Baby Love Me

by Rosie Praks

  Hunter clamped his mouth shut and closed his eyes, waiting for the time to tick faster so he could race out of this press conference to see Clarice.

  A small, gentle smile played around his lips. His heart was pounding. He would get her. Just you wait, baby. I’ll come get you.

  When he opened his eyes again, his dad was standing at the podium, talking to the press down below.

  “I want to welcome everyone here to the Silverton Hotel. There has been news that Bass Enterprises and the Silverton Corporation will not be going ahead with the merger. Unfortunately, that is true. Please rest assured that this was due to mutual agreement. We, the Silvertons, have decided to decline the kind offer from Bass Enterprises.”

  “What, what’s going on?” Uproar was heard everywhere. The press was pushing and shuffling each other just to get a bite of that juicy news.

  Oh God, how shameful, Hunter thought. He really didn’t know where to put his head anymore.

  He turned to Anton. Why was Anton smirking? He was supposed to be ashamed, feel upset about this whole thing, but none of those expressions were exhibited on his face.

  Anton just smiled at him like he didn’t give a shit about this whole fiasco. “The surprise isn’t over yet,” his cousin said to him.

  If Anton wanted him to bury his head in the sand, he was already doing it. What more could his cousin ask of him? This had already surpassed his limits.

  “On to more good news,” he heard his father say. “I want to retire in the near future. I’m getting old now. My old bones are rattling. So from today onwards, I pass my position to my nephew, Anton Silverton, as CEO and president of Silverton Corporation.”

  Hunter smiled, now understanding why his dad was so adamant about holding the press conference even after the disagreement between the two families.

  “And Hunter…”

  Hunter became alert when he heard his name mentioned.

  “My son Hunter will be my second heir after Anton, the vice president of Silverton Corporation. In these past few months, he has proven to be a son I’m most proud of. Please congratulate both my nephew and son, Anton and Hunter Silverton.”

  What! What! Hunter couldn’t register what had happened. He was the second heir. He was the vice president of Silverton Corporation? But! But!

  “There’s no need to put on that surprised face.” Anton laughed at him.

  Hunter shot a bewildered look at his father. Clinton caught his son’s eyes and just winked at him.

  “Dad, what are you doing? I don’t want this,” he mouthed.

  Clinton continued to give off his happy vibe until he stood next to his son and gave him a heavy thump on his back. Two, in fact, for disobeying his words.

  “Oh, shut up,” he said. “You’re my son. First heir or not, you’re at least getting something from me. Now be grateful and take it.”

  “Dad!”

  What a pathetic son he was. Causing trouble and now this. What did he deserve? But he should be grateful, and he was grateful as he hugged his old man.

  One story closed. Now he must open the next chapter of his life. The next one would be to reconcile with Clarice.

  As he was about to make his plan come true, someone stood in his way.

  Caroline.

  In the quiet corner of the hotel, Hunter stood facing Caroline, with Anton and Fern some distance away from the couple.

  “What do you want, Caroline?” he growled, getting to the point.

  “To see the heir one last time.” Caroline smiled maliciously. “Such a shame I can’t ruin your life.”

  “What is wrong with you?” Hunter asked. Truthfully, he was really perplexed with Caroline’s behavior. What more could she want? Did she want him to strangle her or what? She kept on coming back like he was a piece of red, juicy steak, too hard to resist even when she’d been told again and again that piece of meat had already been claimed.

  “If I can’t have you, then no one should. So you deserve to be miserable.”

  Oh, so that’s what this is all about.

  “You are definitely sick.” Hunter had had enough of Caroline. He didn’t want this woman to interfere in his life any longer. “If you so much as touch me or Clarice, I swear I’ll put a restraining order on you.” He then turned to leave, when Caroline dragged him back and hugged him from behind. “What. The. Fuck!”

  “Stay still. Just stay still. Let me hug you one final time,” the woman behind him begged.

  Hunter struggled and pushed her off. “For fuck sake. Get off me, Caroline.”

  “Why, why?” Caroline shook her head in rage and broke down. “I love you. I can make you happy. Why do you have to choose that woman? I’m younger than her. Why can’t you love me?”

  Hunter was struggling to speak because he was so mad, but his rational side kicked in. “I can’t love you. It’s not something I can decide. I love Clarice because I love her. I can’t force myself to love someone else.”

  “But she’s older than you. It’s wrong in society’s eyes.”

  This comment got Hunter riled up, and his rational side slipped out the window. He shouted his rage. “It’s not wrong to love someone. Even if Clarice isn’t younger than me, I still love her. Even if she were older by ten or twenty years, I would still love her. Even if she were a man, I would still love her. Love is love. There’s no boundary, no age restriction, no gender issue. So fuck society if I can’t love the person I love. And hear this clearly, Caroline. I love Clarice, so don’t come into our lives ever again.”

  Caroline sought solace in Hunter’s eyes, but there was none. She admitted defeat. Her game was now over. No matter what she did, Hunter would never look at her. Instead, she felt pain, so much pain it was tearing her apart. But what could she do? She knew the more she stayed close to him, the more it would hurt her in the long run.

  “Fine.” She regained her posture and dragged herself forward. She stood in front of Hunter and planted a kiss on his lips. Hunter was so surprised that he couldn’t react in time. “My final show. Good-bye, Hunter. I do hope you have a miserable life.” With those parting words, she left.

  Hunter was so gobsmacked that he could only watch Caroline walk away. Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of someone looking like Clarice.

  Shit! Is this for real? Is Clarice really here? He followed through and, shit, that was really Clarice. His baby, had she come to see him? But why was she running away?

  And then it hit him, straight between his eyebrows.

  He was talking to Caroline. Shit!

  Talking and fighting and hugging and kissing. Double shit! Shit!

  And to someone outside of their conversation, they looked like lovers, kissing and hugging and…

  Oh, fuck this! What the hell happened? Clarice must have mistaken his situation again.

  Hunter made a run for it, forgetting about the photographers who were all busy snapping away at his form as he made a dash out of the hotel. Down the steps and across the street, up the sidewalk and down again on the footpath, he made haste to follow her, with only one thought running through his head. Oh God, please don’t let history repeat itself.

  Chapter 20

  What was she thinking? Silly, stupid Clarice. Again and again, how many times do you have to remind yourself that Hunter no longer loves you? He has Caroline now. But because she was so madly in love with him, thinking she didn’t let him have a chance to defend himself, she had come. And now with her own two eyes, she saw them hugging and kissing each other. Even if she couldn’t hear what they were talking about, actions speak louder than words, right? Oh, give up, Clarice. It’s time to go, she reminded herself before her heart decided to shatter into pieces again.

  Wiping her tears, she turned back and ran down the steps. Away, anywhere, anywhere but here. She must get away.

  Clarice didn’t stop running, weaving through traffic, until she reached Central Park, near the Silverton Hotel. Sitting on the swing, she gazed at the after
noon sun, sad, silent tears dripping from her eyes, obscuring the beautiful orange scenery above.

  Her life with Hunter was literally over. She should accept that and move on. But why was it so hard? That was what she’d planned from the beginning anyway when she wanted that sperm so she could conceive. But it was love; it was paradise. And now she didn’t want to go back to the life of a spinster anymore. But content she must be. Let those past few months be a beautiful memory in her mind.

  She didn’t know how long she stayed like this, idle in her own world, watching the world go by without seeing any of it, until a child’s laughter alerted her. She moved off the swing and was about to walk back to her car when a pair of hands came to embrace her from behind, winding around her stomach, cradling her until she hit a hard muscular wall, entrapping her in the embrace of those warm arms.

  “Clarice, I missed you.” A deep, hoarse voice whispered into her ear.

  “Hunter!” she gasped.

  Hunter cuddled Clarice and inhaled her heavenly orange blossom scent. It was sweet, a delightful flavor he loved. He parted her hair and nestled his nose at the nape of her neck.

  God! How long had it been since he felt this complete? How long had it been since he felt his lover this close to him. Her scent traveled to his nose, the feel of her soft skin against his rough palms, and the texture of her hair all too real, alerting him this was not a dream, that the person he was embracing right now was his lover, Clarice.

  “Clarice, my sweet Clarice. I missed you,” he muttered into her hair to reassure himself his lover was within his embrace. Not satisfied with hugging her from behind, he turned her around to face him.

  Clarice was real. His Clarice was standing before him. Her cheeks were flushed pink, her eyes… red?

  God, had she been crying? His lover was crying.

  How long had she endured this pain? How long did she cry herself to sleep? Did she cry because of him?

  “Clarice.” He choked. He caressed her cheeks, feeling the puffy flesh beneath his touch, caressing her like a fine piece of china, so delicate and exquisite he was afraid he might hurt her. He touched the rim of her eyes, seeing her eyelids fluttering shut as his fingers got close to them. He softly felt underneath her eyelids. They were puffy and swollen. The feelings of pain and regret were so overwhelming that his chest constricted and he found it hard to breathe.

  In a flash, he had Clarice within the circle of his arms. “Clarice, God,” he mumbled into her hair, choked up on his emotion. “My sweet Clarice, I’m so sorry for putting you through this. I’m so sorry. What you saw before… that was Caroline saying good-bye to me.”

  “Hunter…” Clarice gripped his shirt collar, her hand trembling. She didn’t register what Hunter was saying. All her focus was on the presence of this man she loved standing in front of her.

  She couldn’t believe it. Could this be real? Was Hunter really right in front of her? Or was he just an apparition, conjured up by her mind because she missed him too much. To confirm her suspicion, she took her palm and placed it against his cheek, feeling his rough stubble.

  “Hunter, it’s really you. It’s really you.” She spoke softly, her voice stressed with emotion.

  Hunter took her hand and held it within his and then brought her body forward to hug her tight against his chest.

  “Clarice, my Clarice. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry for what happened.”

  “Hunter.” Clarice sobbed into Hunter’s shirt, wanting to explain her reasoning for wanting to see him too. “I—”

  “Please don’t send me away like last time.” Hunter pleaded, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence. He embraced her tighter, thinking if he didn’t do this, she would push him away again. And then he would lose her. And he couldn’t lose her again. If she were to go again, he would die. Right here, right now on the spot. “Clarice, please, just hear me out first.”

  When Clarice went still, without responding, he spoke his innermost feelings to her.

  “I love you, Clarice. I love you. I have never cheated on you, not even once. Since we were together, I’ve never looked at another woman, let alone thought of one. You’re the only one in my mind and in my heart. You occupy my thoughts and consume my heart.”

  “Hunter, please—”

  “Clarice. Just hear me out please.” Hunter begged her again, tears also in his eyes. “I love you, Clarice. I love you more than anything. Please give me another chance. When you ran away from me, you ripped my heart apart. I’m nothing but a living corpse now. I’m in so much pain I can’t breathe. I’ve missed you so much I can hardly eat. I missed everything about you. I missed living with you. I missed looking after you. I missed kissing you. And most of all, I missed hugging you. But more than anything, I need your love. I feel I’m no longer a human being. I can’t live like this anymore, Clarice. I need you. You’re my lifeline. I feel without you, I can no longer survive.”

  “Hunter.” Clarice looked up into his eyes with tears escaping hers.

  “Please, Clarice.” Hunter looked into her eyes and cupped her cheeks, and then with the pads of his thumbs, he wiped the tears clean. “When I’m by myself, I ask the universe if it could reverse back the time for me. If it could, then I want to erase all of my past and start anew. I want to be pure so I wouldn’t be tainted by my past. I would give anything for this. Even if I were to trade my soul with the devil, I would do so just so I can be with you for one more moment. I want us to go back to loving each other, Clarice. Please, could you give me this much?”

  “Hunter—” Clarice wanted to speak, but Hunter was scared she might push him away again, so he continued his confession.

  “At night, Clarice,” he spoke, “I’m so scared. I’m scared you might be in pain and no one can help you. I’m scared you might fall and there’s no one to pick you up. I’m scared you might cry and there’s no one to wipe away your tears. I’m scared when you can’t sleep or have nightmares, there’s no one to cuddle you back to sleep. Please don’t kill me, Clarice. Please remember how we used to care for each other. I beg you. Please don’t kill me by leaving me.”

  “Hunter.” Clarice sobbed into his shirt, shaking her head vigorously, wanting everything to start back from the very beginning, from the very beginning when she first saw him.

  “When I stepped away from you because of the misunderstanding, my heart felt like it had been ripped apart. And when you believed in what Caroline said, when you lost faith in me, I felt like I could die right there. But I can’t blame you. It’s all my fault. I was the one who made myself like this. I was the one who was a Casanova before, a playboy that didn’t care about any girl. But you, you made me change. And so I strive to be a better person. Every day I lived with you, I felt like I’d been reborn again. You’re the woman for me. You’re the one I love with all my heart and soul. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Clarice. I love you so much. I don’t know how to show you how much I love you anymore. I want to compare it to the sky, but it’s bigger than that. My love for you is as limitless as the universe. Clarice, I—”

  “Shush.” Clarice pressed her finger against his lips to stop Hunter from speaking. “That’s enough, Hunter. That’s enough.”

  Clarice was all choked up over Hunter’s confession. She was feeling depressed and lonely, thinking of why he didn’t come back to her. But why did she not think of how Hunter had felt through this experience too? He was a living corpse. His heart and soul had been lost and damaged because of her. Had he cried himself to sleep too? Did he break down too?

  Hunter had confessed his love to her already. He’d exposed all his inner feelings to her, bared all he held dear . Now it was her turn to tell him how she really felt for him. How could she convey to this man that she loved him, though, without the use of words, because she knew if she spoke again, she would cry, and when she cried, she knew she could never stop.

  And so when the afternoon light shone on his quivering lips, she knew what
she had to do. Everything would be normal again. Time would reverse. They would be back to when they both loved and cherished each other. And so, without further thought, she stood on tiptoes and trapped his face within her palms. Bringing his face forward until it was very close to hers, she brought her lips to meet his and sealed their fate.

  A little kiss of forgiveness, she thought. That was how it started. With a little nip on the lip. Then it developed into a full-fledged hungry desire, a fierce, hot, burning fire so passionate and flammable it dissipated all other emotions. Hot-white desire flowed through her, pouring out through her lips into his. She gripped him for support, afraid she would lose her balance and stability if she didn’t.

  Hunter felt love and desire coursing through his veins. His heart throbbed and pumped. His ears rang. This, this was an earth-shattering experience. His world shook, and the ground below him erupted. White light flashed before his eyes. The intensity of the kiss was like the world had collided. Finally, he drew back from their kiss, hungry for more, but the thirst to know her answer was more intense.

  “Clarice…” Hunter finally asked the ultimate question that would determine their fate. “Do you love me? Will you give me another chance?”

  “Hunter,” Clarice said slowly, her fingers softly stroking his stubbled jaw. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you. Hunter, I believe you. I should never have believed Caroline.”

  Yes, Clarice thought. She was finally able to tell him she loved him. He was standing right in front of her, confessing to her that he loved her. This was her chance.

  “Hunter.” Her voice creaked with so much emotion, overflowing, to form those words. “Hunter, don’t think for a moment you’re not special to me. I’ve lied to myself. I’m not honest with my feelings. I was scared. I was scared you might leave me. I was scared you might forget me. And I know if I let you go, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live again. That’s why I want to be strong. That’s why when I saw you with Caroline, I pushed you away. But when you didn’t call me, when you didn’t contact me, I cried. Hunter, I cried. Please forgive me. I trust you. I will never doubt you again. From now on, we’ll work things out. I won’t ever walk away from our problems again. Hunter—”