68- I want him
This was the last evening of their honeymoon. Abigail was beyond happy yet sad. She did not want to leave the place. Here she discovered a new side of Hunter.
She used to think that no other man except her dad could be this caring or compassionate. But she was wrong. She was not a wealthy chick otherwise she would have thought Hunter was a greedy bull, only after her money.
She was leaning back on the wooden swing placed beside the pool. A few days back Abi saw it in the porch of an unoccupied cottage and asked Hunter if it could be shifted.
She stared into the glass in her hand and twisted it by the stem. The remaining wine swirled in circles, rising up the sides of the glass and dropping back down with a tiny splash with each full circle.
“Hey, sleepyhead!” She heard Hunter sitting beside her giving the swing a gentle push.
“I am not sleeping.” She straightened. “I am going to miss this place.” She looked around. Throwing an arm around her, he leaned into her, “Yeah I know. Me too.” Then drawled lazily, “We can come again if you want.”
They both were quiet, enjoying the peace and serenity of the night.
“Hunter.”
“Hmm.”
“Did you ever miss your parents? I mean not having them around you while all your folks are enjoying their company.”
Leaning a little more on the backrest of the swing, he pulled his muscular legs up, “I used to think that may be, I do. But I guess, no. Not really.” Touching his lips for a brief second on her hair he started caressing it.
“Grandma and pa had always been there for me. Emotionally and physically. So no. Even if my parents were alive, I don’t think that they would ever do the job of raising me any better.”
She understood, what he was trying to convey, and leaned into him a little more, “You know Hunter? When I lost my dad, I was about to turn sixteen, the very next day of his death. And that was the first birthday that was not celebrated. Otherwise, my dad used to celebrate it religiously every year.”
“Every year it was supposed to be a surprise birthday party. Dad used to act as if he didn’t remember it at all. He used to plan other things. Few days before my birthday he used to announce that he would be leaving for his business trip. Or he would be needing to attend a meeting. Every year, he used to come up with a different excuse, trying to make me believe that he had forgotten it.”
“He often used to ask Molly or Kyle to take me somewhere. My friends used to pretend that we are going to a party or a shopping spree. And then sudden cancellation of plans, ultimately I used to end up at my place where my school fellows waited for me along with my family to scream Surprise at the top of their lungs.” She chuckled at the memory. “Except that it was never a surprise for me.”
“And your birthday gifts?” he asked curiously. “They used to be surprise birthday gifts?”
“That’s also something interesting to remember.” She smiled at the fond memories. “Every year he used to ask me long before the birthday.”
“About your favorite gift?”
“No.” She shook her head. “My favorite color.”
“What? Color?”
She nodded, “hmm. Usually, it used to be a coffee color. He used to hand over a coffee-colored card so that I can write my wish on it. The purpose was to grant me the wish on my birthday. I used to leave that card on his study table.”
“So did you always get that wish on your birthday?” This was something new to him.
“Yes. Every year except last birthday.” There was sadness in her voice. He kissed her head gently, “What you used to ask him?” he was interested to know. “What you used to write on that color paper?”
She sighed, “Every time it used to be the same. I used to write, Dad, I only want you. Nothing else.”
She went quiet after that. All the memories had made her nostalgic. Hunter was trying to soak in every word, she had uttered.
“Why do you always try that hard to make everyone happy, Abigail?” His question caught her off guard. Unconsciously he was caressing her cheek with his fingers.
Holding his hand, she opened it and started tracing patterns on his palm, ” No Hunter, I do not try harder to make everyone happy but only the ones who are sincere to me.” She was looking at the sky. “When I feel, I am not needed or my services are no longer required then I try to leave the place or person.”
He placed his forefinger under her chin and raised her face to look at him, ” Now what is that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing!” She sat up abruptly and started tying her long hair in a ponytail. Her emotions had started to play havoc. Whenever he was near, her body used to give strange responses which were totally alien to her.
Or maybe they were not alien but she did not want to acknowledge them. Did not want to mess it up.
“That’s not fair, sugar!” He was admiring the black lustrous mane on her head.
Getting up she leaned and kissed his forehead, “I know, sugar.” She drawled mimicing him, making him smile. Holding his hand she forced him a little to stand, “Come on. It’s our last night. Let’s swim and then we would go to bed.”
Their honeymoon was about to end but her feelings for him were getting beyond control now. That night they swam, they talked and slept late.
Before closing her eyes, the last thoughts on her mind were of Hunter. The thing that seemed so simple were not that simple at all.
OH, GOD!
I WANT HIM!
I WANT HIS HOT BODY!
BESIDE ME!
NAK*ED!
BUT HOW?
