Irrevocably HERS

Chapter Nine

Amber

"As much as I love waking up to you and wanting to devour you for the upteenth time, you need to get this pretty ass of yours up because you have school, and I have work." Hunter says sweetly into my ear as he starts peppering kisses across my face.

"Just five more minutes." I say drawing out the s for emphasis because I am exhausted with a capital E. The whole weekend we were consumed by one another. The only one to have left the room was him only to make sure I had eaten and drank to keep my strength up for the massive rounds we endured. We needed this time to find our way back to one another and to cherish the moment because if what he says is true, then this right here is the beginning to our happy end with one another. I can't for the life of me explain what the hell I was even thinking about wanting to lose myself in someone else arms Friday night. I mean I was so close to having him take me over the edge but I know now that it would have been a massive regret. I'm happy Hunter was there to stop it from escalating. I'm back where I belong, with him, in his arms.

"Come on baby. Rise and shine. Chrissy will be tearing down the door soon to make sure you are getting ready. I don't know about you but she scares me." Hunter says and that's what makes me jump up.

"You? Scared of Chrissy? Are you okay?" I say placing the back of my hand on his forehead to check to see if he has a temperature. He swipes my hand away and I begin to laugh.

"You're the one that said you were scared of Chrissy. Innocent, smaller than you Chrissy. Don't get mad because I laughed at that. You set yourself up for that response. I'm sure she'll get a kick out of it too." I say with a smirk to which he starts to tickle me.

"Okay okay. You win! Stop!" I gasp out trying hard to breathe again. I manage to sit up and toss my hair back away from my face.

"Anywayyyy, you have work? How did I not know you got yourself a job? Seemed like you were always at school blending into the shadows." I say now reluctantly rising out of the bed to gather clothes so I can hop in the shower.

"Yeah. I was there watching you but, umm, once I got my diploma I figured I would need to start making money so that once I officially get canned from here, I can find myself a room to rent. I also told myself that I couldn't keep lingering around the school watching you all the time because it was just torture. I figured that if I wanted you to give me a second chance, I had to earn it and make sure that I can provide for the both of us, when the time comes because you are it for me Amber." He says with such a serious yet shy kind of face. I place my clothes down and move to where he is and wrap my arms around his neck.

"You no longer have to keep wondering if you are truly worthy of me. You are it for me too, Hunter. Always have been. Stop worrying so much." I say before kissing him gently.

"Now, if you don't want me jumping your bones for how did you put it? The upteenth time, then let's shelf this conversation about your new job for later so I can get my ass into the shower already. Don't need Chrissy coming to scare you." I say with a smirk as he just laughs and wraps his arms around my body and ushers us out the door and straight into the bathroom.

"Think we need to solidify our bond for the upteenth time again, but this time, in the shower." He says raising his eyebrows up and down before turning the water on, undressing, and pulling me in with him.

After our romp around in the shower, we both come out feeling clean and refreshed and make our way downstairs only to find Chrissy waiting outside for me with Reeve right at her side. Hunter stiffens beside me and grabs my hand in his, tightly. I squeeze to try and calm his inner rage that is battling its way to the surface.

"Relax. They're together now." I whisper to him which garners me a double take from him.

"Morning Amber." Chrissy squeals and I chuckle. She looks more radiant than she has in quite a long time. She leaps to me and hugs me and I return it with just as much vigor. We pull apart and watch as the two alpha males before us just scowl at one another, both on the verge of an attack. I swear, I could use a bowl of popcorn just watching them.

"Hunter." Reeve says with a bored tone.

"Reeve." Hunter says in return.

"Wow. There is soooo much love between you two." Chrissy says with an eye roll. We come to stand beside our guys to separate the testosterone showdown, and begin to head towards school.

"This is where I part with you baby. If I'm late, boss will have my head. I'll pick you up later after school." Hunter says as he kisses my forehead, not wanting to, but having to let go of my hand.

"Okay. Have a good day wherever it is you work. See you later." I say and turn around to continue walking with Reeve and Chrissy only for Hunter to grab me and spin me around, immediately locking his lips to mine. The kiss is full of passion and want.

"Ugh get a room." Reeve says to which Hunter throws up the middle finger at him.

"Love you." He says after breaking the kiss.

"Love you too." I say watching him head off in the direction of his job, wondering just what he actually does.

"Amber, can I speak with you for a moment?" My English teacher, Mr. Wentworth asks before I walk out of the room to go to Math class.

"Of course. Is there anything wrong with my assignment?" I say because I know I was lacking in conviction with the assignment given today.

"No, nothing of the sort. You always do a monumental job with your homework and the essays I give. That is actually what I wanted to speak with you about. You have a gift Amber. You are a fantastic writer and I think it is something to consider when you head off to college. You should definitely major in English or Literature." He says and I don't really have anything to say because honestly, I never even considered going to college. I haven't even applied to any. Where the hell am I going to get the money to pay for schooling? Graduation is nearing and I figured since I have no way to pay for said schooling, why would I even bother applying?

"You have applied, haven't you Amber?" He asks with a hint of worry and I shake my head.

"Oh Amber. Why? Why did I not know this? You have such a knack for literature. If it's about the funding then there are other options, like grants and loans. Here, go see your counselor and tell her to give you a list of grant providers. Believe me. You need to do this for yourself. Your parents would have wanted you to do great things. I'm sorry. I overstepped." He says with remorse and I will myself not to cry because of course my parents wanted me to have a better life, yet here I am selling myself short.

"Thank you. I will let my counselor know. Are you sure I am even good enough though?" I ask wanting to hear him confirm it again because I just don't see it.

"You, Amber, were born to be something great, no matter what you set yourself up to do or become. Never sell yourself short. You deserve to have a life that I know for certain your parents would have wanted. I'm a parent myself and I cement it into my daughters mind every day that she can be whoever she wants to be and to never deny herself." He says and I give him a small smile and walk out of the classroom and contemplate my options from Math class till lunch where I meet up with Chrissy and Reeve. Of course they are sitting at our table outside all snuggled up with one another, looking like two love birds.

"You two are too f*****g adorable." I say as I sit down with my tray of whatever it is I picked up. I eye it with confusion which makes Reeve laugh.

"Here, have my sandwich. Mom packed me two so I'm full already." He says and I take it without a second thought. I pick at the wrapper and I all of a sudden feel awkward asking my question.

"Did you guys, umm, did you guys apply to any colleges?" I ask as they both stop eating to look at me.

"I did. Both in state and out of state. Not many, just a few." Reeve says and I turn to Chrissy who looks gut punched.

"I....I didn't because how am I going to pay for it? I mean look at where we both are. Unless I applied for a grant but I am not going to be accepted. My grades aren't spectacular and I have no idea what I would even major in. Why? Did you apply Amber?" She asks and I shake my head. So I guess I wasn't the only one who didn't apply.

"I would have helped you both apply if that is what you wanted to do." Reeve says and we both eye him graciously for wanting to help us.

"I'm going to go talk to my counselor about maybe submitting a late application. Maybe the grant will work for us Chrissy. We at least owe it to ourselves to try. Right?" I say and she just gives me a slight nod.

"Okay then. You girls got yourselves a plan. If anything, try for an out of state college, like maybe the one I applied to? We can all have each other to forge through the college experience together." Reeve says and Chrissy I can see is trying so hard not to break down from the sentiment of it all. Ah s**t. If she cries then I'm going to cry.

"Come with me Chrissy, to the counselors office after school. We can decide together okay?" I say as I grab her hand and squeeze.

We decide to skip our last elective period class of the day and make our way to the counselors office who immediately tells us what to do. She practically shoves a list of grants to apply for and gives us so much information that we are both overloaded with everything and anything to do with college. She says that if we submit immediately, she'll call directly and speak with the advisors over there herself. She even offered to help push us through to maybe start a few summer classes whenever we choose to go. We both took what she said in stride and aren't going to give ourselves too much hope. Whatever happens will happen.

Once all is said and done, the bell rings and we make our way outside where Reeve and Hunter are actually standing beside each other, waiting for us to come out. Maybe, just maybe, they will finally put their differences aside and become friends? Yeah, I know. Most likely not.

"How was your day baby?" Hunter says before wrapping his arm around my shoulder and proceeding to walk us home.

"Great." I say with as much enthusiasm as I can muster because right now, I won't be telling him about applying for college because I am honestly scared to know what his reaction would be. Would this be another thing to make him bolt? Would he think I was abandoning him too? We have just gotten back together. I don't want to risk ending us, so I keep the secret Chrissy and I share locked away.

"Amber! Amber!" I hear Chrissy yelling from all the way up in my room. Hunter isn't home from work yet so he is lucky to not have to hear her screaming like a banshee. She storms into my room with the biggest smile on her face. Her eyes are wide as saucers and she looks like she is radiating excitement.

"We got letters already Amber! We just applied only two weeks ago and we have letters!" She says about to jump up and down like a little kid whose had too much candy and is on a serious sugar rush.

"Well, hand mines over and we will open it together." I say and she does just that and plops down onto the bed with me. We both decided to apply both in state at one of the community colleges and an out of state college in NY just to see what our chances would be. We haven't heard back from the in state college so we are both scared to death of what the response for this one is. The letter we both received is from NYU. Reeve was accepted so he is going there come September. Chrissy didn't handle the news too well but this letter right here might make or break their newly founded relationship. I really hope we got in.

"Ok. On three. One. Two." Chrissy says and we both rip on the letters open on three. We each scan our letters.

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted for the fall semester and have been approved to consider summer classes if you wish.

"Well?" Chrissy asks warily and I smile so wide that my face begins to hurt.

"You got in?!" She beams and I nod.

"We got in!!!!" We scream and jump off the bed and freak out together. However, our moment is halted when Hunter barrels through the room like a man on a mission, scanning the room for an intruder or attacker.

"I heard both of you from all the way down the street. Mind telling me why you are both screaming like crazy people?" He says and we both are still smiling.

"We both just got accepted into college in NY! NYU baby! Here we come! Woooo!!!!" Chrissy shouts and I wince because that wasn't how I wanted to tell him but cats out of the bag now I suppose. Hunter flinches and I can see his mind is running a thousand beats per minute. I have to brace myself for doom right about now because the fake happiness that he is emanating can't fool me.

"That's....that's awesome. I'm so happy for the both of you." He says with a smile that does not reach his eyes at all.

"I'm going to go call Reeve! Thank goodness we have Reeve to help us navigate the big city! After I tell Reeve, we will then tell Sophie! We're going to be okay Amber! It's all going to work out for us!" She says giddily before bolting out the door. She let loose another tidbit about Reeve moving with us. s**t. I'm in the doghouse now. I take a deep breath and head to close the door, not enjoying the silence that is now filled in our room.

"Were you going to ever tell me or was I going to come home to find you gone? Oh, and the fact that you are moving to NY with that dumbass? What the hell Amber?" Hunter says with a face full of hurt. I once again wince with the words he just said to me.

"Of course I was. I applied to see if I even stood a chance at going to college. I wasn't holding out hope that I would ever get in. I mean come on, my grades are just plain average. Colleges nowadays want exceptional students not just mediocre ones. I really didn't think I would get in. I knew definitely Chrissy was. She was born to rule the school and kick the systems ass with her awesome grades, even though she thinks they are just okay. She's the smarter one of the group. Ugh. Look, I know this is a lot to take in but we have time." I say to make things less tense than they already are, yet he doesn't seem to sure.

"Time? You got into college Amber. A college, need I remind you, is miles away from here. You graduate next week. If you accept, when do you have to be there in NY? When is the first day of school? Damnit Amber. You are talking like we have all the time in the world, like we should of had, yet there isn't enough time. How am I suppose to go there with you? How am I suppose to find a place for myself, us even, when the prices over in New York are sky high? You didn't even think to consider that you are doing what every other person has done in my life and are just leaving me high and dry!" He rambles on and I have to leap over to him and grab his hands to make him somehow calm. I am not leaving him. We can figure this out.

"Listen to me. Stop freaking out. It's you and me remember? We'll face this together. We'll plan something. If you can't get down there with me then we are strong enough to...." I say but he stops me from ending the sentence.

"Strong enough to what? Have a long distance relationship? You will be all the way over there living the life of a college person meanwhile I'll be stuck here going out of my mind wondering where you are and who you're with. No. I can't do that. I won't do that. I just got you back. Seriously Amber you cannot be putting me through this. We were supposed to have an eternity. What the hell are we going to do now? If you go then that's it. We'll be done because I won't go crazy wondering who is trying to take what is mine." He belts out and I release his hands and take a step back not understanding why he is lashing out like this. Aren't we adults? Can't we talk this through without making my awesome news all about him? I get he feels hurt but what about me? Where was I supposed to go once I left my foster home? He has a place to crash from the looks of it.

"You are the one who told me that it was you and me. That wherever I went, you would follow just like I would do for you. You even said wherever my soul went yours would always find mine. Was that just all bullshit, an act to get me back into your clutches just so that you wouldn't have to see me continuing to live my life with someone else? This a chance for me to make something of myself, to live a life that my parents would have wanted for me Hunter. I am standing here telling you that I love you and we are strong enough to get through this but we need to be a united front. I believe we can do a long distance relationship if need be because you love me and I love you. Right?" I say second guessing everything I thought I knew.

"I can't do this right now. This. This is just too much for me to handle. Do what you have to do Amber." He says before he storms out of the room, slamming the door behind him. I want to give chase but here I am, once again, watching the guy I love give up on us just like that. I am so furious with him that I can't even leave the room. It is not fair that he has given me an ultimatum or made me feel like a put a heavy burden upon him. For the first time I thought about myself and what happened? s**t hit the fan and I might have lost the first love of my life because of it. If this is how it's going to be then maybe he is right. If he can't hold up to all his confessions of love and wanting to be with me then maybe it is best that we leave it like this.

Ugh. Men.

He'll be back. We'll work this out.