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FOURTEEN - PART 1

HUNTER

I held my glass, swirling the liquid, as I stood near the end of the bar. The darkness of the room kept me out of her sight. Yet the lights illuminated where she stood, allowing me to see her entirely. Every movement of hers I watched: her smile, her laugh, the way she scrunched her face after taking a shot. I was memorized by her. The worst part was, she didn't even know.

She didn't know I was here. I didn't want her to know. She told me to stay away, and I did. It was a struggle to do so, with everything in me wanting to see her again. I stupidly did everything I could to catch a glimpse of her without her knowing. I loaded Jake with promotions, knowing it the easiest way to see her. Yet every time, she never showed.

Worries started to swirl in my head, wondering if she knew what I was up to. Jake, however, seemed to catch on, which I greatly loathed. He stealthily mentioned one night how busy she was with school and preparing for exams. I told him I didn't care, an obvious lie, which he took with a nod and never brought up again.

Tonight was a different story. Dylan was in a booth next to friends I vaguely remembered from the first night we had met. Dressed in a white dress with thin straps and a daring slit on one side. It looked like silk under the lights. Her golden hair was in a half-up half-down style, tied with a white ribbon.

The light focused on her as she swayed back and forth to the music. I felt myself stiffen, placing my drink on the bar, my eyes sinking further into her trance. Angelic, that's how she looked.

"Count down in five minutes!" The bartender called out to the crowd, who responded in a roar of applause.

New Year's Eve branded trinkets were passed around, and a hat was shoved into my hands by a passing worker. I tossed it onto the bar, rolling my eyes.

"Not going to wear your hat?"

I glanced to my side, seeing a woman dressed in a revealing outfit. Usually, I would find myself entertaining a conversation with her. However, these days I found myself far removed from my old antics.

"No," I responded shortly, turning away.

I quickly spotted her again. Dylan had moved from dancing beside Abby to standing next to some guy in their section. I watched with narrow eyes as he whispered something into her ear. I could feel my jaw clench as she laughed, appearing to find whatever he had to say entertaining. Dylan nodded in response to another whisper from her companion. I grasped my hand around my drink, draining its contents with one sip and waved the bartender over for another.

"You only have a few minutes left till midnight, Grayson," the bartender spoke as he refilled my drink, "Pick out your lucky lady yet?"

I picked up the glass, bringing it to my lips, "I have." I spoke with my eyes fixed on my target, quickly finishing the newly poured liquid courage.

I walked towards her, pushing past the drunken bodies surrounding the main floor with ease. I quickened my pace, noticing the guy put his arm around her, keeping her close to his side. Making my way towards the platform, the first two to spot my arrival was Jake and Abby. The girl's eyes filled with a look of rage, but thankfully, Jake kept a grip on her.

I stepped towards her and cleared my throat. Her head turned, eyes wide as she caught sight of me.

"Hunter?" She questioned with a knitted brow.

"Dylan," Her name slipped from my tongue for the first time in weeks.

Dylan took a step forward, the unknown man's arm dropping from her shoulder, "What are you doing here?"

"One more minute!" The crowd cheered.

I found myself at a loss for words as I stared at her, her beauty silencing my voice. It was powerful enough to make it feel as if the two of us were alone in a silent space. It appeared that both our feet had shuffled towards one another as if a magnetic force was pulling us together. My hand went to her cheek, my thumb gently grazing over her skin. I leaned forward, closing the space between us, my lips delicately pressing against hers. There was no feeling of hesitation, her lips moving in sync with mine, as if she too wanted this as badly as I did.

I pulled back, allowing us to catch our breath, our lips only inches away from one another.

"...Ten...nine...eight..." The sound of the crowd became evident once again, my eyes staying focused on hers. "...Three...two...one!"

Our lips connected once again to the sound of the erupting cheer. Her arms snaked around my neck, pulling our bodies closer.

I pulled back from our kiss, my hands resting on her waist as I moved my lips to her ear, "Happy new year, Angel." 

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... and finally, the origins of the 'angel' nickname are revealed.

sorry to leave y'all with a short one. this chapter is broken up into 3 parts.

if you wanted some insight into hunter... this chapter will give it to ya. 

see ya soon! 

maybe if u shower me with hug & kisses I'll post part 2 before Friday mwahaha