Page 65 of Hunter

She looks away, and I almost feel the loss of her gaze as if it’s a physical thing, like she’s severing the thread connecting us. Her shoulders slump, the slight drop betraying her concern, her worry. She knows something’s wrong, even if she doesn’t know exactly what.

“Come inside.” Her tone is softer than before, no longer light and playful. It’s heavy now, tinged with something I can’t name. “There’s someone I want you to meet.”

I follow her into the room, stopping when I’m standing beside her. My smile feels like it’s stapled to my face, fake and brittle.

“This is the person who’s been taking care of the clinic while we’ve been away,” she says, her voice steady.

I nod, forcing the words out, “Hi, I’m Maxim. Nice to meet you.” My hand extends, but it feels like a hollow gesture, as if I’m reaching out for something I can’t quite grasp.

The man’s eyes crinkle with the ghost of a smile. “Ah, so you’re the lucky man who stole our little Sophia’s heart.”

The words hit like a blow, sharper than I expected, as if they’ve been lodged in my chest, ready to pierce me. This man—who has known her since she was a child—sees me, sees us,in a way I can’t bear. I swallow hard, fighting back the rush of emotions threatening to break free.

Without thinking, I lean down and kiss her forehead, pressing my lips to the soft skin. Her vanilla scent clings to me, and for a moment, I allow myself to breathe it in. I’m going to miss this scent. I’m going to miss her.

Do I really need to let her go? Maybe I don’t have to. Maybe I can lock her away—hide her from the world, from everything that could hurt her. Keep her with me forever.

No.

The thought hits me like a slap. I can’t do that to her. She would hate me for it. The weight of that truth settles in, heavy and cold. I push the thoughts back and shove them into the box marked “unhelpful emotions”—the ones I can’t afford to deal with right now. I turn my attention back to the man in front of me, forcing the smile to stay in place, even though it doesn’t reach my eyes.

“It’s nice to meet you. Sophia’s said nothing but amazing things about you.”

His cheeks color slightly at the compliment, and I can see the affection he has for her. It’s palpable, like something I can touch, and for a moment, I’m consumed with jealousy—jealous of how easy it is for him to show her affection, to be the one who’s always there when she needs someone.

Before he can respond, his phone rings, and he answers it with a quick “Hello?”. He pauses, listening, then nods.

“Yes, this is he.” Another pause. “I’ll be right there.” He hangs up and looks at Sophia.

“Consult?” she asks, her voice light but tired.

“Story of our lives,” he says with a chuckle. They share a brief laugh, and I’m struck by the bond they have. It’s easy, comfortable, like they’ve known each other forever.

He pats her on the head in that fatherly way, his relief palpable. “You’re alright,” he says, his voice warm and reassuring.

I watch them, and the connection between them is so clear, it almost hurts. She looks up at him with the kind of trust that makes my chest tighten.

“Before I go, I’ll talk to the doctors and nurses to speed up the discharge papers.”

Sophia shakes her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll talk to them myself.” She gestures to his phone. “Duty calls.”

He chuckles, pulling her into a quick hug. “Hopefully, the next time we meet, we will be under better circumstances,” he says, giving me a small nod before exiting the room.

The moment the door closes behind him, I move toward the corner, sitting down in the chair with forced calm. I make my face neutral, willing myself to appear composed, but inside, I’m a mess.

“Tell me what happened,” I ask, my voice low, but I can’t mask the urgency in it.

She shrugs, standing up from the bed. “There’s no crazy story, Maxim.” Her words are simple and dismissive, but I can see the unease in her body. “I was at a red light, a car didn’t stop, and they hit me from behind. When I got out to check the damage, they left.”

My heart thuds in my chest, panic flaring. I want to stand and throw the chair across the room. I want to scream. “What do you mean they left? Didn’t you—didn’t you get their license plate?”

She sighs a soft, weary sound. “It was probably a scared teenager, terrified of having to deal with their parents. It’s nothing, Maxim.”

I shake my head, standing up, my body rigid with tension. “This isn’t nothing, Sophia. People don’t just hit and run withouta reason. I need to know who did this.” My voice cracks, betraying the raw edge of my fear.

She walks to the door, pausing at the threshold, her back to me. “Please don’t.” Her voice carries a mixture of sadness, pain, and disappointment. She doesn’t look back as she speaks, but I hear the weight of her words. “Please don’t do this to yourself.”

She walks out to talk to the doctors, leaving me standing there, my mind racing.

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