Chapter 37
Chapter
Thirty-Seven
Hunter: Can you drive me to PT this afternoon?
Natalie: What time?
Hunter: 4:30
Natalie: Yep, I can squeeze that in after class and before my evening shift.
Using the code he gave me, I let myself into Hunter’s apartment and force myself to smile. I don’t get to see him very often; I don’t want to be a downer when we’re together.
“Is everyone decent?” I call, stepping inside. “Evan, put on pants!”
“He’s not here. No one is.” Hunter reclines on the brown leather couch, his foot propped up on the cushions. In his tight black tee, athletic pants, and backwards hat, he makes my mouth water.
I pout. “An empty apartment, huh? Too bad there isn’t time to take advantage.”
He raises his brows, a seductive smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. “You sure about that?”
I tap my watch. “Sadly, I am. We’ve gotta get you to physical therapy on time.”
And then I have homework and GrubHub. It helps that I can work as much or as little as I want. And I try to take shifts when I have the car to maximize efficiency. Between me and my mom, I think we’ll be able to pay off the roof by the time I graduate. I just hope nothing else breaks before then.
Sighing, Hunter grabs the crutches off the floor next to him and gets to his feet. Leaning on them, he adjusts his hat, and my fingers itch to touch his hair.
Giving in to the impulse, I move to his side and wrap my arms around him. It throws off his balance for a second until he leans on me. I nuzzle my head under his chin and inhale. Clean laundry detergent and expensive cologne. Smells like comfort.
“I missed you.” His voice rumbles through me, gravely and low.
Pressing up on my tiptoes, I kiss his cheek. “I’m sorry I’ve been so busy.”
“That’s okay. I know you’re working hard.” He presses his lips to mine, then groans. “Can you schedule me for a date soon? An overnight when the guys are gone?”
“Okay, sounds good.” I love that idea, and I nod, but I’m mentally running through my calendar, trying to figure out when I will fit it in.
Hunter sighs, resting his forehead on mine. “It’s time to go, isn’t it?”
“Yep.” I give his backside a cheery pat and head to the door, holding it open for him. We take the elevator down and when we get to the parking lot, he glides on his crutches over to the passenger door of my beat-up Toyota.
“You’re pretty good on those things.” I open the door and help him stash his crutches in the backseat.
“Not a skill I really wanted to acquire, but here we are.”
His tone is bleak, so when he fiddles with the radio, I don’t say anything. I can’t help but compare the interior of my car—standard, functional, no bells and whistles, to his BMW. His Beemer is like a spaceship inside, and there’s definitely no car-seat in the back. At least I vacuumed out the Goldfish crackers today.
“So how are your classes going?” I ask to fill the silence.
“Good.” He shifts in his seat, wincing as he moves his foot. “Great, actually. This is the most free time I’ve ever had, so I’ve been studying a lot.”
“That’s awesome. Way to be productive.” I give him a sunny smile, but his face stays impassive.
“What about you?” Hunter reaches out and strokes my hand on the steering wheel. “You making time to study?”
“Yep.” I toss a glance at my bookbag in the backseat. “I brought stuff to work on during your appointment.”
“About that.” He clears his throat. “Thanks for doing this for me today.”
“Of course.” That’s what I do, help my loved ones when they need it.
“I was thinking. You’re missing out on a GrubHub order to do this, right?”
“Well…” I don’t like where he’s going.
“So I could pay—”
“No.” My tone is adamant. “No way.”
“But—”
“I’m your girlfriend. You can’t pay me for anything.”
“I just thought—”
“I know.” I cut him off, and then soften my words. “It’s a nice thought. But no.”
Hunter lapses back into silence for the drive and then refuses my help to get in the building when we arrive.
After he gets out of the car, I haul my backpack into the front with me and turn up the radio. Music helps me study. I get in the zone and the time flies. I startle when he knocks on the window.
I hustle out to open the door for him and give him a bright smile. “How did it go?”
He shrugs and maneuvers himself into the car without putting weight on his left leg. “Okay, I guess. I wish there was a way to speed it up.”
I sigh, thinking of my dad on the transplant list. “I get that.”
I squeeze his knee, and he grabs my fingers, linking them through his.
“Are you sure you can’t stay and hang out a little bit?” he asks. The look in his blue eyes, a combination of hopeful and pleading, makes my belly twinge.
I cover it with a giggle. “Does that move usually work on girls?”
He adopts a mock-offended tone. “Always.”
“Sorry to burst your bubble, but it doesn’t work on me.”
He shakes his head. “You’re the only one that matters.”
Despite my disappointment in saying no, his words warm me.
“Thanks for understanding. You know I want to, but…” I trail off, and he strokes my hand.
“I know.”
He stares straight ahead out the windshield, and my thoughts drift. How long will he continue to understand? At some point, what I can give won’t be enough. That’s what happened with Javier. It’s only a matter of time before it happens again.