FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

Hunter stared at Bianca. He didn't know he offended their feelings. He looked at all his friends, and all of them wore a hurt look on their faces adding more to his guilty conscience. 

"I would gladly get hurt or sacrifice my life if I have to die to save your life. That's what friends do for each other. Eric is pissed because you're asking him not to do that. Friends protect each other and stand by each other no matter what. Aren't you going to do the same if Eric was in your place?" Bianca asked rhetorically. She knew for sure that Hunter would die for them too if needed. 

Hunter lowered his head, closed his eyes and sighed before getting up from the sofa. "Bloody hell, it hurts so bad," he muttered and placed his hands on his hips. After taking several deep breaths, he took a few steps forward with much difficulty and reached Eric. 

"Eric, I'm sorry, buddy. I didn't mean to offend any of you. I didn't call you for help only because I was terrified of losing any of you. Just how you wanted to protect me and keep me safe, I wanted to do the same for my friends," Hunter said and tried to pull Eric into a hug, but his best friend was still furious, and he kicked Hunter's shin in retaliation. 

Hunter cursed, moving his foot back. 

Hera had never seen the two of them fight before. She thought it was so disappointing to see the two best friends fighting with each other. But now she knew, they were fighting for each other. Finally, they hugged, and at the same time, the doorbell rang interrupting their moment. 

Michael jumped over the sofa and briskly walked to the door, expecting to see the doctor on the other side of the door. 

He huffed as if he was disappointed when he met Danny and Evelyn instead of the doctor. They brought takeaway food with them. 

Hera silently watched everyone as they conversed with each other. Hunter explained how he lost his balance as his bike skidded, resulting in his injuries. Danny apologised for not being there for him and fought with Hunter because he didn't call him immediately for help. 

Hera resisted the urge to roll her eyes at them. 

'Deja vu?'

She thought sarcastically. 

'How many times are they going to fight over the same context?'

But Hera couldn't resist rolling her eyes when Evelyn actually kissed Hunter's booboos to make it better. 

'Seriously?'

Hunter looked at Hera and smiled, but it vanished from his face when Hera responded with a fake one. He was disappointed when it didn't reach her eyes. Hera could detect the uncertainty in his eyes. For some reason, he hesitated to approach her. Not that she expected him to walk the distance between them with his injured legs, but she knew he avoided speaking to her for sure. 

She heard them speaking about shifting him to his bedroom. The boys were deciding who should carry him upstairs as Hunter couldn't climb the steps. He refused though deciding to stay on the sofa until the doctor finishes his medical scrutiny. 

'Did they forget that there's an elevator in the house?' 

Hera scoffed, rolling her eyes, but none of them noticed. 

"Do you want me to make you a glass of scotch? It will help with the pain," Michael suggested, but before Hunter could accept the offer, Eric scolded them. 

"He's not supposed to drink alcohol because he's to eat medicines," Eric reminded them. Hunter was complaining about the messy bloodstain and the disgusting smell. He wanted to shower first, but the doorbell rang for the second time, and the doctor finally made it. 

The doctor didn't waste any time and proceeded to examine Hunter's injuries. Hera excused herself under the pretence of getting changed and ran upstairs as soon as the doctor mentioned stitching the wound. 

"You don't need to call Mathew. I'll inform him myself so don't worry about him, doc," Hunter was saying when his voice faded as Hera reached his bedroom and locked the door. She wouldn't be able to watch her Hunter suffer anymore when the doctor tends to his wounds. 

Hera took off her trench coat and tossed it aside on the couch. Her boots went under the furniture as she carelessly shoved them away. Closing her eyes, she sent a prayer to the almighty to give her Hunter strength to bear the pain. 

'And, dear Lord, please make sure it doesn't hurt him much.' 

She jumped and landed face flat on the bed. Lying on her stomach, resting her head on the soft pillow, she inhaled the scent, the smell of the earth after the first rain, petrichor. Her favourite fragrance in the world, her Hunter's natural scent, soothed her anxious heart but the emotions it brought along broke the dam of her tears. 

She let herself cry into the feathery, soft pillow. She had too much to think, and it was so hard to hide her pain and suffer quietly. Hera wasn't sure what made her upset, whether Hunter getting hurt or his friends staking claim over him. All in all, it resulted in them ignoring her presence and she feeling abandoned. 

Like it used to be in the earlier days, his friends stood as a wall between them, separating them from each other. She couldn't even touch him or sit next to him. All she wanted to do was to whisper a few words to show her affection, kiss him once and to feel his heartbeats against hers to assure him of her love. 

Even though she was just a few feet away from him, the distance between them was so much that it felt like centuries would pass before she could reach him again. 

Hera knew she was being dramatic and overreacting. His friends were all so good and were selflessly taking care of him. She should be happy and thankful that they love him so much. But here she was burning with jealousy, and God knows what else. It was silly of her to act in such a way, but that's what she truly felt. 

Call her childish or stupid or jealous girlfriend, Hera hated everyone. How could she like anyone who would take her Hunter away from her? 

"I'm all alone like always. I miss you, Hunter," Hera whispered to the pillow and closed her eyes, tears still flooding around her cheeks. "Eric said you could've died. What if it had come true?" She questioned the empty room and cried harder. She was terrified of losing him when he said he met with an accident. 

But she knew Hunter wasn't honest with his accident story. She could tell for sure, either he was lying, or he wasn't telling the whole truth. 

'There's more to the story, and he isn't telling me.'

If it was just an accident as he said then why would Eric be so pissed at him? That cut on his thigh, it didn't seem like an injury caused by the skidding bike. Hera wasn't that dumb. She could guess only a sharp weapon would slice the flesh so brutally. 

'You didn't call me for help.'

'You could've died.' 

Eric's words echoed in her mind. It kept ringing in her ears. Hunter was worried about his friends' safety. He said he wanted to protect them but from what or who?

Hera wanted to sleep and forget all her worries for now, but sleep wouldn't come. She was hungry, and if she wanted to eat, she had to go down and face them all again. Hera wasn't ready for that. 

'Is he in danger? What are you hiding from me, Hunter?'

She asked, but for the love of God, she couldn't reach any conclusion. Hunter wasn't there to put her mind at ease. 

Amidst all these questions lost was her mind, analysing and assuming the right scenario. She thought so much that it didn't occur to her when sleep had claimed her consciousness. 

Later at some time in the middle of the night, her forearms felt numb. She subconsciously realised that she was still sleeping on her stomach, her hands crushed under her body weight. Groaning in protest, Hera turned on her side to release her hands from the unpleasant pressure. 

When she tried prying her sleepy eyes open, the light stung in them. 

"Who left the fucking lights on?" She whined and turned around to bump into the warm body next to her. Alarmed, her eyes flew open wide and landed on the beautiful boy sleeping beside her. 

"Hunter," she whispered, and her hands moved on their own accord to touch him. She wanted to make sure she wasn't dreaming. Every trace of the sleep gone, she was wide awake, and the steady rhythm of his heartbeats under her palm brought a smile to her lips. She propped herself on her elbows and let her thirsty eyes to quench its thirst by feasting over his angelic face. 

He had showered and changed into his black pyjama shorts paired with his naked torso, quite contrast to the white bandages on his wounds.