Page 20 of From Now On

CHAPTER SIX

HUNTER

It’s strange walking around a silent house that’s normally noisy. I can hear the creak of each step as I descend the stairs. The duffel bag slung over my right shoulder bangs against the wall, the rasp of nylon against plaster audible between creaks. If we’d ever gotten around to hanging up anything on the walls, it’d all be askew.

I dump my duffel by the front door when I reach the entryway, and then head into the kitchen.

The fridge is basically cleared out. I pour a bowl of cereal, sniff the milk, and decide to toss the carton. Brewing a whole pot of coffee for a single cup seems wasteful, so I munch on my plain cereal and down a glass of water to wash the dryness away.

Phillips clipped his Stats exam to the fridge door—the retake he just found out he passed, not the original he failed. I stare at it as I sip, trying to rouse some more excitement about the upcoming trip. Aidan is graduating with us. That’s cause for celebration—and a reminder we’ll each be headed our own ways soon. Even if the approaching drive is awkward and I have to watch multiple make-out sessions, this trip will be worth it.

I add my dishes to the dishwasher and take the trash out. I’m not planning on coming back here after my morning class, so I double-check that all the doors and windows are locked before carrying my duffel to the car.

The sun is covered by clouds, but the air feels a little warmer than it’s been. Teased by the barest hint of spring. I roll the window down as I drive to campus, hanging my elbow out an inch and drumming my fingers against the wheel as I wait for another car to continue through the intersection.

Arriving on campus is as strange as walking around the house was. Holt’s a ghost college today. Spring break doesn’t officially start until tomorrow, but there aren’t many students with Friday classes. Even fewer who are bothering to attend them the day before break begins.

I’m a responsible rule follower.Dependable, my teachers and coaches have always called me. I hand in the extra credit. I’m always on time for practice. Part of it is intrinsic to my personality. The rest, I blame Sean for. Even before addiction twisted my brother into someone who’s barely recognizable, he was the impulsive, devil-may-care Morgan brother. That didn’t leave many rules for me to break.

As much as I admired Sean, I saw the aftermath of him missing curfew or skipping practice or failing tests. When you witness how burdens you refuse to carry fall onto everyone around you, it’s hard to justify imitating that destruction.

I score one of the coveted parking spots right by the student center, grabbing my backpack off the passenger seat and then heading toward the door that leads directly into the campus coffee shop.

There’s a line at the register, but it’s not very long. I should have plenty of time to grab a coffee and make it to the political science building on time.

“Morgan! Should have known you’d still be on campus.” Robby Sampson, one of my hockey teammates, punches my bicep as he appears beside me.

The two girls who are in line directly ahead of me—they look young, so I’m guessing they’re freshmen—turn to look at us.

Robby winks at them.

One blushes and one giggles before they turn back toward the counter.

“What areyoustill doing on campus?” I ask Robby.

Phillips barely eked him out for the title ofirresponsible rule breakeron the team. If Coach had two daughters, it might have been a tie.

“My flight got cancelled,” Robby replies. “Tornado warning back home.”

“Shit,” I say. He’s from Tennessee.

Sampson shrugs. “No biggie. I changed my flight to Kentucky instead. I have a good buddy who goes to Lancaster. His spring break was last week, so I’ll bunk with him for a few days before heading home.” He punches my shoulder again, in the exact same spot, and I hide a grimace. That hurts a lot less when I’m wearing pads. “What about you? I ran into Phillips in here yesterday morning, and he said he was about to head out.”

“Yeah, he did. Hart and Phillips left yesterday. I’m driving separately.”

“Long drive to make alone,” Robby comments.

I shrug, not correcting the assumption and telling him Harlow’s best friend is coming with me. Even though I’ve had almost a week to get used to the idea, I still feel…strange about the approaching trip with Eve. Uncertain. A nervous sort of excited. Maybe I’d feel less weird if I’d talked to Eve directly about it. But Harlow and Conor arranged all the details—telling me where to pick Eve up and Eve when to expect me—so I trulyhave no clue what to expect when I show up at her and Harlow’s place later.

“Hey, Robby. Hi, Hunter.”

We’ve reached the front of the line, where a blonde is standing behind the cash register.Brooke, I recall, even before I glance at the name tag on her shirt. She and Aidan had a fling earlier this year. Before he met Rylan, Aidan had a lot of flings and no relationships.

“Morning.” I aim a polite smile Brooke’s way before scanning the contents of the pastry case. Dry cereal wasn’t much of a breakfast.

Robby orders while I deliberate between buying a muffin or a bagel.

“Wanna skate later?” he asks me once we’ve paid and moved down the counter to wait for our drinks. “Rink’s still open, right?”

---