like ten times already, so that statement’s completely inaccurate. Although, I haven’t really listened to you when you said no, so maybe it’s not.” I start walking around the room, noticing all the framed artwork on the walls; photos of landscapes, people, and objects. It’s just like at their house. “Did you take these photos too? They’re really good. They kind of look like the ones at your house…” I trail off as he moves up beside me with a slightly amused smile on his face. “What did I say?”
He shakes his head, continuing to smile. “Is your nose still burning? Or are you feeling better?”
I note that my nose does feel okay now. “It’s not burning as much. Is it supposed to? I’m still not sure if that was normal or not, since you never said anything.”
He chuckles softly. “You’re saying plenty for the both of us, sweetheart.”
Great. Is he going to start calling me sweetheart now?
But that thought quickly becomes distracted by the realization that I’ve been yammering for about a minute straight. “Oh.” I touch the heel of my hand to my forehead. “My brain’s moving really fast.”
Hunter smashes his lips together. “That’s supposed to happen, honey.”
And now he’s calling me honey?
Le sigh.
I shake my head. “I know.” I blink a few times, my eyes feeling super dry.
With a contemplative look, Hunter drapes his arm around my shoulder. “Want to go sit down and talk?”
I shake my head. “Nah, I’m too restless to sit.”
“Then what do you wanna do?”
“I don’t know… run a marathon.”
He bites back a smile. “That might sound fun right now, but trust me, if you do it, you’ll regret it when you come down.”
“Well, that doesn’t sound like fun,” I pout with my lip jutted out.
He shakes his head with his teeth sunk into his bottom lip. “God fucking dammit, you gotta stop doing that.”
“Doing what?”
He reaches up and drags his thumb along my bottom lip. “Pouting. It’s gonna make me break the rules.”
“Again, you mean?” I say with a smirk.
“Fuck,” he groans. “You’re gonna get me into a lot of trouble, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. But I have a feeling it’s gonna be a mutual thing.”
“Perhaps.”
We share a smile, and it’s so easy, but kind of sucks because deep down, I know when the high wears off, everything is going to be heavy again.
“So if we can’t run a marathon,” I say, trying to distract myself from my thoughts, “What’re we going to do?”
“Talk about the creepy as fuck stuff going on in your mind, remember?” he reminds me with a grin.
I dismiss him with a shake of my head. “Nah. I don’t want to talk about that.”
Now he’s the one to pout. “Why not?”
“I don’t know… It’s just too weird, even with my mind racing like this.”
He considers something momentarily then guides me over to a sofa near the far back wall and pulls me down with him as he takes a seat. “How about this,” he says with his arm still draped around my shoulder. “You share one thing about you that no one knows and then we can do one thing that you want to do.”
“Even if it’s run a marathon?”
“Yeah, but I really hope you change your mind about that.”
“I might, but maybe not.” I consider what he’s asking, and part of me wants to say no, wants to question why he wants me to share stuff about myself. But my mind’s racing so fast that I can barely grasp onto the worry. “What do you want to know?”
He tilts his head from side to side, considering. “I don’t know… How about what your life was like as a kid, before you moved in with your uncle.”
I frown. “You want to know what my life was like before I killed my parents?”
He frowns too. “From what you and Zay have told me, I’m pretty sure you didn’t kill them.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure I did.”
“No, I think you’ve been told so much that you have that you’ve started to believe it. But from the info Zay dug up, I don’t think you did. Plus, you’re free so other people must’ve thought that.”
“There just wasn’t enough proof,” I mutter, wishing he hadn’t brought this up.
It’s ruining my high.
“Which could mean you’re innocent.”
“Or guilty, but there’s just not enough proof.”
He sighs. “Fine, I’ll let this go for now, but you still haven’t answered my question. And if you don’t then I can’t do what you want.” He gives an innocent shrug.
I roll my