Chapter 19

By the time Hunter stepped off the bus, he felt like his bones were made of lead. His head throbbed from exhaustion, his body ached from the uncomfortable ride back, and all he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed and sleep for the next twelve hours. The entire trip had been draining, both physically and emotionally, and he needed a damn break.

But when he reached his house something was…off. His steps slowed as he noticed a pile of trash bags near the entrance. Clothes. Books. His old, worn-out sneakers. His suitcase.

Everything was his.

A cold sense of unease crept up his spine as he walked closer staring at the mess. His fingers twitched before balling into fists. Is this what he thinks it is? 

He took a sharp breath and rang the doorbell. A minute passed before the door finally swung open, revealing Claire. She stood with her arms crossed, her face twisted in irritation.

"What do you want?" she snapped coldly. 

Hunter stared at her and pointed at the pile of his belongings. "What's the meaning of this?"

Claire scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Isn't it obvious? You can't freeload here anymore."

For a second, Hunter thought he misheard her. "Freeload? I pay rent."

His aunt let out a mocking laugh. "Rent?" She repeated as if it was the funniest thing she had ever heard. "Do you think that little bit of money you give us actually covers anything? It's barely enough for utilities, let alone other expenses. If you really want to stay here, you're gonna have to contribute more."

"So what do you want? Are you increasing the rent?" 

Claire's smirk faded and her expression turned more cunning. "I'll make you a deal."

Hunter exhaled in irritation, he already knew he wasn't going to like whatever came next.

"I'll let you stay here rent-free," Claire continued, "but you need to help with Lily's admission."

Hunter's grip on his bag strap tightened. "Does Uncle know about this?"

For a split second, Claire's face twisted in hesitation but then her face hardened. "Of course, he knows," she lied smoothly. "He's the one who asked me to tell you this."

Hunter didn't believe her for a second. But he didn't argue. He was too damn tired for that.

He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to think. If he agreed, he could at least have a roof over his head. It wasn't like he had anywhere else to go. The streets were a different kind of hell, and he wasn't sure he could survive that.

But then he thought about the humiliation. The constant reminders that he wasn't wanted here. The way Claire always looked at him like he was nothing.

So maybe leaving isn't too bad. Maybe it was time finally to stand tall and not take her insults anymore. 

Claire opened her mouth to speak again, probably to push him further, but before she could finish, Hunter turned around and started gathering his things which left her in dread. 

"What are you doing?"

Hunter didn't answer, his hands moved on stuffing clothes into his bag, grabbing his books, shaking the dust off whatever wasn't ruined yet.

Claire's irritation quickly turned into panic. "Hunter—wait. Don't be stupid. Where do you think you're gonna go? You won't survive on the streets."

Hunter zipped up his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Then, without another word, he walked away.

"Hunter? You bastard?! Come back!" Claire called after him, but he didn't turn back.

He didn't know where he was going but anywhere is better than here. 

He had no idea how long he wandered. Half an hour? Maybe more? His body was running on fumes and he was extremely exhausted. 

Eventually, he found himself sitting on the roadside, staring at the ground and wondering. 

What now?

He didn't have enough money to rent a place right away. And without proper paperwork, no landlord was going to let him stay anywhere on short notice.

His mind flickered to Aiden. But just as quickly, he shoved that thought away. Because after what happened on the trip, he was done expecting things from Aiden. His life is already making him give up on so many things. 

And he wanted to add one more thing to that list. And that is giving up on Aiden. Giving up on these feelings. He's aware he could never get rid of these feelings but at least he would try to stop desiring anything from Aiden. 

For once, he needed to focus on himself. Surviving came first. His feelings could wait.

With a heavy sigh, he pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts before landing on Sam.

He hesitated for a while before pressing his lips together, he hit the call. 

After a few rings, Sam picked up. "Hunter? What's up?"

Hunter leaned back against the wall. "Do you have a place where I can crash for a while?"

There was a beat of silence before Sam's voice turned concerned. "Why? What happened?"

Hunter didn't sugarcoat it. "I'm homeless now."

"What—?" Sam's tone sharpened with alarm. "Dude, are you serious?"

"Yeah."

"Shit, Hunter, come stay at my place. You can—"

"No." Hunter cut him off. He knew Sam lived with Sophia, and if she said anything to Aiden, it would be a disaster.

"I just need a place to stay," Hunter continued. "I'll pay rent, but not right now. Maybe at the end of the month."

Sam was quiet for a moment before saying, "I'll see what I can do. Give me a few minutes."

Hunter nodded, even though Sam couldn't see him. "Thanks."

He ended the call and waited. The streetlights flickered on. His body ached from weariness, but he didn't have the energy to move.

Finally, his phone buzzed again.

Hunter answered. "Yeah?"

"I found a place," Sam told him. "It's…not great. It's actually just an old storage room. It's behind my uncle's bar, and it needs a lot of cleaning. But if you're okay with that, it's yours."

Hunter didn't even hesitate. "It's fine. Anything's fine."

Sam breathed out. "Alright. Send your address and I'll come pick you up. We'll check it out together."

Hunter nodded again. "Thank you." 

For the first time that night, something inside him felt a little less hopeless.

Hunter was already drained when Sam's car pulled up in front of the bar. His limbs felt heavy but he forced himself to step out.

"Come on," Sam let out, giving Hunter a reassuring pat on the back. "Let's go meet my uncle."

The bar had an old, rustic allure with its warm yellow lights and wooden structure. The sign above was slightly crooked, the paint peeling at the edges, but it had a welcoming aura. As they walked in, the faint scent of alcohol and fried food filled their senses. 

Behind the counter stood Sam's uncle, a round-bellied man with a thick mustache and a wide grin. His laughter boomed across the bar as he talked to a few regulars. When he spotted Sam and Hunter, his eyes brightened.

"Ah! You must be Hunter!" He approached with open arms, slapping Hunter on the back with surprising strength. "Sam told me about you. You're just like a nephew to me now, kid! If Sam vouches for you, then you're my family."

Hunter looked between him and Sam. He wasn't used to such warm welcomes. "Uh…thanks."

The uncle grinned unbothered by Hunter's awkwardness. "Come on, let's check out the place!"

He led them through a narrow hallway at the back of the bar and stopped at a door. When he pushed it open, a wave of dust hit them. Hunter coughed, waving his hand in front of his face.

The room was small, barely big enough for a bed and a few essentials. The walls were coated in grime, the floor covered in dust and bits of old paper. A single window, streaked with dirt, let in a sliver of moonlight.

"I cleaned it out as best as I could," Sam's uncle scratched his head. "Took out all the junk that was here before. Even added a bed and a small shelf. But, uh…didn't get around to the actual cleaning part."

Sam laughed. "Yeah, we can see that, Uncle."

The older man chuckled, his belly shaking. "If I had more time, I'd have my boys clean it up for you. But you young ones are strong, right?"

Hunter shook his head. "You've already done enough. I'll take care of the rest."

The uncle clapped his hands together. "That's the spirit! Alright, you two get to work. If you need anything, just holler!" With that, he gave another hearty laugh and walked out, leaving them alone in the dusty room.

As soon as the door closed, Hunter let out a sigh and turned to Sam. "Seriously, man. Thanks for everything."

Sam waved him off. "Don't get all emotional on me now." He smirked. "Come on, let's clean this mess up."

Hunter shook his head again. "No, you've helped enough. I can do this by myself."

Sam narrowed his eyes furiously. "What the hell are you blabbering about? You think I'd let you do this alone?" Without waiting for a response, he grabbed a mop and shoved a cleaning tub into Hunter's arms. "Shut up and start scrubbing."

Hunter chuckled despite himself. "Bossy."

"Damn right."

__________

A/N

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