Chapter 5 Hunter
five
Hunter
Sometime during the night, after rounds three or four, my leg was throbbing so badly I risked taking off my sweatpants and prosthesis.
I told myself I would wake up before Millie and put them back on.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, I was rolled onto my side, facing Millie, with my stump cushioned between her thighs, and it wasn’t hurting.
Trying not to wake her, I slowly shift my body away from her, gently sliding my stump from between her legs before she wakes and freaks out, realizing last night was a mistake when she sees me like this—half a man.
“Mmm, where are you going?” Her eyes flutter open, and I panic as I try to roll out of her embrace.
But my ray of sunshine refuses to let go, tightening her arms around me.
“No, you don’t get to pull away from me.
Not today, not after what we did, not ever.
If you don’t already know, you're mine. I’ve already laid claim to you.
I fell in love with you the first time you grunted your answer to me. ”
She can’t be serious, can she? How could someone as sweet and outgoing as Millie want a broken man like me?
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no way you love me.” Not how I love her, at least.
“Let me see it.” She props herself on her elbow and stares down at me.
“What?” She can’t be serious, wanting to look at my stump.
“Let me see your leg. If you’re so worried that my feelings will change once I see it, then let me see it and be the judge of that.”
My beautiful, stubborn Millie refuses to take no for an answer.
It’s probably best to get this over with so we can stop pretending my disability isn’t a big deal.
“Fine.” I pull the sheet back, exposing my missing limb and the angry scars that crisscross what’s left of my leg.
Facing this head-on, I keep my gaze fixed on Millie, waiting for the look of horror to cross her face, but it never comes.
She lifts her leg from on top of mine, slowly sliding her body down the bed until she is face to face with what’s left of my leg. “Will it hurt if I touch it?” She glances up at me, and all I see is love shining back at me.
“It actually feels better today, so you can touch it if you want to.”
I expect her to hesitate, running her fingers over my scars, but she surprises me by pressing her lips to the angry red marks, kissing a path along the scar.
“My brave Hunter.” She pushes herself up in bed until we’re face-to-face.
“I’m so sorry you went through all that, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you.
If you’ll have me, I want you for the rest of my life. I love you.”
Relief rushes through my body, knowing she loves me for me and isn’t disgusted by my injury. “I love you, too, Millie. But I have to ask, did you just propose to me?”
“Yes, I did. So what will it be?”
“Yes, Millie. Always yes to you.”