@AngelSendFromUpAbove  Thank you so much for this beautiful cover I absolutely adore it! xx

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"Because sometimes you have to step outside of the person you've been and remember the person you were meant to be. The person you wanted to be. The person you are." – Mouth McFadden, One Tree Hill

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Edited

|Present|

I sat alone on the swing in the balcony. I'd just come back from college a while ago.

It was a beautiful sunny day.

I used to love sunny days.

I used to love a lot of things.

Now, nothing made me happy. It was hard to believe that happiness had ever existed for me. It seemed like a distant dream.

I jerked up when I felt a hand on my shoulder. My eyes widened in shock when I saw who it was.

"Sara?" I sputtered in shock.

I stared at my father's fiancé in bewilderment.

What is she doing here?

She was beautiful.

Like Nichole.

Same hair. Same eyes.

"Look, my father isn't here. He isn't going to be home for a while." My tone was clipped.

She gave me a small smile. "I know, I came here to talk to you."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"May I sit down?" She asked quietly.

I looked at her warily before finally nodding. I had no idea where this was going.

"I'm sorry." She said finally. "It was all my idea, surprising you that day, dinner, everything. I just wanted to get to know you, I'd heard so much about you. I just realized how insensitive I was being, your mother just passed away I can't believe I actually thought it would be okay to barge in like that. Please, don't take it out on your father. It's my fault not his. He loves you so much Scarlett."

She looked at me sadly. "Please don't think I'm trying to take your mothers place. I know I can never replace her."

I let out a humorless chuckle. "That's the thing, it's not you, it's my father who's trying to replace her. She's been dead for hardly a month and he's planning his wedding for God's sake! It's pretty obvious that he didn't love us but can he at least pretend to have a little respect for the woman he'd been married to for eighteen years!"

Sara looked taken aback, she hadn't been expecting my outburst. "Scarlett your father wouldn't be marrying me if your mother hadn't given us her blessing."

My eyes widened in shock.

"What are you saying?" I demanded.

She looked utterly confused. "Your father went to see your mother about a year ago and he told her about me. She was the one who urged him to propose in the first place. . ." Her words died down in her throat when she saw my expression.

"You didn't know." She whispered in disbelief. "I'm so sorry! I thought you knew."

"Y-you're lying!" I stuttered.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to tell you." She said quietly.

I felt like I was suffocating.

"Scarlett, please just hear me out." She urged. "I came here to tell you that I'm not going to marry your father without your consent. I know you despise me but please know that I'm not your enemy. Richard and I have decided to postpone the wedding-"

But I was already on my feet.

I couldn't breathe. I needed to get away.

She started to reach out for me but I stepped away.

"Please. I need to be alone right now." I whispered.

Before I even realized it, I was already sprinting outside. I needed to get out of the house.

Had Sara been telling the truth?

Had my father really come to visit my mother?

Had my mother actually consented to his second marriage?

My thoughts were spinning out of control.

I needed to breathe.

I collapsed on the ground. My breath came out in gasps.

"Scarlett?" A familiar voice called out.

My head snapped up and my eyes met Hunter's. He looked concerned.

Why do I keep forgetting that we're neighbors?

We stood there silently for a while just looking at each other.

I was grateful that he didn't ask me any questions. He knew better than that.

"Come with me." He didn't ask, it was more like a statement.

"What makes you think I'll go anywhere with you?!" I spat out.

"Because you look like you'd do anything to get away from here." His gaze was intense.

I sucked in a breath.

I knew he was right.

He didn't say anything else, he just walked to his bike parked a few feet away. I guessed that he'd been going somewhere when he saw me.

I silently followed him.

I didn't argue when he handed me the helmet.

~~~~~

"Where are we?" I asked as I unwrapped my arms from around his waist and got off the bike.

He had parked outside the gates of a three story white-washed building.

He gave me a smirk but didn't bother answering my question. My curiosity got the best of me and I followed him inside. The inside of the building was clean and welcoming. I could tell we'd stepped into the reception area. There was a woman sitting behind the desk, her face broke into a huge smile as soon as she saw Hunter.

"Hunter! It's so good to see you." She greeted him warmly.

"Hey Martha. How are things?" Hunter asked politely.

"Things are great." Her eyes settled on me. "And who's this young lady? You've never bought anyone with you before, she must be special."

"She is." Hunter responded.

I tried to ignore the way my heart skipped a beat at his words.

Martha just chuckled softly.

"Go ahead. They'll be really happy to see you." She told him.

What did she mean by that?

I was really confused. I still had no idea about where we were.

Who'd be really happy to see him?

But before I got the chance to ask Hunter was already pulling me along.

He guided me through a carpeted hallway till we reached a door which Hunter swiftly opened. I squinted as my eyes adjusted to the sunlight. We'd stepped outside to what looked like a small playground. Little kids were running around playing.

"Hey look it's Hunter!" Someone squealed.

All of a sudden Hunter was being attacked by an army of tiny human beings. I watched in amusement as they tackled him to the ground. Hunter just kept laughing.

"I missed you Hunto." A little girl who couldn't have been older than five spoke.

Hunter tapped her nose. "I missed you too little Emily."

Something in my heart tugged.

"Who's she?" An adorable little boy with chestnut brown hair asked. He looked at me curiously.

Hunter's head suddenly snapped in my direction and his lips spread into a slow smile.

"Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Scarlett." He announced.

Twenty or so pairs of eyes turned to look at me.

"Hey." I waved a little awkwardly.

"Hi Scarlett." They all responded in chorus and I couldn't help but melt a little at their cuteness.

Hunter got up from the grass and came over to me, the little boy with chestnut hair perched on his shoulders.

Suddenly I felt something tug at my shirt and I looked down to find the little girl Hunter had called Emily earlier gazing up at me.

"Are you Hunto's girl fwend." She asked.

I laughed and knelt down so I was at eye-level with her. "No I'm not." I tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "So Emily, do you want to be friends with me?"

She nodded eagerly and I chuckled.

The next few hours passed quickly. I played with the kids and Hunter just sat down and watched.

I couldn't remember the last time I smiled this much. It was the most fun I'd had in years.

"Who wants some juice?" Martha's voice suddenly called out.

Excited squeals filled the air as the kids crowded around Martha.

I chuckled and went over to help.

After we'd distributed the juice-packs Martha and I stood back and watched the kids with smiles on our faces.

"He's a good guy. Don't give up on him." Martha suddenly murmured.

It took me a while to understand what she was saying. I didn't respond. I didn't really know what to say.

"His donations are what keep this place running. These kids have a home thanks to him."

An involuntary gasp left my lips.

Martha smiled like she was expecting me to be surprised after finding out about Hunter's generosity. "He tries to hide it but he's a good person. He has a good heart."

Her eyes trained on something behind me.

I felt his presence before he spoke.

"It's time for us to leave." Hunter's voice suddenly murmured in my ear.

I just nodded silently.

I spent the next fifteen minutes saying goodbye to the kids and promising them that I'd come back to visit. 

I waved goodbye to Martha as we stepped out.

I put on the helmet and secured myself on the motorcycle behind Hunter.

I felt an unfamiliar sense on peace in my heart.

My arms curled around his waist and my head came to rest on his back, I could feel him tense in surprise at my actions but soon his whole body relaxed. I felt his fingers caress my hand lightly, but it was only for a moment. The motorcycle surged forward.

I closed my eyes and for a moment I chose to forget my problems.

For a moment nothing else mattered, besides this moment.

~~~~~~~

He didn't take me home. He took me to the clearing instead.

I couldn't deny the relief I felt.

I wasn't ready to go home. Not yet.

He silently got off the bike and sat down on the soft grass. I knew he was waiting for me to join him, so I did.

"I think it's beautiful." I murmured.

His head snapped in my direction, he looked confused.

"What you do for those kids, it's incredible Hunter." I told him truthfully.

He just shrugged like it was no big deal.

But it was. 

It was a big deal.

His actions spoke multitudes of the kind of person he was inside.

"It's the money from the races isn't it? You're racing to earn money for these kids. That's amazing." I finally whispered.

"There's nothing amazing about it. I have more than I deserve and those kids deserve so much more than what they have. I shouldn't be appreciated for the unfairness in this world." His voice was bitter.

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

His eyes were blazing when he finally looked at me. I could feel my breath catch in my throat.

"This world is unfair and cruel. Awful things happen to good people and bad people get everything." His eyes softened a little as he looked at me, "Monsters like me get things we don't deserve, beautiful and pure things which we're only capable of destroying."

He closed his eyes like he was in pain.

"You're not a monster Hunter." My voice was quiet when I spoke. His eyes snapped open and he looked at me in shock.

I sighed. "Sometimes when I look at you, in brief moments, I see glimpses of kindness. I saw that today. I know that you're not a bad person Hunter."

Hunter's grey eyes bore into mine.

My heart leaped when I saw him leaning forward.

His forehead came to rest against mine.

"Still so naïve." He murmured. "You make me worry about you."

My eyes were still locked with his.

"You're so different now Hunter. It's like you've become a different person in three years." I whispered.

"Maybe I am a different person."

I leaned away from him and narrowed my eyes.

"I may have left for three years but that doesn't discredit the ten years I spent with you before that. I know you Hunter Adams. So don't give me that crap. What's up with this bad boy façade anyway?"

He studied me with slight amusement.

"Bad boy facade?" he repeated.

His lips curled into a sly smirk. "I thought girls liked bad boys." His voice was teasing.

I raised my eyebrows in question. "So, you're doing this to impress girls?" My voice was laced with sarcasm.

His smirk vanished and suddenly his gaze on me intensified.

"One girl in particular." He murmured.

I swallowed. My eyes trained on the grass, I couldn't look at him anymore.

It was all too much.

I was feeling to much.

Thick silence enveloped us.

"Why did you do it?" I whispered.

He grimaced slightly. I knew he understood what I was saying.

"Why did you hurt me all those years ago? Why did you leave me when I needed you the most?" I questioned.

He was silent.

"Do you even regret it?" I demanded.

"Do I regret hurting you?" He asked, his voice was low.

His eyes flashed. "Yes, I regret it. I've been regretting it for three years damn it!"

He was so close now. I hadn't even realized he'd gotten this close. Our noses were practically brushing.

"Ask me if I'd take it back. Ask me if I'd take back hurting you and putting you through hell." He breathed.

"Would you take it back?" I asked automatically.

"No." He responded flatly.

My heart dropped.

I jumped to my feet.

How dare he?

"I hate you." My voice wavered.

Just as I was about to turn away, I felt his hand grasp my wrist. He pulled me towards him, till my back was against his front. I tried struggling but his arms caged me, I knew I couldn't escape.

"I'm sorry. I wish I had been stronger. I wish I had come up with some other way. I'm sorry for hurting you. But I can't take it back. I won't." He whispered the words brokenly.

I tried to swallow the growing lump in my throat.

"I don't understand." My voice came out choked. "Please tell me what you mean. I need answers Hunter. Please." I was begging him at this point but I didn't care.

I wanted to understand why he abandoned me.

I needed to understand.

His arms finally loosened around me and I turned around so I was facing him.

Our eyes met. Something intense lurked behind his gaze. My eyes darted to his lips.

"Please." I whispered gently as I leaned forward.

Hunter squeezed his eyes shut, like he was in pain. He finally let go of me and stepped back.

"Stop." He finally managed to choke out.

His eyes snapped to mine again-wild, desperate.

"Stop looking at me like that Scarlett. I'm losing my mind. Don't look at me like that." He growled.

"I don't understand." I breathed.

"You're looking at me like you used to look at me three years ago. Like I didn't rip your world apart." His hands curled into firsts.

"You're looking at me like you want to forgive me."

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