"What are you doing beautiful girl?" Dom asks, his happiness flowing through the phone making me drop my eyes from the beautiful blue ones holding mine.
"Yeah, Gigi what are you doing?" Hunter growls low next to me.
"Who is with you Gin? Sorry, I didn't know you were with someone," Dom says quickly. Always considerate.
"My tutor for coding Dom. It’s all good. How can I help you today?" I ask. I know what is going to happen next, and shamefully I don't even try to stop it from unfolding. I don't do anything.
"Gin, will you please be my date to the Saint’s First Party on Saturday," Dom asks again, so damn hopeful.
Hunter's eyes are ablaze with so many emotions and I don't know which is more surprising - his anger, excitement, challenge.
I lock my eyes with him trying to understand him, and without a doubt, he can see my conflict. But I hope that he can see my hesitation.
"Why Gigi, that's an awesome idea," Hunter whispers as he leans in even closer to me as I speak with Dom. Hunter’s finger lightly run’s down my throat.
My whole body locks down at his intimate touch. As always, Hunter has me spinning in one direction, away from where I wanted to be. I am not sure if I want his full attention, his approval, his jealousy or if I just want him to be my damn tutor. Obviously the last is the biggest lie, I have ever told myself.
I am pretty sure that I nearly break my phone as I squeeze it tight between my fingers, it feels like my life is spinning out of control. In my ear I hear Dom's encouraging, waiting breath but in front of me Hunter's finger trailing over my skin is burning, demanding my attention. Something is about to collide and I am pretty sure I will be the only one to get hurt. My eyes close as I try to take stock of the tornado inside me.
"Umm," I lose the ability to speak. "Dom," I whisper, "please..."
"Say yes," they both say at the same time.
My eyes widen in shock, my heart beats so loudly that it feels like it will explode out of my chest. I hold Hunter's eyes, and I still can't figure out what I see in them. His eyebrows cock up at me in an unknown question, maybe my mistake is that I took that action as his acquiesce.
"Yes, Dom. Yes I will be your date for the Party," my words should be so full of excitement but it really feels like a little part of me loses its lightness, in just a few words.
Hunter doesn't even wait for me to finish my call, he stands abruptly, so fast that his chair slams onto the floor, the crash echoing through the library. It hits with such force that I cower in mine. His movements are so vibrantly alive in his anger that I freeze in place. But he encouraged this, he told me to accept Dom's invitation. He is gone before I even get up off of my seat.
I offer an apologetic smile at the librarian, pre-empting her disappointment and pick his chair up off the library floor. The sound of the library doors slamming, so far away, thunder through my ears, sending my Hunter radar spinning.
"Agghhh!" I sound before Dom's far away voice reminds me that I still have him on an active call on my mobile, "Shit Dom, sorry. I'll call you back,"
"What happened? Did you fall or something, I heard a crash," I hear Dom's concern but I hang up before I even finish speaking with him.
I slump back in my chair and stare sightlessly at the screen, confusion and irritation swirling through me. Without giving it much thought I leave everything where it is and go after Hunter. I need to know what his problem is.
I power walk like an idiot, at a barely restrained jog through the library, before standing in front of the building looking like a fool, my head whipping from side to side searching for him. Off in the distance and by sheer chance, I see Hunter, rounding the tall hedge at the edge of the campus. I take off sprinting after him, making the decision not to call for him, hoping I get the chance to surprise him. I want to catch him off guard like he always does to me. I want to see his tail spinning so I can garner if it is just me that is affected, or if I confound him.
My legs are burning and my blazer trails after me l as I run over the landscaped paths along the campus gardens. I nearly slip over in my haste as I take a sharp corner where I last saw him go. My feet freeze instantly to the ground when I finally see him just a few steps away. He is squatted down, his hands looking like they are tugging at his hair, his eyes squeezed shut. It breaks my heart.
"Hunter," I offer quietly, he still doesn't sense my presence. He looks up at me in total confusion then.
My feet move slowly toward him, our eyes locked together. I can see his thoughts and emotions match the maelstrom of what is racing through my own head. And it gives me a sense of comfort.
"Hunter, what happened in there?" my voice wobbles a little, not in fear, I don't think.
"What happened? Are you fucking serious Gigi?" he snarls, his anger lashes out, entrapping me, tugging me closer to him.
I am not scared of Hunter's anger. He makes me scared, for some many more complex reasons. But I have no fear of his anger.
"I am serious Hunter, what just happened? Explain it to me, cause I can barely figure it out myself, let alone stay up to date with the latest game you are playing, so yeah, I am serious, spell it the fuck out for me," I hiss back at him.
"You! Gigi. You happened! I didn't sign up for this shit. You know what, fuck you. You think I am playing games. Fuck you then Gigi. You always conveniently forget everything I have ever said to you. Me, I can recite every one of your words. Word, for, fucking, word. So yeah fuck you," his words, searing in a burning anger. His body reacting just as aggressively, leaving him looming over me.
His presence makes me flinch and my reaction seems to still him. I should have realised it is just the eye of the storm though.
"You seriously think I would hurt you?" he barks out at me, his words drowning in the incredulous laughter that follows.
