“I don’t know how to answer that.”
What the fuck does that mean? “Huh?”
“Can I FaceTime you? I wanna see your face.”
Sitting up, I glance around the room. I probably look a fucking mess. I haven’t been able to force myself into the shower all week. Flipping on the light beside my bed, I pull the phone from my ear and hit the button to FaceTime him.
My breath catches when his face fills my screen, and I nearly close my eyes. He looks sleep-mussed and warm and like all the good things I have left in the world.
“Fuck,” he breathes, and my stomach sinks.
Resisting the urge to turn off my camera, I swallow hard. “Yeah, I know I look like shit.”
My attempt at deflection doesn’t work, and Hunter’s eyebrows pull together. “You don’t look like shit at all. You look exhausted and sad.”
“So, like shit,” I repeat. I want to be defensive, but I can’t even muster the strength to do it.
He shakes his head. “No.”
We stare at each other in silence for what feels like a lifetime before he sighs. “I’m not going to have this talk with you right now.”
My stomach sinks. “Why not?”
“Because you look too fucking sad, and I can’t handle it. Just know I’m not mad at you. I’m thankful you responded when I texted, I’m thankful we talk on the phone, and I’m really fucking thankful you let me see your face.”
I snort. “Because I’m sad?”
He shakes his head slowly. “No, because you’re fucking beautiful, and I missed seeing those eyes of yours.”
That stuns me into silence. “Have you eaten today?” Hunter asks softly, and I shake my head.
“Do you have anything you can snack on?”
I start to shake my head again, but then nod instead. “I have some peanut butter crackers in the kitchen.”
His lips quirk up into a crooked smile. “Perfect. Wanna go grab them and a glass of water, and we can chat while you’re snacking?”
“It’s the middle of the night.”
Hunter nods. “Exactly. The perfect time for a midnight snack. Mom made cookies earlier; maybe I’ll go grab one, and we can snack together.”
I see what he’s doing. He’s helping me with something I’m not sure I can get on my own, and he’s offering to keep me company. To brighten some of the dullness and dark that’s hanging over me.
“Okay.”
I start to set my phone down so I can climb out of bed, but Hunter’s voice stops me. “Wait, take me too.”
That draws a tired laugh out of me. “You don’t want an apartment tour, I promise. I’ll be right back.”
Dropping the phone on the bed, I drag myself out of it. I left the crackers on the counter in the bag from the gas station, not even bothering to put them away. So, after I’ve got a glass of cold tap water and a package of the crackers, I go to my room and climb back into bed.
Hunter’s still on my screen when I pick up the phone. “Hey,” he says, a big grin on his face as he holds two cookies in the air. “Let’s enjoy our snack, shall we?”
I nod, sitting against the wall so I can put my phone between my knees and open the package of crackers.
I eat them slowly, taking lots of sips of water to help wash them down. They’re so dry, and it’s so hard to chew, but when the package is gone and Hunter’s smiling eyes are settled on mine, I feel marginally better. At least my stomach isn’t empty anymore.
“Tell me about your day,” he says softly.
