Stefan looked like he'd spent the night in jail. His lip was split, he had a black eye, his hair was a greasy mess, and he looked like he'd lost twenty pounds overnight.

My brothers came out of the kitchen as Sam and I got into the house. Cheddar spotted me from his perch on the living room table and trotted my way, trilling.

I picked him up and hugged him, rubbing my face in his fur to hide the sudden tears that sprung to my eyes. He smelled like home. "Hey, my little orange munchkin. Did you miss me? I bet you did."

I got myself together in time to be engulfed by Scott's big arms.

"Ew. Are you hugging me? That's disgusting," I said. Cheddar slipped from my arms and jumped to the floor. I patted Scott's back.

He pulled back, his eyes haunted. "I'm sorry."

I pinched his side. He stepped back and scowled at me. "Hey!"

"Why are you apologizing? Did you spike my drink?"

He made a face. "No."

"Then don't apologize. Jeez. You'd think I died or something."

He rolled his eyes, pretended to strangle me, then ducked back into the kitchen. I could hear something sizzling.

Stefan loomed in the kitchen's door, shifting on his feet. He opened his mouth.

"If you're going to apologize, don't even bother."

He snapped his mouth shut and huffed. "Are you okay?"

I gave him two thumbs up. "Peachy. If you feel bad, you can make me grilled cheese. Not the disgusting mess you and Lia like."

"Fine."

He went into the kitchen as well. I turned. Sam was so quiet I'd forgotten he was there. He was watching us with a small smile.

"What's that loony smile for?"

"Loony smile?"

"Yep. Are you on drugs?"

He wrapped his arm around my neck, choking me. "Too soon, you brat."

"Hey. I'm recovering! You have to be gentle and caring."

"Recovering, my ass." He let go and pushed me to the stairs. "Go wash up. I'm making lunch."

I gave him a dubious look. "You? Lunch?"

He raised his fist. "Go."

I was halfway up the stairs when he called out. "And don't forget to invite your boyfriend over!"

Ugh. I jogged to my room, feeling my throat close up with every step. I closed myself in my bathroom, stripped and jumped into the shower.

I wanted to shed my skin and grow a new one like a snake. I rubbed and rubbed and rubbed, washing my hair twice and gurgling until I choked on water. If I stayed any longer, my brothers would worry. That was the only reason I got out of the shower.

I wrapped a towel around myself and sat on the toilet seat, staring at the tiled floor. I felt so weird. As if I just borrowed this body.

A tear escaped. I wiped it off, but it was like the drop that spilled the glass. Tears just kept coming. I wrapped my arms around myself and breathed through it. All the fear and the disgust and the anger.

This was ridiculous. I was fine. Nothing bad happened to me. I had my brothers and my friends' support.

But why did I feel so alone?

My phone rang on the counter. I wiped my face, brushed my hair back and glanced over. Hunter.

I cleared my throat, smiled and picked up. "Hey! Finally checking in on your girlfriend?"

"Hey." He hesitated. "Are you okay?"

It wasn't asked as a courtesy, it was out of genuine concern. Did my voice sound weird? I cleared my throat.

"Yeah. I'm home. I still have a little headache and I have to pee every two minutes because of how much water I'm drinking, other than that, I'm good."

Silence. I picked at my towel. "Are you okay? They told me you beat them up."

"Not enough," he grumbled.

I chuckled. "Sorry about your car."

He grunted. "It's just a car."

I smiled at his grumpy replies. I missed him, I realized suddenly. I missed him so much and I'd only seen him yesterday. Tears sprang to my eyes. I put my fist on my forehead and closed my eyes tightly. God, this was so not the time to get emotional. Ugh. What was wrong with me?!

"Sapphire?"

"Mhm." There. If I didn't talk, he wouldn't notice.

"You're home?"

"Mhm."

"I'll be there in thirty minutes. Dress warm."

He hung up. I stared at the phone screen numbly for a few seconds. Then shot up. The tightness in my chest was easing up already at the thought of seeing him. I washed my face, brushed my hair, and dressed in gray sweatpants and a black hoodie I'd stolen from Sam when he moved out for work a few years ago. It hung midway down my thighs, its hood was big enough to tuck all my hair in, and it made me feel cozy and safe.

Downstairs, Sam, Scott and Stefan were in the kitchen. It smelled like burning tomato sauce. I peeked in. Sam was looking at a pot. Black smoke was coming out of it. Scott was on his phone, and Stefan was doing something with his back to me.

"How did you manage to burn it when you're right there?!" I asked Sam.

He was a terrible cook. He looked up with a grimace. "I just went to the bathroom and it burned. What are we going to do?"

"What are you going to do," I said. "I'm going out."

"Where to?" Sam asked. "What about lunch?"

"With Hunter," I said. "We'll grab a bite somewhere."

"Are you sure you're good to go outside?" Sam asked, dropping the pot in the sink and turning on the faucet.

"I'm good."

Stefan turned with a wrapped sandwich, he thrust it my way. "Your grilled cheese."

I grinned. "Thanks. See you later!"

I made my escape. Outside, Hunter had just parked his car near our house.

"Oh my God," I mumbled to myself. The entire driver's side of the car was a big, white scratch. The sideview mirror hung off loosely. Poor thing.

I closed the door and jogged towards him. He got out. We had to make our escape before Sam decided to issue the invitation himself. I could get out of it somehow-

The door opened. I cursed under my breath. I walked past Hunter to go to the driver's seat and whispered. "Quick, quick, quick."

He didn't even question me. He jogged to the passenger seat.

"Hunter," Sam called.

Hunter and I froze. He looked at Sam. "Yeah?"

"You're having dinner with us tonight, alright?"

Hunter opened his mouth, but Sam already turned to me. "Don't be late."

He closed the door. I got in the car and plopped down on the driver's seat and groaned. "Great."

We strapped in, I started the car and drove off. The car smelled of cigarettes. It'd been a while. I guess I wasn't the only one affected by last night.

"You don't want me to come?" Hunter asked.

"Why wouldn't I want you to come?" I asked. "I'd love to spend more time with you at dinner, but I know how it's going to be. It's going to be a very uncomfortable dinner for you. Sam will probably grill you, Stefan will help him out and Scott will watch it all like a weekend comedy show."

He leaned back in his seat and shrugged. "It's fine. I can handle it."

I sighed. "I hope so. I'll try my best to shield you from the worst of it."

"What kind of boyfriend would I be if I hide behind you while you fight off your evil brothers."

I grinned. "You fought off two evil bastards yesterday, it's only fair I return the favor."

He looked out the window. The silence turned thick.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm sorry. If I hadn't left you alone-"

"Stop apologizing-"

"No, listen to me," he said. "I should've come back as soon as I got the hoodie. But that motherfuc-"

He stopped. I raised my brows and glanced at him. His eyes were closed, his fist was white knuckled on the windowsill. He took a deep breath. "I got jumped."

"You what? By who?" I asked, glancing at him. Who in the world would jump a six foot four guy who was built like a football player in the middle of the night?

"Collin."

I frowned. The name didn't ring a bell. "I don't know him."

"The guy I was fighting when your brothers pulled me off that first day."

Oh. That was the first day I'd seen Hunter. It felt like an eternity ago. "You mean the guy you were beating to a pulp. I don't remember there being much fighting."

Hunter grunted.

"What's with you two, anyway?" I asked. Hunter shifted in his seat. I raised my brows. "Hunter?"

"He thinks I banged his girlfriend," he grumbled.

Okay. There was no rational reason for me to feel jealous. I still did, though. It was my turn to grunt.

Silence. We stopped at a red light. Hunter shifted in his seat again. I glanced over. He was rubbing the back of his neck. The sight made me mellow out a little. Cute.

"So, did you?" I asked.

"Did I what?"

"Bang his girlfriend."

"I don't know."

I laughed. "What do you mean, you don't know? How could you not know something like that?"

He huffed. "I don't know who his girlfriend is, so I don't know."

I shook my head. I looked at the red light. Thirty five more seconds to go.

"Anyway. He held me back. That's why I took a while. I should've just banged his head against the wall and left him there. I'll probably do that next time I see him."

"Okay. We don't want to be banging any heads. And we don't want to be banging anyone's girlfriend. So keep your fists and your dick to yourself."

"Sapphire!" Hunter sputtered, then laughed out loud.

I looked at him, amazed. It was the first time he laughed this heartily. His cheeks creased and his eyes danced with joy and mirth. I grinned. I felt oddly proud of myself for making him look this happy. The sound eased the heavy rock of fear and anxiety off my heart.

The light turned green, and Hunter settled down, letting out a deep breath.

I drove to the usual diner we ate at after our workouts. I parked the car, and we stayed there for a while.

The sun peeked through the clouds, only to scurry back into hiding. I should drink some water-

"Damn it, I forgot my water bottle home," I said.

Hunter turned and leaned into the backseat, there was some crinkling, then he emerged with a water bottle. He uncapped it and gave it to me.

I took it and glanced at the backseat. On the floor was a twenty-four pack of water bottles. I raised my brows. He usually didn't keep a stock of water in his car. "Thirsty much?"

"I got it for you," he said. "They said you should be drinking a lot of water."

Awe. I smiled to myself. He was so sweet. I drank half the bottle.

"Hungry?" he asked.

I wrinkled my nose. "No. My stomach still feels raw. Are you hungry?"

He shrugged. Stefan's sandwich was in the cupholder between us. I pointed at it. "You can have it. I made Stefan made it for me because he felt bad. But I don't think I'll eat it, and it might make him feel bad if I don't."

He cocked his head and looked at me. "You don't like worrying them."

"Who likes worrying their family."

"Not like you." He turned in his seat and leaned closer. "How do you really feel Sapphire? Don't say fine."

I opened my mouth, and the dam hiding my emotions broke. My vision swam.

Hunter blurred to my sight. He shifted in his seat, got closer, and held me. His arms were strong and warm around me. He held me together, telling me it was okay, that I was safe. And I realized then how much I needed this.

I just wanted someone to hold me and tell me it was safe. My family and friends would, but I never let myself be vulnerable with them. I never let myself be needy, even when something horrible like last night happened. I held myself together to not have them worry. I was the one who always did the comforting, not the other way around.

My tears lasted several minutes. I didn't even know why I was crying. It must be all the angst and fear of the previous night, even though I didn't remember much of it.

"Thank you," I said, leaning my head against his chest. He couldn't be comfortable, sitting halfway over the console like that. But I wanted to be selfish for a little bit. He made me want to be selfish.

"You're welcome," he mumbled against my hair. "Anytime."

I smiled and pulled away. Our faces were so close. It was too bad the memory of our first kiss last night had been marred by the following events. Hunter kept one arm wrapped around me, and wiped my tears with his other hand, his hand gentle against my skin.

I sighed and took his hand in mine. "Your knuckles are messed up."

"It doesn't matter."

"It does, to me," I said. "Did you get them looked at?"

He nodded. "At the hospital. Your brother made me do it."

I smiled. No one could say no to Sam.

Hunter leaned his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. I couldn't resist. I closed the distance between our lips and kissed him. He froze for an instant before kissing me back.

It felt as good as I remembered. Even better. After a few minutes, we pulled apart. Hunter brushed a finger across my cheek, his eyes warm and affectionate.

"Thank you," I said. "For coming after me yesterday."

He kissed my forehead. "I'll always do. So, you'r not hungry. Where do you want to go?"

"I just want to... drive a little."

He settled back in his seat. "Then let's drive a little."

"I'll pay your gas-"

He rolled his eyes and grumbled. "Just drive, Sapph."

He always called me by my full name, and only called me Sapph when he was irritated. I chuckled, rubbed my hands over my face, feeling much lighter all of a sudden, and drove off.

We drove with no music, as we always did. Silence was never uncomfortable around Hunter. I lowered the windows, letting in the cool breeze. The town whirred by. It was where I grew up, every street held memories, some I loved, others I wished I could erase. But they all made me who I was today.

I must have blanked out, because I only realized where we were when Hunter looked at me with a raised brow. The gym.

"I don't think you should be working out," he said.

"I know." I parked the car, turned the engine off and sat back, looking at the sprawling building. It was busy, people were coming in and out. But Saturdays were often busy.

We just sat in the quiet for a long time. The clouds moved in the sky, revealing a sliver of sunlight that disappeared as quickly as it appeared.

"My dad used to come here whenever he was worried about something," I said. Usually, he would work out, but sometimes he would sit aside with Steve and just talk. As I grew older, I realized he must've been worried about something during those times.

This was my second home, in a way. Dad brought me and the boys all the time, but I was the one who stuck around with him, surprisingly.

"You were close to your dad."

I nodded. "Very. I was Dad's little girl. A spoiled little girl."

"I couldn't see you as spoiled."

"Oh, I was."

He wasn't looking at me. Perhaps that was why it was easier to speak about it. Or perhaps it was just how safe he always made me feel.

"Mom used to scold him about it," I said, my eyes fixed on the gym but my mind playing memories of a distant childhood. "He never told me No. I always did what I wanted, I always got what I wanted."

I wrapped my hands around the steering wheel and squeezed the cool leather.

"That's why I can't ride a car if I don't drive, you know."

Hunter glanced at me. I kept going. "I was nine. Dad had come back from work late, and I wanted something. I don't even remember what it was. It was storming outside, but Dad bundled me up and he drove us to wherever we were going. I think it was a toy store or something as silly."

The lights flashed in my mind. I closed my eyes tightly against the memory, but it was as vivid as when it'd first happened. The windshield blurry from the rain. The bright lights diffused by the water. The outline of a big vehicle; a monster's gaping jaws. Then the crash.

"We were in an accident. I remember I saw the vehicle heading our way, and I thought to myself: we have to turn the car, if I could just turn the car to avoid the truck. Of course, there was nothing that could've been done, even if someone else was driving. The truck driver was drunk. He swerved the vehicle at the last moment and basically ran us over." I stopped and took a deep breath.

The flashes of darkness and pain and cold rain. Dad had turned the car so the truck hit him straight on, saving me from the brunt of the shock.

And he lost his life, so suddenly and so quickly. His light snuffed out of existence because I made him drive in that weather, because I was a demanding brat.

My father had been the rock of our family. My mother had suffered from almost crippling anxiety for as long as I could remember. My father had been the only one who could help her through it.

After he passed away, our family was never the same again. I swallowed the knot in my throat and blinked my eyes open. I looked at Hunter. How long had it been since I'd last spoken about it? I didn't even remember. It was too painful for my brothers, and Lia and Jason had been family friends since we were children; they knew everything. We never talked about it.

And I needed it.

Hunter put his hand between us, palm up. I linked my fingers through his and squeezed. "Thanks. For Listening."

He squeezed back. "Anytime," he nodded to the gym. "Want to go in?"

I nodded. "I could keep Emma company while you work out. Steve won't let me touch a thing."

Steve probably heard about what happened from Sam, already.

Hunter grabbed a bag from the trunk, he always kept it there, and we made our way inside. As soon as I stepped a foot inside the gym, my shoulders relaxed. The familiar sounds and smells assaulted my senses, and I shed the last negative feelings of the previous night.

Hunter nodded his head to the back rooms. "I'll change. If you want to go or if you feel off, let me know."

I nodded. He took a step away. I stopped him. "Hunter?"

He turned his head my way. "Yeah?"

I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "You can go now."

His lips twitched up, the heaviness tainting his eyes receding. Much better. He tucked his hands in his pockets, rounding his shoulders, and walked on.

"Sapph!" Emma called, rounding her desk and rushing my way. She gripped my shoulders, her face etched in worry. "Are you okay? I heard what happened from Dad."

I smiled. "I'm fine, Em."

She frowned. I changed the subject. "How did your date go?"

She rolled her eyes, and we went to sit behind her desk. I dragged the visitor's chair next to her and took my seat. She told me all about her unsuccessful date with a guy. She didn't exactly know what was wrong, they just didn't vibe, she said.

I knew what was wrong with the guy. He wasn't Brandon. But saying that would earn me a glare, so I kept my opinion to myself.

Hunter walked out of the hallway leading to the locker rooms, dressed in a loose tank top and basketball shorts, wrapping his hands, his boxing gloves under his arm, bulging his toned biceps.

Emma leaned over me to look at what got my attention. She whistled. "Well, you definitely hit the jackpot with your boyfriend."

I chuckled. "I did, didn't I?"

"I heard he beat the crap out of those two," she said.

"News sure travel fast," I grumbled, looking around. Steve didn't tolerate fighting outside the gym. Normally, he would punish the person by banning him from the gym for a couple of weeks or so, depending on the severity of the fight.

I spotted Steve's bald head making his way to Hunter, glistening with sweat. It wasn't fair to Hunter to be kicked out because of me. I stood up. I would talk to him-

Emma pulled me down. "He's not going to kick him out. Give Dad some credit."

Steve reached Hunter. They spoke for a bit, then Steve slapped Hunter on the shoulder twice. I sat down.

"He's not angry with him?"

"He probably scolded him a little bit, just because he has to be the responsible adult," Emma said, playing with the pages of a new book on her desk. "But I know Dad. He probably wishes he was there so he could beat those bastards up some as well."

The sound of the sandbag echoed in the gym. I sighed. "I wish I could punch something."

"Not gonna happen," Emma said.

"I know." My eyes followed Hunter as he made his way to one of the punching bags.

She scooted her chair closer. "So, how do you like your new boyfriend?"

I grinned. "I like him a lot."

Hunter looked over and winked. I smiled and winked back. Oh, I liked him more than a lot.

--- ---- --- 

Hey guys! How are you doing?

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. don't forget to vote and comment!

Also, where can I get a Hunter? he's just so dreamy *sigh*

Much love <3 <3 <3

M.B.