Unmaking Hunter Kennedy (54 page)

He nodded once to his mom to show her he was okay, because she looked really worried and freaked out. She returned it with a tremulous smile and a small confused head shake, but did not move to intervene.

“First, to the entire Roth family. I want to publicly say thank you for helping complete my disguise, and show me the ropes around this town and school.”

Hunter pointed to each person and the press made sure they were all photographed. “This is Charlie, Vere, and Mr. and Mrs. Roth, and my friend Jenna. They sort of adopted me, and helped me hide out in this town as a kid named Dustin McHugh. I’ve never felt such love and acceptance from strangers before. This family is over the top. And don’t even get me started on the delicious food.” He winked at a glowing Mrs. Roth.

Hunter could not believe this was working so well.

The crowd had grown so silent he felt as though he were on a movie set.

He couldn’t believe all these people wanted to hear his story so badly that they would sit out here in the middle of the night and listen to this. He looked wildly at all of them and almost panicked but knew he had to go on. If they wanted to listen, he would talk. He shot his aunt a smile.

That’s what real men did, right? They talked.

He darted a glance at Vere’s giant, luminous eyes for courage, pulled in a deep breath and motioned to Vere, Charlie and Jenna again. “These three are my best friends here, and, if you must know, my only true friends. Anyone else who says differently has been lying.”

Hunter glanced to the back of the crowd and noted that most of the junior class that he could see wouldn’t meet his gaze.

Take that, Kristen Hodjwick, wherever you are.

Hunter turned back to the people in front of him. “I’m seriously hoping these three will still be my friends after you all leave town. Don’t blow it for me by pestering them so much they hate me, please?”

A few reporters had the good grace to laugh at his comment.

Jenna beamed, and Hunter locked gazes with Vere.

Her eyes had that larger-than-life-sparkle going on. He could sense she wanted to tell him something but she was pulling in breath after breath. Trying not to cry.

He winked and gave her hand a squeeze.

“Courage, beautiful,” he whispered, moving closer.

Charlie whispered, “Dude, I’m sorry. So sorry I blew your cover. I didn’t understand.”

“Please, no apologies. I think, after tonight we’re on even ground.” In a lower voice he continued, “you did me a favor, dude. Trust me, my agent had already blown my cover way worse. All these people are not here from the phone call you made to the local news. I’ll explain it all later.”

Charlie’s eyes widened with relief as Hunter went on, not wanting the press to get distracted. “I have more to say, if you all don’t mind. Mostly about my disguise. And why I was hiding out here using a different name. After that, I have a more serious question for my best friend, Vere.” He looked at Mr. and Mrs. Roth and then pointedly at Charlie before adding, “if I have your blessings.”

Charlie nodded, Mrs. Roth beamed, and Mr. Roth shot him a short, curt and not approving grimace.

Damn. I’ll work on Mr. Roth later.

Hunter turned and took Vere’s other hand.

The cameras went wild.

He could feel her trembling so he leaned in and whispered so only she could hear. “If you cry right now, I’m going to lose my nerve. You okay?”

She nodded.

“Good.” Hunter pulled Vere forward and reintroduced her to the press with his arm around her shoulder. “Everyone, this is Vere. She’s possibly the sweetest girl at Palmer Divide High, definitely the most beautiful.” His let his voice drop a bit and met her gaze. “Today we had a bit of a fight, but yesterday we were best friends. I’m hoping this press event can record the two of us making up.”

Vere blushed and tried to turn away from the cameras in her face. “Come on. I do not need to be fire-engine-red for the entire country,” she whispered, pressing her head into his shoulder.

“Planet. UK-Daily is front and center,” he teased. He was relieved to see her tears had abated. “She’s also humble and very, very shy. Please, go easy with this girl and back up.”

The cameras moved back.

Vere shot him a glare. “Why did you have to say that?”

He smiled at her pinched face. “Because you are. And I love that part about you.”

She flushed even more.

“I’m sure you see why I’m going to make it no secret that I’m head over heels for this girl. I almost lost her to another guy by not telling her my feelings soon enough. Maybe if I say them in front of you all, we can print it up, she will read it herself and finally believe me.”

“Did you almost lose her to the high school quarterback?” someone asked. The crowd erupted into a rash of unintelligible questions and shouts.

Hunter held up his hand and the noise died down. “Yes. I almost lost her. I tried to tell her how I felt this afternoon, but it came out badly because when I finally came clean, we hadn’t officially met. I made a mess of it all.”

“What do you mean by that, Hunter? You’ve been here for almost a month. You said you met the Roths on the first day. They were in on the whole disguise,” a man contested.

Hunter swallowed. “Yeah, well...I asked her from day one to think of me as
Dustin McHugh
. As just another kid like her. That's how everyone here knew me and treated me. I did the same in my own head. I was wrong to take my disguise so far.”

The video cameras moved closer. So many lights flashed at them that Hunter was temporarily blinded. Vere shut her eyes. Everything faded out and he focused all his energy on her.

She pulled against his hand, and he could tell she just wanted to run for her house. All while her cheeks flamed that adorable, rose pink color.

“Have you lost it?” she whispered finally. “What are you doing with all these cameras? And me?”

He spoke only to her. “Before we move forward. Before one more minute passes, I’m introducing myself to you. Right here, right now, in front of the whole planet.”

“What?” Vere glanced nervously about. And, with a move he’d grown to love more than ever, she reached up and unconsciously checked her bun. “Hunter. You don’t need to do this. I
know
who you are. I was so lame. And I’m sorry. I get it now. The feelings are real. You are more than real. I just want to talk to you away from here.” Wisps of golden blonde and brown hair framed her face and danced around the his favorite part of the back of her neck as she shook her head.

God, but I can’t wait to get my hands in those little curls.

Hunter didn’t miss the fact that the reporters were riveted on her. They saw what he saw, that even in her messy bun, and a tear stained face, this girl was simply riveting. She had already charmed everyone in front of her with her quiet blushes.

He moved his mouth close into her ear, drawing up the flowery smell of her into his nose as he tried to explain, “I want everyone else to know who I am, too, including me. Help me through this. It’s something I need to do. I won’t make you stay if you absolutely don’t want to, but I have to finish this out. When you’re with me, Vere, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. Stay for me? Please?”

“Okay. For you.” She half-smiled and tucked herself in closer under his arm. She held onto him for dear life as she arched her brows. “But don’t you let me go, or leave me alone in this crowd. And then, we are
so
out of here.”

Another rush of pink flamed her cheeks and his eyes riveted on her lips. She was chewing nervously on the top one again.

Damn. That. Adorable. Lip.

“Shit. Now, where was I?” Hunter uttered, realizing he’d truly forgotten everything but her sweet mouth.

“You were introducing yourself to all of us and embarrassing me,” she whispered.

He could tell she was trying hard to get back her bravado.

He grinned down at her.

Vere tilted her head to the side and scrunched her nose.

His stomach filled with butterflies. It couldn’t be helped.

It was Hunter’s turn to tremble. He felt his arm shaking against her shoulders. He shook himself and righted his thoughts. But kept his gaze locked with her eyes.

“Vere. I’m Hunter Kennedy. Some of this you know already, some you don’t. I’m a guy who was so lost and depressed that I freaked out and tried to hurt myself because I felt so down. I was a complete ass to my mom, and I crashed a Porsche onto my own front porch. I crashed it hard enough to also hurt myself with that deal too. Luckily, I didn’t get hurt.”

Vere raised her eyebrows and furrowed her brow, but said nothing. She didn’t have to.

Tears had pooled inside her eyes.

“Let me start again. I’m Hunter Kennedy. I will most probably spend the rest of my life proving to my mom, my aunt and my friends, and fans that I’m okay—not sad anymore. That I’m truly sorry for not reaching out and asking for help instead of taking matters too far. Going to a place I never wanted to go.”

He searched the crowd until his gaze fell on his mom and Aunt Nan. He was pleased to note they were both with him and hearing his apology. Vere put her arm around his waist, drawing his gaze back to her.

Always back to this amazing girl.

“You were sad. None of that was your fault—”

“I know that. But I was also living a really strange, shut down and selfish life.”

“You are anything but selfish. Don’t say that about yourself.”

He shook his head. “I was selfish today when you asked me to kiss you. Instead of walking away like I should have, I couldn’t.” He swallowed and ran his free hand through his hair before going on, “I wanted to be your first kiss. I knew that even if you never spoke to me again, you’d at least possibly remember me over Curtis. See? Selfish.”

The cameras fired, and the crowd went silent as the paparazzi creeped even closer with their digital recorders picking up every word and blink he and Vere put out.

“Wow. Okay. I’ll need time to think about that.” Vere flushed, her gaze bewildered and pleased all at the same time.

Hunter had to look away from her or he was about to be selfish again and kiss her right there.

He scanned the crowd, feeling suddenly lost and confused, but pressure from Vere’s gentle arm brought his gaze back to her and again, he found his center.

He started again, this time speaking to the press face on. “I’m Hunter Kennedy, and the most important thing I want you all to know is that I got really sad back in Los Angeles. I made some terrible choices that almost ended my life.”

He smiled at the cameras, hamming it up now with his trademark grin. “But now, I’m okay. I’m not ashamed of what I did, nor will I hide how I felt because I think it might help others to know what I went through. I’m happy to be alive and so thankful that my suicide attempts failed.”

Vere choked back a sob. “God. Hunter. So are we.”

He looked down at her and wiped away a tear. “I want to stay and finish high school, here, in Colorado.”

“You do!” She beamed. “Really?”

“I hope my agent and band will wait for me, but I’ll understand if they can’t. But I need to do what’s right for me, and staying here,” he pulled Vere tighter before continuing, “feels right.”

The media erupted into a new round of frenzied chaos. Everyone seemed to be moving and shouting disjointed questions as they pressed in even closer to Hunter and Vere.

“That’s good enough. You’ve said enough,” Vere insisted over the noise.

He interrupted her by putting his finger gently, very gently, on her lips.

“I want to be sure we all get it. Including myself. Including my family, and yours.”

The crowd quieted again. He looked away from Vere and continued to face the crowd.

“Vere, until I came here, and met you, I didn’t understand that I was more than a lead singer of a band. I was so shut down, I couldn’t even pick my own socks, remember?”

Camera flashes and whispers ramped up all around them again.

She nodded.

“You were the first person who made me realize that I needed to start choosing again or I would never be happy. So thank you for that.”

She shook her head, but he interrupted before she could speak, “Let me say it one more time. This one’s all yours, Vere.” He grinned.

She turned bright pink all over again.

“I’m Hunter Kennedy. Real—flesh and blood. Just a normal guy, with a crazy job that’s currently on hold. I was pretending to be someone else; but our friendship was—
is
—completely real. I love music, poetry, drama class, hiking, swimming in lakes and spending every free minute I have talking to you.”

She gasped and then bit down on her bottom lip. He could tell she was about do that crying thing.

“Don’t cry,” he pleaded. “I have to finish. For the first time in my life, I love and understand the person I see when I look in a mirror. It’s the same person I see reflected back at me in your beautiful eyes. It’s simply
me
. And I like me how you like me. As is. Scarred, with a too-low voice, always hungry and everything else in between.”

She smiled and he knew she totally got what he meant.

“This is a gift
you
helped me find. I don’t think I will ever be able to repay you for showing it to me.”

“You—don’t need to—ever—and you know—you—just—you—” Vere gasped and shook her head. He could tell her shyness was not allowing her to continue. Her eyes held back a tangle of words he knew she wanted to shout out in his defense.

Damn, but she’s so cute like this.

He moved aside, and took up both of her hands in his again. “I know it’s too much for you to hear all of this in one night. But I have to say it again. I’ve fallen completely in love with you, Vere. I’m tired of hiding and pretending. I hope you will at least take a chance and go out with me. Get to know me as Hunter Kennedy? You once told me I could be perfect boyfriend material. I’m hoping it could be easier than I once thought. I’m also realizing the sweet, romantic stuff you believe in might be the way to go for us.”

Vere smiled wider, seeming to get some control.

He let go of one her hands and ran the back of his finger across her burning cheek. “So, what do you say? Even though we’ve only just met? And even with my crazy life? Would you consider me, your bestie—who wants to be so much more than that—as your homecoming date?”