Hunter woke up to the smell of roses and vanilla. He took a deep breath and stretched a moment before looking at the pile of hair that was Arabella. He smiled and sighed happily. The face that he woke meant it wasn't a dream. He wasn't asleep in San Fransisco. He was with her. They were in Vegas. She was on top of him. He had a wonderful day ahead of him. He placed his hand on her back and gently rubbed her back, feeling so comfortable, he thought he might fall asleep again.
Arabella woke up slowly. She didn't really want to get up but it wasn't the same as when she wasn't with Hunter. When she wasn't with Hunter, she didn't want to get up because she didn't want to face the day. She didn't want to have to go through another day, trying to be Hunter's friend. Now, however, she didn't want to get up because she was so comfortable. She didn't want to get up because she was so happy with where she was. Arabella could feel Hunter breathing under her and she felt his hand rub her back as he woke up but she kept her eyes closed, still half asleep. She moaned softly and she turned her head a little bit, hiding her eyes from the sun by burying her face into his skin.
Hunter smiled softly and ran his fingers through her hair. "Come on, beautiful." He whispered to her. "It's time to wake up." He kissed her head and rubbed her back again. She slowly started to wake up before nestling into Hunter again, trying to go back to sleep. Hunter chuckled kissed her head again. "Let me see your beautiful face, Ellie." He whispered with a smile. She shook her head and moaned, shielding her eyes from the sun. Hunter sighed and ran his hand down her back and to her butt. He chuckled a little and rubbed it for a second before giving it a loving pinch.
Arabella squeaked a little squeak when he pinched her butt, from shock more than anything. She groaned and slowly lifted her head, her hair covering her face like a curtain. After a moment, she blew a little piece of her hair away so that she could at least see Hunter a tiny bit. Seeing his face in the morning was the best thing in the world. "What time is it?" She asked softly in a slightly raspy voice.
Hunter smiled and rubbed her butt again kissing her lightly on the nose. "Good morning to you too." He said with a chuckle before looking over at the clock on the wall. It was 10 in the morning. "10 o clock.We've got the whole day to see Vegas and you're going to be my tour guide." He said, brushing the hair out of her face. "How'd you sleep?" He asked quietly.
"10 is too early" Arabella moaned softly and she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment. She stayed like that, loving the feeling of Hutner brushing the hair out of her face. She loved the way his finger tips grazed against her skin in the most loving, gentle way. "I had the best sleep ever" She finally answered. "Because I was with you. What about you? How did you sleep?"
"There's that beautiful face." Hunter whispered with a grin as he tucked the last of her hair behind her ear. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before running his thumb across where he kissed her. "I slept wonderfully." Hunter said with a smile. He ran his hand across her cheek and to her back and from her butt to her back and wrapped his arms around her. "I think it's because of this really awesome blanket." He said with a grin, pressing his lips to hers.
"Yes, well, you know...my main purpose in life is to be an awesome blanket for you, Hunter Reed" Arabella said with a small giggle and she kissed him once before placing her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, thinking about what she had just said to him. She realized that they never really talked about his last name or anything like that. Arabella was always a little nervous to ask him incase it was a touchy subject. "How do you feel about the whole...last name thing?"
"It's a little weird." Hunter said with a nod. He took a deep breath and looked up at her. Was she going to take his last name when they got married? Hunter thought for a second and then shrugged. "It's not like I use it all that much. How do you feel about it?" Hunter asked. "Arabella Marie Foster hyphen Reed? Or Arabella Marie Reed?" Hunter said with a grin. "It'll be yours too soon enough."
Arabella blushed happily when he said her future names. It made her feel giddy and excited. She was going to marry him. She was going to spend the rest of her life with him. "Hmm..I like Arabella Reed. I might have to drop the 'Marie' for the most part. It doesn't sound right with Reed" She told him with a thoughtful nod and she smiled, leaning into him a little to kiss his nose. "It's a wonderful, fantastic last name and I'm pretty happy that you got one" she said with a nod.
"Why thank you." Hunter said with a responsive nod. He kissed her on the lips several times, letting his lips linger a little bit longer each time. He finally stopped and pulled away with a loud 'mwah!' Hunter looked out the window of their large bedroom. "It's a beautiful day. I'm with a beautiful girl. What do you say we have a beautiful breakfast and then go and see this beautiful town?" Hunter said with a grin before kissing her on the lips again, this time leaning in a little. He loved kissing her. It was something that he always wanted to do again. It hurt him to think that he would ever go without kissing her. He tightened his arms around her and kissed her. "Or we can stay in bed." He said with a chuckle.
Arabella opened her mouth to say something, but then her stomach growled loudly and she closed her mouth, blushing a little bit. "Maybe we should get breakfast before my stomach eats itself" she said with a small laugh and she kissed him tightly before rolling off of him and the bed. When she stood up, she had to steady herself for a moment before walking towards her bags. Quickly, she pulled on all of her clothes, not really worried if Hunter was watching or not. She was just so desperate to get down to breakfast. Finally, Arabella was doing up the button on her jeans. "Ready?"
Hunter watched at first, but soon got up to put his own clothes on. He wanted to propose that they call in room service, but after St. Louis, he knew that idea wouldn't fly. He slipped on a t-shirt and a cardigan and a pair of jeans before walking over to Arabella and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Don't wear makeup." He whispered, placing kisses on the side of her neck. He knew that reflexively she would put on makeup, but he didn't want her to. If he touched her face, he wanted to touch skin, not makeup.
Arabella blushed a little bit when he whispered to her and when he started kissing her neck, she closed her eyes and leaned into him. Putting on makeup was something that she had done almost everyday since she was 13. It was just the way she was and it was how she grew up. Everyone did their makeup together in the Aphrodite cabin and the older girls passed down tips and tricks. Arabella ran her fingers down his arms and she squeezed his muscles lightly. "I-I guess I won't. But only because you asked so nicely" She said softly after a moment.
Hunter smiled and looked at her. "Well, I just wouldn't want you to hide this beautiful face behind all that make up." He said before placing a small kiss on her forehead. "So," He started, letting her go and taking her hand. "Time for breakfast." He kissed her hand and sighed happily before, making sure he had his key and leading her out the door. They made their way down the hall and to the elevator where they stepped inside and pressed the button for the lobby. "So, where's our first stop after breakfast?" Hunter asked with a smile.
Arabella shrugged and she leaned into him slightly as the elevator started to move. She looked up at him and smiled a little bit. "Why don't we take it easy today and then tonight, we can get all dressed up and hit the town?" She suggested and she ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it up into a loose bun. Arabella was hoping that he would agree to that and they would be able to go out for a little bit, have some fun.
-----------------------------------
"Is it really a good idea to be spending this much money on a slot machine?" Hunter said with a chuckle as he slid an arm around Arabella's waist as she fed another coin into the machine and pulled the lever. It spun and finally stopped on no matches. "Come on, Ellie. Give it a rest." Hunter said, running his hand up and down her side and kissing her neck. "What are the odds that you'll win...1,131,875 dollars...Wow that's a lot of money." Hunter breathed before looking from the current jackpot back at Arabella.
"You never know. I might win something" Arabella said with a sigh and she took a coin out of her purse. She slid it into the machine and she pulled the lever. When it stopped with no matches again, Arabella huffed. At this point, she didn't really know if she wanted to win because she wanted the money or if she just wanted to say that she won. Arabella had gotten sucked into the game and she wanted to win badly. She took a sip of her first glass of champagne and rummaged around for another coin.
Hunter sighed and pulled at his jacket sleeves for a moment before kissing her on the cheek for a moment. "Well, I'm going to go walk around a little." He said, glancing at her glass of champagne a moment. "Don't get too drunk, okay, sweetie?" He said quietly before kissing her on the cheek again and walking away from her. "So, this is what gambling does to people." Hunter said as he glanced around at the people who looked very strung out and looked like they would practically anything to win. Hunter felt bad for them. He hoped to avoid an addiction like that. He needed to be strong and capable for Arabella. He needed to be with her for the dogs and their future family.
"I'm the luckiest man in the world!" Hunter turned at the slurred words and saw a balding man with a beer belly and what looked like a gravy stain on his shirt. Hunter raised an eyebrow at the girl on his arm. She was very attractive. Blonde hair and bright blue eyes. "I'm the lucki--Hey! Hey, you! In the suit!" He shouted at Hunter drunkenly.
"Umm...Can--Can I help you with something?" Hunter asked cautiously. He could smell the alcohol on the man's breath. The man shoved a disposable camera in his hands and then posed.
"Take--burp" The man took a deep breath and swallowed before posing again. "Take a picture of me and my new wife!" Hunter's eyes widened a moment at the idea that she and he were married. He shook his head and then finally took a few pictures. He handed the camera back. "Hey, thanks a bunch. Here. Take this." He said, fishing around in his pocket a moment and handing Hunter a coin for the slot machines. "It's my last one, but who cares?! I'm gonna have sex with my wife!" He said drunkenly before stumbling off through the casino again.
Arabella looked down at her purse and she shook it a little bit. All she had was one chip left. She had lost a ton of money and it wasn't exactly making her feel good. At least Hunter wasn't there. She didn't want him to get upset or anything with her. Arabella took the very last chip and she fed it into the machine and she pulled on the lever. No matches. Arabella let out a sigh and she finished her champagne. From somewhere in the casino, she could hear a jackpot being won and it made her heart clench. Arabella grabbed another glass of chamagne and she drank it all in one gulp.
Hunter looked at the token in his hand a moment and sighed. He only had one token. He could just give it Arabella, but she would probably just become more frustrated when she lost. He heard an exasperated yell from a man sitting at a machine nearby. He slammed his fists against the machine and cursed before storming off. "What's the harm in just one, right?" He said with a nod before walking over to the newly evacuated machine and sitting down. Hunter looked at the machine and then slipped the coin in the machine. He took a deep breath and then pulled the lever. He understood the rush of it. The time that it spun. It made him anxious. "1...2...3 matches." Hunter said before hearing a loud alarm from above him. Hunter froze for a second, not understanding what had just happened. "I won." Hunter said quietly. "I won! Oh my gods! I won!" He shouted, standing up and staring at the matches on the screen. He looked around, sort of expecting Arabella to run up and hit him or kiss him. He didn't know how she'd react. He stood there, nervously before being surrounded by two men in suits.
"Congratulations, sir!" One of them said with a friendly smile. "You'll have to come with us to receive your winnings." Hunter agreed and anxiously followed them, wanting to show Arabella what he had won.
Arabella got herself another glass of champagne and she looked around. Everyone in the casino looked either very upset or very drunk. She was on her fifth glass of champagne and was drinking it slowly because she was starting to feel the effects. Arabella took the last sip of her drink and walked over to the bar. She put it down and let out a small sigh. "Could I get a Jager Bomb?" She asked the bartender. He quickly made her the shot and she payed him before taking the shot expertly. She moved away from the bar, stumbling a little bit. Arabella quickly balanced herself and walked through the casino, looking for Hunter. By the pay out area, Arabella saw someone who was so surrounded by women, she couldn't see his face. Clearly, it was the man who had just won and these girls were trying to get some of his money. But then he pushed the girls aside and Arabella saw Hunter walking over to her with a big smile on his face.
Hunter shook the girls away when he saw Arabella. "Ellie!" He shouted before walking toward her. He looked at her a moment before reaching her and wrapping his arms around her. "Ellie, I won! The jackpot! I won 1.131875 million dollars!" He said, picking her up and kissing her tightly. He was so excited that he won. He could afford the rest of their trip and he could afford whatever they needed at home. He was going to make Arabella as happy as he possibly could with this money.
Arabella was stunned. She almost didn't believe him. Maybe she shouldn't have had that shot. She pulled away and looked up at him, locking eyes with him. When she looked at him, she saw that he wasn't joking or pulling her leg and it wasn't just something that she was imagining. He won over a million dollars. Arabella squeaked and she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Hunter...I..what..how?" She stumbled over her words, still totally shocked. "1.131875 million?" She gasped, looking up at him with wide eyes.
Hunter laughed and hugged her, picking her up and spinning. "Yeah. They're counting it all up in the back. OOOH! There it is!" He shouted before running over to the counter where they were pulling out a briefcase and placing it on the counter.
"Here's your money, sir." The woman said with a smile. "If you'd like, we can offer you an escort back to your room at the trump hotel." Hunter grabbed the briefcase and just held it for a moment. This was the most money he had ever held and it felt strangely good. Hunter shook his head.
"No. No thank you, ma'am." Hunter said quietly before turning to Arabella. "Let's go back to the room." He said quietly.
Arabella put her hands on either side of his face and she pulled him down to her, kissing him tightly. Half of Arabella felt like this was all a dream but she didn't care. If it was a dream, then she didn't want to wake up. She was going to make this the best dream ever. Arabella pulled away and she giggled a little bit before kissing him again, running her tongue over his lips. She took his hand and walked towards the doors, holding him close to her. Once they got outside, Arabella leaned against Hunter and she placed little kisses along his neck.
Hunter's eyes widened a little and held the briefcase with one hand and held her close with the other. He was on cloud 9. The combination of how beautiful she looked in her dress and winning the money and the way she was kissing him at the moment. He loved it. "Come on. We need to hurry before I get mugged." He said with a chuckle. He broke away and hailed a cab, getting in and telling him to drive to the Trump hotel. He sighed happily, but gasped when Arabella swung a leg over him and straddled him, kissing him tightly. At this point he was starting to question what exactly had gotten into her.
Arabella nibbled on his bottom lip for a moment before she brushed her lips down his chin and to his neck, where she settled herself. She kissed and sucked and nibbled on the tender skin where his neck meets his shoulder. With the alcohol that she had mixed with the fact that Hunter had just won over a million dollars, Arabella was feeling pretty amazing. She leaned into him, not caring about the cab driver or anything like that. She was just focused on Hunter. She squeezed her legs together a little and she moved her lips towards his jaw. The cab finally stopped at their hotel but Arabella didn't notice until she heard the cab driver clearing his throat. She tossed a few bills up to him and she slid out of the cab, dragging Hunter with her.
Hunter followed Arabella closely as they hurried to their room. He had almost never seen her this revved up before. They got onto the elevator and Hunter slid an arm around her waist before kissing her cheek. "Ai-je vous dire comment vous regardez belle ce soir?" He whispered into her ear, letting his lips gently graze her skin. He didn't think that she needed to be any more turned on, but he thought it was funny to see her squirm like that. She took a deep breath before pushing him up against the wall of the elevator. She kissed him tightly and slid her hands inside his coat, unbuttoning his shirt. Hunter gasped a little before kissing her back and tasting something. He had tasted it before. He pulled away a little and looked into her eyes. They were red. How had he not noticed it? The way she was carrying herself. She was drunk. "Ellie, should we do this? You're drunk." He said quietly, pulling away from her.
"I'm fine, Hunter" Arabella breathed and she grabbed him by the collar and she pulled him down to her. She kissed him lightly, brushing her lips across his. She had a bit too much alcohol in her but it wasn't enough to totally mess with her judgment or make her forget everything that happened. When the elevator stopped at the top floor, Arabella nudged Hunter out of it and towards their room. She leaned against the door and she pulled him down to look at her. "It has been too long, Hunter" She said softly before kissing him and digging through her purse to find the room key.
Hunter furrowed his brow a moment before pulling out his room key and opening the door. "It's been, like...2 weeks." Hunter said, scoffing a little at her 'it has been too long' comment. She rolled her eyes and pushed him through the door, kissing him tightly. Hunter smiled against her lips and followed her into the bedroom, dropping the briefcase on the way. He took off his jacket and pulled off his shirt before pushing her down onto the bed and crawling on top of her, kissing her neck. "La mia bella." He breathed into her ear.
Arabella placed her hands on his chest and she dug her nails into his skin lightly. She raked them down his body and she shivered as he whispered to her. It was a wonderful, beautiful moment and she didn't want it to end. She might have been a little drunk but she was happy there. With Hunter. Even if he hadn't won the money. Even if they were in a small motel room or the back of his car. It would have been a special moment anywhere. Because she was with him. Arabella took a deep breath and she closed her eyes. "Gods, I love you, Hunter" She breathed and hooked a leg around his hip so that he was closer to her.
Hunter pulled away and looked into her eyes, cradling her face in his hands. "Ellie, I love you too. A whole lot." He said with a grin before pressing his lips to hers. He was worried. She was drunk, but he could tell that she wasn't completely out of it. He just felt so good and he was just so happy. He was a millionaire. He had the most beautiful girl in his arms. He was staying in a fancy hotel. How could he not be happy?
Chapter 128 - Arabella and Hunter
She was alone. Arabella looked around desperately for someone or something but all she saw was a black mist surrounding her. Arabella was all alone and she felt an empty chill race through her body. Her blood turned to ice. A sob rocked through her body and she screamed out for someone, anyone. Someone to hold her and tell her that she was okay. Someone to bring a light into this dark nothing that she was in.
Suddenly, the ground gave in and Arabella was falling. She was falling and falling and falling. Suddenly, she felt strong arms wrap around her and hold her still. She was safe. She wasn't alone. Arabella turned around to look into the face of the man that caught her. It was Hunter. Hunter had his arms around her.
Arabella woke up suddenly but she kept her eyes closed. Hunter had caught her and she didn't want it to be a dream. She didn't want to wake up and find that she had fallen asleep in her hotel room in San Fransisco. Arabella kept her eyes closed and she cuddled closer to the warmth beside her. Wait a moment..warmth? What was the warmth coming from. Maybe it wasn't a dream, maybe it had actually happened. Hunter caught her. Arabella opened her eyes and looked up at Hunter. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and she just looked at him. She was happy. Her heart was full again. She had the light back in her life. but a part of her was nervous. They were going to have to talk about what had happened. What if things got heated and they started fighting? Would she be able to handle it? Probably not. "Where are we?" she asked softly.
Hunter yawned a little and looked down at her. "We're just outside Los Angeles." He said, checking a road sign and then his fuel meter. "We should stop for lunch once we get into town. It's almost noon." He said quietly. He knew that they should talk about this whole thing. Tiffany. The break up. The break. The get back together. What it means. What was next. All of that. They needed to talk about it, but Hunter really didn't want to. He wanted to avoid the whole topic and pretend it didn't happen. He stopped at a stoplight and lifted her head up and looked at her, something he was treating as not allowed until then. He smiled a little before kissing her on the lips.
Arabella closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss like it was second nature. This was easy. This was right. Arabella heard a car honk it's horn behind them so Arabella pulled away and she placed her forhead on his shoulder as Hunter moved through the green light. She was hoping that it wouldn't be difficult to talk to him. She was hoping that they could get along and figure things out. Part of Arabella was worried that something bad would happen but she couldn't let those thoughts plague her mind. "Go down South Grand Avenue" She told him with a nod and yawned. "My school is on that street and there's a great little cafe by it"
Hunter nodded and leaned into Arabella a little. "Maybe we should take a tour of your school while we're here. See where the magic started." He said with a chuckle as he turned onto South Grand. He gave her a friendly squeeze and kissed her temple. They drove for a while listening to the sound of the tires on the road and Arabella yawning. "Did you get some sleep?" He asked quietly, trying to not go to the giant pink elephant in the car.
"Mmhmm. Not much but..it's better than nothing. I didn't sleep at all in San Fransisco" Arabella told him softly then chewed on her lip. She had said all of that and she didn't think about what she was saying. Arabella didn't sleep in San Fransisco because she didn't have Hunter. San Fransisco held memories that she didn't want to talk about. Hunter had gotten drunk in San Fransisco. Arabella had planned to leave him forever in San Fransisco. She had been hurting in San Fransisco. Arabella cleared her throat and she sat up straight, stretching out her legs a little bit. "Up here" She said and pointed to the parking lot. When Hunter drove in and parked, Arabella slid out and looked up at the school with a small smile on her face.
Hunter shut off the car and slid out, walking over to Arabella and taking her hand in his. It felt so good and it felt natural. They fit together like two puzzle pieces or two halves of the same whole. "So, this is where the genius that is A.Marie began?" He asked, kissing her temple. "Let's get lunch and then you can give me a tour or something. I can learn all about the chunk of time we missed." He pulled her closer a little and smiled, nudging her a little.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she walked with him, leaning into him. It felt good to be with him but it also felt a little false. They still had so much to talk about and there was so much between them. It almost felt like they shouldn't be walking like that when there was so much they had to talk about. Arabella smiled softly and she nodded, walking down the street a little bit to the cafe. "I figured that we can get our food to go and we can eat in the courtyard at school" she said and looked up at Hunter woth a small smile.
"Sounds beautiful." Hunter said with a grin before kissing her on the temple. Hunter sighed and followed her to the cafe. "So, what should I get? I've never been here obviously." He said awkwardly. He really didn't want to talk about this. He just wanted to hold her and kiss her and be glad that he had the privilege to do so. They did need to talk about it though. Hunter sighed and looked at the menu, trying to not look at hos bothered Arabella was by their lack of discussion.
Arabella walked up to the counter. She had spent every lunch time in that cafe and she missed it. It had a friendly vibe and the food was incrdible. It was tasty and wonderful but it was all still pretty healthy. Arabella took a deep breath. "I'll have two turkey clubs and two hot apple ciders to go" She ordered with a nod. Arabella nudged Hunter's arm out of the way as he pulled out his wallet to pay and she put the money down. She turned around and grinned at him then moved out of the way so that more people could order while they waited.
Hunter sighed, narrowing his eyes at her as he followed her out of the line. He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Will you let me pay for anything?" He said with a chuckle before kissing her on the lips. He looked into her eyes and smiled, feeling so happy that he got to hold her like this. He kissed her on the nose and then her forehead. "I've never had hot apple cider. Is it any good?" He asked quietly as he moved his hands across her lower back and let them rest on her waist.
Arabella leaned into him, just wanting to feel him close to her. She didn't care that they were getting odd looks or that people were rolling their eyes that them. Arabella needed to have Hunter by her side. She needed to be close to him. "Mmm..hot apple cider is the best thing, ever. It's so tasty and warm and amazing" she said and let out a happy sigh. Their number was called and Arabella sadly pulled away from Hunter to grab their stuff.
Hunter nudged her out of the way and grabbed their stuff. They walked out of the cafe and headed toward the courtyard of the school. It was calm since it was Winter break for the students most likely. There was a slight chill in the air, but nothing that Hunter couldn't solve by walking closer to Arabella. They found a bench and sat down comfortably close to each other. He handed her one of the sandwiches and one of the ciders before taking a sip out of his own cup. It was warm and tasty and amazing. "Your description was accurate." Hunter said with a smile before taking another sip.
"I know" Arabella said and she giggled a little bit before taking a bite out of her sandwich. It was warm and crispy and perfect. With a sigh, Arabella looked around the familiar courtyard. She took another bite of her sandwich and nervously tapped her foot on the sidewalk. As great as it was to sit next to Hunter, it made her nervous too. The silence was difficult. Arabella took a sip of her cider and looked up at her. "Okay, Hunter. We need to talk about this. If we don't talk soon, I'm going to go crazy" She said and took a deep breath, nervously looking into his eyes.
Hunter looked down at her and took another sip of cider before nodding. "Okay." He said quietly, his face turning into a sad sort of frown. He took a deep breath and looked at her, trying to find the words to say, but coming up empty. He didn't know where to start. "Arabella, I would never ever do anything to hurt you. I promise you that. I swear that she kissed me. I didn't want to breath the same air as her let alone touch her."
Arabella looked down and she nodded softly. She knew that Hunter wouldn't hurt her, not like that. But it was still painful to think of what Tiffany had done. Arabella could picture the moment clearly in her mind and she could remember the way her heart shattered when she saw Tiffany kissing him. Arabella took a sip of her cider, just so that she could do something with her hands while she thought of what to say back to him. "I know..it just..it still hurts" she said softly. "I wish that I wouldn't have gone into the shower that day. Then none of this would have happened"
"I wish I hadn't opened the door for her. I should have known that she'd try something." He said quietly, taking a bite of his sandwich. He chewed and swallowed before speaking again. "The only person that we can blame is Tiffany. And she's not even here right now. "Arabella, I know that you've dated guys in the past. Guys that would cheat on you with someone like Tiffany. I understand your hesitation to trust other guys. I totally understand that, but I...I don't know. I guess I was hoping that you saw me differently or something. I don't know why you would." He said quietly, his voice trailing off.
"Hunter..I-I do see you differently. I know that you're not them. I guess I just..I guess that's what hurt the most. Was the fact that I know that you're different and you're not like them and seeing someone as amazing as you with Tiffany just..shattered me." Arabella confessed and she took a deep breath. "If that makes any sense at all" she added in a mutter and she finished off her sandwich. "I jumped to a stupid conclusion because of my history. Even thought I know that you are so much more than any other guy that I've ever been with"
"I'm sorry." Hunter said quietly, wrapping an arm around her. "Ellie, you're the only girl that I've ever loved and you're the only girl that I will ever love." Hunter said, kissing her temple. He couldn't express how good it felt to be able to hold her, but that needed to wait. "I'm not just going to look at the next girl I see and kiss her. I'm never going to leave you and I am NOT going to cheat on you. You're perfect and perfect for me I can't stand my life without you. I can't tell you how much I missed you."
Arabella held her cup of cider close to her and she looked down at her lap, only because she was trying to hold back tears. "You're pretty perfect too, Hunter" she sniffled and smiled a little, wiping at her eyes. She took a slightly shaky breath and leaned into him."I felt so terrible and I still feel terrible. I mean..if I had just stopped for a moment and asked you about it. Or if I wasn't so stupid and realized that you wouldn't hurt me like that..." she said, her voice trailing off.
"Don't." Hunter said quietly. He set down all his food and turned toward her, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. He wanted her to know how much he didn't care about any of that. Did it hurt that she assumed he cheated? A little, but he didn't care. He loved her and wanted his entire life with her. Anything else didn't matter. "Ellie, there will be rough spots in out relationship and they're not going to be easy and painless, but I'm going to do anything that I possibly can to make sure that you are happy. I promise you that." He said quietly.
"That goes both ways, Hunter. I want you to be happy and seeing you hurting just...broke my heart" Arabella said softly and she turned her eyes up to his. She felt so horrible about everything and she wanted to take it all away. She wanted to pretend like it had never happened. She wanted to take it all back. She wanted to go back to that hotel room and slap Tiffany. Arabella took a small breath and she leaned into Hunter, putting her head on his shoulder. His arms around her felt so right and it was so comforting. Now that he had his arms around her and she was close to him, Arabella fully realized just how much she missed him. There was no way that she was going to be able to go back to New York without him. "I'm sorry that I assumed the worst.." she said softly.
Hunter shook his head. How was he going to make her know how little he cared about that anymore? He was sad and angry and upset because he thought he was going to lose her forever. Now that he could hold her and kiss her and touch her and hug her and lover her again, he didn't care. "Ellie, that doesn't matter. Stop beating yourself up about this. I love you and I will always love you no matter what. I missed you so much, but now we're together again and I don't want to think about the time we spent apart." He said, his mind wandering to the ring still in his pocket.
Arabella nodded and she let out a sigh. "Okay, you're right. Sorry" She said in agreement and she rubbed her eyes. She wondered if Hunter knew about all the night that she spent in his room and all the mornings that she snuck back into her room. Arabella finished off her cider and she cleared her throat. "New York wouldn't be the same without you, Hunter" She said with a small smile and looked up at him. She couldn't stop herself, she had to lean into him and kiss him lightly. Every little kiss and every little touch lit her up and made her heart race. It was something that she missed and something that she desperately needed.
Hunter smiled and leaned into her. He was so glad that he could do this. He pulled her closer and kissed her back, leaning into her. "I love you." He said quietly against her lips. He sighed and broke away, turning back to his food and taking a sip of cider. "So, what shall we do next?" He asked, taking another bite of sandwich. They could get back on the road or they could hang around LA. Either way was good for him.
Arabella shrugged and she wiped her hands on her pants before pulling her sweater around her a bit tighter. She took the pendant out of her shirt and she rubbed it with her thumb. "How are you feeling, Mr. Tequila?" Arabella asked him with a raised eyebrow and she giggled a little bit. Now that she was far away from the situation, she found it rather funny that Hunter had been drunk.
Hunter groaned, closing his eyes and turning toward her. "Every time I drink there just happens to be a wedding involved." He said with a sigh. He sighed and put his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm never drinking again. Do you understand? Never." He laughed a little and placed a small kiss on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. "How bad was I? I honestly don't remember much."
Arabella put on a thoughtful face and she placed her had on his leg. "Hmm..well, there was the dancing on the table and singing..." she said and she laughed out loud at the look on Hunter's face. "I'm kidding" She giggled and kissed his nose lightly. Hunter sighed and put his head back down on her shoulder. Did he really not remember anything? Arabella took a deep breath. "Well, Brian was bugging me so you asked me to dance" she said softly, looking down at her lap.
"You scared me for a second..." Hunter said quietly as he took deep breaths and tried to calm down. He couldn't even imagine himself dancing on a table. He finally looked over and sighed. "I didn't...hit him or anything, did I?" He asked nervously. Hunter wouldn't have been surprised if he had hit Brian, but he still didn't want to find out that he had. He looked up and placed his chin on her shoulder. "I really hate being drunk."
"No, you didn't hit him" Arabella said softly and she shook her head. She twisted her hands around in her lap and she took a deep breath. Should she tell him what happened? Would he be okay with it? Arabella didn't want him to feel guilty again or anything but she didn't want to not tell him either. "We uh, we danced for a little bit and we kissed. But you said that you were drunk so I told you to go to bed" she told him softly
Hunter sat there for a second and took a sip of cider, finishing the cup. "I was drunk..." He said with a dry chuckle. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Was it smart for him to have stopped it for being drunk?
Stopped them getting back together? He sat there, feeling a little clueless and finally turned to her. "Was that the right thing to do?" He asked quietly. He certainly didn't know. "Was I right to not go through with it? I mean, I was drunk, so I don't know what I was thinking..."
Arabella shrugged and she looked over at him. She wanted to tell him that it was the right thing to do. That he had done nothing wrong but she wasn't sure that she could tell him that. "I don't know, Hunter. I mean..if you hadn't stopped it then where would we be now? Would I have gotten up in the morning and got on the plane to New York?" She said and let out a soft sigh. "All that matters is that you and I are here in LA, right?"
Hunter nodded. She was right, but it just didn't sit well with him. "I just wouldn't have wanted us to wake up this morning in bed with each other, for the sole reason that we got drunk." He said quietly. He would have regretted that. They had so much to talk about and getting drunk and sleeping together wouldn't accomplish anything. "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure if he should be apologizing or not. He didn't know what happened last night, but he hoped that it wasn't something he was going to regret.
Arabella shook her head. "No, don't be sorry, Hunter" she said softly and leaned into him a little bit. She didn't want him to feel guilty about being drunk ontop of everything else. "It's okay to drink a little too much sometimes. I know that I've done it a few times..." she said and giggled a little bit. She just wanted to be happy with Hunter. She wanted him to be happy and she wanted their relationship to be strong and wonderful. "Besides, I have seen some people that were way worse than you when they were drunk, believe me" she giggled.
Hunter smiled and kissed her gently on the lips. "You've looked in the mirror then." He said with a chuckle. Arabella smacked his arm and then kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, but I remember a certain girl trying to corrupt a young and innocent boy named Hunter." He laughed and finished his sandwich before wrapping his arms around her and sighing happily. "It just took a little bit longer than that." He whispered before kissing her lightly on the cheek.
"Innocent, my ass" Arabella scoffed but she blushed when he kissed her cheek and she leaned into him, closing her eyes for a moment. She let out a happy sigh, finally feeling like she could relax and actually be happy. It felt like it had been so long since she was fully happy and having Hunter's arms around her and hearing him tease her like that was the best feeling in the world at that moment. "So, did you want to stay in LA tonight or should we move on to Vegas and spend a night or two there?"
Hunter chuckled a little. "I think we should spend a couple nights in Vegas. That sounds like something you would really enjoy." She smiled a little and tried to not show how right Hunter was. He smiled and kissed her jaw a few times. "LA is nice, but I've been her enough. I've always been on my way to the underworld, but still. Let's go to Vegas." He said, watching as she turned her head to look at him. Hunter immediately kissed her on the lips, holding her close.
Arabella leaned into the kiss and she closed her eyes. She kissed him tightly, like she was afraid that if she let go of him, she would lose him again. Arabella finally had him back and she wasn't going to let him go. She felt like she had been so lost and alone for the past little while but now that she was with Hunter again, she felt steady. She felt whole. "Mmm..we should get going then. I don't want to see any monsters or anything" she said and she pulled away from Hunter a little so that she could stand up.
Hunter sighed and grabbed her wrist as she stood, pulling her hand to his face and kissing it. "Let's get going then." Hunter said as he stood up. He couldn't help it anymore. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her in close, pressing his lips tightly to hers. He could feel his heart speed up and he could feel a smile spreading across his face. "I love you so much." He whispered against her lips as they locked lips again, Hunter pulling her even closer.
Arabella's heart raced and her stomach fluttered. She felt like she could fly. She pushed herself closer to him, wanting to feel his muscles against her and all of his strength. "I love you too, Hunter" Arabella breathed and she kissed him tightly then giggled against his lips a little bit. It felt so amazing to tell him that she loved him and the thought that she could tell him that she loved him as much as she wanted made her very happy. "I love you. I lolve you. I love you. I love you"
Hunter laughed and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her into the air and swinging her a little. "I love you so much and I am so glad that I can do this again." He said with a grin before kissing her on the lips with a loud 'mwah!' He finally put her down and took her hand, holding it tightly. "Shall we?" He asked in a happy voice. She nodded and together they walked back to the car, looking forward to a drive somewhere for once in a long time.
When they got to the car, Hunter held the door open for Arabella. She looked down at the car door then up at Hunter for a moment before she kissed him tightly. Seeing him do things like hold the door open for her again made her smile. It felt like things were really starting to go back to the way they were. Finally, Arabella pulled away from him and she gave him a little smile before sliding into her seat. Hunter got in on the driver's side and started the car. Soon enough, they were on the road and headed to Vegas. "Vegas is so much fun" She said with a nod.
Hunter smiled and lifted his arm, chuckling a little as she moved toward him, snuggling into his side. "I haven't been there in a couple years." He said with a nod. "And to be honest, I didn't see the good side of Vegas. If there is a good side. We just need to stay away from the Lotus casino." He said with a chuckle, reminiscing slightly to his last quest. "What did you do while you there? Just typical Vegas stuff?" He asked, kissing her hair.
"Not really. I was in Vegas because my company was opening a store there. I spent a couple nights in the Trump hotel which was incredible, by the way. I went out for supper. I went down to a casino once and I won 20 bucks. But I was mostly there for business. When I wasn't working, I spent most of my time in the hotel. I had a penthouse suite" She told him and wiggled her eyebrows with a small giggle. Arabella yawned and she put her head down on Hunter's shoulder. "It'll be nice to just..relax" she said softly.
"Absolutely." Hunter said, placing a small kiss on the top of her forehead. "Why don't we stay at the Trump hotel again?" He nudged her a little and smiled. "You obviously liked it enough. And what's even better is that I'm paying. You're not allowed to pay for anything else." They stopped at a stoplight and he looked at her, wrapping his other arm around her and pulling her close. "We are going to relax in style." He said, kissing her on the lips.
Arabella sighed and she looked up at him. "Are you ever going to let me pay for anything?" she said but she closed her eyes and relaxed against him. It was comforting to be in the car with him. It was calming and it felt right. She finally felt like she was where she belonged. After they drove in silence for a while, Arabella shifted a little bit. "I wonder how the dogs are doing" she said softly. It made her smile to think about the dogs now. Ajax and Jolie weren't going to be split up. They were going to be going home with Arabella and Hunter. It would be perfect.
Hunter chuckled a little. He had almost forgotten about their dogs back in New York. The image of Ajax and Jolie playing made him smile. "Why don't you call Danny real quick? It's a four hour drive to Vegas. You can check on our babies." He laughed a little and kissed her cheek, thinking about how happy their dogs have made them. How easy it made living with Arabella and raising a family with her seemed. He sighed happily and turned back to the road.
Arabella nodded and she pulled away from Hunter a little bit so that she could pull out her phone. She dialed Daniel's number and yawned while she waited for him to pick up. When he did, she could hear some shuffling in the background, barking, howling and music. "Hello? Danny?"
"Turn down the music, Tom!" Daniel said then turned back to the phone "Arabella?"
"Hi, Danny!" Arabella said happily and she giggled when she heard Jolie barking and Ajax howling along to the music. She laughed and turned on the speakerphone so that Hunter could hear the dogs. "What are you doing to our dogs, Daniel?"
"Teaching them to have fun" Daniel said simply and laughed a little "How is the trip going? Are you coming home soon?"
Hunter smiled a little at Ajax's howling. It made him a little homesick honestly. "You're trying to get rid of our dogs already?" Hunter asked with a chuckle. "Well, we'll be home in a few days. We're currently on our way to Vegas for a night of fun and relaxation hopefully." He said, looking over at Arabella and kissing her cheek.
"Oh, I'm sure that you'll be relaxing.." Daniel said with an audible wink. Arabella looked at her phone then back at Hunter.
"Danny!" She said and he laughed. Arabella rolled her eyes and she leaned into Hunter a little bit.
"Just don't do anything that I wouldn't do" Daniel and Arabella raised an eyebrow.
"Let's just...not go there" Arabella said and cleared her throat. "We should be back soon enough, Danny. Try not to turn our dogs into hellhounds" She said.
"I'll try not to" Daniel said and smiled "Talk to you guys later!!" he said and hung up. Arabella hung up the phone and she slipped it into her purse.
Hunter snorted a little with red cheeks, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I think the list of things he wouldn't do is short enough." Hunter said with a laugh. "Maybe that's why you're worried." He smiled and rubbed her arm a little bit as they drove. It felt good to just sit in comfortable silence. It felt good for them to be able to do that again. Hunter looked over at her. "Is there anything that you want or need? Anything we can do together or that I can do for you?" He asked quietly. "Just out of curiosity."
Arabella put her chin on his shoulder and she looked up at him for a moment, thinking it all over. Was there anything that she wanted? Not really. She was pretty happy where she was. Everything was falling back into place and she was happy with Hunter in the car like that. "I just need you to stay with me" Arabella whispered softly and she placed a kiss on his jaw. It was almost like nothing had happened between them. They hadn't talked about their future or anything like that, but they were together and they were happy.
Hunter smiled and turned his head, kissing the tip of her nose. "I can do that." Hunter said with a grin, looking into her eyes. He kissed her on the lips again and then turned back to the road. "I'm a little relieved, actually. I was worried you were going to say something...strange." He said with a chuckle as he saw a sign for Las Vegas in 22 miles. He was excited to get to Vegas. Not for the town. Just to fall asleep next to Arabella again.
Arabella looked at him and she smacked his arm playfully witha look of fake shock on her face. "And what kind of strange thing were you thinking?" She giggled. It was wonderful and peaceful to sit with him. Arabella was looking forward to getting to Vegas. They would be able to curl up in bed together. She could get a warm bath and relax. The past days, she had felt so tense and nervous. When they got to Vegas, she would just be able to breathe.
"Well..." He said, looking over at her. "You're the one who knows what to do with flavored condoms. Not me. I'm the innocent one that you corrupted. Remember?" Hunter laughed when she smacked his arm again. He reached over and poked her side, causing her to jump. In moments he was full on tickling her while keeping one hand on the wheel.
In a fit of giggles, Arabella wiggled around on the seat. She laughed and squealed, trying to get away from Hunter's hands. "Hunter!" She squeaked and finally, she was able to grab his hand. She held onto it tightly and she sat up so that she could kiss his shoulder. "You are so horrible to me" She said and shook her head, still smiling and giggling a little bit from his tickles. "And I didn't corrupt you" Arabella huffed.
"Of course you didn't, sweetie." Hunter said with a laugh, grabbing her hand and kissing it. She gave him a look of shock and smacked his chest before turning toward the street and pouting. Hunter sighed and looked at the road ahead. He exited toward Las Vegas and glanced over at Arabella. "Hey, Ellie?" He said quietly. "Psst...Ellie!" He whispered. She finally looked over and sighed. Hunter laughed a little and started tickling her again.
Arabella squeaked again and she leaned against him, gasping for breath between her giggles. It was and incredible feeling, hearing him call her Ellie and having him tickling her. It felt right. Arabella smacked his hands away but she didn't move. It was nice to lean against him. As Hunter drove through the city, Arabella got more and more excited. They drove past a few wedding chapels and Arabella grinned as a drunken couple stumbled out of one, kissing each other tightly. "Oh! There!" She said and pointed toward the tall building that looked gold and had the letters 'Trump' on the top. At this point, Arabella was nearly bouncing up and down in her seat.
Hunter turned toward the hotel and saw how excited Arabella was. He purposefully drove slowly just to tease her. She finally glared at him with an exasperated look and Hunter quickly parked on the street. She squealed happily and got out. Hunter laughed and got out too, locking the car and hurrying into the hotel. "Could I have a room, please? What's your best room?" He asked with a smile, reaching into his wallet and pulling out his debit card. The person behind the counter looked Hunter up and down. Hunter raised an eyebrow and did the same, just now realizing that he was wearing a ratty sweatshirt and a pair of jeans with a hole in them.
"Maybe you should check the Holiday Inn across the street." He said with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow. Hunter looked around for a second.
"I'm a paying customer. I'll have one of your best rooms." Hunter said, extending his card to him. The man looked past him for a second.
"Look here, blue collar. Our rooms cost more than everything you own. I'm just trying to help you out." He said with a smarmy smile. Hunter took a deep breath and was about to yell when Arabella appeared next to him. "Ms. Foster! Let me help you immediately." He said with a sigh before glaring at Hunter. "Sir, please go."
Arabella was stunned. Whenever she stayed at any Trump hotels, she was always treated with the best respect. She couldn't believe that they would treat Hunter like that, just because he wasn't dressed in a fancy suit or something. Arabella looked at the man across the counter with a shocked and hurt look on her face. "No. He will not go. This man is with me and we want a room. So please, your best room. I'll also be calling your manager..." Arabella said and looked at his name tag. "Richard. Or maybe I'll just call Mr. Trump myself. I'm sure that he would love to find out how you treat paying customers." She said in a deadly serious voice. The man, Richard, looked at Arabella for a moment before shaking himself and clearing his throat. He took Hunter's card and got everything set up then passed them a room key.
"You're in Penthouse Suite number 7" He said in a small voice and Arabella snatched the room key up.
"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Arabella snapped and turned to Hunter "Ready?"
Hunter stood there as Arabella ripped Richard a new one. Even after Richard went to the backroom to lick his wounds, Hunter stood there a little shocked. "That was cold." He said, taking his card from her. He slipped it into his pocket and started back to the car for their bags. "I mean, seriously. I feel like I need a sweater." He said with a chuckle as he faked chills running down his spine. He grabbed their bags and locked the car up before following her up to their room. She opened the door with the key and they stepped inside of the large penthouse suite. "Oh, goodness, Ellie." Hunter said as he dropped the bags and examined the room. "This is gorgeous." He looked at her and smiled. "You're gorgeous." He said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.
Arabella smiled softly against his lips and she pulled herself closer to him. She kissed his lips once before brushing her lips down and nuzzling her face into his neck. They were in Vegas. They were in their hotel room. They had all the time in the world. They were together. Was there any way that this could go wrong? Arabella didn't think so. She wrapped her arms around Hunter's middle and she closed her eyes. "You're pretty amazing, Hunter. You know that?" She said softly and she took a deep breath.
Hunter laughed a little, holding her in his arms. He kissed her head and smiled. "You let me know enough, so...Yeah. I'm pretty aware." He said with a chuckle as he closed his eyes. "You're pretty....well. Pretty." He said with a chuckle as he kissed her hair again. "And you're smart and funny and kind and beautiful and talented." He continued with a grin. He pulled away from her and posed for her. "And incredibly lucky." He said with a laugh as he picked up their bags and tracked down the bedroom. He saw the bed through the doorway and walked in to see a beautiful view of the strip. "Oh, Ellie..." He said, putting the bags down and stepping toward the window. It was just getting dark, but it was already full of life. He gingerly put his hands on the glass and looked out. "This is amazing." He breathed, fogging up the glass a little.
Arabella followed him towards the bedroom and she leaned against the door frame and she looked at him with a small but very happy smile on her face. Seeing Hunter standing in front of the window like that, it took her breath away. It was like a scene in a movie or something. Arabella looked at him for a moment before taking a breath and following him over to the window. She stood behind him, slipping her arms around his middle and she rested her head on his back. "So..should we go to a strip club first or should we wait until we're really drunk to go to a strip club?" She teased and giggled.
Hunter scoffed and turned around. "Yeah. That's exactly what I want to do." He said with a smile on his face. He grabbed her arms and placed them around his neck before putting his hands on her hips. "How about we stay in tonight?" Hunter proposed. He kissed her neck and moved up to her ear. "I can get some massage oil and see where that takes us." He whispered into her ear, placing kisses on her neck again. "Or we can bring the strip club up here." He said, pulling away a little and pretending to do a little striptease for her. He laughed and pulled her close again. "We have the entire night. And all I really want to do is be with you." He said with a small smile.
Arabella smiled and she melted into him. She was happy to be with him. To be in Vegas with him. To be in his arms. She was finally happy again. Arabella closed her eyes and placed a few gentle kisses along his neck. "Mmm..the massage oil sounds good. Mind you, bringing the strip club up here sounds good too" Arabella said softly and she giggled against his skin before brushing her lips up his neck and kissing his jaw. Arabella pulled away and yawned a little bit. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Oh, how far we've come." Hunter said with a smile. "Stealing kisses on the couch with Breakfast at Tiffany's to offering lapdances to each other." He said with a smile, kissing her head. He kissed her shoulder and trailed his lips along her collarbone and up her neck to her ear. "You go take a bath and I'll run down to the lobby. I'll grab a few things and we'll have a good night." He kissed her ear lobe and smiled. "Does that sound good?"
Arabella leaned into him and she closed her eyes. "That souds wonderful" she whispered and she pulled away a little bit. Arabella looked up at him and she kissed his lips lightly. "Okay..bath" Arabella nodded and she walked over to her bag. She pulled out a pair of clean shorts and a tank top then walked towards the bathroom. As Hunter was walking out, she wolf whistled at him then stepped into the bathroom. She started the hot water, lit a few candles and added a bunch of bubble bath into the tub. Arabella peeled off her clothes and when it was full, she turned off the water and slid in. As soon as her body hit the warm water, she relaxed. It was calming and a perfect moment. Arabella closed her eyes and she stayed still in the bath. After a few mintues, she heard the door to their room open and Hunter walk inside. She wondered if he was going to wait for her to get out of the bath or not. Arabella adjusted the bubbles so that she was totally covered. "Hunter! Come here!"
Hunter smiled and set the bag of stuff on the bed. He turned toward the bathroom and raised an eyebrow as he opened the door. "Look at you." Hunter said with a chuckle. He looked down at the bath and the mountain of bubbles she had amassed over her body. He stepped toward her and crouched down. "Well, I got some massage oils and I got some candles and some sparkling cider or something. I just grabbed a bunch of stuff." He said with a chuckle as he leaned over her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Should I wait for you or come in after you?" He asked with a smile.
Arabella grabbed his shirt collar and she pulled him closer to her, kissing him tightly. She smiled against his lips and pulled away a little bit so that she could look in his eyes. "You're welcome to join me if you want" she giggled. "Since you did pay for this incredible hotel room" She added with a sigh. Arabella let go of his shirt and she slid back into the bath a little bit more, the bubbles rising up to her chin. She giggled and blew at the bubbles and a small little cluster of bubbles flew into the air.
Hunter smiled and stood up, wiping the suds off his shirt. "I don't know. I think I'll just wait for you." He said with a chuckle. He heard splashing and then felt a hand grab him by the waist of his jeans. Before he could stop it, she yanked him backward into the tub. He gasped as his clothes soaked in water. "I was going to come in anyway!" He said with a look of shock on his face. He looked over at her and smiled a little as she laughed her head off. Hunter sighed and struggled for a minute, taking off his socks and shoes and then standing up in the bath. He pulled off his shirt and his jeans, balling them up, and throwing them into the shower with a squish. He adjusted his boxers a moment before sitting down in the tub next to her. He relaxed into the water and wrapped his arm around her. "This was a good idea." He said with a chuckle as he kissed her on the lips. "Oh, wait!" He said, standing and getting out again. He walked into the bedroom and grabbed the sparkling cider and two glasses. He got back in and handed her a glass. "This isn't champagne, but I hope it's okay."
Arabella was still giggling from pulling him into the tub. She took the glass from him and she took a sip. "Mmm..this is perfect, Hunter. Besides, after seeing you with tequila, I don't think we should be drinking champagne" She teased and burst into giggles. She put her glass down and moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tightly. Arabella didn't care that she wasn't wearing clothes. She didn't care about any of that. She was just happy that Hunter was with her and she could tease him again. Everything was back to normal.
"You're so mean to me." Hunter said with a smile against her lips, setting his glass down and wrapping his arms around her. Hunter didn't care that he was mostly nude and she was completely nude. He was kissing her. She was kissing him. This wasn't a dream. He had her and he wasn't going to let go. Hunter moved his hands up and down her spine before moving lower and finding her butt. He smirked and pulled her closer, kissing her tighter. "I love you, Ellie." He said with a smile.
"I love you too, Hunter" Arabella said softly and she nuzzled into him. She took a small breath and she brushed her fingers down his arms. Arabella loved the feeling of his hands on her butt and his arms around her. It made her feel safe and warm. She kissed him lightly and brushed her lips down his neck and she kissed his collarbone. "So..any plans for the night?" She teased and giggled a little bit.
Hunter squeezed her butt and closed his eyes a moment. "Watch TV. Have a small snack and then go to bed promptly?" He said with a raised eyebrow. She pulled away and scrunched up her nose. "Yeah. That's not what I had in mind either." He laughed and kissed her on the lips once before standing up, picking her up at the same time. She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him as he carried her out of the tub. Hunter grabbed a few towels and walked into the bedroom. He spread the towels on the bed and set her down on her stomach, covering her butt and lower back with another towel. He bent down and kissed her neck once before lighting some candles and grabbing the massage oil. He poured some on her back and then started massaging her back. "Is this an okay plan?" He asked with a smile.
Arabella moaned, her whole body melting as he massaged her back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is an incredible plan" Arabella whispered and she wiggled her legs a little bit as she adjusted. She turned her head towards him and she smiled, opening her eyes. Arabella was amazed by Hunter, as always. He was always so gentle and loving with her. She took a breath and moaned softly as he worked on a difficult knot in her back. 'Oh gods, Hunter. You're incredible"
Hunter smiled and massaged her back a little more intently. "Yeah. Pretty much." He said with a chuckle before leaning down and kissing her neck. "You're incredible too." He whispered and moved his hands to her shoulders. He was so happy just rubbing her shoulders like that. He was glad that he could make her happy. That's all he wanted to do was to make her happy. "So, what shall we do next? After your massage, that is
Arabella giggled "I can think of a few things that we could do. We won't be bored" She said softly and she put her head down, moaning again as he massaged her back. She was happy. Plain and simple. Arabella knew that she could spend the rest of her life with Hunter. She was blissful and it was like nothing had ever happened between them, nothing bad. Arabella grabbed the towels that she was laying on and she turned around so that she was on her back. She held up the towel so that it was covering her and she slipped a hand around Hunter's neck, pulling him down to her and she kissed him tightly.
Hunter kissed her back, cradling her face in his hand. "It looks like this massage is done." Hunter said with a laugh before kissing her cheek. He breathed down to her neck and then exosculated her shoulder, smiling happily. He pulled away for a moment and looked at her. She was so beautiful. He was so glad that he had her back. He was in love. "So what's next?" He asked before lightly kissing her nose.
"Well, like you said..small snack and get to bed early" Arabella said and she giggled at the look on Hunter's face. She ran her fingers down his arms, her skin hardly touching his skin. Arabella wanted to lay like that forever. She wanted to stay in his arms for the rest of her life. "I missed this, Hunter. Being with you. I couldn't sleep at all without you" She said softly and smiled up at him.
Hunter grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I missed you." Hunter said quietly. He ran his thumb across her cheek and kissed her forehead. "To be honest, I couldn't sleep in a bed without you. I won't be able to sleep in a bed without you." He walked to the other side of her and laid down next to her. His boxers were wet, so he made sure he was on towels. He lifted the towel she was using to cover herself and pulled himself under it, wrapping his arm around her and snuggling next to her. He kissed her forehead and smiled. "I could just fall asleep right here."
Arabella closed her eyes and she shivered a little bit. She nodded a little bit and she closed her eyes. Arabella didn't care that she was naked and Hunter was pressed against her. All she cared about was the face that she was with him. "Yeah, I uh..I know that you couldn't sleep in a bed, or at least..I figured that. I couldn't sleep without you. I had to listen to your breathing or sleep in the same room as you. I couldn't sleep alone in my bed" She confessed softly.
Hunter smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. "I know. I was awake." He said quietly. "The best sleep I got the whole time was the night that guy someone tried to break into our room. When you fell asleep in my arms and then...." Hunter couldn't finish. He was reliving the heartbreak that he felt when she walked away from him that morning. His heart was already broken, but seeing her walk away felt like it was being stomped on by an elephant. He shook himself and looked over at her. "That was pretty much the only worthwhile sleep I got."
"Me too" Arabella told him lightly and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes. She knew that she had hurt him that morning and she felt guilty about it. Arabella hated doing it and she wished that she could take it all back. "I'm sorry. About what happened the next morning. I..I was scared and I didn't want to get hurt again but seeing that look on your face just..broke my heart" She said softly and she looked down for a moment, taking a small breath.
Hunter kissed her head. "It's okay." Hunter said quietly. He cleared his throat and pulled her head up toward him. "I thought that we were back together and I had assumed incorrectly and after what I did to you it was wrong of me to assume that. I'm sorry." He said quietly. He was honestly just worried that he was going to lose her forever. His mind flashed to the engagement ring, kept safely in his backpack pocket. He was tempted to propose so many times, thinking that it might fix everything, but he didn't want to risk making things worse. "I'm really sorry."
Arabella shook her head and she looked up at him with big eyes. "No, Hunter..don't be sorry. I was giving you mixed signals. I just...I was really freaked out and I couldn't be alone but then when I woke up in the morning, I was scared that I was going to get hurt again. I'm sorry" She said softly and looked up at him. Arabella could spend the rest of her life with him. She knew that he was never going to hurt her and she was amazed at how lucky she was to have found him. "I love you, Hunter. Always have and always will"
Hunter smiled softly and sighed. "I love you, too." Hunter whispered. "I'll always love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. I promise you that. I would rather see you with someone else than see you sad because of something I did." Hunter admitted, his words coming out all in one breath. He wished that he could take back those last few. "Sorry."
Arabella put her hand on his cheek and she chewed on her lip, wondering what she could possibly say to him. "Oh, Hunter..." Arabella breathed and she looked up at him with big eyes. "Hunter, you didn't do anything wrong and I never want to be with anyone but you" She said gently and she kissed him lightly. "I hate seeing you beat yourself up"
Hunter sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm not beating myself up. I'm just...I don't want to ever hurt you or see you hurt. It breaks my heart." He said quietly with a soft chuckle. He finally opened his eyes a smiled. "You're really beautiful, you know that? And smart and funny and nice." He kissed her on the nose on grinned. "And wonderful and sexy and beautiful. That's right. I said beautiful twice. That's because you are." He laughed wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, rolling so that she was on top of him, still covered by the towel. He was so happy that things were seemingly back to normal between the two of them. He loved her so much and he was so glad that he could hold her in his arms again.
Arabella blushed deeply at his words and after he adjusted so that she was ontop of him, she nuzzled into his neck, kissing the sensitive skin there. Not for the first time, she wondered how she ever got so lucky. What did she ever do to deserve someone like Hunter? Arabella closed her eyes for a moment before pushing herself up so that she could look him in the eye. "Enough about me. You, my dear man, are the best thing that I could ever ask for. I couldn't thank you enough for everything that you've done for me, everything you've put up with for me...you're incredible" She said softly and kissed his nose.
Hunter put a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in and kissing her on the lips. "I'd be dead on the street if you hadn't kidnapped me to your apartment, you know." Hunter said with a smile against her lips. He kissed her cheek and moved down her neck to her shoulder. "I should be lucky that you didn't just kick my butt back onto the street after trashing your office like I did." Hunter said with a chuckle as he ran his hands up and down her thighs.
"I could never kick your butt back onto the street. Even if you didn't save my life" Arabella said with a nod and she looked at him with big eyes. "I was so happy to see you. Even if I was freaked out because a monster just attacked me and you were so sick. I was just so thrilled to see your face again" She told him with a nod and she shivered as he ran his hands along her thighs. "I felt so bad and I still feel bad that I didn't notice you before. That I never took a moment to look at the man outside my store"
"I didn't even make the connection that you were 'A.Marie until I saw you walk in. And then I tried to talk to you, but you kind of ignored me." He said quietly, placing small kisses on her shoulder. "Don't feel bad though. I was used to it and I didn't even recognize myself, so how were you supposed to recognize me?" He said with a small chuckle before pressing his lips to hers. He rubbed his chin and smiled. "I was thinking about growing the scruff again. What do you think? Did homeless Hunter look as studly as not homeless Hunter?" He grinned at her and tickled under her knee a little.
Arabella giggled and twitched her knee a little bit as he tickled her. She reached up and she brushed her fingers against his jaw. "Hmmm...just not as long. And clean" She teased and she placed a kiss on his chin. Arabella still felt a little guilty but it made her feel so much better to know that he wasn't upset about it at all. She smiled at him and "Hunter is studly no matter what he does" She told him with a nod.
Hunter laughed and kissed her hand. "Awesome! That means I can stop bathing." Hunter said as he kissed her hand again. She scrunched her nose at him and Hunter laughed, lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm only kidding." He said, tapping her nose. He looked into her eyes and smiled. He could look into her eyes for days. Weeks. The rest of his life. "Ellie, if I asked you to marry me right now, what would you do?" He asked, lightly running his thumb along the back of her hand.
"I...I guess..what?" Arabella stummbled over her words and she lookd down at her hand then up at him. She honestly didn't know what to say to him. Arabella took a breath, trying to calm herself down but her heart was racing and her hands were shaking a little bit. "Uhm, I guess I'd probably start crying..in a good way" She said softly.
Hunter smiled at her and held her hands tightly before pulling her down and kissing her tightly on the lips. "Don't worry. I'm not." He said quietly. He would. They were in a wonderful hotel. They had just had a wonderful day, but after everything that had happened to them in recent days, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He loved her and he was going to marry her, but he would wait to propose until they got back home. "Not yet at least." He smiled and kissed her lips again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her lovingly.
"Oh...you are so horrible to me" Arabella said softly and she nuzzled into him, hiding her face and her pink cheeks in his neck. She knew that she would say yes. She wanted nothing more than to marry him but waiting was driving her crazy and it didn't help that he kept teasing her. Arabella loved him and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Waiting for the rest of their lives to start was killing her, though. She ran her fingers down his chest and she took a deep breath, her heart rate slowly going back to normal. "I'm looking forward to getting home. Sleeping in our own bed and playing with our own dogs"
Hunter kissed her and smiled. "I kind of miss our dogs." Hunter said with a nod. "They were always so happy to see us, you know?" Hunter put a hand on his stomach. "And now that I don't have a running partner like Ajax I'm starting to put on weight. Do you see this?" He said, patting his stomach with a chuckle. He kissed her again and smiled, loving the feeling of their lips fitting together like two puzzle pieces.
Arabella smiled against his lips and she placed her hands on his arms. "Oh please, you're starting to sound like me" She said and she rolled her eyes. Arabella smiled at him and she kissed his bottom lip gently. "I'm sure that Ajax misses his running partner too. I don't know about Tom but all Daniel does for exercise is stuff like pilates. I don't think that Ajax would really enjoy that" She said and giggled.
"I wouldn't either." Hunter said quietly, dancing his fingers down her spine. Hunter kissed her lips and moved across her cheek to her neck before busting out laughing. Arabella looked at him like he was crazy. "Sorry." Hunter said between laughs. "I just...I just imagined Ajax doing pilates." He said before laughing again. He took deep breaths and put his forehead against hers. "Sorry." He whispered before kissing her nose.
Arabella giggled and she closed her eyes, imagining the same thing. She laughed and opened her eyes to look at Hunter again. "Maybe he would enjoy yoga. I can see him doing a downward dog now" She giggled and she put her hands on his cheeks. "You're pretty great, you know?" She said lightly, looking into his eyes. "Mmm...gimmie a second" She said softly and she kissed him. She rolled off of him, holding the towel up. Arabella walked over to her bags and dropped her towel, not really caring that Hunter was looking at her. She pulled on an oversized shirt that hardly covered anything and nothing else. Arabella grabbed the cider, their glasses and lit some cnadles. She walked back towards the bed. The only like in the room was the soft glow from the candles and the lights from the city below them. Arabella placed the drinks on the bed side table and she laid down on the bed beside Hunter. She put her head down on the pillow and she stretched out her legs. "That's better" She sighed happily.
Hunter blushed a little when her towel fell. He turned away and smiled. Hunter moved on the bed and sat up with his back against the headboard. He looked back at her as she returned with drinks. "Hello." He said with a grin as she sat down next to him and handed him a glass. He kissed her cheek and took a sip. He glanced around the room at the candles and the atmosphere. "So, what kind of mood have you set for us, tonight, my love?" He asked, taking her hand and kissing it.
"Whatever mood you want it to be, babe" Arabella said with a giggle and she looked up at him with happy eyes. With her free hand, she tugged on the hem of her shirt. Arabella turned her eyes back up to Hunter and she took a small breath. Hunter was always doing things for her and giving up things for her. She just wanted to see him happy and she wanted to be able to give him whatever made him happy. No matter what that was. She pushed herself up and she placed her chin on his shoulder. She leaned towards him a little bit and she placed a gentle kiss on his jaw.
Hunter turned his head and smiled. He was so happy and he had Arabella to thank for that. He placed a kiss on her nose and smiled even bigger. He placed his hand on her stomach and slid it across to her hip, pulling her closer. He placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes a moment. He didn't need to say anything. She didn't need to say anything. He was just so glad to just hold her. That's all Hunter wanted to do. He moved his face forward and tapped her nose with hers before pressing his lips to hers.
Arabella smiled against his lips and she slipped her arms around his middle. She felt safe with him and she knew that she always would. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening her eyes and looking up at Hunter with big eyes. "Thanks for all of this Hunter..the hotel room, the massage, everything" She said softly and she brushed her lips along his shoulder. "Mmm...would you be up for a massage?" She asked and giggled a little bit against his skin.
Hunter chuckled a little and kissed her neck once. "I'd be happy to." Hunter said with a nod. He rubbed his hands together and raised an eyebrow when she didn't move. "Oh. For me?" He said quietly. She giggled a little and nodded. "Oh. Well you don't have to." Hunter said, glancing down at his bare chest. He realized he was only wearing boxers. "I mean, I guess." Hunter said quietly.
Arabella rolled her eyes in a teasingly exasperated way and she pushed against his back a little bit, urging him to lay down. When he finally laid down on his stomach, Arabella grabbed the oil and she squirted a little bit into her hand. She cleared her throat and moved so that she was sitting beside him and she started to rub his back, working out all of the kinks that she could find. "After Vegas, where do you want to go next?" She asked him as she massaged his back.
Hunter groaned and closed his eyes for a moment. He was about to speak, but realized his face was buried in the bed. He wasn't really thinking about his face at the moment. He turned his head and saw her leg. He kissed it and smiled. "I had a friend back when I was homeless. His name was Walter, but we all called him Wacky Wally. He said there was this place in New Mexico where some aliens landed or something." Hunter nodded and groaned again, feeling his tension melt away. "I think it was called Roswell."
"Well..we're going to have to go there" Arabella said and she ran her hands down his back, starting to rub circles in his lower back. "You never know, maybe we'll find E.T there or something" she said with a giggle and she looked down at him. She saw that he was raising an eyebrow at her, out of confusion. Arabella often forgot that he had grown up at Camp Half Blood and that he never saw the same movies she did. He didn't watch Hocus Pocus on Halloween or It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas. He didn't go to the movies with his friends or have a comfort movie that always made him feel better. "It's a really famous movie from 1982. It's about an alien" She told him and she worked her hands up his back again. "Roswell sounds good. Is there anywhere else that you want to go?"
Hunter sighed, feeling a little alien himself. He was happy with his life, but he sometimes wished that he had gotten a normal life growing up. "Well, we can go to New Orleans, but we need to stop somewhere else between there. How about Oklahoma City and then some place in Texas?" Hunter said with a shrug. He wished that Arabella could be with someone that she could talk about pop culture and movies and TV shows, but all she had was a whole lot of combat training and learning Greek. "Dallas, maybe. Whatever city is between the two."
"We'll figure it out" Arabella said with a nod and she moved her hands up to his shoulders, massaging a little bit deeper. She yawned a little bit but she kept up the massage, not moving her hands away from Hunter's back for a second. She loved having her hands on his back like that and being able to feel his muscles and all of the tension melt away. Arabella ran her hands a little lower and she smiled softly. "New Orleans sounds like fun. I haven't been there yet but I've been dying to go" She said with a nod. "Is there something on your mind, Hunter?" She asked lightly, trying to not sound too worried. After she had told him about E.T, he seemed to get a little bit upset, like he was thinking of something or worrying about something.
Hunter groaned a little as he felt her rub his shoulders. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "No. I'm just a little tired." He said with a chuckle. He groaned again and smiled. "You're massage is probably to blame. Thank you for this." He said, gesturing to her hands. He had just gotten her back. They had an entire day of Vegas to do tomorrow. He really didn't want to get into a fight or anything. He wasn't in the mood to bring drama into this. He just wanted a relaxing night.
"It's not a problem" Arabella said softly and she moved her hands to his shoulders again then down his arms. She hoped that he wasn't holding anything back from her but she knew that if he was, he would bring it up when the time is right. Arabella stopped rubbing his arms and she laid down across his back, yawning. "I..I'm tired too" She said in the middle of her yawn and she giggled a little bit.
Hunter laughed and shook a little bit under her, causing to giggle again. He put his hands on the bed and did a pushup with her on his back before laying back down. "You're not heavy enough for muscle-building. You're more of a toning implement." He said before quickly rolling, so that he was facing her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the lips softly. "Thanks for the massage." He whispered as he kissed her again.
"Thank you for my massage" She whispered against his lips and she kissed him lightly. She was looking forward to sleeping in the same bed with him. Curling up to his side and having him wrap his arms around her. It was a feeling of total safety and she needed it desperately. Arabella pulled away from him a little bit and she rubbed her eyes in a sleepy way. "I'm going to fall asleep right like this if we're not careful" She said and giggled a little bit.
Hunter smiled and held her tighter. "I don't have a problem with that." Hunter said with a chuckle as he danced his fingers up and down her spine. Her sleeping on top of him was something that he loved. It made him feel strong and it made her feel so small. He loved the feeling of her safety. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He kissed her gently on the forehead. "Go ahead and sleep if you want." He said with a smile as he rubbed her back and kissed her.
Arabella smiled and she closed her eyes. She was going to open her mouth and say something clever, something witty and funny but she couldn't think of anything and she realized that she really didn't care. She was happy in his arms. Instead of saying something clever, she let out a happy sigh. "Good night, Hunter" She said softly and she smiled. It felt good to say that to him again. To be falling asleep in a bed with him again. Being apart from him was something that she could never handle again for the rest of her life. Arabella needed to know that she was going to be falling asleep next to him for the rest of her life. "I love y.." she managed to whispered before she fell into a peaceful sleep.
Suddenly, the ground gave in and Arabella was falling. She was falling and falling and falling. Suddenly, she felt strong arms wrap around her and hold her still. She was safe. She wasn't alone. Arabella turned around to look into the face of the man that caught her. It was Hunter. Hunter had his arms around her.
Arabella woke up suddenly but she kept her eyes closed. Hunter had caught her and she didn't want it to be a dream. She didn't want to wake up and find that she had fallen asleep in her hotel room in San Fransisco. Arabella kept her eyes closed and she cuddled closer to the warmth beside her. Wait a moment..warmth? What was the warmth coming from. Maybe it wasn't a dream, maybe it had actually happened. Hunter caught her. Arabella opened her eyes and looked up at Hunter. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust and she just looked at him. She was happy. Her heart was full again. She had the light back in her life. but a part of her was nervous. They were going to have to talk about what had happened. What if things got heated and they started fighting? Would she be able to handle it? Probably not. "Where are we?" she asked softly.
Hunter yawned a little and looked down at her. "We're just outside Los Angeles." He said, checking a road sign and then his fuel meter. "We should stop for lunch once we get into town. It's almost noon." He said quietly. He knew that they should talk about this whole thing. Tiffany. The break up. The break. The get back together. What it means. What was next. All of that. They needed to talk about it, but Hunter really didn't want to. He wanted to avoid the whole topic and pretend it didn't happen. He stopped at a stoplight and lifted her head up and looked at her, something he was treating as not allowed until then. He smiled a little before kissing her on the lips.
Arabella closed her eyes, leaning into the kiss like it was second nature. This was easy. This was right. Arabella heard a car honk it's horn behind them so Arabella pulled away and she placed her forhead on his shoulder as Hunter moved through the green light. She was hoping that it wouldn't be difficult to talk to him. She was hoping that they could get along and figure things out. Part of Arabella was worried that something bad would happen but she couldn't let those thoughts plague her mind. "Go down South Grand Avenue" She told him with a nod and yawned. "My school is on that street and there's a great little cafe by it"
Hunter nodded and leaned into Arabella a little. "Maybe we should take a tour of your school while we're here. See where the magic started." He said with a chuckle as he turned onto South Grand. He gave her a friendly squeeze and kissed her temple. They drove for a while listening to the sound of the tires on the road and Arabella yawning. "Did you get some sleep?" He asked quietly, trying to not go to the giant pink elephant in the car.
"Mmhmm. Not much but..it's better than nothing. I didn't sleep at all in San Fransisco" Arabella told him softly then chewed on her lip. She had said all of that and she didn't think about what she was saying. Arabella didn't sleep in San Fransisco because she didn't have Hunter. San Fransisco held memories that she didn't want to talk about. Hunter had gotten drunk in San Fransisco. Arabella had planned to leave him forever in San Fransisco. She had been hurting in San Fransisco. Arabella cleared her throat and she sat up straight, stretching out her legs a little bit. "Up here" She said and pointed to the parking lot. When Hunter drove in and parked, Arabella slid out and looked up at the school with a small smile on her face.
Hunter shut off the car and slid out, walking over to Arabella and taking her hand in his. It felt so good and it felt natural. They fit together like two puzzle pieces or two halves of the same whole. "So, this is where the genius that is A.Marie began?" He asked, kissing her temple. "Let's get lunch and then you can give me a tour or something. I can learn all about the chunk of time we missed." He pulled her closer a little and smiled, nudging her a little.
Arabella smiled a little bit and she walked with him, leaning into him. It felt good to be with him but it also felt a little false. They still had so much to talk about and there was so much between them. It almost felt like they shouldn't be walking like that when there was so much they had to talk about. Arabella smiled softly and she nodded, walking down the street a little bit to the cafe. "I figured that we can get our food to go and we can eat in the courtyard at school" she said and looked up at Hunter woth a small smile.
"Sounds beautiful." Hunter said with a grin before kissing her on the temple. Hunter sighed and followed her to the cafe. "So, what should I get? I've never been here obviously." He said awkwardly. He really didn't want to talk about this. He just wanted to hold her and kiss her and be glad that he had the privilege to do so. They did need to talk about it though. Hunter sighed and looked at the menu, trying to not look at hos bothered Arabella was by their lack of discussion.
Arabella walked up to the counter. She had spent every lunch time in that cafe and she missed it. It had a friendly vibe and the food was incrdible. It was tasty and wonderful but it was all still pretty healthy. Arabella took a deep breath. "I'll have two turkey clubs and two hot apple ciders to go" She ordered with a nod. Arabella nudged Hunter's arm out of the way as he pulled out his wallet to pay and she put the money down. She turned around and grinned at him then moved out of the way so that more people could order while they waited.
Hunter sighed, narrowing his eyes at her as he followed her out of the line. He grinned as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. "Will you let me pay for anything?" He said with a chuckle before kissing her on the lips. He looked into her eyes and smiled, feeling so happy that he got to hold her like this. He kissed her on the nose and then her forehead. "I've never had hot apple cider. Is it any good?" He asked quietly as he moved his hands across her lower back and let them rest on her waist.
Arabella leaned into him, just wanting to feel him close to her. She didn't care that they were getting odd looks or that people were rolling their eyes that them. Arabella needed to have Hunter by her side. She needed to be close to him. "Mmm..hot apple cider is the best thing, ever. It's so tasty and warm and amazing" she said and let out a happy sigh. Their number was called and Arabella sadly pulled away from Hunter to grab their stuff.
Hunter nudged her out of the way and grabbed their stuff. They walked out of the cafe and headed toward the courtyard of the school. It was calm since it was Winter break for the students most likely. There was a slight chill in the air, but nothing that Hunter couldn't solve by walking closer to Arabella. They found a bench and sat down comfortably close to each other. He handed her one of the sandwiches and one of the ciders before taking a sip out of his own cup. It was warm and tasty and amazing. "Your description was accurate." Hunter said with a smile before taking another sip.
"I know" Arabella said and she giggled a little bit before taking a bite out of her sandwich. It was warm and crispy and perfect. With a sigh, Arabella looked around the familiar courtyard. She took another bite of her sandwich and nervously tapped her foot on the sidewalk. As great as it was to sit next to Hunter, it made her nervous too. The silence was difficult. Arabella took a sip of her cider and looked up at her. "Okay, Hunter. We need to talk about this. If we don't talk soon, I'm going to go crazy" She said and took a deep breath, nervously looking into his eyes.
Hunter looked down at her and took another sip of cider before nodding. "Okay." He said quietly, his face turning into a sad sort of frown. He took a deep breath and looked at her, trying to find the words to say, but coming up empty. He didn't know where to start. "Arabella, I would never ever do anything to hurt you. I promise you that. I swear that she kissed me. I didn't want to breath the same air as her let alone touch her."
Arabella looked down and she nodded softly. She knew that Hunter wouldn't hurt her, not like that. But it was still painful to think of what Tiffany had done. Arabella could picture the moment clearly in her mind and she could remember the way her heart shattered when she saw Tiffany kissing him. Arabella took a sip of her cider, just so that she could do something with her hands while she thought of what to say back to him. "I know..it just..it still hurts" she said softly. "I wish that I wouldn't have gone into the shower that day. Then none of this would have happened"
"I wish I hadn't opened the door for her. I should have known that she'd try something." He said quietly, taking a bite of his sandwich. He chewed and swallowed before speaking again. "The only person that we can blame is Tiffany. And she's not even here right now. "Arabella, I know that you've dated guys in the past. Guys that would cheat on you with someone like Tiffany. I understand your hesitation to trust other guys. I totally understand that, but I...I don't know. I guess I was hoping that you saw me differently or something. I don't know why you would." He said quietly, his voice trailing off.
"Hunter..I-I do see you differently. I know that you're not them. I guess I just..I guess that's what hurt the most. Was the fact that I know that you're different and you're not like them and seeing someone as amazing as you with Tiffany just..shattered me." Arabella confessed and she took a deep breath. "If that makes any sense at all" she added in a mutter and she finished off her sandwich. "I jumped to a stupid conclusion because of my history. Even thought I know that you are so much more than any other guy that I've ever been with"
"I'm sorry." Hunter said quietly, wrapping an arm around her. "Ellie, you're the only girl that I've ever loved and you're the only girl that I will ever love." Hunter said, kissing her temple. He couldn't express how good it felt to be able to hold her, but that needed to wait. "I'm not just going to look at the next girl I see and kiss her. I'm never going to leave you and I am NOT going to cheat on you. You're perfect and perfect for me I can't stand my life without you. I can't tell you how much I missed you."
Arabella held her cup of cider close to her and she looked down at her lap, only because she was trying to hold back tears. "You're pretty perfect too, Hunter" she sniffled and smiled a little, wiping at her eyes. She took a slightly shaky breath and leaned into him."I felt so terrible and I still feel terrible. I mean..if I had just stopped for a moment and asked you about it. Or if I wasn't so stupid and realized that you wouldn't hurt me like that..." she said, her voice trailing off.
"Don't." Hunter said quietly. He set down all his food and turned toward her, wrapping his arms around her. He pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. He wanted her to know how much he didn't care about any of that. Did it hurt that she assumed he cheated? A little, but he didn't care. He loved her and wanted his entire life with her. Anything else didn't matter. "Ellie, there will be rough spots in out relationship and they're not going to be easy and painless, but I'm going to do anything that I possibly can to make sure that you are happy. I promise you that." He said quietly.
"That goes both ways, Hunter. I want you to be happy and seeing you hurting just...broke my heart" Arabella said softly and she turned her eyes up to his. She felt so horrible about everything and she wanted to take it all away. She wanted to pretend like it had never happened. She wanted to take it all back. She wanted to go back to that hotel room and slap Tiffany. Arabella took a small breath and she leaned into Hunter, putting her head on his shoulder. His arms around her felt so right and it was so comforting. Now that he had his arms around her and she was close to him, Arabella fully realized just how much she missed him. There was no way that she was going to be able to go back to New York without him. "I'm sorry that I assumed the worst.." she said softly.
Hunter shook his head. How was he going to make her know how little he cared about that anymore? He was sad and angry and upset because he thought he was going to lose her forever. Now that he could hold her and kiss her and touch her and hug her and lover her again, he didn't care. "Ellie, that doesn't matter. Stop beating yourself up about this. I love you and I will always love you no matter what. I missed you so much, but now we're together again and I don't want to think about the time we spent apart." He said, his mind wandering to the ring still in his pocket.
Arabella nodded and she let out a sigh. "Okay, you're right. Sorry" She said in agreement and she rubbed her eyes. She wondered if Hunter knew about all the night that she spent in his room and all the mornings that she snuck back into her room. Arabella finished off her cider and she cleared her throat. "New York wouldn't be the same without you, Hunter" She said with a small smile and looked up at him. She couldn't stop herself, she had to lean into him and kiss him lightly. Every little kiss and every little touch lit her up and made her heart race. It was something that she missed and something that she desperately needed.
Hunter smiled and leaned into her. He was so glad that he could do this. He pulled her closer and kissed her back, leaning into her. "I love you." He said quietly against her lips. He sighed and broke away, turning back to his food and taking a sip of cider. "So, what shall we do next?" He asked, taking another bite of sandwich. They could get back on the road or they could hang around LA. Either way was good for him.
Arabella shrugged and she wiped her hands on her pants before pulling her sweater around her a bit tighter. She took the pendant out of her shirt and she rubbed it with her thumb. "How are you feeling, Mr. Tequila?" Arabella asked him with a raised eyebrow and she giggled a little bit. Now that she was far away from the situation, she found it rather funny that Hunter had been drunk.
Hunter groaned, closing his eyes and turning toward her. "Every time I drink there just happens to be a wedding involved." He said with a sigh. He sighed and put his forehead on her shoulder. "I'm never drinking again. Do you understand? Never." He laughed a little and placed a small kiss on her shoulder and wrapped his arms around her. "How bad was I? I honestly don't remember much."
Arabella put on a thoughtful face and she placed her had on his leg. "Hmm..well, there was the dancing on the table and singing..." she said and she laughed out loud at the look on Hunter's face. "I'm kidding" She giggled and kissed his nose lightly. Hunter sighed and put his head back down on her shoulder. Did he really not remember anything? Arabella took a deep breath. "Well, Brian was bugging me so you asked me to dance" she said softly, looking down at her lap.
"You scared me for a second..." Hunter said quietly as he took deep breaths and tried to calm down. He couldn't even imagine himself dancing on a table. He finally looked over and sighed. "I didn't...hit him or anything, did I?" He asked nervously. Hunter wouldn't have been surprised if he had hit Brian, but he still didn't want to find out that he had. He looked up and placed his chin on her shoulder. "I really hate being drunk."
"No, you didn't hit him" Arabella said softly and she shook her head. She twisted her hands around in her lap and she took a deep breath. Should she tell him what happened? Would he be okay with it? Arabella didn't want him to feel guilty again or anything but she didn't want to not tell him either. "We uh, we danced for a little bit and we kissed. But you said that you were drunk so I told you to go to bed" she told him softly
Hunter sat there for a second and took a sip of cider, finishing the cup. "I was drunk..." He said with a dry chuckle. He wasn't sure how he felt about that. Was it smart for him to have stopped it for being drunk?
Stopped them getting back together? He sat there, feeling a little clueless and finally turned to her. "Was that the right thing to do?" He asked quietly. He certainly didn't know. "Was I right to not go through with it? I mean, I was drunk, so I don't know what I was thinking..."
Arabella shrugged and she looked over at him. She wanted to tell him that it was the right thing to do. That he had done nothing wrong but she wasn't sure that she could tell him that. "I don't know, Hunter. I mean..if you hadn't stopped it then where would we be now? Would I have gotten up in the morning and got on the plane to New York?" She said and let out a soft sigh. "All that matters is that you and I are here in LA, right?"
Hunter nodded. She was right, but it just didn't sit well with him. "I just wouldn't have wanted us to wake up this morning in bed with each other, for the sole reason that we got drunk." He said quietly. He would have regretted that. They had so much to talk about and getting drunk and sleeping together wouldn't accomplish anything. "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure if he should be apologizing or not. He didn't know what happened last night, but he hoped that it wasn't something he was going to regret.
Arabella shook her head. "No, don't be sorry, Hunter" she said softly and leaned into him a little bit. She didn't want him to feel guilty about being drunk ontop of everything else. "It's okay to drink a little too much sometimes. I know that I've done it a few times..." she said and giggled a little bit. She just wanted to be happy with Hunter. She wanted him to be happy and she wanted their relationship to be strong and wonderful. "Besides, I have seen some people that were way worse than you when they were drunk, believe me" she giggled.
Hunter smiled and kissed her gently on the lips. "You've looked in the mirror then." He said with a chuckle. Arabella smacked his arm and then kissed his cheek. "I'm sorry, but I remember a certain girl trying to corrupt a young and innocent boy named Hunter." He laughed and finished his sandwich before wrapping his arms around her and sighing happily. "It just took a little bit longer than that." He whispered before kissing her lightly on the cheek.
"Innocent, my ass" Arabella scoffed but she blushed when he kissed her cheek and she leaned into him, closing her eyes for a moment. She let out a happy sigh, finally feeling like she could relax and actually be happy. It felt like it had been so long since she was fully happy and having Hunter's arms around her and hearing him tease her like that was the best feeling in the world at that moment. "So, did you want to stay in LA tonight or should we move on to Vegas and spend a night or two there?"
Hunter chuckled a little. "I think we should spend a couple nights in Vegas. That sounds like something you would really enjoy." She smiled a little and tried to not show how right Hunter was. He smiled and kissed her jaw a few times. "LA is nice, but I've been her enough. I've always been on my way to the underworld, but still. Let's go to Vegas." He said, watching as she turned her head to look at him. Hunter immediately kissed her on the lips, holding her close.
Arabella leaned into the kiss and she closed her eyes. She kissed him tightly, like she was afraid that if she let go of him, she would lose him again. Arabella finally had him back and she wasn't going to let him go. She felt like she had been so lost and alone for the past little while but now that she was with Hunter again, she felt steady. She felt whole. "Mmm..we should get going then. I don't want to see any monsters or anything" she said and she pulled away from Hunter a little so that she could stand up.
Hunter sighed and grabbed her wrist as she stood, pulling her hand to his face and kissing it. "Let's get going then." Hunter said as he stood up. He couldn't help it anymore. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her in close, pressing his lips tightly to hers. He could feel his heart speed up and he could feel a smile spreading across his face. "I love you so much." He whispered against her lips as they locked lips again, Hunter pulling her even closer.
Arabella's heart raced and her stomach fluttered. She felt like she could fly. She pushed herself closer to him, wanting to feel his muscles against her and all of his strength. "I love you too, Hunter" Arabella breathed and she kissed him tightly then giggled against his lips a little bit. It felt so amazing to tell him that she loved him and the thought that she could tell him that she loved him as much as she wanted made her very happy. "I love you. I lolve you. I love you. I love you"
Hunter laughed and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her into the air and swinging her a little. "I love you so much and I am so glad that I can do this again." He said with a grin before kissing her on the lips with a loud 'mwah!' He finally put her down and took her hand, holding it tightly. "Shall we?" He asked in a happy voice. She nodded and together they walked back to the car, looking forward to a drive somewhere for once in a long time.
When they got to the car, Hunter held the door open for Arabella. She looked down at the car door then up at Hunter for a moment before she kissed him tightly. Seeing him do things like hold the door open for her again made her smile. It felt like things were really starting to go back to the way they were. Finally, Arabella pulled away from him and she gave him a little smile before sliding into her seat. Hunter got in on the driver's side and started the car. Soon enough, they were on the road and headed to Vegas. "Vegas is so much fun" She said with a nod.
Hunter smiled and lifted his arm, chuckling a little as she moved toward him, snuggling into his side. "I haven't been there in a couple years." He said with a nod. "And to be honest, I didn't see the good side of Vegas. If there is a good side. We just need to stay away from the Lotus casino." He said with a chuckle, reminiscing slightly to his last quest. "What did you do while you there? Just typical Vegas stuff?" He asked, kissing her hair.
"Not really. I was in Vegas because my company was opening a store there. I spent a couple nights in the Trump hotel which was incredible, by the way. I went out for supper. I went down to a casino once and I won 20 bucks. But I was mostly there for business. When I wasn't working, I spent most of my time in the hotel. I had a penthouse suite" She told him and wiggled her eyebrows with a small giggle. Arabella yawned and she put her head down on Hunter's shoulder. "It'll be nice to just..relax" she said softly.
"Absolutely." Hunter said, placing a small kiss on the top of her forehead. "Why don't we stay at the Trump hotel again?" He nudged her a little and smiled. "You obviously liked it enough. And what's even better is that I'm paying. You're not allowed to pay for anything else." They stopped at a stoplight and he looked at her, wrapping his other arm around her and pulling her close. "We are going to relax in style." He said, kissing her on the lips.
Arabella sighed and she looked up at him. "Are you ever going to let me pay for anything?" she said but she closed her eyes and relaxed against him. It was comforting to be in the car with him. It was calming and it felt right. She finally felt like she was where she belonged. After they drove in silence for a while, Arabella shifted a little bit. "I wonder how the dogs are doing" she said softly. It made her smile to think about the dogs now. Ajax and Jolie weren't going to be split up. They were going to be going home with Arabella and Hunter. It would be perfect.
Hunter chuckled a little. He had almost forgotten about their dogs back in New York. The image of Ajax and Jolie playing made him smile. "Why don't you call Danny real quick? It's a four hour drive to Vegas. You can check on our babies." He laughed a little and kissed her cheek, thinking about how happy their dogs have made them. How easy it made living with Arabella and raising a family with her seemed. He sighed happily and turned back to the road.
Arabella nodded and she pulled away from Hunter a little bit so that she could pull out her phone. She dialed Daniel's number and yawned while she waited for him to pick up. When he did, she could hear some shuffling in the background, barking, howling and music. "Hello? Danny?"
"Turn down the music, Tom!" Daniel said then turned back to the phone "Arabella?"
"Hi, Danny!" Arabella said happily and she giggled when she heard Jolie barking and Ajax howling along to the music. She laughed and turned on the speakerphone so that Hunter could hear the dogs. "What are you doing to our dogs, Daniel?"
"Teaching them to have fun" Daniel said simply and laughed a little "How is the trip going? Are you coming home soon?"
Hunter smiled a little at Ajax's howling. It made him a little homesick honestly. "You're trying to get rid of our dogs already?" Hunter asked with a chuckle. "Well, we'll be home in a few days. We're currently on our way to Vegas for a night of fun and relaxation hopefully." He said, looking over at Arabella and kissing her cheek.
"Oh, I'm sure that you'll be relaxing.." Daniel said with an audible wink. Arabella looked at her phone then back at Hunter.
"Danny!" She said and he laughed. Arabella rolled her eyes and she leaned into Hunter a little bit.
"Just don't do anything that I wouldn't do" Daniel and Arabella raised an eyebrow.
"Let's just...not go there" Arabella said and cleared her throat. "We should be back soon enough, Danny. Try not to turn our dogs into hellhounds" She said.
"I'll try not to" Daniel said and smiled "Talk to you guys later!!" he said and hung up. Arabella hung up the phone and she slipped it into her purse.
Hunter snorted a little with red cheeks, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I think the list of things he wouldn't do is short enough." Hunter said with a laugh. "Maybe that's why you're worried." He smiled and rubbed her arm a little bit as they drove. It felt good to just sit in comfortable silence. It felt good for them to be able to do that again. Hunter looked over at her. "Is there anything that you want or need? Anything we can do together or that I can do for you?" He asked quietly. "Just out of curiosity."
Arabella put her chin on his shoulder and she looked up at him for a moment, thinking it all over. Was there anything that she wanted? Not really. She was pretty happy where she was. Everything was falling back into place and she was happy with Hunter in the car like that. "I just need you to stay with me" Arabella whispered softly and she placed a kiss on his jaw. It was almost like nothing had happened between them. They hadn't talked about their future or anything like that, but they were together and they were happy.
Hunter smiled and turned his head, kissing the tip of her nose. "I can do that." Hunter said with a grin, looking into her eyes. He kissed her on the lips again and then turned back to the road. "I'm a little relieved, actually. I was worried you were going to say something...strange." He said with a chuckle as he saw a sign for Las Vegas in 22 miles. He was excited to get to Vegas. Not for the town. Just to fall asleep next to Arabella again.
Arabella looked at him and she smacked his arm playfully witha look of fake shock on her face. "And what kind of strange thing were you thinking?" She giggled. It was wonderful and peaceful to sit with him. Arabella was looking forward to getting to Vegas. They would be able to curl up in bed together. She could get a warm bath and relax. The past days, she had felt so tense and nervous. When they got to Vegas, she would just be able to breathe.
"Well..." He said, looking over at her. "You're the one who knows what to do with flavored condoms. Not me. I'm the innocent one that you corrupted. Remember?" Hunter laughed when she smacked his arm again. He reached over and poked her side, causing her to jump. In moments he was full on tickling her while keeping one hand on the wheel.
In a fit of giggles, Arabella wiggled around on the seat. She laughed and squealed, trying to get away from Hunter's hands. "Hunter!" She squeaked and finally, she was able to grab his hand. She held onto it tightly and she sat up so that she could kiss his shoulder. "You are so horrible to me" She said and shook her head, still smiling and giggling a little bit from his tickles. "And I didn't corrupt you" Arabella huffed.
"Of course you didn't, sweetie." Hunter said with a laugh, grabbing her hand and kissing it. She gave him a look of shock and smacked his chest before turning toward the street and pouting. Hunter sighed and looked at the road ahead. He exited toward Las Vegas and glanced over at Arabella. "Hey, Ellie?" He said quietly. "Psst...Ellie!" He whispered. She finally looked over and sighed. Hunter laughed a little and started tickling her again.
Arabella squeaked again and she leaned against him, gasping for breath between her giggles. It was and incredible feeling, hearing him call her Ellie and having him tickling her. It felt right. Arabella smacked his hands away but she didn't move. It was nice to lean against him. As Hunter drove through the city, Arabella got more and more excited. They drove past a few wedding chapels and Arabella grinned as a drunken couple stumbled out of one, kissing each other tightly. "Oh! There!" She said and pointed toward the tall building that looked gold and had the letters 'Trump' on the top. At this point, Arabella was nearly bouncing up and down in her seat.
Hunter turned toward the hotel and saw how excited Arabella was. He purposefully drove slowly just to tease her. She finally glared at him with an exasperated look and Hunter quickly parked on the street. She squealed happily and got out. Hunter laughed and got out too, locking the car and hurrying into the hotel. "Could I have a room, please? What's your best room?" He asked with a smile, reaching into his wallet and pulling out his debit card. The person behind the counter looked Hunter up and down. Hunter raised an eyebrow and did the same, just now realizing that he was wearing a ratty sweatshirt and a pair of jeans with a hole in them.
"Maybe you should check the Holiday Inn across the street." He said with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow. Hunter looked around for a second.
"I'm a paying customer. I'll have one of your best rooms." Hunter said, extending his card to him. The man looked past him for a second.
"Look here, blue collar. Our rooms cost more than everything you own. I'm just trying to help you out." He said with a smarmy smile. Hunter took a deep breath and was about to yell when Arabella appeared next to him. "Ms. Foster! Let me help you immediately." He said with a sigh before glaring at Hunter. "Sir, please go."
Arabella was stunned. Whenever she stayed at any Trump hotels, she was always treated with the best respect. She couldn't believe that they would treat Hunter like that, just because he wasn't dressed in a fancy suit or something. Arabella looked at the man across the counter with a shocked and hurt look on her face. "No. He will not go. This man is with me and we want a room. So please, your best room. I'll also be calling your manager..." Arabella said and looked at his name tag. "Richard. Or maybe I'll just call Mr. Trump myself. I'm sure that he would love to find out how you treat paying customers." She said in a deadly serious voice. The man, Richard, looked at Arabella for a moment before shaking himself and clearing his throat. He took Hunter's card and got everything set up then passed them a room key.
"You're in Penthouse Suite number 7" He said in a small voice and Arabella snatched the room key up.
"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Arabella snapped and turned to Hunter "Ready?"
Hunter stood there as Arabella ripped Richard a new one. Even after Richard went to the backroom to lick his wounds, Hunter stood there a little shocked. "That was cold." He said, taking his card from her. He slipped it into his pocket and started back to the car for their bags. "I mean, seriously. I feel like I need a sweater." He said with a chuckle as he faked chills running down his spine. He grabbed their bags and locked the car up before following her up to their room. She opened the door with the key and they stepped inside of the large penthouse suite. "Oh, goodness, Ellie." Hunter said as he dropped the bags and examined the room. "This is gorgeous." He looked at her and smiled. "You're gorgeous." He said, wrapping his arms around her and kissing her.
Arabella smiled softly against his lips and she pulled herself closer to him. She kissed his lips once before brushing her lips down and nuzzling her face into his neck. They were in Vegas. They were in their hotel room. They had all the time in the world. They were together. Was there any way that this could go wrong? Arabella didn't think so. She wrapped her arms around Hunter's middle and she closed her eyes. "You're pretty amazing, Hunter. You know that?" She said softly and she took a deep breath.
Hunter laughed a little, holding her in his arms. He kissed her head and smiled. "You let me know enough, so...Yeah. I'm pretty aware." He said with a chuckle as he closed his eyes. "You're pretty....well. Pretty." He said with a chuckle as he kissed her hair again. "And you're smart and funny and kind and beautiful and talented." He continued with a grin. He pulled away from her and posed for her. "And incredibly lucky." He said with a laugh as he picked up their bags and tracked down the bedroom. He saw the bed through the doorway and walked in to see a beautiful view of the strip. "Oh, Ellie..." He said, putting the bags down and stepping toward the window. It was just getting dark, but it was already full of life. He gingerly put his hands on the glass and looked out. "This is amazing." He breathed, fogging up the glass a little.
Arabella followed him towards the bedroom and she leaned against the door frame and she looked at him with a small but very happy smile on her face. Seeing Hunter standing in front of the window like that, it took her breath away. It was like a scene in a movie or something. Arabella looked at him for a moment before taking a breath and following him over to the window. She stood behind him, slipping her arms around his middle and she rested her head on his back. "So..should we go to a strip club first or should we wait until we're really drunk to go to a strip club?" She teased and giggled.
Hunter scoffed and turned around. "Yeah. That's exactly what I want to do." He said with a smile on his face. He grabbed her arms and placed them around his neck before putting his hands on her hips. "How about we stay in tonight?" Hunter proposed. He kissed her neck and moved up to her ear. "I can get some massage oil and see where that takes us." He whispered into her ear, placing kisses on her neck again. "Or we can bring the strip club up here." He said, pulling away a little and pretending to do a little striptease for her. He laughed and pulled her close again. "We have the entire night. And all I really want to do is be with you." He said with a small smile.
Arabella smiled and she melted into him. She was happy to be with him. To be in Vegas with him. To be in his arms. She was finally happy again. Arabella closed her eyes and placed a few gentle kisses along his neck. "Mmm..the massage oil sounds good. Mind you, bringing the strip club up here sounds good too" Arabella said softly and she giggled against his skin before brushing her lips up his neck and kissing his jaw. Arabella pulled away and yawned a little bit. She put her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
"Oh, how far we've come." Hunter said with a smile. "Stealing kisses on the couch with Breakfast at Tiffany's to offering lapdances to each other." He said with a smile, kissing her head. He kissed her shoulder and trailed his lips along her collarbone and up her neck to her ear. "You go take a bath and I'll run down to the lobby. I'll grab a few things and we'll have a good night." He kissed her ear lobe and smiled. "Does that sound good?"
Arabella leaned into him and she closed her eyes. "That souds wonderful" she whispered and she pulled away a little bit. Arabella looked up at him and she kissed his lips lightly. "Okay..bath" Arabella nodded and she walked over to her bag. She pulled out a pair of clean shorts and a tank top then walked towards the bathroom. As Hunter was walking out, she wolf whistled at him then stepped into the bathroom. She started the hot water, lit a few candles and added a bunch of bubble bath into the tub. Arabella peeled off her clothes and when it was full, she turned off the water and slid in. As soon as her body hit the warm water, she relaxed. It was calming and a perfect moment. Arabella closed her eyes and she stayed still in the bath. After a few mintues, she heard the door to their room open and Hunter walk inside. She wondered if he was going to wait for her to get out of the bath or not. Arabella adjusted the bubbles so that she was totally covered. "Hunter! Come here!"
Hunter smiled and set the bag of stuff on the bed. He turned toward the bathroom and raised an eyebrow as he opened the door. "Look at you." Hunter said with a chuckle. He looked down at the bath and the mountain of bubbles she had amassed over her body. He stepped toward her and crouched down. "Well, I got some massage oils and I got some candles and some sparkling cider or something. I just grabbed a bunch of stuff." He said with a chuckle as he leaned over her and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Should I wait for you or come in after you?" He asked with a smile.
Arabella grabbed his shirt collar and she pulled him closer to her, kissing him tightly. She smiled against his lips and pulled away a little bit so that she could look in his eyes. "You're welcome to join me if you want" she giggled. "Since you did pay for this incredible hotel room" She added with a sigh. Arabella let go of his shirt and she slid back into the bath a little bit more, the bubbles rising up to her chin. She giggled and blew at the bubbles and a small little cluster of bubbles flew into the air.
Hunter smiled and stood up, wiping the suds off his shirt. "I don't know. I think I'll just wait for you." He said with a chuckle. He heard splashing and then felt a hand grab him by the waist of his jeans. Before he could stop it, she yanked him backward into the tub. He gasped as his clothes soaked in water. "I was going to come in anyway!" He said with a look of shock on his face. He looked over at her and smiled a little as she laughed her head off. Hunter sighed and struggled for a minute, taking off his socks and shoes and then standing up in the bath. He pulled off his shirt and his jeans, balling them up, and throwing them into the shower with a squish. He adjusted his boxers a moment before sitting down in the tub next to her. He relaxed into the water and wrapped his arm around her. "This was a good idea." He said with a chuckle as he kissed her on the lips. "Oh, wait!" He said, standing and getting out again. He walked into the bedroom and grabbed the sparkling cider and two glasses. He got back in and handed her a glass. "This isn't champagne, but I hope it's okay."
Arabella was still giggling from pulling him into the tub. She took the glass from him and she took a sip. "Mmm..this is perfect, Hunter. Besides, after seeing you with tequila, I don't think we should be drinking champagne" She teased and burst into giggles. She put her glass down and moved over to him, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him tightly. Arabella didn't care that she wasn't wearing clothes. She didn't care about any of that. She was just happy that Hunter was with her and she could tease him again. Everything was back to normal.
"You're so mean to me." Hunter said with a smile against her lips, setting his glass down and wrapping his arms around her. Hunter didn't care that he was mostly nude and she was completely nude. He was kissing her. She was kissing him. This wasn't a dream. He had her and he wasn't going to let go. Hunter moved his hands up and down her spine before moving lower and finding her butt. He smirked and pulled her closer, kissing her tighter. "I love you, Ellie." He said with a smile.
"I love you too, Hunter" Arabella said softly and she nuzzled into him. She took a small breath and she brushed her fingers down his arms. Arabella loved the feeling of his hands on her butt and his arms around her. It made her feel safe and warm. She kissed him lightly and brushed her lips down his neck and she kissed his collarbone. "So..any plans for the night?" She teased and giggled a little bit.
Hunter squeezed her butt and closed his eyes a moment. "Watch TV. Have a small snack and then go to bed promptly?" He said with a raised eyebrow. She pulled away and scrunched up her nose. "Yeah. That's not what I had in mind either." He laughed and kissed her on the lips once before standing up, picking her up at the same time. She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him as he carried her out of the tub. Hunter grabbed a few towels and walked into the bedroom. He spread the towels on the bed and set her down on her stomach, covering her butt and lower back with another towel. He bent down and kissed her neck once before lighting some candles and grabbing the massage oil. He poured some on her back and then started massaging her back. "Is this an okay plan?" He asked with a smile.
Arabella moaned, her whole body melting as he massaged her back. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "This is an incredible plan" Arabella whispered and she wiggled her legs a little bit as she adjusted. She turned her head towards him and she smiled, opening her eyes. Arabella was amazed by Hunter, as always. He was always so gentle and loving with her. She took a breath and moaned softly as he worked on a difficult knot in her back. 'Oh gods, Hunter. You're incredible"
Hunter smiled and massaged her back a little more intently. "Yeah. Pretty much." He said with a chuckle before leaning down and kissing her neck. "You're incredible too." He whispered and moved his hands to her shoulders. He was so happy just rubbing her shoulders like that. He was glad that he could make her happy. That's all he wanted to do was to make her happy. "So, what shall we do next? After your massage, that is
Arabella giggled "I can think of a few things that we could do. We won't be bored" She said softly and she put her head down, moaning again as he massaged her back. She was happy. Plain and simple. Arabella knew that she could spend the rest of her life with Hunter. She was blissful and it was like nothing had ever happened between them, nothing bad. Arabella grabbed the towels that she was laying on and she turned around so that she was on her back. She held up the towel so that it was covering her and she slipped a hand around Hunter's neck, pulling him down to her and she kissed him tightly.
Hunter kissed her back, cradling her face in his hand. "It looks like this massage is done." Hunter said with a laugh before kissing her cheek. He breathed down to her neck and then exosculated her shoulder, smiling happily. He pulled away for a moment and looked at her. She was so beautiful. He was so glad that he had her back. He was in love. "So what's next?" He asked before lightly kissing her nose.
"Well, like you said..small snack and get to bed early" Arabella said and she giggled at the look on Hunter's face. She ran her fingers down his arms, her skin hardly touching his skin. Arabella wanted to lay like that forever. She wanted to stay in his arms for the rest of her life. "I missed this, Hunter. Being with you. I couldn't sleep at all without you" She said softly and smiled up at him.
Hunter grinned and kissed her lightly on the lips. "I missed you." Hunter said quietly. He ran his thumb across her cheek and kissed her forehead. "To be honest, I couldn't sleep in a bed without you. I won't be able to sleep in a bed without you." He walked to the other side of her and laid down next to her. His boxers were wet, so he made sure he was on towels. He lifted the towel she was using to cover herself and pulled himself under it, wrapping his arm around her and snuggling next to her. He kissed her forehead and smiled. "I could just fall asleep right here."
Arabella closed her eyes and she shivered a little bit. She nodded a little bit and she closed her eyes. Arabella didn't care that she was naked and Hunter was pressed against her. All she cared about was the face that she was with him. "Yeah, I uh..I know that you couldn't sleep in a bed, or at least..I figured that. I couldn't sleep without you. I had to listen to your breathing or sleep in the same room as you. I couldn't sleep alone in my bed" She confessed softly.
Hunter smiled and ran his fingers through her hair. "I know. I was awake." He said quietly. "The best sleep I got the whole time was the night that guy someone tried to break into our room. When you fell asleep in my arms and then...." Hunter couldn't finish. He was reliving the heartbreak that he felt when she walked away from him that morning. His heart was already broken, but seeing her walk away felt like it was being stomped on by an elephant. He shook himself and looked over at her. "That was pretty much the only worthwhile sleep I got."
"Me too" Arabella told him lightly and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes. She knew that she had hurt him that morning and she felt guilty about it. Arabella hated doing it and she wished that she could take it all back. "I'm sorry. About what happened the next morning. I..I was scared and I didn't want to get hurt again but seeing that look on your face just..broke my heart" She said softly and she looked down for a moment, taking a small breath.
Hunter kissed her head. "It's okay." Hunter said quietly. He cleared his throat and pulled her head up toward him. "I thought that we were back together and I had assumed incorrectly and after what I did to you it was wrong of me to assume that. I'm sorry." He said quietly. He was honestly just worried that he was going to lose her forever. His mind flashed to the engagement ring, kept safely in his backpack pocket. He was tempted to propose so many times, thinking that it might fix everything, but he didn't want to risk making things worse. "I'm really sorry."
Arabella shook her head and she looked up at him with big eyes. "No, Hunter..don't be sorry. I was giving you mixed signals. I just...I was really freaked out and I couldn't be alone but then when I woke up in the morning, I was scared that I was going to get hurt again. I'm sorry" She said softly and looked up at him. Arabella could spend the rest of her life with him. She knew that he was never going to hurt her and she was amazed at how lucky she was to have found him. "I love you, Hunter. Always have and always will"
Hunter smiled softly and sighed. "I love you, too." Hunter whispered. "I'll always love you and I would never do anything to hurt you. I promise you that. I would rather see you with someone else than see you sad because of something I did." Hunter admitted, his words coming out all in one breath. He wished that he could take back those last few. "Sorry."
Arabella put her hand on his cheek and she chewed on her lip, wondering what she could possibly say to him. "Oh, Hunter..." Arabella breathed and she looked up at him with big eyes. "Hunter, you didn't do anything wrong and I never want to be with anyone but you" She said gently and she kissed him lightly. "I hate seeing you beat yourself up"
Hunter sighed and closed his eyes for a moment. "I'm not beating myself up. I'm just...I don't want to ever hurt you or see you hurt. It breaks my heart." He said quietly with a soft chuckle. He finally opened his eyes a smiled. "You're really beautiful, you know that? And smart and funny and nice." He kissed her on the nose on grinned. "And wonderful and sexy and beautiful. That's right. I said beautiful twice. That's because you are." He laughed wrapped his arms around her and kissed her, rolling so that she was on top of him, still covered by the towel. He was so happy that things were seemingly back to normal between the two of them. He loved her so much and he was so glad that he could hold her in his arms again.
Arabella blushed deeply at his words and after he adjusted so that she was ontop of him, she nuzzled into his neck, kissing the sensitive skin there. Not for the first time, she wondered how she ever got so lucky. What did she ever do to deserve someone like Hunter? Arabella closed her eyes for a moment before pushing herself up so that she could look him in the eye. "Enough about me. You, my dear man, are the best thing that I could ever ask for. I couldn't thank you enough for everything that you've done for me, everything you've put up with for me...you're incredible" She said softly and kissed his nose.
Hunter put a hand on the back of her neck, pulling her in and kissing her on the lips. "I'd be dead on the street if you hadn't kidnapped me to your apartment, you know." Hunter said with a smile against her lips. He kissed her cheek and moved down her neck to her shoulder. "I should be lucky that you didn't just kick my butt back onto the street after trashing your office like I did." Hunter said with a chuckle as he ran his hands up and down her thighs.
"I could never kick your butt back onto the street. Even if you didn't save my life" Arabella said with a nod and she looked at him with big eyes. "I was so happy to see you. Even if I was freaked out because a monster just attacked me and you were so sick. I was just so thrilled to see your face again" She told him with a nod and she shivered as he ran his hands along her thighs. "I felt so bad and I still feel bad that I didn't notice you before. That I never took a moment to look at the man outside my store"
"I didn't even make the connection that you were 'A.Marie until I saw you walk in. And then I tried to talk to you, but you kind of ignored me." He said quietly, placing small kisses on her shoulder. "Don't feel bad though. I was used to it and I didn't even recognize myself, so how were you supposed to recognize me?" He said with a small chuckle before pressing his lips to hers. He rubbed his chin and smiled. "I was thinking about growing the scruff again. What do you think? Did homeless Hunter look as studly as not homeless Hunter?" He grinned at her and tickled under her knee a little.
Arabella giggled and twitched her knee a little bit as he tickled her. She reached up and she brushed her fingers against his jaw. "Hmmm...just not as long. And clean" She teased and she placed a kiss on his chin. Arabella still felt a little guilty but it made her feel so much better to know that he wasn't upset about it at all. She smiled at him and "Hunter is studly no matter what he does" She told him with a nod.
Hunter laughed and kissed her hand. "Awesome! That means I can stop bathing." Hunter said as he kissed her hand again. She scrunched her nose at him and Hunter laughed, lacing his fingers with hers. "I'm only kidding." He said, tapping her nose. He looked into her eyes and smiled. He could look into her eyes for days. Weeks. The rest of his life. "Ellie, if I asked you to marry me right now, what would you do?" He asked, lightly running his thumb along the back of her hand.
"I...I guess..what?" Arabella stummbled over her words and she lookd down at her hand then up at him. She honestly didn't know what to say to him. Arabella took a breath, trying to calm herself down but her heart was racing and her hands were shaking a little bit. "Uhm, I guess I'd probably start crying..in a good way" She said softly.
Hunter smiled at her and held her hands tightly before pulling her down and kissing her tightly on the lips. "Don't worry. I'm not." He said quietly. He would. They were in a wonderful hotel. They had just had a wonderful day, but after everything that had happened to them in recent days, he just couldn't bring himself to do it. He loved her and he was going to marry her, but he would wait to propose until they got back home. "Not yet at least." He smiled and kissed her lips again, wrapping his arms around her and holding her lovingly.
"Oh...you are so horrible to me" Arabella said softly and she nuzzled into him, hiding her face and her pink cheeks in his neck. She knew that she would say yes. She wanted nothing more than to marry him but waiting was driving her crazy and it didn't help that he kept teasing her. Arabella loved him and she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. Waiting for the rest of their lives to start was killing her, though. She ran her fingers down his chest and she took a deep breath, her heart rate slowly going back to normal. "I'm looking forward to getting home. Sleeping in our own bed and playing with our own dogs"
Hunter kissed her and smiled. "I kind of miss our dogs." Hunter said with a nod. "They were always so happy to see us, you know?" Hunter put a hand on his stomach. "And now that I don't have a running partner like Ajax I'm starting to put on weight. Do you see this?" He said, patting his stomach with a chuckle. He kissed her again and smiled, loving the feeling of their lips fitting together like two puzzle pieces.
Arabella smiled against his lips and she placed her hands on his arms. "Oh please, you're starting to sound like me" She said and she rolled her eyes. Arabella smiled at him and she kissed his bottom lip gently. "I'm sure that Ajax misses his running partner too. I don't know about Tom but all Daniel does for exercise is stuff like pilates. I don't think that Ajax would really enjoy that" She said and giggled.
"I wouldn't either." Hunter said quietly, dancing his fingers down her spine. Hunter kissed her lips and moved across her cheek to her neck before busting out laughing. Arabella looked at him like he was crazy. "Sorry." Hunter said between laughs. "I just...I just imagined Ajax doing pilates." He said before laughing again. He took deep breaths and put his forehead against hers. "Sorry." He whispered before kissing her nose.
Arabella giggled and she closed her eyes, imagining the same thing. She laughed and opened her eyes to look at Hunter again. "Maybe he would enjoy yoga. I can see him doing a downward dog now" She giggled and she put her hands on his cheeks. "You're pretty great, you know?" She said lightly, looking into his eyes. "Mmm...gimmie a second" She said softly and she kissed him. She rolled off of him, holding the towel up. Arabella walked over to her bags and dropped her towel, not really caring that Hunter was looking at her. She pulled on an oversized shirt that hardly covered anything and nothing else. Arabella grabbed the cider, their glasses and lit some cnadles. She walked back towards the bed. The only like in the room was the soft glow from the candles and the lights from the city below them. Arabella placed the drinks on the bed side table and she laid down on the bed beside Hunter. She put her head down on the pillow and she stretched out her legs. "That's better" She sighed happily.
Hunter blushed a little when her towel fell. He turned away and smiled. Hunter moved on the bed and sat up with his back against the headboard. He looked back at her as she returned with drinks. "Hello." He said with a grin as she sat down next to him and handed him a glass. He kissed her cheek and took a sip. He glanced around the room at the candles and the atmosphere. "So, what kind of mood have you set for us, tonight, my love?" He asked, taking her hand and kissing it.
"Whatever mood you want it to be, babe" Arabella said with a giggle and she looked up at him with happy eyes. With her free hand, she tugged on the hem of her shirt. Arabella turned her eyes back up to Hunter and she took a small breath. Hunter was always doing things for her and giving up things for her. She just wanted to see him happy and she wanted to be able to give him whatever made him happy. No matter what that was. She pushed herself up and she placed her chin on his shoulder. She leaned towards him a little bit and she placed a gentle kiss on his jaw.
Hunter turned his head and smiled. He was so happy and he had Arabella to thank for that. He placed a kiss on her nose and smiled even bigger. He placed his hand on her stomach and slid it across to her hip, pulling her closer. He placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes a moment. He didn't need to say anything. She didn't need to say anything. He was just so glad to just hold her. That's all Hunter wanted to do. He moved his face forward and tapped her nose with hers before pressing his lips to hers.
Arabella smiled against his lips and she slipped her arms around his middle. She felt safe with him and she knew that she always would. She closed her eyes for a moment before opening her eyes and looking up at Hunter with big eyes. "Thanks for all of this Hunter..the hotel room, the massage, everything" She said softly and she brushed her lips along his shoulder. "Mmm...would you be up for a massage?" She asked and giggled a little bit against his skin.
Hunter chuckled a little and kissed her neck once. "I'd be happy to." Hunter said with a nod. He rubbed his hands together and raised an eyebrow when she didn't move. "Oh. For me?" He said quietly. She giggled a little and nodded. "Oh. Well you don't have to." Hunter said, glancing down at his bare chest. He realized he was only wearing boxers. "I mean, I guess." Hunter said quietly.
Arabella rolled her eyes in a teasingly exasperated way and she pushed against his back a little bit, urging him to lay down. When he finally laid down on his stomach, Arabella grabbed the oil and she squirted a little bit into her hand. She cleared her throat and moved so that she was sitting beside him and she started to rub his back, working out all of the kinks that she could find. "After Vegas, where do you want to go next?" She asked him as she massaged his back.
Hunter groaned and closed his eyes for a moment. He was about to speak, but realized his face was buried in the bed. He wasn't really thinking about his face at the moment. He turned his head and saw her leg. He kissed it and smiled. "I had a friend back when I was homeless. His name was Walter, but we all called him Wacky Wally. He said there was this place in New Mexico where some aliens landed or something." Hunter nodded and groaned again, feeling his tension melt away. "I think it was called Roswell."
"Well..we're going to have to go there" Arabella said and she ran her hands down his back, starting to rub circles in his lower back. "You never know, maybe we'll find E.T there or something" she said with a giggle and she looked down at him. She saw that he was raising an eyebrow at her, out of confusion. Arabella often forgot that he had grown up at Camp Half Blood and that he never saw the same movies she did. He didn't watch Hocus Pocus on Halloween or It's a Wonderful Life on Christmas. He didn't go to the movies with his friends or have a comfort movie that always made him feel better. "It's a really famous movie from 1982. It's about an alien" She told him and she worked her hands up his back again. "Roswell sounds good. Is there anywhere else that you want to go?"
Hunter sighed, feeling a little alien himself. He was happy with his life, but he sometimes wished that he had gotten a normal life growing up. "Well, we can go to New Orleans, but we need to stop somewhere else between there. How about Oklahoma City and then some place in Texas?" Hunter said with a shrug. He wished that Arabella could be with someone that she could talk about pop culture and movies and TV shows, but all she had was a whole lot of combat training and learning Greek. "Dallas, maybe. Whatever city is between the two."
"We'll figure it out" Arabella said with a nod and she moved her hands up to his shoulders, massaging a little bit deeper. She yawned a little bit but she kept up the massage, not moving her hands away from Hunter's back for a second. She loved having her hands on his back like that and being able to feel his muscles and all of the tension melt away. Arabella ran her hands a little lower and she smiled softly. "New Orleans sounds like fun. I haven't been there yet but I've been dying to go" She said with a nod. "Is there something on your mind, Hunter?" She asked lightly, trying to not sound too worried. After she had told him about E.T, he seemed to get a little bit upset, like he was thinking of something or worrying about something.
Hunter groaned a little as he felt her rub his shoulders. He cleared his throat and shook his head. "No. I'm just a little tired." He said with a chuckle. He groaned again and smiled. "You're massage is probably to blame. Thank you for this." He said, gesturing to her hands. He had just gotten her back. They had an entire day of Vegas to do tomorrow. He really didn't want to get into a fight or anything. He wasn't in the mood to bring drama into this. He just wanted a relaxing night.
"It's not a problem" Arabella said softly and she moved her hands to his shoulders again then down his arms. She hoped that he wasn't holding anything back from her but she knew that if he was, he would bring it up when the time is right. Arabella stopped rubbing his arms and she laid down across his back, yawning. "I..I'm tired too" She said in the middle of her yawn and she giggled a little bit.
Hunter laughed and shook a little bit under her, causing to giggle again. He put his hands on the bed and did a pushup with her on his back before laying back down. "You're not heavy enough for muscle-building. You're more of a toning implement." He said before quickly rolling, so that he was facing her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the lips softly. "Thanks for the massage." He whispered as he kissed her again.
"Thank you for my massage" She whispered against his lips and she kissed him lightly. She was looking forward to sleeping in the same bed with him. Curling up to his side and having him wrap his arms around her. It was a feeling of total safety and she needed it desperately. Arabella pulled away from him a little bit and she rubbed her eyes in a sleepy way. "I'm going to fall asleep right like this if we're not careful" She said and giggled a little bit.
Hunter smiled and held her tighter. "I don't have a problem with that." Hunter said with a chuckle as he danced his fingers up and down her spine. Her sleeping on top of him was something that he loved. It made him feel strong and it made her feel so small. He loved the feeling of her safety. He wanted to be with her for the rest of his life. He kissed her gently on the forehead. "Go ahead and sleep if you want." He said with a smile as he rubbed her back and kissed her.
Arabella smiled and she closed her eyes. She was going to open her mouth and say something clever, something witty and funny but she couldn't think of anything and she realized that she really didn't care. She was happy in his arms. Instead of saying something clever, she let out a happy sigh. "Good night, Hunter" She said softly and she smiled. It felt good to say that to him again. To be falling asleep in a bed with him again. Being apart from him was something that she could never handle again for the rest of her life. Arabella needed to know that she was going to be falling asleep next to him for the rest of her life. "I love y.." she managed to whispered before she fell into a peaceful sleep.
Chapter 127 - Arabella and Hunter
Arabella watched from her spot by the window as the sky slowly turned from a dark blue to a lighter blue. The sun was rising and she was still awake. Addie was sleeping soundly in her bed and Arabella would have given anything to be in her place. Arabella was alone and exhausted and empty. She felt totally drained. Hunter was the one for her but they were never meant to be. Arabella was going to be getting on an airplane in about 4 hours and flying off to New York. She would pack her things and never see Hunter again. With a sigh, Arabella looked at her phone to check the time. She needed to start packing. Slowly, she started to fill her bags, trying not to look at anything. Everything she had reminded her of Hunter.
She tried as hard as she could to blink back tears and she packed up all of her things. All of her memories. She packed away the sweater that Hunter had given her. She packed away the dress that she wore on her date with Hunter. She packed away her camera. She packed away all of the things that she bought at gift stores across the country. Arabella finally closed her suitcases and she closed her eyes. Tears were falling freely now and all she was doing was trying her best not to sob and wake Addie up.
Whenever Arabella closed her eyes, she could see Tiffany and Hunter. She could see the moment perfectly in her mind and it broke her. It hurt her to her core. But it shocked her most of all. Hunter wasn't like that. Hunter wasn't Chad or Brian. He wasn't a liar or a cheater. It didn't make sense that he would do something like that. Arabella let out a soft sigh and she grabbed her bags, walking out of the room quietly. She closed the door behind her with her foot and she started to walk down the hall with her bags. A few people who were awake walked past ehr and gave her weird looks. She didn't blame them, really. She was crying so much and she was having trouble breathing because she was holding back her sobs. Arabella walked down to the lobby and she slipped ehr sunglasses on, hiding her eyes from view.
"I hope you enjoyed your stay in San Fransisco" The man from the desk said to her in a happy voice. Arabella turned her head and looked at him. She tried to smile back at him but she just couldn't. She couldn't smile. She was too broken. Arabella turned away from him, walking out of the doors. Going to New York would be a painful flight and she wasn't looking forward to it. But she was anxious to land in New York. Once she moved out, she would be able to find a new life for herself. A life that she didn't want but it would still be a life. Not this horrid waiting and travelling. Arabella brushed a tear off of her cheek as a cab pulled up and she placed her bags in the trunk. She sat down and folded her arms.
"To the airport, please" She breathed.
Hunter woke up and immediately covered his eyes. He had gone to bed incredibly early and the fact that he had managed to fall asleep surprised him more than anything. The last thing he remembered was seeing Arabella talk to some guy. The guy was sharply dressed and was handsome. Hunter sat up quickly. What did he do last night? Hunter immediately laid back down and covered his face with a pillow. Lights were bright. Sounds were loud. It had been hours since he'd had alcohol, but he felt like he could still smell the tequila on his breath. What if Arabella decided to go with that guy? What if Hunter had completely embarrassed himself? There is no way that he was going to let the last time she ever saw him be a drunken him. Some kind of drunken mess flailing on the dance floor or fighting some stranger for talking to the girl he had no right in chasing.
Hunter groaned as he threw the pillow against the wall and sat up again. He stood up and caught a glance of himself in the mirror. His tuxedo was a wrinkled mess and his hair was even worse. He looked at his face. His skin was pale and his eyes and bags under them. It must have been early. He finally realized as he looked at the window. He moved the blinds as he started to unbutton his shirt. The sun was just starting to rise. Maybe there was still time. Her flight didn't leave until 7. It takes 30 minutes to get through security. it takes 20 minutes to get to the airport. It was 5:45. He had 25 minutes. Hunter yanked the shirt from his tuxedo off and left his room. He needed to find her. He needed to find her and tell her that he loved her and to tell her that she couldn't leave. That she needed a proper memory of him. Hunter didn't bother making sure his door closed. Nothing in that room was as important as what was about to slip from his grasp. He slid on the carpet and cursed under his breath before yanking off his shoes. He didn't need them. He lunged down the stairs and reached the front desk
"What room is Addie Osborne staying in?" He asked frantically, getting a headache from his hangover. He was mostly running on adrenaline at this moment. The woman behind the counter panicked for a moment before typing something into her keyboard, each clacking of the keys making him groan a little. It seemed like forever.
"Room 217. But why--"
"Thanks." Hunter said before sprinting toward the stairs. He bounded up them and sprinted down the hall, finally finding room 217. "Ellie! Addie! Open up!" He said, pounding on the door. No answer. He pounded again. "Ellie! Open up! I have to talk to you!" He was starting to tear up a little. What if she had gone to that guy's room last night. Then he would never see her again. Hunter raised his fist top knock again, but the door opened.
"Hello? Hunter?" A very tired-looking Addie said with a sheet wrapped around her. "What is it? Where's the fire?"
"I need to talk to Arabella. Is she here?" Hunter asked, looking into the room. Addie looked at him for a second and then shook her head.
"No. She left early." She said quietly. "Maybe there was traffic or something. I'm really really sorry." Hunter's heart fell. Everything shattered all at once. He didn't know what to do.
"Okay." Hunter muttered. "Thanks. I'll see you around." Hunter said with a half-hearted wave. That was it. They were through 'Huntabella' was no more. She was gone and he was leaving. Hunter reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. He would never be able to give it to her. He would never be able to drop to one knee and ask her to marry him and put this ring on her finger. He walked back to his room and sat down on the bed. This room made him sick. Everything made him sick. Everything reminded him of Arabella. Arabella was everything. Hunter paked up his stuff quickly. He needed to be on the road. He needed to be distracted from all of this. He hated it and he wanted to old her and kiss her, but now he would never have the chance. Hunter finished packing and headed out the door.
"I hope you enjoyed your stay in San Fransisco. Have a good day." The woman said, plainly. Hunter looked at the woman and wanted to punch her. Hunter was going to have the worst day of his life. There was nothing her could do. Hunter shouldered his bag and threw it in the back of his car. He finally slid into the driver's seat and started it. He closed his eyes a moment and leaned on the steering wheel, openly sobbing. He wished that he could open his eyes and look over and see her. She would be sitting there with a smile on her face and she would be smiling and everything would go back to being perfect. Hunter finally backed out and started out of San Fransisco, wondering what the point of going back to New York was.
"Where are you flying to?" The cab driver asked. Arabella looked over at him, stunned for a moment by his question. She had forgotten that the whole world didn't stop. People were still going about their days and she was horribly heart broken. Her entire world was falling around her but no one seemed to notice.
"New York City" Arabella told him softly and she picked at a loose thread on her shirt.
"New York? That's a long flight. Are you going home?" The cab driver asked her. He had a friendly voice and he seemed like a really good person. Maybe he was someone's father. That thought hurt Arabella too. She knew that she would never raise a family with Hunter. That future was gone. It was flying away. Was she going home? Arabella didn't feel like it. Home was with Hunter and Ajax and Jolie. Home was the house that they lived in together. She wasn't going home. She was going back to New York to pack up her things and search for a new house.
"No, I'm not" Arabella said in a small voice and she took a shaky breath. She was crying again and there was nothing that she could do to stop the tears from falling. Arabella took off her sunglasses and she brushed the tears off of her cheeks with her thumbs. The cab driver looked in his rearview mirror at her before turning back to the road. He picked up a box of tissues and passed it back to her.
"Did you have to leave a loved one?" He asked her in a gentle voice and Arabella nodded, taking the tissues from him and wiping her eyes with one.
"Yeah, I did" She confessed in a watery voice. He gave her a small, understanding smile.
"If things are meant to be, you'll see each other again soon. People who love each other never stay far away from the other. They always have a way of making it back into your life somehow" He said to her in a comforting voice. Arabella looked up at him and her hand automatically went to the pendant around her neck. She rubbed it with her thumb and looked out the window.
"Hey, could you turn on the radio for me? I have a question that need answering" Arabella asked softly and the driver nodded. Arabella closed her eyes as she waited for the radio to come on. Are Hunter and I meant to be? She sent her question up to the gods. She sent it out to the universe. Whoever was listening to her. She needed an answer. Arabella rubbed the pendant as the cab driver flicked the radio on.
I'm gonna love you more than anyone/I'm gonna hold you closer than before/And when I kiss you soul, your body be free/I'll be free for you anytime/I'm gonna love you more than anyone.
It was the song that Hunter and Arabella had danced to at the wedding. It was the song that he had kissed her too. It was the song that was playing when she was starting to feel whole again, when the hole in her heart started to fill again. Hunter was never going to hurt her and he never did hurt her. Arabella had jumped to a silly conclusion because of her past. Hunter loved her and he would never, ever kiss Tiffany. Arabella opened her eyes and she looked at the cab driver.
"Turn around. I need to go back to the hotel" She said in an urgent voice and the driver looked back at her with a knowing smile on his face. As soon as he could, he turned around and headed back to the hotel. The drive felt so long. Every second that ticked by felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. What if Hunter already left? What if she was never going to see him again? She couldn't let him leave. She needed to tell him that she loved him and that she was sorry for how she acted.
Finally, the driver was pulling up to the hotel and Arabella saw something that made her heart race. Hunter's car was pulling out of the parking lot. He was leaving. Arabella tossed a hundred dollar bill into the front seat and she threw herself out of the cab. She ran as fast and she possibly could. She didn't car if she looked stupid. She was going to stop Hunter. Arabella ran in front of his car and she skidded to a stop, placing her hands on the hood of the car.
Hunter slammed on the brakes and closed his eyes, bracing himself. He finally looked up and saw Arabella looking at him through the windshield. They locked eyes and Hunter could feel tears welling up in his eyes. She came back for him. Hunter threw his car into park and got out. They locked eyes one more time before Hunter ran at her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her tightly on the lips. It felt so good to hold her again. To kiss her. To be near her. "I missed you so much, Arabella." He whispered, breaking the kiss and putting his forehead on hers and letting tears finally fall.
"I missed you too, Hunter" Arabella breathed in a watery voice. She closed her eyes, tears falling freely. She was sobbing and she was tired but her heart was starting to fill again. Hunter was with her and even though they still needed to talk and clear some things up, Hunter was kissing her and holding her. Arabella pulled him down to her, kissing him again. It was the only thing that she wanted. She just wanted to kiss him. Her arms slipped around his neck and she held herself close to him. Arabella folded herself into him. She let herself fall apart in his arms. She buried her face in his neck, wanting to stay like that forever.
Hunter held her close and closed his eyes. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her smell. He was so happy. They stood there for several moments. Just holding each other. Enjoying each other. Memorizing each other. He was smiling a genuine smile for the first time in too long. "I'm so so so sorry." He said quietly, willing to do anything to stay like this forever.
"Shhh.." Arabella said softly and shook her head. She wasn't ready to talk about it. She couldn't talk about it. not there, not then. She was too emotional to talk. Arabella just wanted to get into the car and drive somewhere, anywhere. She was already crying and trying desperately to hold back her sobs. There was a honk from behind them and Arabella pulled away to look behind them. A car was parked behind them, unable to get out of the parking lot. "We should go..." She said softly and even though she didn't want to, Arabella pulled out of his arms to grab her bags.
Hunter stood there for a second, already feeling cold from her absence. He hurried to her and grabbed her bags, taking her hand and kissing it. It felt natural and he missed the ability to do it. He gave her a small smile and put her bags in the back of the car before getting into the driver's seat. He put the car into drive and pulled onto the street, driving wherever the road took them.
Arabella slid over to him, needing to be by his side. She couldn't stand to be away from him for a second longer. Her body was sore and worn out. Her emotions were all over the place and as soon as she put her head on Hunter's shoulder, she realized just how exhausted she was. Arabella closed her eyes when she felt Hunter's arm around her, giving her a squeeze. It was comforting and it was real. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't something she was doing while he was asleep so that she could get to sleep. "I really missed you, Hunter" She breathed.
Hunter nodded. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you up eventually." He whispered with a smile on his face. He kissed her head and held her closer than he ever had before. He loved her. He had missed her so much and now that he had her back, even if things were unclear, he never wanted to let her go. He never wanted to be away from her again. He could feel her slowly falling asleep in against him and he was so glad. "I love you." He whispered, gently kissing her hair.
She tried as hard as she could to blink back tears and she packed up all of her things. All of her memories. She packed away the sweater that Hunter had given her. She packed away the dress that she wore on her date with Hunter. She packed away her camera. She packed away all of the things that she bought at gift stores across the country. Arabella finally closed her suitcases and she closed her eyes. Tears were falling freely now and all she was doing was trying her best not to sob and wake Addie up.
Whenever Arabella closed her eyes, she could see Tiffany and Hunter. She could see the moment perfectly in her mind and it broke her. It hurt her to her core. But it shocked her most of all. Hunter wasn't like that. Hunter wasn't Chad or Brian. He wasn't a liar or a cheater. It didn't make sense that he would do something like that. Arabella let out a soft sigh and she grabbed her bags, walking out of the room quietly. She closed the door behind her with her foot and she started to walk down the hall with her bags. A few people who were awake walked past ehr and gave her weird looks. She didn't blame them, really. She was crying so much and she was having trouble breathing because she was holding back her sobs. Arabella walked down to the lobby and she slipped ehr sunglasses on, hiding her eyes from view.
"I hope you enjoyed your stay in San Fransisco" The man from the desk said to her in a happy voice. Arabella turned her head and looked at him. She tried to smile back at him but she just couldn't. She couldn't smile. She was too broken. Arabella turned away from him, walking out of the doors. Going to New York would be a painful flight and she wasn't looking forward to it. But she was anxious to land in New York. Once she moved out, she would be able to find a new life for herself. A life that she didn't want but it would still be a life. Not this horrid waiting and travelling. Arabella brushed a tear off of her cheek as a cab pulled up and she placed her bags in the trunk. She sat down and folded her arms.
"To the airport, please" She breathed.
Hunter woke up and immediately covered his eyes. He had gone to bed incredibly early and the fact that he had managed to fall asleep surprised him more than anything. The last thing he remembered was seeing Arabella talk to some guy. The guy was sharply dressed and was handsome. Hunter sat up quickly. What did he do last night? Hunter immediately laid back down and covered his face with a pillow. Lights were bright. Sounds were loud. It had been hours since he'd had alcohol, but he felt like he could still smell the tequila on his breath. What if Arabella decided to go with that guy? What if Hunter had completely embarrassed himself? There is no way that he was going to let the last time she ever saw him be a drunken him. Some kind of drunken mess flailing on the dance floor or fighting some stranger for talking to the girl he had no right in chasing.
Hunter groaned as he threw the pillow against the wall and sat up again. He stood up and caught a glance of himself in the mirror. His tuxedo was a wrinkled mess and his hair was even worse. He looked at his face. His skin was pale and his eyes and bags under them. It must have been early. He finally realized as he looked at the window. He moved the blinds as he started to unbutton his shirt. The sun was just starting to rise. Maybe there was still time. Her flight didn't leave until 7. It takes 30 minutes to get through security. it takes 20 minutes to get to the airport. It was 5:45. He had 25 minutes. Hunter yanked the shirt from his tuxedo off and left his room. He needed to find her. He needed to find her and tell her that he loved her and to tell her that she couldn't leave. That she needed a proper memory of him. Hunter didn't bother making sure his door closed. Nothing in that room was as important as what was about to slip from his grasp. He slid on the carpet and cursed under his breath before yanking off his shoes. He didn't need them. He lunged down the stairs and reached the front desk
"What room is Addie Osborne staying in?" He asked frantically, getting a headache from his hangover. He was mostly running on adrenaline at this moment. The woman behind the counter panicked for a moment before typing something into her keyboard, each clacking of the keys making him groan a little. It seemed like forever.
"Room 217. But why--"
"Thanks." Hunter said before sprinting toward the stairs. He bounded up them and sprinted down the hall, finally finding room 217. "Ellie! Addie! Open up!" He said, pounding on the door. No answer. He pounded again. "Ellie! Open up! I have to talk to you!" He was starting to tear up a little. What if she had gone to that guy's room last night. Then he would never see her again. Hunter raised his fist top knock again, but the door opened.
"Hello? Hunter?" A very tired-looking Addie said with a sheet wrapped around her. "What is it? Where's the fire?"
"I need to talk to Arabella. Is she here?" Hunter asked, looking into the room. Addie looked at him for a second and then shook her head.
"No. She left early." She said quietly. "Maybe there was traffic or something. I'm really really sorry." Hunter's heart fell. Everything shattered all at once. He didn't know what to do.
"Okay." Hunter muttered. "Thanks. I'll see you around." Hunter said with a half-hearted wave. That was it. They were through 'Huntabella' was no more. She was gone and he was leaving. Hunter reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring. He would never be able to give it to her. He would never be able to drop to one knee and ask her to marry him and put this ring on her finger. He walked back to his room and sat down on the bed. This room made him sick. Everything made him sick. Everything reminded him of Arabella. Arabella was everything. Hunter paked up his stuff quickly. He needed to be on the road. He needed to be distracted from all of this. He hated it and he wanted to old her and kiss her, but now he would never have the chance. Hunter finished packing and headed out the door.
"I hope you enjoyed your stay in San Fransisco. Have a good day." The woman said, plainly. Hunter looked at the woman and wanted to punch her. Hunter was going to have the worst day of his life. There was nothing her could do. Hunter shouldered his bag and threw it in the back of his car. He finally slid into the driver's seat and started it. He closed his eyes a moment and leaned on the steering wheel, openly sobbing. He wished that he could open his eyes and look over and see her. She would be sitting there with a smile on her face and she would be smiling and everything would go back to being perfect. Hunter finally backed out and started out of San Fransisco, wondering what the point of going back to New York was.
"Where are you flying to?" The cab driver asked. Arabella looked over at him, stunned for a moment by his question. She had forgotten that the whole world didn't stop. People were still going about their days and she was horribly heart broken. Her entire world was falling around her but no one seemed to notice.
"New York City" Arabella told him softly and she picked at a loose thread on her shirt.
"New York? That's a long flight. Are you going home?" The cab driver asked her. He had a friendly voice and he seemed like a really good person. Maybe he was someone's father. That thought hurt Arabella too. She knew that she would never raise a family with Hunter. That future was gone. It was flying away. Was she going home? Arabella didn't feel like it. Home was with Hunter and Ajax and Jolie. Home was the house that they lived in together. She wasn't going home. She was going back to New York to pack up her things and search for a new house.
"No, I'm not" Arabella said in a small voice and she took a shaky breath. She was crying again and there was nothing that she could do to stop the tears from falling. Arabella took off her sunglasses and she brushed the tears off of her cheeks with her thumbs. The cab driver looked in his rearview mirror at her before turning back to the road. He picked up a box of tissues and passed it back to her.
"Did you have to leave a loved one?" He asked her in a gentle voice and Arabella nodded, taking the tissues from him and wiping her eyes with one.
"Yeah, I did" She confessed in a watery voice. He gave her a small, understanding smile.
"If things are meant to be, you'll see each other again soon. People who love each other never stay far away from the other. They always have a way of making it back into your life somehow" He said to her in a comforting voice. Arabella looked up at him and her hand automatically went to the pendant around her neck. She rubbed it with her thumb and looked out the window.
"Hey, could you turn on the radio for me? I have a question that need answering" Arabella asked softly and the driver nodded. Arabella closed her eyes as she waited for the radio to come on. Are Hunter and I meant to be? She sent her question up to the gods. She sent it out to the universe. Whoever was listening to her. She needed an answer. Arabella rubbed the pendant as the cab driver flicked the radio on.
I'm gonna love you more than anyone/I'm gonna hold you closer than before/And when I kiss you soul, your body be free/I'll be free for you anytime/I'm gonna love you more than anyone.
It was the song that Hunter and Arabella had danced to at the wedding. It was the song that he had kissed her too. It was the song that was playing when she was starting to feel whole again, when the hole in her heart started to fill again. Hunter was never going to hurt her and he never did hurt her. Arabella had jumped to a silly conclusion because of her past. Hunter loved her and he would never, ever kiss Tiffany. Arabella opened her eyes and she looked at the cab driver.
"Turn around. I need to go back to the hotel" She said in an urgent voice and the driver looked back at her with a knowing smile on his face. As soon as he could, he turned around and headed back to the hotel. The drive felt so long. Every second that ticked by felt like minutes. Minutes felt like hours. What if Hunter already left? What if she was never going to see him again? She couldn't let him leave. She needed to tell him that she loved him and that she was sorry for how she acted.
Finally, the driver was pulling up to the hotel and Arabella saw something that made her heart race. Hunter's car was pulling out of the parking lot. He was leaving. Arabella tossed a hundred dollar bill into the front seat and she threw herself out of the cab. She ran as fast and she possibly could. She didn't car if she looked stupid. She was going to stop Hunter. Arabella ran in front of his car and she skidded to a stop, placing her hands on the hood of the car.
Hunter slammed on the brakes and closed his eyes, bracing himself. He finally looked up and saw Arabella looking at him through the windshield. They locked eyes and Hunter could feel tears welling up in his eyes. She came back for him. Hunter threw his car into park and got out. They locked eyes one more time before Hunter ran at her and wrapped his arms around her, kissing her tightly on the lips. It felt so good to hold her again. To kiss her. To be near her. "I missed you so much, Arabella." He whispered, breaking the kiss and putting his forehead on hers and letting tears finally fall.
"I missed you too, Hunter" Arabella breathed in a watery voice. She closed her eyes, tears falling freely. She was sobbing and she was tired but her heart was starting to fill again. Hunter was with her and even though they still needed to talk and clear some things up, Hunter was kissing her and holding her. Arabella pulled him down to her, kissing him again. It was the only thing that she wanted. She just wanted to kiss him. Her arms slipped around his neck and she held herself close to him. Arabella folded herself into him. She let herself fall apart in his arms. She buried her face in his neck, wanting to stay like that forever.
Hunter held her close and closed his eyes. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her smell. He was so happy. They stood there for several moments. Just holding each other. Enjoying each other. Memorizing each other. He was smiling a genuine smile for the first time in too long. "I'm so so so sorry." He said quietly, willing to do anything to stay like this forever.
"Shhh.." Arabella said softly and shook her head. She wasn't ready to talk about it. She couldn't talk about it. not there, not then. She was too emotional to talk. Arabella just wanted to get into the car and drive somewhere, anywhere. She was already crying and trying desperately to hold back her sobs. There was a honk from behind them and Arabella pulled away to look behind them. A car was parked behind them, unable to get out of the parking lot. "We should go..." She said softly and even though she didn't want to, Arabella pulled out of his arms to grab her bags.
Hunter stood there for a second, already feeling cold from her absence. He hurried to her and grabbed her bags, taking her hand and kissing it. It felt natural and he missed the ability to do it. He gave her a small smile and put her bags in the back of the car before getting into the driver's seat. He put the car into drive and pulled onto the street, driving wherever the road took them.
Arabella slid over to him, needing to be by his side. She couldn't stand to be away from him for a second longer. Her body was sore and worn out. Her emotions were all over the place and as soon as she put her head on Hunter's shoulder, she realized just how exhausted she was. Arabella closed her eyes when she felt Hunter's arm around her, giving her a squeeze. It was comforting and it was real. It wasn't a dream. It wasn't something she was doing while he was asleep so that she could get to sleep. "I really missed you, Hunter" She breathed.
Hunter nodded. "Get some sleep. I'll wake you up eventually." He whispered with a smile on his face. He kissed her head and held her closer than he ever had before. He loved her. He had missed her so much and now that he had her back, even if things were unclear, he never wanted to let her go. He never wanted to be away from her again. He could feel her slowly falling asleep in against him and he was so glad. "I love you." He whispered, gently kissing her hair.
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