharing it with her. He looked at her and blinked. He watched her eat. She had this way that she licked her lips before every bite. She looked over at him and smiled. He smiled back and shook his head. "Sorry." He said with a chuckle.
Arabella smiled softly at him and she took the last bite of her salad before placing her dish in the sink. She scooted over to him and she put her hands on either side of his face, her thumbs between his eyebrows and she rubbed gently "You look like you've got something on your mind" she said and smiled at him "Should I be worried?" she added in a teasing sort of tone
"No, no, no." He said with a smile as he took another bite of salad. "You, my dear, are perfect." He said as he swallowed. He stabbed the last bite on his fork and put it up. He held it out to her and she ate it with a smile. He kissed her lightly as she chewed and ducked out of her arms. He placed his dish in the sink and quickly washed the dishes. "I'm just thinking about having you living with me is all." He said with a shrug. He leaned up against the counter as he dried his hands. "I'm glad that you're going to be living with me." He said with a reassuring nod. "I'm just...thinking."
Arabella watched him wash the dishes, a little nervous. She was worried that he was thinking bad things, even if he was telling her that he was glad. Was he having doubts about asking her to move in with him? Arabella slid off of the counter and she walked to the fridge, taking out the white wine and pouring herself a small glass. She looked back at Hunter and bit her lip "What kinds of things?" she asked softly, looking at the ground for a second.
Hunter shrugged and took the glass of wine away from her. He poured it down the sink and washed the glass. The last time she drank here, was not a good time for anyone. Not to mention Hunter's last run in with alcohol. "Living an apartment is fine." He said as he put the wine away. "Living in a house, though, seems so...I don't know. Different." He said quietly. He looked at the slight hurt in her eyes. He stepped forward and took her hands. "I really am glad you're moving in with me though." He kissed her forehead and held it there for a moment. "I do mean that."
Arabella took a deep breath, trying not to get annoyed with him for dumping her wine. But her worry soon got rid of her annoyance. The last thing she wanted was to make Hunter do something that he didn't want to do. She nodded softly and leaned into him slightly "Is there anything I can do to make it easier?" she asked and she looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes.
Hunter smiled at her and kissed her nose. "Be already moved in." He said with a chuckle. He gave her hands a comforting squeeze and smiled. "How about this? Tomorrow, we'll wake up whenever and get out of bed whenever. After that, we pack up and start the moving process." He said, trying to show that he was actually eager about her moving in. He saw the hesitation in her face. "You can call Daniel and the two of you can ogle me in a sleeveless shirt. That sound good?" He said, kissing her nose again.
She let out a soft sigh and she nodded lightly. Arabella knew that she was fine with the move, she was excited and happy. Arabella loved him and she was ready to live with him. She hated being alone at this point and she wanted to get rid of her apartment. The rent was too expensive. Arabella put a smile on her face and she let go of his hands to run her hands up his arms. She gave his biceps a small squeeze and she giggled a little "I'm all up for you in a sleeveless shirt" she teased.
Hunter smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Good. I'll be sure to write that down for next time." He teased. She smacked his arm and Hunter laughed. He finally rested his forehead on hers and sighed. "Now..." He said, running his hands up and down her back. "What to do for the rest of the day." He said pensively.
Arabella looked into his eyes and smiled softly. He made her smile, even though she was worried and annoyed at him for getting rid of her wine, he still made her smile. Arabella ran her hands down his chest and she shrugged lightly. She really didn't care what they did, she just wanted to do it with him "We could just...sit and talk?" she asked and looked up at him
Hunter smiled. He didn't care what they did. They could have gone swimming. She could have taught him about fashion. He didn't care. He was going to make her happy. "Sounds perfect." He said with a smile. He kissed her forehead and took her hand. they walked over to the couch and sat down. "What did you want to talk about?" He asked, a little worried about what it was she wanted to talk about.
Arabella shrugged and curled up on the couch, pulling her legs up to her in a little ball. "I just wanted to sit with you, not have to do anything" she said and leaned her head against the back of the couch "Besides, you tired me out" she teased and turned her head to look at him, giving him a wink.
"What can I say?" He said with a shrug. He put an arm around her and smiled as he pulled her toward him. He was glad that they would make time for this. He was worried that he would become like Brian or like Chad. Once the relationship became intimate, it would change. It was times like these that made him feel better about it. "What's the first thing you're going to move?" He said quietly as he ran his fingers through her hair. "Let's say your apartment bursts into flames and there is only one thing that you can save. What is it?"
Arabella melted into his arms, resting her head on his chest. She closed her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath. Everything about him was comforting and warm and easy. She loved that her and Hunter could roll around in the sheets like they did but then when they were just sitting on the couch it was simple and innocent. "First thing I would grab? Uhm..probably my throw blanket, the one that's on my chair in my room. I've had it since I was a baby" Arabella said softly "But I'll probably pack my clothes first" she added then gasped a little and looked at Hunter with a slightly shocked look on her face "I never looked at the closet space in your house!"
"It's a walk-in. Don't worry. It's a big walk-in." He said, rubbing her arm. "It's a big walk-in and I only use an eighth of it." He said, kissing her hair. It was odd that he would need to calm her down from something like this. Odd from an outsider's point of view. Hunter was expecting it at this point. Once her breathing evened out again he laughed to himself. "Geeze...I guess I'll move my clothes to a box under the bed." He said with a chuckle.
Arabella relaxed again, placing her head back down on his chest "A box might work..." she said softly then giggled "No, I'm kidding, there should be room left over in the closet for you" she added and placed a kiss against his chest. She felt his arms tighten around her a little bit in a squeeze and a smile spread across her lips. Arabella took a breath and after a few minutes, she looked at him "I don't think I ever told you about Philippa's new man.."
Philippa's new man.... He raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Philippa has a new guy." He said with a chuckle. Philippa was the first girl he ever loved. At least, he thought he did. He was happy that she had a new man in her life. She was a good person. She deserved it. It just felt a little odd, knowing that she obviously didn't have feelings for him anymore. He wasn't upset. It just felt different. He smiled. He was really happy for her. "Good for her." Hunter said with a nod. "I'm sure that it took a lot to get over me. I'm kind of a big deal." He said, holding Arabella tightly.
"Well, I already know that" Arabella said like it was a basic fact and that he wasn't teasing or being funny. She leaned up and kissed him lightly before nodding "Yeah, he works for...well, used to work for me and she seems to really like him. She seems really happy" she told him then bit her lip "I was really happy for her when I found out. I had been feeling pretty guilty about everything that had happened..." she finished, her voice trailing off.
Hunter put his head on hers. To be honest, he felt a little guilty too. Every time he did though, he would remember how she had broken his heart those years ago. It felt like decades ago, but it was only a year or two. "I wouldn't." He said quietly. He took a deep breath. "She missed out on me. It was her fault that I was abandoned by the gods. It was her fault that I was homeless." He said with a sigh. "I can thank her for one thing though." She looked up at him and he looked down at her. "Us being together." He said before kissing her lightly on the lips. "Thank you, Philippa." He said quietly as he leaned back into the couch.
Arabella giggled softly and she placed a few gentle kisses along his jaw. She was happy with him. She was happy with where they were. Arabella rested her head down again and her fingers danced up and down his arm. After a few moments, Arabella pushed his sleeve up and she looked down at his skin and she ran her fingers over it. She brushed her fingertips over a thin scar near the crook of his elbow. Arabella liked looking at his skin. He had scars and it was clear that he had put his body through a lot, but it was also warm and comforting "What's this from?"
"Falling out of a tree probably." He said with a chuckle as he glanced down at his arm where she grazed her fingers. "Oh, that one? Let me think..." When Hunter was homeless he got a lot of questions about his scars. He had to become creative about the stories. Dog attack. Hit by a car. Fell down some stairs. Those were his excuses. In reality it was something like, attacked by a hellhound or knocked into a cliffside by a Titan or fell off a pegasus. It took him a moment to figure out which one was the real reason. "I believe that this was from a chain. 2 chains actually. Prometheus is a surprisingly capable fighter." Hunter said with a sigh. He had lost a lot of friends because of Prometheus. "Where are all your scars?" Hunter asked, pushing the bad memory away.
Arabella took a deep breath, trying to remember where all of her scars were. The one of her wrist throbbed, like it was asking her to mention it but she didn't want to mention it. Hunter was clearly remembering something bad and she didn't want to make matters worse. Arabella rolled slightly so that she could lift up her shirt to show off her rib cage. There was a long, thin scar there "I got this one when I was trying to learn how to use a sword with Brian. I kind of lost my balance and fell into his" she told him "And uhh...these ones" she said, pointing to a couple round scars near her belly button "Are from the chicken pox" she added and she tugged her shirt down, ignoring the scars on her back that were there from the second time she had broken up with Chad "Then, there's my tattoo"
Hunter was hoping for the explanation of the scars on her back, but obviously they were a touchy subject. He nodded and wrapped his arms around her again, "Brian is such a...Wait. You have a tattoo?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. She nodded. Hunter cleared his throat. "Where is it?" He asked a smile teasing the corner of his lips.
Arabella giggled and she raised an eyebrow at him "I can't believe you haven't seen it yet" she teased "I mean, it's kind of small but still.." she added with another giggle. The tattoo was something that she liked and she didn't regret it. It was only a small heart and it meant a lot to her. Besides, the memories behind it were simply the best. Arabella took his hand in hers and she guided his fingers down her body. She stopped at a spot that was very well hidden and having his fingers there was giving her tingles. It was on her front and it was low. Very low. "It's there" she said softly.
Hunter's eyes widened as she lead his hand down her body, his cheeks turning a brand new shade of red. "Oh. I see." He said quietly. "Good place for it." He said, trying to take his hand back, but being stopped by Arabella. He swallowed as she held his hand there. "This doesn't seem like sitting and talking." He said with a chuckle, finally getting his hand free. "Maybe, I should get a tattoo." He said with a shrug.
Arabella's face lit up with excitement and she rolled over to look at him "Would you really? If you do, I so want to go with you. What would you want to get?" she said. Arabella grinned up at him and she placed a kiss on his jaw. She remembered the night she had gotten her tattoo as if it had happened yesterday, which was surprising because she had had a few too many beers that night. Her a couple of guys from the Hermes cabin had gotten together after the summer, around late September. She was 15 at the time and it was her first time really drinking more than a couple sips of champagne. Her and the guys had gone down to a tattoo shop in Manhattan and she used her charmspeak to convince the people at the shop that they were old enough to get tattoos without their parents permission. It had been amazing.
Hunter shrugged. "It depends really." He said quietly. "It depends on what it is, were it's going, and my motivation, of course." He said with a smirk at Arabella. "I wouldn't go without you. I need to know what would look good on me." He said with laugh. "Skull? Or flaming skull?" He said with an eyeroll.
"Flaming skull. For sure. Much more bad ass" Arabella teased and she pushed herself up to give him a kiss lightly. She leaned down and nuzzled her face into his neck, closing her eyes. They sat together like that for a while, not saying anything. They didn't have to. Arabella had a hand on his chest and she could feel his steady heart beat under her fingers. She loved the way her body gently rose and fell with each breath that he took. "Since I told you what I thought about you when we were at camp.." she started and a small smile spread across her lips "What was your first impression of me?"
Hunter sighed. "I don't know. I mean, no offense to you or your mom, but your siblings kind of suck." He said with a nervous chuckle. My first impression when you asked for knife lessons, was that you were too busy tanning and talking about boys to pay attention in my class and that's why you needed extra help." He said with a shrug. "I know, now, that you were too busy looking at the teacher to pay attention." He said with a laugh before kissing her hair. He ran a golden lock of her hair through a couple of fingers as he spoke. "The more I got to know you though, the more you reminded me of a uhh....friend I had a...a long time ago." He said, his voice trailing slightly.
She didn't mind that he said that her siblings suck. It was true. There were very few people from her cabin that she actually liked. Pretty much just Daniel. Arabella had spent most of her free time at camp with Chad, Brian or her friends from the Hermes cabin. She didn't even mind when he told her what he had thought of her at first. Arabella was used to hearing stuff like that. A lot of people from camp assumed that she would be just like everyone else. Arabella looked up at him with concerned eyes when his voice trailed off "What's her name?" she asked him, trying to keep her tone light
"Uh..Kate." He said with a sigh. "Your sister." He nodded and cleared his throat. "She was the first person to speak to me at camp other than Chiron, Mr. D, and the people in the infirmary. She talked to me because she wanted to." He said quietly. "When I was 11 I uh...I killed her. Accidentally." He said, his heart aching at the memory. He had come to terms with the fact and he had gotten back at Dolos, but it still hurt. It was going to hurt for a long long time.
Arabella looked at him with sad and slightly confused eyes. He killed her? Arabella knew that it was an accident and that it must have been a complicated situation for Hunter to have killed someone but it still kind of threw her off for a moment. Hunter had killed someone. Arabella shook herself slightly and she sat up, so that she was straddling him and she could look into his eyes easier. The pain in his voice was heavy and it was so obvious. The sound made her want to wrap him in her arms and never let go. Arabella placed her hands on either side of his face, cupping his head in her hands slightly "I'm sorry I brought it up, you don't have to talk about it anymore if you don't want too" she told him softly, looking into his eyes.
Hunter shook his head. "No, it's fine. It wasn't my fault. I just...It makes me sad, wondering what her life would've been like if I hadn't...." He sighed. His voice trailed again. "She liked ballet. She wanted to be a dancer." Hunter said with a smile. "She liked water, but not the ocean and her favorite food was strawberry ice cream." He spouted off facts about her. He looked at Arabella. She was a lot like Kate, but so different. Hunter liked Kate. She was wonderful, but she had her flaws. There were things that always bothered Hunter. Arabella didn't have those flaws or quirks "You're....So perfect, Ellie." He said quietly. "I'm done talking about her. I'm sorry." He said with a sigh
Arabella blushed deeply when he complimented her. She found it kind of odd that she could be in a position that would make most people blush, like having Hunter's hand on her tattoo, and she would be totally comfortable and at ease. But when Hunter told her that she was beautiful or perfect, she got all flustered and she couldn't think of a witty comment or anything. Arabella smiled softly and she looked away from his eyes. "I don't know about that whole, perfect thing" she said and he wrist started to throb again "But thank you." Arabella turned her eyes back to his and she gave him a small smile.
"You know," Hunter said quietly as he gently grabbed her wrist. He turned the scar toward his face and kissed it. "You've got to stop beating yourself up about this. We all make mistakes. It would be better to pretend it never happened." He said quietly as he placed his hand on her wrist, completely blocking the scar from sight. "I know it's tough, but I'm here for you. Please, Ellie, talk to me."
Arabella chewed on the inside of her cheek as she watched Hunter kiss her arm then covering it with his hand. She took a shaky breath, trying to form the right words to say "I-I can't. I can't just forget about it. I try, I really do. I try to pretend like it never happened and like it isn't bothering me anymore but I just..can't. It's like a weight that's always in my heart and I don't know how to get rid of it" she whispered softly and looked up at him "It makes me feel like such an idiot. To have done something so stupid and to have let myself go to a place like that again, where I was even thinking about it. That whole day haunts me all the time" Her voice broke off and she looked down, avoiding his eyes.
Hunter lifted her face up to his. He placed a kiss right next to her nose. "Ellie, why did you do it?" Hunter asked quietly. He felt like he knew the answer, but if he was going to help her, she needed to know. "Why did you hurt yourself? What reason could you possibly have to do something like that?" Hunter asked quietly, keeping one hand, blocking her scar.
Her eyes started to swim with tears as she looked at him. Arabella wanted to spill everything, tell him the whole truth but she was worried about how he would take it all. Deciding that it was best just to be honest with him, Arabella took a breath "I had nothing" she whispered in a weak voice "When I was with Chad, all those years ago, I had thought about it. A lot. I used to dream about the ways that I could escape him. And then everything with him happened again. He was hitting me again. He was raping me again. Then I lost you too" Her voice trailed off and she quickly wiped at her eyes with the back of her free hand "I went looking for you after I read that note. I waited by the coffee shop to see if you would so up but you never did. Then I saw...I saw you with Philippa..."
Hunter pulled her into a hug. He felt so bad about leaving her. He thought that's what she wanted. "Ellie, I'm here now." He said breaking the hug. She looked at him with tears falling down her face. He put both his hands on her wrist, grazing the scar with his fingers. " Ellie, I'm here, now. Philippa has another man. I'm all yours." He said, kissing her tears away. "Ellie, I'm all yours and Chad is never ever ever going to hurt you or touch you or see you ever again." He said calmly as he wrapped his arms around her. "Nothing is ever going to hurt you again. I'm not going to leave you ever again." He held her tightly and let her cry into his shirt.
His shirt was warm against her skin and she could feel his heart beat against his cheek. It was steady and it felt like he was holding her to the earth. Like she might float away if she wasn't listening to his heart beat and his arms weren't around her. He was her rock. Arabella nodded softly and she held onto his shirt with one hand, trying to take deep breaths to calm herself down "I'm sorry...I'm sorry that I did that to you" she whispered in a watery voice "I'm sorry that I even thought about it in the first place.."
"Ellie, I'm sorry I left." Hunter said quietly. "I should have intruded. I should have known that Chad was going to hurt you again. If I were a true friend I would have been there for you." He said with a sigh. "Don't be sorry. I left. I was ashamed and disappointed and stupid. Ellie, I'm really truly sorry. I never meant to hurt you or do anything that would ever hurt you. I never wanted to hurt you." He said quietly, a lump forming in his throat.
Arabella took a breath and she pushed herself up so that she could look at him. Her cheeks were wet and her eyes were red. She shook her head, dismissing his apologies. Arabella didn't want him to feel guilty about it. It was bad enough that she had been beating herself up over it, she didn't want him to feel the same way "You never hurt me" She whispered and placed her fingers on his jaw "If I had gotten that note...everything would have been so different. You did what you thought was right and you shouldn't feel guilty about that." Arabella looked at him for a moment before placing a kiss on his neck "And you're here now. That's all that matters"
Hunter shook his head. "You told me about Chad. I should have known. I could have-" Hunter was interrupted with the feeling of Arabella's soft lips on his. Hunter fell backward into a sitting position up against the armrest of the couch with Arabella on top of him. He kissed her back and held her close. "I'm never going to leave, Ellie." He said quietly. "I promise."
"I'm not letting you" Arabella said softly and she kissed him again. The feel of his lips on hers was electric. There was so much emotion and love and passion yet it was so tender and gentle. Arabella closed her eyes and she rested her head on his shoulder. She was tired, but it was a good tired. After the events from earlier in the day and having the conversation that she just had with Hunter, she felt drained and exhausted. But the weight in her heart was also lifting, there was less guilt and pain. She felt good. Arabella yawned softly and nuzzled close to him.
Hunter shifted her on top of him so that she was lying on him with her head on his chest. He took a deep breath and watched as she nuzzled closer and closer to him. He kissed her hair. It was so quiet and peaceful. It wasn't until now that he realized how long his day was. "I told you about Martha, right?" He said quietly as he twirled her hair in his fingers. She nodded. Hunter cleared his throat. "She was uh...She was your mom. In disguise." He said quietly.
"Seriously?" Arabella whispered and she tilted her neck so that she could look up at him. Martha was her mom. But why had she bothered? Why did she spend so much of her time to watch Hunter? Arabella smiled softly to herself then fixed her neck so that she was resting again "Did she say why she had done that? Hidden herself as Martha?"
"Well, I'm not exactly sure." He said quietly. "I was her champion in the olympics. She helped on a quest once." He said with a sigh. "Maybe, she's got a soft spot for normal guys." He said. He thought for a second before lifting her face up to his. "I think she likes us." He said with a smile before kissing her gently on the lips.
Arabella smiled as she kissed him and she nodded lightly "I saw her in the airport, when I was leaving for Europe" she told him softly and bit her lip "She just..showed up there and she said 'Huntabella had kind of been a goal of mine for a while'" she added with a shrug and a slight roll of her eyes. Arabella had a habit of coming up with names for couple and it looked like that was something she had gotten from her mother.
Hunter laughed and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "She likes us. She likes us." He said in a singsongy voice. He held her close and kissed her hair. "Huntabella. That has such a nice ring to it." He said with a smile as he leaned his head on the back of the couch.
Arabella smiled a sleepy smile and she rested her head back on his chest. It did have a nice ring to it. She yawned and with her fingers, she drew a heart on his chest. At least one of her parents liked Hunter. Arabella let out a soft sigh. She was sure that her father would like Hunter, he just needed some time "Maybe after we move my stuff in, we could try meeting my dad again" she said softly
"Sounds perfect." Hunter said quietly. Hunter was determined to win over her father. As much as he didn't like their last meeting, Hunter was ready to try again. He was positive in his feelings for Arabella. Tyler didn't mind Hunter. He needed to show her father that he wasn't going to leave. That he was different from all of the other tools that Arabella dated. "How about we have him over to the house?" He said quietly. "Maybe I'll get home-turf advantage, this time."
Arabella nodded lazily "He isn't normally like that" she whispered "He had just seen me with too many jerks and he's worried that you're going to be the same way. Chad was the first guy that he had met and we both know how that turned out. Then after Chad, I went through a phase for a couple months..I was bringing home too many guys that were just..ugh" She shuddered at the memory then sighed "Then there was Brian and then you"
"I know." Hunter said quietly. He ran his fingers through her hair and then swept her hair off to the side. He lightly grazed his fingers along the back of her neck and down her back. "It doesn't matter, Ellie." He kissed her head. "I'm yours, now, and I don't care about before then."
Arabella smiled softly and she turned her eyes to look out the window. The sun was setting and the sky was slowly getting darker. She had spent the day with Hunter and it was the most perfect day. Arabella's fingers danced up and down his arm and yawned gently "You're too good to me, Hunter" she said softly with a little teasing tone in her voice.
Hunter laughed and buried his face in her hair. "Yeah, probably." He said quietly. He would do anything for her. "You're worth it though." He pushed her face up to his. "You're the most beautiful," He said, placing a small kiss on her forehead. "kind," He continued placing a kiss on her nose. "sexy," He said with a smile and a kiss on her cheek. "wonderful young woman I've ever met." He kissed her on the lips.
She was the color os a raspberry at this point and her stomach was fluttering so much, it was insane. Arabella leaned up and she pushed herself into the kiss more. Her hands slid up his arms and rested on either side of his neck "Do you have any idea of how handsome you are?" She whispered as she pulled away from the kiss to look at his face.
"Yep." He said with a smile. "You let me know almost everyday, so..." He teased before kissing her again. He closed his eyes and yawned. Everything seemed so perfect. The perfect end to a perfect day. He took a deep breath. "Stay here or shall I whisk you up the stairs to the bed?" He asked quietly as he brushed the hair out of her face.
"Mmm..here" Arabella breathed and she lowered her head to nuzzle her face in his neck. She was tired and comfortable and warm. All she wanted to do was stay with him in his arms. It was amazing. Arabella planting gentle kisses on his neck. She kept kissing his neck, the kisses speading apart as she slowly fell asleep.