Chapter 3 Closets Are Full Of Secrets

Hunter and Shawn stepped out of Shawn's car three days later at Stephanie's funeral. Shawn held Hunter's hand and grinned. "I love you."

"Only Vince knows baby."

"I know. We can tell the others soon." Shawn squeezed Hunter's hand one last strong time and then slipped it away. "You ready for this?"

"I'm ready as I'll ever be."

30 MINUTES LATER

"That was a nice service." Linda smiled. "I'm glad everything went well." I hugged her and looked over at Hunter, him and Shawn were sitting little too close and smiling a little too much.

"Linda, I need to talk to my brother." I was half way across the room to them when I got stopped by Vince.

"Talkng to the quitter, huh?"

"No sir. I'm talking to my brother." I turned away from him and avoided Shane the rest of the way. "Hunter, Shawn." They scooted down the bench so I could sit next to them, I stood. "You guys ok? You've been hanging out together for a long time?"

"We're just upset. Steph was my baby's mom."

"True, what's your deal Shawn?"

"Me and Steph were close. Really good friends, I've had just as rough a day as you have."

"Whatever." Something was up and I was determined to find out what. "You guys want to come over later?"

"Um, hon-Hunter?" Shawn stopped himself.

"Sure, we have something to tell you Linda and Shane, so make sure they get invited too."

"Fine."

2 HOURS LATER

"Well, we all know I was married to Stephanie, and we all know I loved her. Man did I love her. When Vince told me about his idea for a storyline, I couldn't kill her, even falsely. After the divorce I was torn, I loved her and Ava, but the show and my own personal emotions were keeping me from going back to her. I gave up the only two girls I'd ever love, and I'd never love again. But things have changed. I do have a new love, and they're in this very room." We all looked at Linda.

"Hunter I." Linda started.

"Not you."

Shane sighed. "It's not me is it, fairy boy?"

"No dumbass." Hunter blushed, thinking back to what he said to Vince three days earlier. "And I don't do incest relationships, so it's not John either."

"That leaves me baby." Shawn stood and kissed him, we all sat in shock.

"How long?" I angrily asked.

"About a month after the divorce." Hunter answered.

"Did you know while you were married?" Linda asked quietly.

"Not really, I wondered why I'd stare at Shawn so much."

"Oh, thank you baby." Shawn giggled at the compliment.

"Hunter did Steph know?"

"She was the only one that did. She asked me to get back with her ant one point, and I couldn't. I was with Shawn and I told her that."

"How'd she take it?"

"She was upset, but she was glad I was happy. I guess all in all, as bad as it hurt her, she was gla she didn't have to go through another marriage, or even relationship with me again." He chuckled. "And as much as I love her now, she's just Steph, just a friend."

"She was never just Steph. She was a beautiful, strong, loving girl, and it's my fault she's gone."

"What's going on?"

"I asked her to marry me the night of the car accident. She left to think, but she went to a bar and on her way home she got in an accident. If I wouldn't have asked she wouldn't have left."

"John, don't torture yourself, if you wouldn't have asked her, you would've said something to piss her off, or done something stupid, or she would've said or done something stupid and left. No matter what if it was her time to go, she would've gone." Hunter tried.

"Hunter, she didn't even know how much I loved her." I paused. "I didn't say goodbye."

"None of us did if you remember. None of us had the time." Hunter hugged me. "You're ok"

"Well, we oughta go." Linda stood and grabbed Shane. "We'll see you all later."

The room got awfully quiet, the only noise was coming from my sobs. "Hunter baby, the cat?"

"If you need to feed your damn cat go do it. I'll se you at home."

"Oh, and how will you get there?"

"I don't know, but I need to talk to John." Hunter signaled and Shawn left. "John, I felt the same way when I left her. If I would've said one thing differently, we would still be together. I also felt that way when granpa died."

"Hunter we live 600 miles from granpa's house and we've moved closer."

"Exactly, if we would've visited him more, if we would've called more often then we did. It sounds rediculous, but I blamed myself."

"Hunter there was nothing you could've done."

"There's nothing you could've either. Nor for grandpa, and not for Steph."

"I should've waited to ask her."

"No, now at least she knew you cared. You were wiling to take her and her baby into the family, and you proved it." Hunter hugged me and stood. "You loved her didn't you?"

"Of course."

"Do what I did with granpa, write it down and lay it on her grave." Hunter left.

"Write it, huh?" I asked myself as I watched him get in the car. I sat at the table with a notebook. "I don't know what to say."

I I loved you the day you met me

I wept the day you left

I sit here thinking

What could I have done?

I tried so hard to tell you

I looked so hard to find you

Now you're gone and I'm alone

Don't truely live me baby

I need and love you Stephanie

/I

I looked at what I had written. "Good enough." I took it down and copied it, Blew it up and laminated it. Then I called Hunter. "I need you to come with me." We met at the cemetary and I sat by her grave. "What do I do Hunter?"

"Lay it down." I did. "Kiss your hand." I did. "Place you hand on her grave." I did. "Now let's go."