Bad News Page 6

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, Lou, but I’m pretty sure I heard Bree saying how much she was into Hunter just now.” Axel kindly reminds me that yes, my sister does have a huge crush on the boy who is trying to date me. I think the whole campus knows how much Bree likes Hunter by now if I’m honest. “If she sees you speaking with him, she is going to flip her shit.”

  I stab my fork into my pasta. “Let’s hope he doesn’t show up. Like last night.”

  Axel is smug. “I could have told you he was a douche, Lou. I did tell you. He’s bad news.”

  I place some pasta into my mouth and swallow it before talking. “I have to hear him out at least, I just hope he doesn’t do it here. Like you said,” I glance over at my sister. “Bree will go ape at the thought of her nonofficial, never-was boyfriend actually liking me and not her.”

  Axel frowns, and I can tell he thinks I’m an idiot. “You’re going to hear him out?”

  I shrug and take my Coke can into my hands. “Why not? Oh, God…” I see Hunter walking into the cafeteria, as cool as a cucumber. And I don’t even know why cucumbers are cool. His physical appearance does something to me. I don’t know what that something is and that’s hard to accept. I give a quick look over at Bree, and I see her eyes focused on him. I see her and her friends hoping he’s going to sit at his table where Jax and Ashby have just sat, but he doesn’t. I only know he’s changed direction because I watch Bree’s smile drop–like slow motion.

  Hunter is on his way over to me. Crap. I turn my whole body to the side and cover the side of my face with my hand. If there’s a slim chance he may not notice me, then I would like to pull it off.

  “Lou,” he calls my name and I cringe at myself for trying to hide.

  I clear my throat, and shift in my seat to pretend like I wasn’t trying to hide. “Hi,” I squeak. I quickly glance over his casual clothes that suit him better than any man trying to pull of causal. He’s hot. Gorgeous. And I don’t even care that I am stalking him with my eyes right now.

  He holds his hands up. “Before you go crazy, please let me explain.”

  “Okay.” I swallow, and the look of surprise on his face is evident.

  “Okay?” he blanches. “You’re not going to try and scram my eyes out?”

  I stare at him. Really? “Why would I?”

  He scratches the back of his head. “Uh, because that’s what girls do.”

  “Not me. But, could you explain later?” I glance behind him. “I know my sister is giving us the death stare right now.”

  Hunter’s eyes sideward glance but he doesn’t move his head. “Is this a moment where I shouldn’t look over because Bree will know we’re talking about her?”

  “Exactly.” I giggle because the way he is grinning at me leaves me with no other option than just staring and smiling like a complete idiot.

  Hunter pulls out the chair next to me and sits on it backwards. “Meet me at the diner at 6pm?”

  I raise my brow. “Are you going to show up this time?”

  He looks at me grinning, seeming to love my answer rather than loath it. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” He gently pushes my hair behind my ear, then nudges my cheek with his knuckle. “You look beautiful by the way. I’ll see you later.”

  “Yeah, see ya.”

  “See ya?” Axel snorts. “Oh…kay.”

  My attention bounces back to Axel, and I take my Coke can into my hands again. “He is pretty something. Don’t you think?”

  Axel shakes his head at me. “No. I don’t.”

  Chapter 12

  Louisa

  Getting ready for this date feels different. It’s not so intense, and I’m not trying to impress so much. If you look and be yourself from the start, you can’t get accused of changing. Fallon has already gone on a date tonight, with a girl called Rayne, so it’s much easier this time because I don’t have her here to pile pressure on me. I pick up my backpack, grab my car keys and get ready to leave before my door knocks. I open it up and in storms Bree looking incredulous.

  “You’re going out with Hunter, and you didn’t think to tell me?”

  I take a deep breath and sit down on the edge of my bed, plonking all my belongings down with me. “Bree, I’m not going out with him. He just asked me out on a date.”

  Is that the same thing?

  She’s on the verge of tears. “And you said yes?”

  I feel bad, my heart sinks and now I hate that I said yes. “Look, if it means that much to you, I won’t go.”

  Bree throws her hands up in the air frustrated. “You’ve already said yes. How do you think that makes me feel?” Her hand goes on to her chest. “You made me look like a loser in the food hall today! You knew I liked him, Lou. How could you?”

  I hesitate because I don’t know what to say. I’ve never been put in this position before. Boys have never been an issue with me, now it seems I say yes to one guy that I happen to like and all hell breaks loose.

  “You know what, forget it.” Bree walks to the door, then turns back to me and looks down at me like I’m dirt. “Don’t come crying to me when he breaks your heart.” Then she slams the door behind her.

  I tilt my head back and sigh. Am I doing wrong? They were never an item, and Hunter has never asked her out. If she dated him before, that would be a complete no-go, but there is no history between them. Bree just happens to like him just like the rest of Newbrook do. Am I committing a crime? I’m not–but I feel like the worse criminal right now.

  ***

  Hunter is already sitting in a booth when I enter the diner, so I take a deep breath and head on over to him. He pushes away a milkshake that he was sipping at when he sees me and gets to his feet with the world’s biggest smile I have ever seen in my life. #winning.

  “Hey, beautiful.” Hunter kisses me on my temple before I sit down. I push my hair behind my ear nervously, and realize I am blushing because of the ‘beautiful’ remark. I don’t look beautiful, cute maybe, but not his type of beautiful.

  “You too.” I smile back, gulping as I eye him up. His hair is short on the sides but longer on the top of his head making it wavy locks of messy, dirty blonde hair that is so gorgeous I feel like running my hands through it. Hunter, does it, though, runs his hand through it to ruffle it a little. I glance over his thick neck, his broad shoulders and his arms that look so good I want to squeeze them–just because. He’s a cocktail of sex and torture. Sex because that’s what looking at him makes me want, and torture for the men, because none of them looks as good as he does.

  I point my finger over his fine self. “You have a James Dean look going on.”

  Hunter raises his brow. “No, I have a Hunter Holland look going on.” He nudges a milkshake towards me. “Strawberry. Just for you. Don’t ever say I don’t buy you anything.” He winks.

  “Thank you.” I take the straw to my lips and find him watching me when I glance up. It’s unnerving, and I like it.

  Hunter pulls the menu from the middle of the table. “Let’s grab something to eat. Do you want to share a pizza? They do the best meat feast. It's huge.”

  “Sure.” I want to talk, I want to say more, but my shyness holds me back. The butterflies in my stomach keep telling me how nervous I am. I take the second menu and glance over every detail but don’t take even one letter in.

  Hunter orders the pizza, and I sit there, watching him take control and find myself falling in lust with the way he does everything so calmly. He’s charming, confident and charismatic, and those three C’s describe a bad boy. I just hope this doesn’t end in disaster.

  “So,” he says, leaning over to take my hand in his. “How’s your day been? Filled with thinking of me?”

  “How did you guess?” I laugh and bow my head down unintentionally.

  Hunter smiles, and he pulls up my chin with his fingers. “You can look at me you know; I want to see your face. Don’t be nervous around me, okay?” Wow, that’s easy for him to say. He clicks his fingers. “Ask me
something.” He says.

  Hunter lets go of my hand and sits back against the plastic on the booth. I take a deep breath and get into this date mode. It's either that or I remain shy and silent for the whole night.

  “Okay,” I agree with a sigh of bravery. “I’m going to think of a question you haven’t been asked before.”

  Hunter crosses his arms. “I know a question I haven’t been asked before,”

  “What?”

  “Is it in yet?” He has a massive smirk on his face.

  “Hunter!”

  He’s about to lean forward, and I know he wants to hold my hands because he’s looking at them, but then when he glances up to me, something catches his attention. “Shit.”

  “What is it?” I glance over my shoulder and see Hunter’s man squad walking into the diner–every one of them. My heart stops. Why are they gatecrashing?

  “Holland!” Jaxon slips next to Hunter, making him shift over. Hunter groans, glaring at his friend making it known he is furious. “Louisa.” He says my name with a wink. I smile, then glance to the side because Ashby has slipped in beside me.

  “Seriously? You’re fucking all over my date?” As I guessed, Hunter is pissed, and it seems to give Jaxon and Ashby ammunition.

  “We’re not fucking all over your date, dude,” Ashby grins, then looks at me, “but if you Lou don’t mind.”

  “That’s not what I meant, dickhead.” Hunter pushes Ashby out of the booth with one shove. “And give my girl some fucking respect.”

  I glance away from them all a little embarrassed, and I can’t explain why.

  “Sorry, Lou,” Jaxon says genuinely, but amused all the same. “We were walking past, so I just wanted to check in on my main man here.” Jaxon playfully slaps Hunter’s shoulder.

  “Now you’ve checked in, you can both fuck off.” Hunter gets up and smacks Jaxon across the head to tell him to shift his ass too.

  They both laugh, then hold their hands up in defeat. “We’re leaving. Have a good night.”

  I turn to see what Hunter is scowling at, and I catch Ashby making a vulgar, suggestive move by the door. I turn around, dying of embarrassment. Then I scold myself for even being embarrassed. I am almost twenty years old why am I such a prude?

  Hunter has tensed, I can see it in the way he’s cracking his knuckles. “Sorry about that, my friends are fucking–”

  “It’s fine.” I bring my hand down onto his. “Honestly. Relax.”

  His expression switches from anger, to amused. “You’re telling me to relax when you haven’t relaxed since you’ve been here.”

  I shift, feeling like I am being analyzed. “That’s not true.”

  He smiles, knowing it is exactly true. “Yes, it is.” He leans forward. “Relax, Lou, Lou.”

  I roll my eyes. “I would if you’d stop calling me that.”

  Hunter moves his hands so the waitress can place down our pizza. “Let’s get you fed, then you can tell me all about Louisa… wait, what’s your second name again?”

  I smile. “Dawson.”

  Hunter nods, contented. “Louisa Dawson’s life is all about.”

  I feel my cheeks fill up with a hot burst as I blush. “I don’t want to bore you to death.”

  “That,” he points, “will never happen. Tell me what brings you to Boston.” He picks up a slice of pizza and takes a bite.

  “How do you know I haven’t lived here my whole life?” My reply is playful.

  He expression softens. “Because I would have found you.” I bow my head, an action I often do to avoid eye contact, and Hunter picks up on it immediately. “Lou, babe, stop dropping your head. I like to look in your eyes. They tell me what you’re thinking.”

  I often get told that my eyes are full of expressions, and I can tell Hunter doesn’t miss a trick. I rest my elbows on the table and clasp my hands together. “And what am I thinking?”

  Hunter takes another bite and places his slice back down on the plate. “That I will be the best thing that has ever happened to you.”

  I clear my throat, pushing myself to talk more and to stop hiding behind my shyness. “But you haven’t happened to me yet.”

  “Ah,” he points. “There was a yet on the end of the sentence, so does that mean I have a chance?” He places his hands in a prayer position, pretending to pray. I laugh out loud. Who am I kidding? He has already won me over.

  ***

  Hunter snakes his arm around my shoulders when step outside the diner. “So, do you want to come back to mine and fuck?”

  I chuckle. “No, Hunter.”

  “I’m kidding,” he steps away from me. “But if you want to. I mean, I know it must be hard for you to resist,” he waves his hands down his body, “this.”

  I start to walk backwards. “Look, this is me, resisting you. However, will I cope?”

  Hunter laughs. “Don’t I even get a kiss? Give me that at least, I am dying over here.”

  I giggle and stop where I am. “Dying of what?”

  Hunter throws his hands in the air. “Dying of self-doubt because I am being rejected right now. Do you know what this will do to my ego?” he playfully takes hold of my shoulders and shakes them. “Well do you, punk?”

  I laugh again, and before he pulls me into him, I watch his expression wiping away playfulness and now showing intimacy. He drags his lips along the arch of my eyebrow and sighs. “You are beautiful, Blondie, and if you want me to wait before I get to kiss you, then I can deal with that. That’s if you don’t make me wait longer than two days. I mean, two hours.” He coughs, “Two minutes.”

  I shove him in his chest, but he takes hold of my hands and brings me into him. I rest my head on his chest while he wraps his arms around my shoulders, his fingers wrapping themselves into my hair so he can hold me close to him. It’s quite chilly tonight, but being wrapped in Hunter's arms is heating my body up to a temperature that may make me faint at any second. But I don’t care. I close my eyes, feeling safe, feeling close to him when I don’t even know him. I don’t want to be the first one to break contact because I could easily stay here all night, but I must get back.

  I reluctantly pull away from him, and he sighs. “I had a great night,” I smile shyly. “Thank you.”

  “Me too, Blondie.” He kisses me on my cheek and smoothes where he just kissed with his thumb.

  I rise on my tiptoes and he rubs his nose along mine. “Why me, Hunter?” I ask.

  Hunter inhales. “Because you’re the one.” He grins.

  “How do you know?”

  “When you know, you know.” He plants a delicate kiss to the tip of my nose and backs away from me. Our hands only release when he’s too far away for them to be linked anymore. “Goodnight, Lou, Lou.”

  “Night.” I clutch at my chest as I walk to my car. When I am inside, I buckle up, and let out an almighty breath. What have I got myself into?

  Chapter 13

  Louisa

  “How did it go? What did you talk about? Did you kiss?”

  Really? Being asked a thousand questions before my alarm goes off this morning is not the way I want to start my day. But, when I do come around from my sleep, I remember why Fallon is asking all these questions. I remember who I shared my night with. Not that I forgot. I dreamt about it all night. Wishing I had the guts to let him kiss me. No, I do have the guts, but kissing on a first date is not necessary. There is no rule or set time frame telling anyone when a first kiss should occur, but it will happen on my terms, my time frame, and when I am completely and utterly ready to get blown away by Hunter Holland’s lips.

  “Did you fuck?” Fallon mocks herself by thrashing her palm against her forehead. “What a stupid question. Sorry. Forget that. I’m still pissed you gave him a second chance though. Anyway, forget that too. How did it go?” She jumps onto my bed, crossing her legs at the bottom.

  I sit up. “Well–”

  “Don’t tell me,” she butts in. “He tried to get in your panties all night, but
you held on to that chastity belt like a mother fucking nun. You go sister.” She high fives me.

  “Actually–”

  “Did he talk about himself all night?” My mouth is agape as she continues because I don’t get a chance to speak. “Show off his six-pack? Brag about how many girls he’s slept with?”

  I place my hand on her shoulder to make her stop talking. “Fallon, nothing like that happened.” I sigh, slide my legs out of bed, and pull on my Newbrook hoodie. A hoodie Fallon told me to burn the moment I bought it. I don’t have a class today, so I intend on spending it chilling and revising in comfort.

  “What do you mean, nothing happened like that? This is The Double H we are talking about right now. Hunter–the best-looking guy on campus who can fuck who he likes–Holland.” Fallon is inquisitive, she’s waiting, she’s eager, and all for information I don’t have.

  I sigh again as I fall back down onto the bed. But it’s a good sigh, a content, daydream, cloud nine sigh. “He was nothing like I expected.”

  Fallon pulls on my arm, a twitch forming in her eye. “Sweet mother of the fucking saints, just tell me what happened, Lou.”

  I rub at my tired eyes. “But you want me to dish out the dirt, Fal, and there isn’t any to dish.”

  Her head drops down onto my shoulder, and she groans. “Louisa, just tell me what the hell happened already before I seriously consider jumping off a cliff.”

  I raise my brow. “That’s a bit drastic.”

  Fallon gets to her feet in a huff. “Look at these tattoos and piercings, look at my purple wig, look at the clothes I wear, I am drastic Lou. You need to tell me what went down right now before I lose my shit.”

  I start laughing, get out of bed and begin to gather my shower box together. “He took me for pizza and milkshake, he asked about my life, told me I was beautiful, kissed me on my cheek and told me he’d see me tomorrow.” I turn my back on her, slide my feet into my flip flops and open the door.