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"It’s not fine," Hunter tells ht to my hand His eyes are creased with concern as he watches h for you If Ito deliver"

This time I do pull my hand free "You can’t say that," I reply in a s at a piece of waffle "You don’t knohat’s going to happen Things get in the way, all the time It’s better just not to pro to finish

That way, I don’t getlike a fool

When I look up again, Hunter is watchinga flash of defensiveness

"Nothing" Hunter replies, his s to e

He smiles at me, so confident and cool, like he’s discovered the secrets to the universe "I’"

I blink "What do you mean?"

"It’s simple," Hunter says, eyes full of certainty "You believe that people let you down, that they leave you, and break you, and lie I won’t I’ to keep showing up, and proving you wrong, until you accept it I’m not like the rest"

My breath catches, a painful knot aching insuch sweet promises, I want to believe him, God, I do Then I remember, every other broken promise, every other man who lied

"It’s OK," Hunter says, as if he can see ot plenty of ti anywhere"

"But, why?" I can’t help the plaintive question that slips from my lips I look at him, so perfect and sweet, and I just can’t understand "Why … Why do all of this, just for irls--"

"I don’t want theain Maybe if he gives me a reason I can understand "You just showed up here like so to sweep me off my feet But I don’t believe in fairy-tales, or handsos aren’t real"

"Sure they are" Hunter says I glare at hiic is real It’s the way I feel when I look at you"

I rollaround the table and pulling me to ently tracing his fingertips downmy eyes to breathe in the sensation of his hands onme closer; the crisp, clean citrus scent of his aftershave, laced with so deeper and musky All him

"See?" Hunter whispers, close toic"

I waver When he’s holdingme, it’s easy to be seduced by the words that spill so easily fro as I know, deep down, I can’t trust hi, just for a little while?

The idea is teht, I don’t want to be stuck like this, so bitter and negative I don’t want to keep shutting hi all around us, and Hunter’s eyes watching ive hiic," I say softly, and Hunter’s sht and true, and enough to takesoftly to the song playing on his souped-up iPod, the sa in the truck on the ride back froround

"How do you do it? Makewith the lyrics, wishing I could keep this moment frozen in time forever "It’s better than I ever knew…"

We stay on the rooftop for hours, just talking and laughing, sitting on the far perch looking out at the lights across the bay I want to stay here forever, but too soon, Hunter is packing up his things and driving me ho it in my mind to capture every detail and hts I know I have ahead of me

"You’re quiet Sleepy?" Hunter asks, as he pulls out of the parking lot

I nod, not trusting ht now Hunter turns his attention to the road, one arh the still, silent town He doesn’t seeht was fordinners for the girls he’s dating; going out of his way to coifts

He doesn’t know that this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for aze out of theat dark shadow of the bay, trying to cal up inso much hope and awe and confusion--likewith emotion with no time to process it or take a step back fro a solid fortress aroundeveryone out with sarcas every betrayal and disappointer

Now, Hunter is blowing all that to pieces

When I’ht myself to never want, dream of a future I know is all a lie It’s like irl who gets this life of easy, sweet affection, butover itself to believe him all the same

But what happens if I fall too far? What happens when Hunter slips off his pedestal, and reveals that he’s just the sauy after all, and leavesbut my memories?

We pull into the driveway at the beach house Hunter helps me down from the truck and alk slowly to the front door I pause on the front porch step

Silence

"Thank you," I say softly, trying to fit all "