"You knew there was a lot when you agreed to come down here."
She nodded. "Yes, I did. I also never realized until the past few days how little I know about you."
A pained expression crossed his face. He shot forward and grabbed her hands, pulling her into his arms a little roughly. "I know, angel. I know. I don't want to argue with you. I don't." He held her tight, running his hands through her hair. "I don't want to hide from you, either. Every time I think I'm doing well, I realize how wrong I am."
And there he went. Proving her point. One minute he was pissed at her for talking to Todd, and now he held her like nothing had happened and wanted everything to be okay. She stiffened. He sensed it and pulled away, a frown on his face.
"What's wrong?"
"This is what I mean." If only she could let it be. If only she could stay in his arms, act like things were fine, but they weren't. She couldn't do that. "You refuse to see something is wrong. You go from being so angry just a second ago to hugging me. And another thing. Why would you threaten to quit something you love so much, just to avoid talking to someone?"
"Becca." He shook his head. "I-"
"Hunter? Sienna's ready for a nap and wants you both for hugs and kisses." Beverly's voice drifted from the hallway behind them. Soft footsteps grew louder as she tentatively made her way to them.
His eyes stayed on Becca for a moment before he turned away. "I'm on my way." He darted away from her without another word. Becca clutched her purse in her hands, knowing she needed to move but couldn't force her legs to cooperate.
"Are you all right? I know this is all a lot for you to take in," Beverly said with a sympathetic smile.
Tears threatened to fall, and her lower lip quivered. "No. Yes. Oh, I don't know."
Eva's mother rushed forward to hug her. "Don't give up on him. He needs you more than ever."
Becca returned the hug, feeling a little awkward. "I'm not going to give up on him, I just- While he knows something is off, he doesn't want to do anything about it. I think it's more than he can handle and it's affecting him too much. I'm scared for him."
Beverly let her go and looked Becca in the eye. Her gaze was warm and understanding. "We all worry. Hunter will get over the fact that you told Todd what he should have told him a long time ago."
"I don't get it. If he doesn't want to fly right now anyway, why does it bother him that he's told he can't?"
"He wants to make those decisions on his own terms, not be forced into them. But if he went and took a flight distracted and something happened, he'd be even more devastated than he is now over things. He just needs to let it sink in instead of being upset that someone made the choice for him. Hunter will come around."
"I really hope so." Becca wasn't so sure. For the first time, she wondered what they would do if Hunter continued down that path.
Chapter Twenty Seven
Saying good-bye to Sienna wasn't easy. Even though she'd be there with Todd and Beverly, it didn't sit well with him the way Eva waltzed back in and wanted everything to be all right. It wouldn't be. He still felt terrible about how he lost control and yelled, scaring his baby girl. He thought about everyone's warnings about talking to someone. They all seemed set on the idea that it would help.
He kissed his daughter's smooth cheek as her eyes closed. The swimming definitely tired her out. Hunter stared down at Sienna, wishing he knew what to do to make everything all right.
At the sound of quiet voices by the door, Hunter stood. Becca and Beverly entered the room, both looking somber and upset. He watched them both kiss Sienna gently.
This wasn't the summer he'd hoped for when he brought Becca home. That deeper bond they formed seemed to be crumbling away at his feet and he didn't know what to do about it. He loved her, more than life itself. He was pushing away and he knew it, but what could he do to stop it?
They all had a good question. Why didn't he want to face this? It was more than he could handle, and he knew it. He'd done the whole counseling thing before, right after the crash. They asked him the same questions, over and over. They made him relive painful memories that he couldn't forget as it was. After that was when the nightmares started.
So what made anyone think they would go away now?
Beverly touched his shoulder, and he jumped. "You do know we love you, right?" she asked softly. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Becca slip out of the room.
He did know that. Todd and Beverly were the closest he ever had to a family after many years. Boy, he'd said a mouthful and made a mess.
"I do," he mumbled, finally meeting her eyes.
"Then please don't get so upset when Todd is looking out for you and your clients. Especially, don't be so mad at Becca. She's head over heels for you and would do anything to make you happy. I'm not sure what's going on in that deep dark mind of yours, but fix it, Hunter. We all need you."
With nothing more to say, he nodded.
"Take Becca home and make it right. Sienna will be fine here, and we'll talk to Eva."
He thought back to what he'd yelled earlier in front of everyone. "Beverly, about what I said-"
She waved him off. "Don't. You stunned every one of us with that outburst, but it shows that you need to let it out. You and Eva are both angry, but you laid all that ugliness out on the floor today. It's a start. If Eva is serious about sorting out her life and feelings, then we'll do what we can. I promise you, Sienna will not be a pawn anymore." Her stern, low voice gave him the chills.
"Thank you for everything." He wrapped her up in a hug, then bolted from the room to find Becca. He found her downstairs, talking to Todd. Eva was nowhere in sight. Both froze when he entered the room, looking up nervously. "Ready to go, Becca?"
"Whenever you are," she replied in a shaky voice.
"Hunter." Todd's voice was rough. "You're not really walking away from flying, are you?"
"I think this is a conversation we should have when we've had a chance to calm down and think." Hunter reached for his car keys from Becca's extended hand.
The man he'd come to see as a fatherly figure set his lips in a thin line, acting like he wanted to say more, but didn't. Instead, his shoulders rose and fell in a helpless shrug. "Okay."
There wasn't much else to say to anyone. Hunter hated the silence between him and Becca all the way home. As much as he missed Sienna and would have loved to bring her back home, tonight was probably a good night to have her stay with her grandparents and mother.
In the driveway at home, Hunter stared up at the house with dread. There were so many things to say, so many that needed to be said. All he felt was dread and emptiness, like he'd lost everything. Where did that come from, and how did he get rid of it? If he didn't fix things, he would lose everything. He still had a chance, if he would just open his mouth and make the right moves.
Why couldn't he say anything? He sat there, staring at everything, but nothing at the same time. He nearly forgot he wasn't alone in the car until Becca reached out and touched his leg. He flicked his gaze to her.
"Why would you threaten to quit something that makes you feel free?"
Free. That was the way flying made him feel. Or at least, up until a few months ago when all he felt was dread, fear and unnerved. All because of one bumpy landing. It didn't make sense. If he could push himself to get over how he'd felt about planes, then what stopped him now? Hell, what caused that fear to come back now?
"Didn't I tell you I was losing my mind?" Hunter shoved the car door open and headed toward the house. His mind spun in about a million different directions. He stabbed the key in the hole and pushed the door open, wanting to get inside. Becca ran in behind him, calling his name.
"Stop, Hunter. Just stop! Talk to me!" she pleaded.
He stared at her, taking in her tear-stained cheeks and the bloodshot eyes as she tried to reach for him. He did that to her. He made her cry and hurt her. Why couldn't he reach for her and make it better? Why did he want to turn away from eve
ryone, including the one woman he'd always loved and needed? It was like he wasn't in his own body anymore. He kept thinking about things he should do, but his hands didn't reach to touch her. His head pounded and his heart ached.
"I can't do this right now, Becca," he said through a deep, anguished tone.
He wanted, no needed to go. Run. Get away. Ignoring her pleas, he hurdled up the stairs and into his office, slamming the door. He sank against the door to the floor, trying to calm the raging monsters in his head.
*****
Darkness surrounded him, the air so thick with moisture it sucked the life right out of him. His body weighed down with terror, he crawled across the sand, moaning. The nearby sound of a scream startled him, jerking him to a new state of awareness. Why couldn't he see anything?
"Becca?" he attempted to call out. His voice, along with the rest of his body, was weak. What happened? Why was there screaming? He thought she'd stopped talking and hadn't heard a sound from her in a day. He couldn't remember why he'd taken off away from her in the dark. Hunter stumbled to climb to his feet. Something snapped nearby.
"I told you I'd find you. Your mind is mine. I fill your dreams and your nightmares."
He recognized the voice. It was the girl from the plane, except she sounded a lot older. She was nearby. His heart raced as he reached out to grasp onto something- anything. Nothing. He couldn't see. Hunter coughed and sputtered.
"Who are you?"
"You know who I am. I'm on the long list of those you didn't save. I came back for you."
Something landed on his foot, something heavy and hard.
"Ow! What are you doing? Where's Becca?"
"I took care of her. Those screams you heard? Yeah, she put up a fight. Better than I thought."
"Why can't I see you?" He couldn't see a damn thing! "What did you hurt her for? She's just a little girl. It's me you want. Leave her alone!"
"Too late, Hunter. I already took care of her. Now it's your turn. Except with you, I'll make the pain last."
He heard the pounding behind him. Hunter flailed his arms, trying to find her. If only he could open his eyes! With one dirt covered hand, he touched his face. Wait. His eyes were open. What the hell?
"What's happening to me?"
"You don't know? You said so yourself. You're losing your mind!" she said in an evil, pissed off laugh. Oh, that sound made his skin crawl.
"I need to get to Becca." Could she have really done something to her? He had so much to try and fix. Becca couldn't leave him, too. She promised! She wasn't supposed to give up.
"I told you already, she's gone!"
The pounding continued. What the hell was that?
"What are you doing?"
Preparing you."
He was numb. Cold. Achy. What was happening to him?
"I want you to remember. I want you to feel what I felt." Her voice was closer. Cold. A swarm of cold air slammed into him. All he felt was cold.
*****
Becca couldn't get to Hunter. He had the door locked, but she heard him behind it, yelling. Was he having a nightmare? He must have fallen asleep and shut her out to keep her away.
"Hunter! Come on! Open up!" She wasn't sure he could even hear her. It didn't stop her from trying anyway. She pounded again. Even from the bedroom fast asleep, she'd been alerted to the sound of Hunter's terrified shouts. "Please Hunter, wake up and open this door!"
The door flew open. Becca stumbled backwards from the force of how quick it opened and she'd even heard a whoosh from the air as it moved. Hunter flew toward her, his face masked in one of pure terror. Was he even awake? His skin glistened with sweat and his eyes were glazed.
"Hunter! It's me!" Terror seized her as he reached out. He was stumbling around. What happened to him? Sleepwalking during a nightmare? She'd never been so afraid of what he'd do before, but he wasn't himself. "Hunter, please!" she yelled louder with urgency.
He'd backed her into a wall, still fumbling around. He grunted as his hands found their way to her. He squeezed her arms tight.
He wasn't awake. He had to be sleepwalking while still dreaming. Did that happen? He was hurting her.
"What did you do to her? What did you do?" he shouted, his voice thick with pain and agony. "I need her! Give her back to me!"
He made no sense. Becca tried to get out of his grasp to shake him out of this, but she couldn't. Bile rose in her throat. She leaned closer, as close as she could get to his ear and screeched. "Hunter! It's Becca. I'm right here! You're hurting me. Let go! It's okay, I'm right here. Open your eyes and see me." It wasn't working. He squeezed harder. Adrenaline kicked in and Becca shoved him away. He staggered and fell backward, landing on his back.
She froze in place. Hunter sat up, blinking rapidly. "Bec? What's gong on? What- what just happened?" He gasped for air.
"Your dreams, y-you-." Becca stuttered, still unable to move. She just wanted to reach him. At least he finally woke up. Every pulse point on her body throbbed.
"What did I do?" He shot to his feet. When he neared, she flinched.
Hunter reeled back, his skin so white she thought he'd be sick. "Oh no. No. I hurt you, didn't I?" When she couldn't respond, he tried again. "Please tell me I didn't hurt you. What did I do, Becca?"
Becca rubbed her arms, suddenly so cold. Goosebumps ran all over her arms and legs, sending a spine tingling shiver through her. "You grabbed me- squeezed my arms and had me again- against the- w-wall." The stuttering. Ugh. Make it all stop! This had to be a nightmare. She pinched herself, right above where Hunter's hands had been. Please let it all be a bad, bad nightmare. Ow. It hurt. No, this was real. "You were yelling 'What did you do to her' and shook me."
"Noooo!" he yelled. "I didn't. Please tell me I didn't."
If only she could. Oh, if only she could.
He raised his hands and her first instinct, again, was to flinch. She didn't mean to. Becca took a step backwards. At her move, Hunter dropped his hands.
"Oh hell, I did. You're afraid of me. I move to hold you, and you're afraid of me." She heard the mix of anger, horror and fear in his tone. "Becca- I. I'm so sorry. I should have listened before. I should have- I hurt you! I can't believe I hurt you!" He dashed down the stairs, still sounding upset, but she barely made out the words he said. The slamming of the door echoed throughout the house and shook the walls. A car engine roared to life and peeled out.
Why did he just leave? Where was he going? Becca forced herself to move, to get to her phone and call him.
Straight to voice mail. She hung up and dialed again and again. Still went to voicemail. The last time she left a message. "Hunter. Please come back. You're in no shape to drive. It's just a-another s-storm. We'll get through it." Becca hit end and clutched the phone to her chest, her body wracked with sobs. This time, she wasn't sure.
*****
The phone rang at three in the morning. She'd barely slept as she kept waiting for Hunter to come home. He wouldn't answer his phone, and he hadn't shown up for hours. She'd never answered his house phone before, but didn't hesitate when it rang. She was desperate.
"Hunter?" she answered, out of breath.
Nothing but static on the other end.
Ugh!
Yeah, something was wrong here. A static call at three am?
"Hello?"
Still, nothing.
Then. "You need to hurry. Hunter, he's hurt!" a voice Becca didn't recognize pleaded.
"Who is this?"
"He's on his plane!" the voice said, avoiding all questions.
His plane?
He was in no condition to fly and Becca hoped that's not what he was doing. Hunter wasn't in the best shape.
"I'm on my way. Please, don't let him do anything crazy. He won't answer my calls!"
Becca slammed the phone down.
She didn't know the streets of this town very well at all, but she had to do something. She had to get to that airport. Maybe she should call someone. Shara? The Sundstroms?
No, she'd just go find him. She'd already done enough damage by bringing in someone else when Hunter obviously didn't want anyone to know.
As she backed out of the driveway, her cell phone beeped, signaling a message. She stared at the screen and wondered why she never got a call. Becca put the phone up to her ear and waited for the voice mail to play.
"Angel, I'm so sorry. You were right. I should have- I need to talk to someone. I should have done that before I hurt you. Damn it! I love you more than life, Becca. I know it's hard to believe, considering how things have been the past few days, but you're everything to me. I'm sitting here on my plane thinking about things. Don't give up on me, angel." His voice cracked, choked up at the end before the voice mail ended. He'd left the message about an hour ago. What did he do within that hour that hurt him?
Her vision blurred. "Oh Hunter," she whispered. She pictured him alone and hurting on that plane. Remembering the name of the small airport, Becca typed it in on her phone, hoping to pull up directions. Once she found him, she would hold him and never let go.
Becca had never been one to drive over the speed limit, but this morning, she found herself doing just that. All she wanted was to get to that plane and find Hunter. They had to fix this and get past it all.
She made it with no problems. No cops followed or pulled her over. Becca jumped out of the car and headed toward the building. She saw the man from the other night, Arther, and called his name. Maybe he could help her.
"Becca!" He smiled, big and friendly. "Meeting Hunter for a little fun?" he said, laughing mischievously.
If Hunter was hurt, Arther knew nothing about it. This was a small, private airport. How could he not?
Something wasn't right. Still, she kept her words to a minimum until she knew the situation. No way was she going to say something else that might upset Hunter.
She wished that was it. If she forced a smile and played along, maybe he would get the message and not talk too much. "Something like that. Is he already here?"
"Been here for a few hours. He was on the phone with his ex-wife when he showed up. Thought that was strange."
Her legs trembled, threatening to collapse beneath her. "Yes, well they've been talking about things. They're trying to keep the peace for Sienna's sake."
A Masterpiece Of Our Love (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 1) Page 27