Chapter Four:
Breaux Bridge, Louisiana
7 December 2013
Hunter's P.O.V.
I am beginning to settle back into my parents home quite nicely and I think that Sofia is as well. She and I still need to talk about some things, and I've only taken so long because I wanted to give her the chance to settle in and what not. Plus, I've never been very good at confronting people, but I guess now is as good a time as any. Walking out of my bedroom and across the hall, I knock on the door.
"Sofia? May I come in please?"
I hear some movement, shoot I hope she wasn't busy.
"Hunter, what's up? Come in."
"I'm sorry, I didn't interrupt anything did I?"
"No, nothing important." She replies with a smile, I love that smile. It's beautiful. Focus Hayes.
"Okay, well let's sit down. This isn't super important but I still feel that it is."
She gives me a reassuring smile and walks to sit down in the window seat. I decide to grab her desk chair and move it by the window.
"I know you probably thought that we would talk about this stuff sooner but I wanted to give you time to settle in and what not. Okay, I'm rambling, sorry. What I wanted to talk to you about was what happened the first morning when you arrived here, when you were pretty rude to me if you remember." Nodding her head, I'm happy to know that she hasn't forgotten, so I continue. "I know you were really tired from being on a plane all night and day, so that's why I didn't say anything at the time. What bothered me was the fact that you were nice to Mom but not so much to me. I guess I was just kind of confused Sofia, do you have any kind of reason why that might be?"
I can tell she's thinking to herself and I think I might have made her feel a little ashamed because now she won't meet my gaze.
"I just figured it didn't really matter how I treated people my own age, I guess. I don't really know Hunter."
"Hey, sweetie, look at me. Please?" Slowly she looks back up at me. "Now, I know you just turned 19 correct?" She gives me a nod yes. "Okay, well I turned 22 in September, now I know that isn't much of an age difference but it's enough to make an impact. This is a small town Sofia, and the older folks around here won't take kindly to any kind of disrespect and they'll call you out no matter who's around. Most people my age aren't going to care either way, a good number of them are a little on the way-ward side anyway. But I do care and I don't think it's too much to ask for you to show me some respect as well. I promise I will never call you out in public, I will always talk to you privately, I will never treat you like your less than me because I don't believe that for one second, and I promise if you ever make me angry I will always calm down before I come and talk to you. I promise you all of those things and so much more. Do you trust me Sofia?"
"Of course I trust you Hunter. I want to ask though, why are you doing all of this for me?"
"Sofia, I want to do all of this for you because I care about you. I care for you a lot, I really do. "
At first, I'm not sure how she's going to respond, but instead she gets up and pulls me to my feet and goes in for a hug. Wrapping my arms around her, I can feel her step closer to me and put her head on my chest. She's shaking a little bit, the first thought that comes to mind is that she's cold, but I don't think so. She's crying, suddenly I wish I could take away all of the pain that she's feeling. Leading her back to the desk chair, I sit down and pull her onto my lap. I don't know what to say to make her feel any better, so I just sit and hold her and keep thinking to myself. Wow, I'm falling for this girl so fast. I never knew that I could fall this hard for a girl and such a short amount of time.
After quite a while, Sofia has become really quiet. Thinking that she's fallen asleep, I go to stand up and help her lay down in bed.
"Wait, Hunter. Please don't get up. I don't want to move."
"Okay honey, if you're sure. I'll stay right here for as long as you want me to. I won't go anywhere, you can fall asleep if you'd like to."
"I want to but I'd rather talk to you some more. You're the first person that I've met in a long time that I feel like I can talk and tell anything to and you're not going to cast judgment on me."
"Of course I won't judge you for anything. That doesn't mean that there won't be times that I don't particularly like or agree with what you do or say, but I'm not here to condemn you. That's not my place or my job, only the Lord can do that. So what would you like to talk about?"
"I want to tell you about everything and about my parents and all of the things that actually make a difference."
Nodding, I encourage her to continue.
Sofia's P.O.V.
I can't believe I'm about to just tell my entire life story to this boy that I barely know. Except, I feel like I've known him for my entire life. This has got to be borderline crazy right?
"I know that the one thing that both you and your parents are wondering about is how I am in my faith journey. To begin with, I don't really know what I believe in, it's all really complicated for me. My parents were and still are very religious people and it's great for them, but they also try to shove it down my throat. They want me to believe the same things that they do and I just don't think that I do. It's all very complicated. So please don't push me with that stuff." Waiting for a response, Hunter gives me an encouraging smile and nod to continue. Wow that was the hard part right? "Anyway, when I'm ready for someone to help me with that, then I'm pretty sure you'll be the first to know. I have a passion for gymnastics and horses. My ultimate goal is to-"
"Whoaaaa, wait just a minute. Now, don't go telling me everything Sofia. I want some things to be a surprise." Hunter interrupted me with a sly smile plastered on his face.
I keep thinking about what I was going to tell Hunter, I was ready to tell him about my dreams and goals. There is definitely something special about him, I was about to spill my heart to him and I've barely known for three days. This is a huge step for me.
"Hunter, I don't know what it is about you, but there is definitely a very special quality in you that I have felt since I arrived here a few days ago. I feel like I can trust you and I haven't felt that feeling in a really long time and it's so good to know and I hope that the feeling stays for a really long time. And I'm blubbering now."
By this time, I'm sobbing into my hands because all I can think about is how betrayed I feel by my own parents. I can feel arms wrapping me up now. It should feel wrong, but it doesn't, and in the next second I'm being pulled onto Hunter's lap and I bury my face in his shoulder, so he won't see me crying even though at this point it doesn't matter I guess, but I continue to let out all of the tears I've held in for so long.
Hunter doesn't say a word to me. He doesn't need to and he must know that. He rubs my back gently and holds me close. He understands that no amount of encouraging words are going to make me feel better right now. He has known since I arrived that I am broken, hurting and he knows that I am trying to run from a hurtful past. He knows that I am trying to make a fresh start, in a new place. I want him to be alongside of me while I continue this journey of mine. I have never wanted someone to stay in my life forever, as much as I want him too.
Eventually, I begin to calm down. I have drained myself of all of my thoughts and tears. I must have soaked Hunter's shirt by now, but he doesn't seem to mind. I don't know how long we've been here like this but it has to have been a while now. I'm pretty sure he thinks that I'm asleep now, so I'll just let him believe that. After a while longer, I hear the door creak open just a little bit.
"Hunter? Are you—oh dear, is everything okay honey?" Lynette's sweet voice fills the room.
"I think so, at least for now. I'm pretty sure she's asleep though. Her heart is broken in half mom, maybe more like shattered into pieces, but someone has hurt her quite a bit. We were just talking and then she started talking about-"
"Now, don't go telling me what your conversation was about, that is not my business. I can see that she is hurt quite badly though. That is the only detail that I need to know about son. It's supper time though, do you want to wake her up?"
"Yes ma'am. No, I think I will let her keep sleeping. I'll make sure she eats when she wakes up though."
"Okay, I'll save a plate for the both of you. You better eat also, don't go starvin' yourself."
I can feel Hunter just nod his head in response to that last demand of his mother's' and his chest shake just a little bit as he laughs. Oh, I wish that my relationship with my parents was just as easy as Hunter and his mom and dad. Hearing the door shut again, I know that's my cue that Hunter and I are alone again.
"Hunter?" I ask quietly so maybe he'll think I was really asleep.
"Yes Sofia? By the way, I know you weren't actually asleep." I know he's got that stupid smirk on his face now.
"Can you put me in bed please? I just want to lay down for a while. I gave myself a headache from all of the crying that I did." Okay, it's my last shot that I've got, so that I don't have to go eat supper right now.
"Of course I can sweetheart. Do you want me to get you some pain relievers for your headache? Before you even ask, yes I will stay in here with you."
"How did you know I was going to ask? Oh, and yes please. There might be something in the black bag over there next to the bathroom door."
It's kind of weird that Hunter is just standing over my bag looking for Tylenol to give me.
"Okay, two Tylenol for the lady. Do you need anything to drink?"
"Yeah, some Fire...just kidding. No, I have some Gatorade left." From the look on Hunter's face, I am going to assume that he didn't find that funny. "Hunt, before you get mad at me, you have to remember that in Germany the legal drinking age is 16. So please, please don't get angry right now."
"Hey, I'm not getting angry. I actually didn't know that, but now I do. You do know that you aren't allowed to drink here because the legal age is 21?"
"Yes, I know I'm not technically allowed to but..."
"No. No but's Sofia."
He is so serious right now. I don't think that I've had anyone care about me in that kind of way. Well this is new and I kind of like it. I feel so safe.
"Okay. Okay, Hunter. I promise that I'll listen."
"Thank you Sofia, I just want to keep you safe." Hunter said with a soft tone in his voice.