The Beginning

I woke up to my alarm clock screaming. Opened my eyes and looked at my door. It was wide open, last night I closed it. Why was it open? Someone must have came into my room while I was asleep. But who? I carefully got out of my bed, opened my dresser, and put on my black jeans and a black t-shirt. I grabbed my phone and slid it in my back pocket. I opened the door more so I can see out into the hallway expecting to see Hunter there, but the hallway was empty. Maybe Hunter walked into my room last night, and didn't close the door. He does that a lot. I walked into the kitchen and then into the bathroom looking for someone, any one. No one was there. I was alone. 

I walked into the living room and found Hunter laying on the couch snoring like a freight train. He has one hand on his chest and one hand over his face. I walk up to him and cover his mouth. He jumped up in fear. "What are you doing up?" "What I'm not aloud to get up before you?" I never have gotten up before Hunter, he was always up before me, he would make me breakfast in bed. "I never said that." "No but you implied it." I removed my hand from his mouth, maybe I should have done that before he started talking, but he didn't seem to mind. He sat up, and looked me in the eyes and gave me a good morning kiss. Did I forget to mention, Hunter is my boyfriend. We have been best friends for 5 years and we have been dating for 3. I was 18 and he was 19. Other than the fact that we love each other and are close in age, we are complete opposites. But you know, opposites attract. 

We both got up and walked into the kitchen. He was wearing blue jeans and a red shirt that was almost skin tight. He was really cute, a total score. But there was one flaw when it comes to him... he was easily angered. "What do you want for breakfast this morning?" "Surprise me." "Nichole, just tell me what you for breakfast. Is that too hard to ask?" He got me straight in the face and yelled at me. I started to cry, I mean what girl wouldn't. When you try and be romantic with your boyfriend and he yells at you, literally, in the face. But he did something that I never thought I'd seen him do. He smiled at me then kissed me on the forehead. He smiled and said, "Whatever my princess wants." And he made me pancakes.

Makenzie

 It has been three days since Hunter made me pancakes and he yelled at me. I started to wonder what was wrong with Hunter. "Hunter, are you okay?" I sat next to him on the couch and looked him straight in the eyes. I figured he could tell I was scared of him. "Why do you say that, chicken?" "Because, you haven't made me breakfast for the past three days." "So, you can make your own breakfast. What are you crippled?" I stood up and did something I never thought I would do. "What is the matter with you. The point isn't that you haven't made me breakfast, the point is that you're hiding something from me. What is going on, and you better tell me the truth!" I yelled, I have never yelled at him before in my entire life. But he is hiding something from me and I am going to find out what it is.  

I walked into the kitchen and grabbed Hunter's phone. "A girl called last night, Makenzie. She said she needed you, that she needs your help. And everyone else was busy last night, your the only one that can help. And she said not to" I couldn't take it. I sat on the black leather chair and started to cry. Hunter's face was in shock mode. "She said not to tell me." I paused and closed my eyes. "Hunter what's going on? You need to tell me right now!" "I can't, it's complicated. Trust me, you'll find out soon." "No! I want to know now! Hunter tell me now." Even though he gave me a look, just one simple look. I knew what it meant. It was the time for me to drop the conversation or he would yell. Why do I stay with him? "Fine. You wont tell me, then fine. You are  entitled to what you want to say. But just know, that I am going out. And I may or may not come back. Or maybe I just wont tell you." I grabbed my keys off the coffee stand and headed out the door.  

I opened the door to my red and black 2015 ford mustang. I sat there for a few moments and cried. As soon as I seen Hunter open the front door, I put the car in reverse and drove off. I could hear him in the distance yelling my name, telling me to come back, but I didn't. I just kept driving as quickly as I could. I didn't know where I was going but I found out when I got there. Right in front of me, directly in front of me was Makenzie. She was taking her lunch break from the diner. I looked up at the sign, Makenzie's. This restaurant belongs to Makenzie's mom and dad. After her mom found out she was pregnant for a baby girl, she picked out a name and opened a restaurant for her. Makenzie is a spoiled rotten kid, she always gets what she wants, she has always been like that. 

I got out of my nice cool car and stepped into the flaming hot air. It was a mid-July afternoon and I wasn't in the mood for Makenzie's lies. I wanted to know the truth. Why she needed my boyfriend, why she didn't want Hunter to tell me, why is she keeping this a secrete. I want to know at this moment, I couldn't wait a second longer, I need to know now.

Secrete

I walked up to Makenzie and started off the conversation with 'hi' and got right to the point on why I was there. "Why did you call Hunter last night? At 11?" 

"I needed his help with something, and I don't want you to know. It's kind of a major deal. Just trust me." 

"I can't trust you. You're the same girl that was dating Hunter when you knew I was dating him. I can never trust you again." 

"Well, that was in the past, this is the present. And now you can trust me." 

"No, I can't, leave it at that. So why so shaky?" She had her arms crossed, avoiding eye contact, and trembling. 

"I'm not. Listen, I can't tell you." She looked at her watch. "I have to go back to work. Go home and talk to Hunter. Maybe he can tell you, but I swore to him that I wouldn't say a word." She started to walk away, then turned to look at me, "And I intend to keep it that way." 

I got back in my 2015 Ford Mustang, and headed home to Hunter. He was on the porch with his phone up to ear, as soon as he saw me he hung up. Was that Makenzie he was talking to? I got out of the car and walked up to him. He picked me up and gave me a hug. I pushed away from him, at first I felt so bad, then I remembered the phone call and Makenzie. "What is really going on here? Makenzie wont tell me. You need to tell me or- or we're done. I want the truth." "If I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me." "Try me, I've been with you for years and years, I know everything, Hunter." "Not... everything." I gave him the questionable look, the look where the other person needs to explain himself a little better. "Come inside, I'll tell you everything."  

I say on the couch next to Hunter, waiting for him to say something. Waiting for him to explain Makenzie's call, and why he wont tell me anything. But he sat there staring at the floor like I was the one that was supposed to explain everything but in reality, he's the one that's supposed to spill his guts.  

"So, what's going on?" I had to start the conversation off, again. He looked at me and smiled. "What I am about to tell you, you have to promise not to tell anyone. Not even your pillow." "Why not my pillow?" "Because even a pillow can talk." I shook my head in response for him to carry on with the conversation. He looked me in the eyes, he was about ready to cry. His beautiful chocolate colored eyes, looked like they were melting. My hear was melting inside, I felt so bad. I was about to tell him forget the entire conversation, just move on. But I was too curious. He opened his mouth and told me something unforgettable. He said....

Unforgettable Moment

 

" Nichole, there is something I have been wanting to tell you" He paused for a moment. "Makenzie, she.... well, she's dying." I look at him for a moment. You're lying. You're staring at the ground, avoiding eye contact, and playing with your hands. "You're lying." 

"No I'm not." He kept messing with his hands and avoiding eye contact. 

"Hunter, you're staring at the ground." He looked up straight ahead of him. 

"You're avoiding eye contact." He looked at me in the eyes. 

"Hunter! You're playing with your dang hands... come on I'm not dumb. I know when you are lying. Why is Makenzie so important to you?" I gave him a major attitude, I didn't mean in but I didn’t regret it either. 

"Fine. What do you want to here? That we're dating? That I'm cheating on you? That I don't love you anymore?" He yelled at me, I couldn't have thought for one second that he would hit me. But as soon as I spoke my mind and told him off, he slapped me so hard I fell off the couch. I cried so hard. All I said was that if it wasn’t true then why would you have said it. Even if it was a lie. He looked at me and smiled.  

"Do you know how long it's been since I hit something?" Yea, this morning when you came home from work and you took it out on me when you got laid off. "It feels so good to smack you. Why have I waited this long to hit you?" I got up and he came down hard, so hard that a tooth came out of my mouth. He kept hitting me for two hours while he was going on about how I was the one ruining this relationship. 

He finally stopped hitting me when he said, "I am going to the bar." He took my purse and took out $300. What are you doing, handing out $70 tips? Now was not the time to mention money. If there was one thing I've learned; that is when he is done hitting me and says he is going to the bar, don't say anything just let him leave then go home and tell your mom and dad. 

"Can we talk?" I walk into my parents house and don't even bother to day 'hi'. 

"Sure, is it that important that you don't even say 'hello' to your parents?" They were right. 

"Hello. Can we talk, it's urgent?"  

"Sure. What's wrong?" 

I sit down on my used to be favorite spot. "It's Hunter." As soon as I looked at them they had a pretty good idea on what was going on. "Hunter." All I could say was 'Hunter'. Between tears and feelings, I couldn't say anything else. "Oh, honey. I know, I know." My mom and dad took me in their arms and let me cry on their shoulders. "Take a deep breath and explain everything." As soon as I opened my mouth blood spilled out. "Oh my God!" At that moment both my parents know what happened. "He didn't!" I looked up with a beaten face. My parents looked disappointed and shocked. They knew him longer than I knew him, they thought he was a great guy. 

Not a moment later, my dad called the police. 

Police

 

The police showed up and interviewed me on everything, all the way down to what happens when he is calm. After I was done, they went to the bar Hunter was at. I went with them to verify who he was and so I can have the front row seat to what he says. 

"I never laid a hand on her. If anything she beats me." "Sorry, Hunter. she's bleeding and missing a tooth. Her parents are both saying you did it. As far as we are concerned, you have the right to remain silent. Everything you say and do will be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, if you can not afford on the court will provide you with one." They arrested him and put him in the back of the cop car. I never seen him since. I watched as they driven off down the road. I heard him yelling my name and him saying that he has people on the other side that can hurt me and can make it look like a accident. 

Of course I didn't believe him at first, I just ignored him and moved on with the relieving moment. "Nichole!" I heard my parents yelling my name from down the road, as they got closer to me I could see that they had tears in their eyes, both of them. I gave them a great big hug, I swear the hug lasted for about five minutes. I was so happy when I realized that Hunter was gone. Now I could finally sleep at night without keeping a knife under my pillow. I no longer have to worry about dealing with the fact that everyday he has major mood swings and I can't keep track with them. I don't have to worry about the idea of Hunter sleeping next to me, the one person who can actually kill me in my sleep. 

"I am so happy to see you. I love you. Thank you for being there for me." "We love you too Nichole." My mom tried to sound relieved but she was so mad at Hunter that she didn't care what she sounded like. "Let's go get you cleaned up. You can stay at our place for a while until you feel like you can get back up on your own. We can go home, you can take a long hot shower, eat something, and go to bed." My dad sounded sincere. I felt loved, I was always loved but I was just blinded to it because of Hunter. "Thank you. I really need it." 

As soon as I got to my mom and dad's house I went into my old room. They still keep clothes, a bed, dresser, closet, TV, light, everything in there incase of emergencies like this. I opened my dresser and took out a white tang top and light pink cotton pajama pants, a white bra and a black pair of underwear. I closed my dresser and turned off my light. I closed my door and headed into the shower I took a half an hour shower. After I got my hair done up in the towel, I went into the fridge and grabbed a piece of bread. I ate it like there was no tomorrow and got a glass of hot tea. After I was done I sat on the couch looking at the celling. My parents were in their room sleeping. I sat there for 15 minutes and got up and went to bed.

Epilogue Part 1

It has been twelve years and I haven't heard anything from Hunter. He is still in jail and has nothing to do with me. I found out why Makenzie was so important to him. (Because she was his second girlfriend). I yelled at Makenzie for lying to me. She apologized, I didn't care. I met a great guy named David. It took me a real long time for me to trust him and he understood. I told him everything, he felt so bad. He even promised me that he would rather die then lay a hand on me. I took his word for it.

Not a day goes by that I don't think about what Hunter said while he was in the police car. Even though it was his last words to me and he could have been trying to get into my head, and it worked, I still think that someone is out to get me.

David and I have one kid, James. He is two. I have a job as a teacher just like David. We both pay for a babysitter for James. We live in a three story house and we have no regrets. I still watch my back, I trust no one. With the exception of James, David and my parents.

There are things that I question though. Things like, who is the person on the other side? When is he or they going to show up? Where are they going to show up? What if it's Hunter? What if it's Hunter? What if it's Hunter? I kept thinking that it was Hunter. When he gets out of jail, he'll be back for me. And he wont quit until he is satisfied. I needed protection and that was when I met David.

Epilogue Part 2

David protected me for the longest time. We had two kids, Jace and Nattlie. After a few months of a perfect relationship, everything went down hill. I never knew what was going on in his life. He was always talking to someone and never told me who. Usually I wouldn't care, but he is talking about me and when I walk into the room he hangs up. I ask him who he is talking to and he puts his hands over my mouth and tells me not to worry about it.

About a month after all this drama, I sent the kids over to my mom and dad's house so David and I could talk. I finally found out everything. David was in contact with Hunter. They were best friends, that's why David wouldn't let me go when we first met. It made so much since. I tried to leave but he locked the door and blocked it. I tried to push my way through but, obviously he was stronger than me so I didn't get out of the house. I remember him reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a knife. And then he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a gun. He took two shots and I was on the ground. I felt him stab me in the chest three times and, very blurry though, him run out of the house through the back door.

The only thing I remember is waking up in the hospital and him by my side, there was the police there, the same man that arrested Hunter. "I am so sorry that this keeps happening to you." I smiled with all my strength. The police man took David out of the room and brought him to jail. My mom, dad, and kids were in the room with me and they were crying. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. I am okay." They smiled and gave me a hug. The one thing I didn't see coming, David and Hunter in contact.

Impressum

Texte: Nichole Alexander
Bildmaterialien: Google.com
Lektorat: Nichole Alexnader
Übersetzung: Google.com
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.07.2015

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