She leaned toward him to get him to look at her again before she asked, "Whose dog is it?"
"Prez's ol' lady."
"Oh."Annie studied his face.The lines at the corner of his eyes were deeper tonight.He was also tired.
"You didn't have to help us," she said softly."But you did."
Hunter shrugged, then pointed to her and tapped his chest."You protect what matters.Your sister means something to you.You mean something to her."
Annie's throat tightened."I-I couldn't leave her.She's all I have."
Hunter's gaze lingered on her, then drifted toward the bedroom."My family wasn't like that."
She frowned."Do you have brothers?Sisters?"
"Only child."He paused."Dad was a drunk.He used to pin me to the wall when I was eight years old and hold a shotgun to my head.He'd..."He spread his hands."Shot the gun close to my ears.He thought it was funny.The state took me from him the last time he did it because he shot buckshot into my arm.By then, the damage to my ears was done."
Her breath caught.She gawked at him."Hunter..."
He shook his head, waving her concern off.
She wanted to say something, but didn't know what.Parents weren't supposed to hurt their children.Just like she told Leigh that a husband wasn't supposed to hurt his wife.The world was messed up.
She reached out, her fingers brushing his arm.
He didn't pull away.
The air between them warmed, and Annie's heart beat a little faster.She felt drawn to him, but she was leaving.She would never forget what he'd done for them.If it weren't for him saving her, she'd be dead, and ultimately, Jason would have killed Leigh, so he saved both their lives.
Hunter knew her stay was temporary.She could see it in his eyes, and he respected her for helping her sister.That's why he'd helped her.
Annie yawned, the weight of the day finally catching up to her.If she thought about what tomorrow would bring, she'd cry.It was too hard to face a new day when she had no answers on how to protect herself and her sister.Hunter noticed her covering her mouth and nodded toward the bedroom.
She stood slowly and faced him."Goodnight."
He blinked an extra beat.
She walked to the bedroom and glanced back one last time.Hunter remained on the couch, gazing at the TV.
Muted.
No captions.
Just silence in his world as he tried to read the lips of the characters on the television show.She blinked hard.They all had their scars, some more prevalent than others.
She closed the door behind her.
