"Hunter?" I asked popping my head in the his room then the bathroom, calling him each time I was in a new room. The phone started ringing so I answered that before looking where Hunter went.

"Hello?" I answered

"Hi Emilia Anderson? I'm calling regarding your apartment. I heard we mixed up your numbers?"

"Yes...?"

"Well, I have some good news for you then. We've got an available room for you and your friend if you want it."

"Oh that's great! Thank you for letting me know. I'll get back to you soon. I'm sure we'll take it." Sky and I could finally live together.

"I must just warn you however, the apartment is in one of the other complexes, on the opposite side of where you're staying right now."

"Oh ok. Thank you for calling."

I put down the phone and continued to look for Hunt. I'd have to tell him the news as well.

When I got to the kitchen there was a small note stuck on the fridge:

Morning sweetheart

Your dad called to thank you for the wedding gift. I'm helping Eng professor with a few assignments. Call me if you need me.

Hunt

I picked up my phone and took a picture and sent it to Sky. Then I called Hunter.

"Everything alright sweetheart?"

"Hunt, I need to speak to you."

"Okay... Are you fine?" He asked worried.

"Can I come to your office?"

"Sure. I'll see you soon."

-

I arrived at Hunter's office within a few minutes wanting to get the conversation out of the way.

"Hunter?" I knocked on the door.

"Emilia." He said rushing towards me, "Are you okay? You sounded serious?"

"Do you wanna walk to get coffee?" I pointed to his office door. I hated it when Hunter called me by my full name, it meant he was serious.

"No. What's wrong?" Hunter asked leaning back against his desk.

"A lady from the apartment complexes called me today and she told me there's an open apartment."

"Okay.. So you wanna move?" Hunter asked frowning.

"Yes."

"But?" Hunter uncrossed his arms and rested them on the desk behind him.

I closed my eyes, "The apartment would be for Skylar and I."

Hunter nodded, understanding where I was going, "Well I'm not stopping you?"

"That's it?" I asked almost upset.

"What am I supposed to say? If you thought I was going to beg you to stay, you don't know me at all, sweetheart." He spat out the nickname.

"Hunter, I just wanted to -"

"It's your choice Emilia. We were just roommates, okay? That's it," he turned to sit down, "Accidental roommates."

I left his office hurt and soft tears slipped down my cheeks. Hunter told me he liked me. Whether he knew I heard him the first and third and he forgot the second, it didn't matter anymore.

I didn't think much of it when Hunter said it when he was drunk but when I told Sky all she said was: "A drunk man's words are a sober man's thoughts."

___________________________

🦄❤️

Important. You free?

Read 9:46

Everything okay?

Received 9:46

Just wanna celebrate the last day of holidays with food 🍕

Read 9:46

Meet me downstairs in 10 ❤️

Received 9:46

___________________________

"Em, I know you love food but you never wake up this early just to have breakfast."

"I know and I only went to bed this morning."

"That explains the black bags under your eyes."

"Thanks Sky, really." I said sliding into my car.

"Okay, what's really wrong?" Sky looked over at me after I hadn't put the radio on.

I sighed.

"Hunter?"

I looked over at my best friend, "You know me too well."

"So vent." Skylar got straight to the point.

" I got a call this morning..."

"From...?"

"A lady from the apartment complexes. She said there's an open room for us Sky." I smiled.

"But...?" Skylar said.

"It's one of the apartments on the other side of campus and even though I'm pretty much settled in - "

"I know where this is going so I'm just going to stop you there. Em, I love you and I know you love me too and you probably think that you not wanting to move -"

"I told Hunter I'm moving." I interrupted.

"What? Why?"

"It's so stupid but I can't get too close to him, Sky."

"And why not?" She asked frustrated.

"I don't want to have to tell him about my sister or get too attached to him, only to have him leave me. I don't want to get hurt."

He gaze turned sympathetic then hardened.

"Okay... Now I know what's happening. You've developed a massive crush on Hunter," she turned in her seat to face me and I could feel by cheeks burn, "It's normal, you live with the hunk, okay?" I laughed at the term, "Hell, I felt the same about Ty, we just told each other sooner."

"I did tell him, Sky. When we were on holiday. I didn't look to see if he was listening or not but I said it out loud."

"You told him?"

I nodded.

"He might've been sleeping?"

"He wasn't. When we went back to bed I heard him say it again."

"Oh, Em. You told me he said it when he was drunk but you didn't mention this. You never tell a guy when you like them."

I single tear fell from my eyes.

"I think I understand what's happening. You're becoming more comfortable around him, letting the bad girl image fade away and you're worried because that's always been your only barrier protecting you from getting hurt and then you said whatever you said out loud and now you're trying to deny your feelings for him but you can't because you believe what you said. And now Hunter's pretty much dissolved that barrier and he's starting to see the real you and sooner or later you'll have to tell him about your sister and all the other awful things about you." Sky smiled.

"He's treated you so well and perhaps you aren't used to it because you didn't grow up with your dad constantly by your side. But also, I see how Hunter looks at you, Em. How your face lights up when you talk about him or all the wonderful dates he's taken you on. I don't know if he ever told you this, but I know because Ty told me what he said. He told Ty, he's exclusively yours. No more hooking up with strangers, he just didn't want to scare you off with a title. Now I don't mean to sound like a mother and I probably still will, but Em you can't always think the worst of people. You've always just had your mom and me after Jaimie... Come on, you're not even trying that hard to get to know Jade."

I tried interrupting but she carried on, "Hunter told me what happened at the wedding. You practically have two families, which means double presents and do you know what joy another sibling could bring?" I smiled at the thought, thinking back to Jude and Cath, "You're not going to get that if you don't make some effort."

"Your dad and Jade are so happy and I hope you find that same happiness one day too." She took both my hands in hers, "Em, your 'bad girl' look can stay up for the rest of the world but just let it down for some people. Even if you've only known them for a couple of months." She concluded referring to Hunter.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, "He told me we were just roommates, Sky. Accidental roommates."

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