Loved

Hunter’s p. o. v.

” Mr McConnell?” A plump lady calls as soon as she steps out of the room.

” Yes?” I stood to my feet.

” Mr Reid would see you now. He’s out the balcony” she smiles briefly before walking away.

The event was currently taking place downstairs and after searching for Mr Reid for over an hour I decided to give him a call.

He detailed that he was on the second floor, room fifty two C in the hallway.

I just realized this building was also a luxury guest inn.

” Thank goodness” I smiled to myself in apprehension of speaking with Mr Reid and proceeded to locate his room.

I’ve been harboring thoughts about revealing my intentions to Mr Reid and it’s high time that I did.

Everything else is currently a secondary discussion. Once he’s done saying what he has in store, I’ll lay mine.

After a short distance, the door comes in view. I took a deep breath then knocked thrice before opening the door and going in.

The room was eventually set to the Reid style. Candle lit only with a lot of polished wooden furniture, a chandelier and lot’s of bronze structures.

I took another deep breath and did a little sign of the cross as I walked across the room to the balcony not so far away.

The balcony had a clear illuminated view of the New York night sky, with stars scattered across the dark blanket above the windy night causing a bustle of trees.

The crisp air blew across my face and I scanned the area for any sign of Mr Reid, spotting a shadow at the extreme end, overviewing the city with a cigar in between his lips.

” Lovely view isn’t it son?” He spoke up without turning to regard my presence.

” It is indeed. Evening Mr Reid”

He only nods in response but continues to take in the city before him.

He huffs out smoke from his lips after a while and talks again.

” I remember when I was a kid, my mom would always tell me that no matter what level you attain in life, someone is always going to be able to control you”

I diligently listened, not wanting to interrupt his story.

” But I hated it. I hated limitations. I hated being controlled. So then came a moment in life where I had all that control, where no one dared to get on my bad side, where my name brought order to any disruption. But then..” he paused and softly laughed. Using his hand to extract his cigar stick to release another puff of smoke.

” Then what?” I asked in curiosity.

” Then.. I fell in love. I fell in love with the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. Then I realized what my mother said was very true. The girl I fell in love with was the only person who had control over me even when she had no idea. She made me different. She changed my concept of life, she made me happier without raising a finger. I stopped craving control, I stopped craving the power. I just wanted her. And when I had her, I abandoned everything else. I began a new life and I’ve never been happier. But I made a vow to myself, I swore to never get her involved with the life I lived before and to do that I had to avoid anything linking me to it. Even if it was family”

Why am I being told this?

” Okay?”

He chuckled at my evident confusion.

” You don’t understand my reason for telling you this story do you?”

” Truthfully? No”

” I’m telling you this because Hunter, you’re like a son to me but it seems like I’m gonna have to cut you off”

I felt my heart rate accelerate at his words.

Cut me off? What happened?

” W-why?” My words stuttering because I couldn’t believe my ears.

” Why? You weren’t listening to my story were you?”

” Mr Reid, if I offended you in any-” I started but he cut me through.

” You didn’t offend me. But you’re linking me to what could endanger my family”

” How? What do you mean?”

” I received a package sometime ago, at first I didn’t believe it but due to connections I did some underground digging and found out it’s true”

” I don’t understand Mr Reid”

” You were involved in drugs sometime ago and now in a terrible debt. From the information on the letter I received in the package, you’re seeking a business deal with me so you can have a leverage because of my influence but I’m sad to inform you that I will not get involved with whatever you got yourself into”

” Mr Reid how did you-”

” I may have left the business, but I do have loyal alliances in every corner but when my family’s safety is threatened once I pledge allegiance to you, I think I’d rather restrain”

” Mr Reid my life is threatened here. Please I swear.. no harm would come to your family”

” You can’t even assure your own self of safety talk less my family. Don’t make promises that you can’t keep”

” But-”

” No Hunter, I’ve made my decision and this deal is off”

This was it.

My last hope just crumpled before me.

Have you ever felt that hollow go deep in your chest and it aches so badly?

I think I just felt the worst degree of it.

Suddenly the picturesque didn’t look so beautiful anymore. In fact it looked surreal, like such beauty can’t even exist.

Just like my life, nothing beautiful can ever be real.

” Thank you Mr Reid” I muttered and began to retreat.

I can’t believe my eyes were stinging with tears and a lump in my throat was formed. I had to clear it up so I could see better.

” I’ll still think about it Hunter” he whispered but I couldn’t care less.

I couldn’t care about anything right now.

I walked out of the room with a shattered heart and began navigating my way through the halls.

Suddenly the hallway seemed too long and endless.

With my aching chest and pounding head I moved slowly, edging towards the walls for a dizziness that had no source was coming up.

It’s okay.

It’s okay…

That’s what I’ve been chanting to myself since I left Mr Reid but I couldn’t even believe it myself.

I stood still when I realized that I had no ride home.

Slowly running my hands through my hair and sending a silent apology to Edward for stressing him, I pulled out my phone to call him.

” Hunter?” Edward answered after the second ring, seemingly surprised that I had called him already.

” Edward, have you gotten home?” I really don’t know why I’m having ragged breaths.

” Yes, I just arrived. Any problems?”Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

” I’m sorry for the stress but can you come pick me up once you’re done?”

” Definitely, I’ll be on my way” he replied and I believe I heard iris’s voice in the background asking what’s wrong, but I ended the phone call before I could hear more.

My back to the wall as I slide down to sit and wait for Edwards arrival.

My heart is having palpitations and that cannot be healthy at all, so I focused on steadying my breathing.

A twinge of headache had formed and any more stress would lead to a full blown migraine, so I shut my eyes and sat patiently on the floor.

But someone else had other plans.

” After claiming to be the big guy, someone looks weak”

That voice.

I used an eye to peep at the person who said that and I wasn’t at all surprised to find Hayes.

I’ve always known he was stupid from the start.

” You can keep walking or you can keep being an idiot. I don’t care” I close my eyes once again and roll my neck backwards.

” I really don’t like any of those options” he seethed.

” Your business” I sighed

” What’s with you and your secretary?” His angry tone louder than any other.

So that’s why he’s here.

” Hayes, nothing. Now please leave. I’m not in the mood for bullshit”

” I’m not going anywhere. If nothing is going on between you two, then what’s your problem with she and other men?”

” If by other men you mean you and by problem you mean issues I have against you raping my secretary then I think I have nothing to explain to you”

” I’ve never liked you. I offered her a more credible job than you can ever give”

I groaned and stood to my feet.

He had succeeded in raising the pressure of my brain ache.

Without giving him any recognition, I began walking away.

But then Hayes is stupid.

So he pushed me, literally I wasn’t expecting something so childish from him. Hence I slipped and went crashing onto a side ornamental table with a flower vase, shattering everything.

All I can think of now is my head and landing with it wasn’t a good idea.

Using my hand to touch a throbbing spot, I felt something wet on it.

I retrieved my hand to see it smeared with blood.

” Hayes today is a lucky day for you, if not I’d have killed you” I gritted out with enough intensity to see him tremble.

A groan escaped my lips as I stood to my feet and walked away from him.

************************

Iris’s p. o. v.

The door was thrown open and Hunter walked in with a bruise on his temple.

” Are- Are you okay?” I stood from the chair where I had waited for him to come home since Edward left in a hurry to go get him.

He only nodded to my question and kept walking to the stairs.

I quietly followed too, everyone else had gone to bed so arguing with him at this hour to spill isn’t entirely the best.

And it seems he knows I followed because when he got to his room, he opened the door and left it open Instead of jamming it shut like he normally would.

My feeling of eeriness just doubled up at his strange behavior.

He wasn’t like this before I left, what could have gone wrong? His only mission left was to find Mr Reid.

That doesn’t sound too good right now.

He went straight into the bathroom to which I followed also but stood by the door and hejerked open his drawer.

His hand went straight to a bottle of Tylenol, where he took out two pills and swallowed without water.

He went back to shuffling the drawers impatiently for another thing but not seeming to find it.

I think he may be looking for a first aid bandage.

” let me help. Maybe you should go change” I suggested and without any arguments, he walked out of the bathroom while I stepped in.

After a few seconds of careful skimming, I found some cotton wool, a bandage and a bottle of menthylated spirit.

That should be good enough.

As soon as I set it down on the table, Hunter comes back into the bathroom with only sweatpants on.

I repeat. Only sweatpants on.

But the shadowy, sad look on his face is enough to distract me from his body and focus on treating the wound on his forehead.

He tried to reach for the cotton wool but I grab it before he could.

” I wanna help” I almost whisper and he just nods in acceptance.

May this spirit of non argument forever be with you. Amen.

I tried to hop onto the sink so I could be a bit taller while sitting but I figured that might be an awkward position then decided against it.

But I leaned against it though.

Hunter stood less than two feet away from me but didn’t make a single eye contact which is putting me on the edge that I may have offended him again.

Picking a ball of the wool, I applied a little of the spirit on it and reached for his forehead.

He placed his hands on my both sides of the sink and squeezed his eyes shut.

He’s even keeping away his perverted personality.

I pressed the wound gently at first and he winces but steadies himself again.

After cleaning around it, I use the bandage to cover it up.

He released a sigh and finally opened his eyes to look at me.

And I saw a hollow soul.

Hunter looks farther than what it seems. His eyes were even watering and his blue eyes looked darker.

” Hunter, what’s wrong?”

Searching his eyes for a clue to the answer but it was only hollow.

A painful, sad hollow.

I stared at his face, waiting for a reply. For an answer to my question but he gave nothing.

It was only a ghost smile that appeared on his lips before he shook his head in a no response.

My eyes darted between his eyes and his lips, and I felt something deep inside of me.

I don’t know what exactly it is, but it’s so quiet almost non-existent. It almost feels like I feel sorry for him, for all he’s been through, for everything he’s scared for.

And that’s ironical, because I’m the one who’s been on the receiving end more often than not.

Before I could register what was fully happening. I saw it.

A tear slipped down his right eye and that was when the true Hunter came to reality.

Hunter is a mean, sometimes heartless, extremely stubborn, infuriating and aggravating man.

But Hunter is also a human, a human who can be loved and hated. A human who can feel pain, a human who can get disappointed, a human who can be sad, a human who can feel lonely, a human who’s made mistakes in his past and is trying to grow passed it. He’s really trying.

Hunter’s a human who can still cry.

My thumb reached up before I could reason against it and gently wiped the stray tear from this broken man before me.

He didn’t push me away, rather his eyes looked a lot more grateful for the gesture and I used my palm to cup his face.

A small smile surfaced on my lips to comfort him and he mimicked the exact thing.

Slowly, I leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his left cheek and he in turn chuckled.

” Iris it’s late. Go to bed okay?” His gentle voice brushed my ears as he whispered them.

I withdrew my arms and still smiling, I bade him a good night.

He laughed again but replied my greeting with a thank you before I almost swiftly, walked out of his bedroom.