Page 21 of Twisted Minds

eight

Mark

Standing in Hunter’s doorway, I’m beginning to think this is a bad idea. It took a while to even gain the courage to do it. I asked the driver to make a stop for pizza—grabbed two just in case his roommate wants some—then headed over here. I’m still struggling. This is weird, right? It looks weird.

Noah insisted it’s sweet, but I’m not sure Hunter will feel the same. He doesn’t want me here and that’s okay. I’ll make it clear I’m just here to bring him food. Looking back at my ride who I asked to wait for me, I knock again, though the pizzas are burning my hand and it’s hard to knock. I try one last time, flinching when the door opens.

Hunter appears in the doorway looking both painfully gorgeous and devastatingly exhausted. Bruises are smudged under his eyes and his brown hair looks like it fell victim to his fingers combing through it. “Mark? What are you doing here?” Yeah, this was a bad idea. Noah was wrong. Why did I listen to him!? “Mark?” Shit. Say something!

“Um, hi . . . I uh, wow. Um . . . I thought . . . well, I thought I could bring you food since you were dealing with a lot, and then you won’t have to cook. I don’t plan on staying. I know you don’t want me to stay, I just . . .” The words tumble out of my mouth. I point at my ride. “I uh, just wanted to drop these off so you don’t have to worry about dinner. I uh . . . I’m realizing now that this is creepy. You explicitly don’t want me here. I’m sorry. Here.” I shove the pizza at him. “Pizza’s yours. I hope you have a better day. Please call me if you want. Probably not, though, right? You probably think I’m weird. This is weird. Wow. Have a good night.”

Turning down the steps, I nearly eat it tripping over my shoe. An arm wraps around my waist preventing me from a humiliating death, and I blink down at the steps as Hunter rights me. “Mark.” I turn around slowly, blood rushing to my face. “Get in the house.”

“Uh, what?”

Hunter smiles, and fuck me it’s brilliant. “Tell your driver to go home. I’ll take you home later after we’re done eating.”

“You have a car?”

He points to the driveway, and in my nervous breakdown during the walk up to the house I’d completely missed it. “It’s a friend’s. He’ll let me borrow it. I’ll take you back to campus.”

“I don’t want to push. I really just wanted to bring you food. You sound tired.”

It’s now I see how heavy the exhaustion in his eyes looks. It’s like a heavy cloud clinging to him, like an invisible demon sucking his energy. “This is nice, thank you. I just want to warn you, though. It’s not pretty in there right now.”

“I don’t have to go inside, really. The backpack is just from when I thought we were going to have a date. I haven’t been back to the dorm since you called.” All my gaming equipment and my notebook for planning is in there. I’m not about to let that outof my sight or even leave it in a stranger’s car while I walk to Hunter’s door. “I just wanted to bring you food.”

Hunter opens the door, waiting for me. “Tell the driver you’re staying.” He waits. “Don’t fall down the steps.”

A smile spreads on my face. Walking down the steps, I look back and see Hunter’s waiting for me, then I pay my driver, telling him he can go. He looks a little annoyed, so I throw in a bigger tip.

Turning up the stone path, I see Hunter pressing his back to the door, holding it open for me with the pizzas in his hands. I make it up the steps without tripping and follow him in the front door, then take off my shoes and follow him through the living room. There’s broken glass across the floor. “Are you alright?”

“My roommate, Jamie, had a meltdown earlier. I’ll clean it up in a minute. My friend Xavi went for a walk, that’s why his car’s here, but he texted me that he met up with some friends. He’s going to be gone for a while. Jamie’s asleep now, so your timing is actually perfect.”

“Can I ask what happened?”

Hunter sets the boxes down on the kitchen table, grabbing plates. “I’m fuckin’ starving. What do you want?”

“One of each.” Hunter plates me two slices and hands it to me, then grabs two for himself. Moving the boxes to the counter, he drops into one of the chairs across from me like a lead weight.

“It’s not really my place to tell his business, but he’s going through some really hard shit right now. We all are, but him more so. A lot of health problems on top of some mental issues. He found something out earlier and it set him off.”

“He didn’t hurt you, right?” I don’t like this at all.

“God, no.” Hunter snorts. “Jamie wouldn’t hurt any of us. It’s him we have to worry about. That’s another story, though. He punched that mirror out there, then freaked out because we hadto take him to get stitches. Thankfully the paramedics stitched him up here instead. Stubborn bastard.”

This guy sounds insane. “I’m sorry.”

“It is what it is. I just didn’t want you around for all that. I don’t know what he’s going to be like when he gets up either. They basically had to tranq him. Everything just calmed down and I took a shower.”

“I’m sorry you have to go through this.”

“I know it may not seem like it, but I don’t mind. His family has done more than enough for me. He’s like a brother to me.” Silence falls around us and I can’t help feeling a little awkward, like I’ve done something wrong. “You’re very talkative.”

I smile around a bite. “I feel like I overstepped. I didn’t expect you to let me in.”

“I think this is very sweet and I needed it after the day I’ve had. I also get to see you, so a win is a win.” Heat creeps along my neck. “I was really looking forward to today.”

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