Hunter

While Emma drives back into the city, I can see the frustration in her eyes as she insists on knowing the truth about last summer. It would be straightforward to be able to tell her the truth about the gang and me paying the debts. However, I do not want her to feel any responsibility for me paying off the gang. Unfortunately, she was hurt in all this situation, and it was not her mess to be involved, so I do not want to involve her anymore.

"Em, I didn't want to get you involved any more that you were already. That bullet wasn't yours to take. I knew if I stayed, you would have been in more danger, so I had to do the best for you." I say looking right at her eyes which are glued onto the car in front of us.

"Don't give me that bullshit! Tell me why you really left. Was it because of Christina?" She looks over at me with her eyebrows raised. Am I totally lost? Is she talking about Christina Falls, my ex from before the witness protection program?

" What the fuck does Christina have to do with this? You really don't get it, do you? Em! There was not even one day I didn't have you on my mind. Do you really think I would have made everything possible for you to live in my building..." She cuts me off brutally,

"Exactly my point Locke!! Why would you want me living floors under you if you thought I was in danger beside you. It makes no fucking sense." My heart makes a little pause when I hear her call me Locke. She came up with that name when she found out my name was Taylor Lockwood and figured that Hunter Lane, that Locke is a combination of Lane and Lockwood. And from that day she has never called me Hunter.

"Because I know that now you are out of danger. Trust me! Now tell me this bullshit about Christina." We are only a few blocks from our apartment, so I try to push her on knowing this nonsense of Christina.

"She came to see me in the hospital and told me you were buying some flats to start a new life with her. Do you honestly expect me to throw my arms at you and forgive you? Look, Brad has been every step of the way since the incident, he was there every day in the hospital and then at the rehabilitation centre, helping me get through this. And where were you? Fucking Christina." As she finishes speaking, a few tears are running down her cheek. I have no clue why Christina would say such a thing like that. I can not lose Emma after everything we have gone through, and I know I was not there when she needed me the most. It kills me to hear her talking like that and especially talking with passion about Brad, but I am still relieved that he helped her.

I still can't understand why she thinks I was sleeping with Christina. I have not seen her since that day we spoke at the school.

"Em. I haven't seen Christina for a long time. I am happy Brad has helped you through all this..." As we get into the garage her eyes lock with me and she spits,

"I didn't want him; I wanted you there! Fucking hell, don't you get it? I needed you!" I can see her face slowly goes dull after opening herself up. I thought I would never hear her say the words to me again. Her cellphone begins to vibrate on the car's dashboard. I glance over and see a photo of her and Brad pop us as his name flashes on the screen.

"Hey... Yeah, I just arrived home... Yes sure... Okay, perfect see you now... Okay. Love ya bye... " Just hearing her saying that to Brad is like getting 500 punches in the gut at once.

"Emily, I hope you forgive me one day. Thank you for the ride." She slowly nods as she puts the car in my parking spot. After sitting for a few seconds in silence, I see her biting her lower lip; she always bites her lower lip when she is about to say something but is containing herself from saying it.

"Just tell me alright!" I say, turning myself to face her. We are sitting in the car with the engine turned off. She sighs and adds,

"You are the one who insisted so here you have it. When you came that day to see me in the hospital, you decided for both of us. It isn't fair that you come now crashing my stable life after months of crying hoping you were gonna come back. Now I am with Brad, so please leave us alone. You got it?" She looks into my eyes with frustration. I know I hurt her and that was never my intention. I need to give her a bit of time and space, and hopefully, she will come around.

"And don't worry, I have already started to look for a new flat. Just a pity because I was starting to get along with Claire." She says opening the car door to get out. I grab her handbag that is between my legs and get out of the passenger's seat. The pain starts to come once again as my body turns to reach for the floor.

"Emily, you don't need to go. I will stay out of your way if that's what you want. Just don't leave, I don't want you to go." If I need to stay away from her, I will but just knowing she lives close to me will make me feel revealed.

"We'll see." We walk to the lift as I'm limping I give her, her handbag. Emma presses the eighth floor instead of the 7th that is her floor. I put the key inside so the lift works.

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