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How everyone I love always leaves

I shiver, fear snaking through ht breeze What if it’s not their fault? What if it’sthat ever co that’s ever happened tofor right now?

A noise coaround The glass slips frorasp and s down the stairs

"Oh," I catch my breath "You scared me!"

"Don’t move" Hunter hurries down the final stairs He’s nad save a pair of sweatpants "You’ll cut yourself"

I wait in place until he reachesht and bends over to pick the shards froize quickly, "I didn’t htens up, and I see for the fist tiht He turns away froone I thought…" He stops, shoulders hunched

My heart catches with the painful truth He thought I’d do what I’ve always done: disappear before things get too real; run and savewe’ve been through together, I know one thing for sure now: this ti to their lies

"I was thirsty" I reach for his, soothed just by the touch of hiet a drink"

"I know that now" Hunter gives hs "I just…" he trails off

"I’ in to drop a kiss on his forehead "I’ainstin and out I feel hi away, and I’ratitude This is ht have been? How ether, aching with a secret regret that I didn’t stick around? I have a chance noith hiht: for both of us to put aside so ether All our own

"Let’s go back to bed," I whisper, finally slipping down fro him back up the stairs

"Hey, Brit?" Hunter pauses alad you stayed"

He knows

My mouth drops open in surprise as I stare back, into those soulful blue pools that soht about leaving, thatout to run

"It’s OK to be scared," Hunter steps closer, so I can feel the warentle caress, eyes full of understanding "I know you’ve got a lifetiht here? This is big, Brit It doesn’t get ainst you sticking around"

I wait, heart inlike all my insecurities are exposed

"But I’m not a sane man, Brit, I’m crazy about you" Hunter smiles at me, so full of tenderness it takes my breath away "So you be scared, and freak out, and feel whatever it is you need to feel Just promiseyou again," he adds, deter you right back ho across my cheeks He understands He knows a part ofup on ht in the dark hallway I’ain, because he won’t let ently ahead of him into the bedroom "C’gle "Don’t you"Except to keep your hands off my covers Don’t think I didn’t notice you stole the in next to hi me into the crook of his ar into him "Good," he o"

Hunter keeps his proainstme in a tender, war to the sound of his even breaths andmy body in a bone-deep haze of peace

I’ve never held a man like this; never stayed to see the sunrise filter softly through the drapes I’ve never felt so close to anyone, so nad and exposed

So loved

I roll in his ar the peaceful expression on his face as he sleeps He’s a work of art, nad and glorious right in front of ently tracing the contours of his face with feather-light fingertips The shock of hair flopping over his forehead; the light dusting of freckles across his nose I trace his cheekbones, his jaw, his gorgeous full lips,every inch of skin My heart beats faster, just to touch hilimpse of him so vulnerable and at peace

Hunter lets out a sleepy yawn and shifts, flinging his ar deeper into the pillows

I could get used to this

The thoughtwith the ain, lulled by the steady rise and fall of his chest

He’s not like the others

Hunter is different, I know that now For the first tiolden proled up in his arms Safe and loved, the way I’ve never even dared to drea, so real I could be this happy tomorrow, and every tomorrow after that too I could be his, always