PRT 386- “Hunting for Answers”

“Good race.” I said as I got out of my car.

“Thanks.” Ronny said softly as she threw her helmet onto the driver’s seat.

I looked at her and raised an eyebrow, “Um, you do know you won, right?”

“It was just a practice race, whatever.” She replied. We were both practicing and had decided to run a casual race.

“You’re the most competitive person I’ve ever met…no competition is ‘just a’ anything. What’s wrong?” I asked.

Ronny sighed as she sat on the hood of her car, “I think you were right Amara.”

“About what?” I asked as I leaned on the side of her car.

“Hunter and Michelle.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think he’s having an affair with her.”

“What?! OK, if that’s happening that’s news to me. Michelle hasn’t mentioned anything about him at all. What would even make you think that?”

“Ever since RJ left her Hunter has suddenly gotten very distant and moody. I’m not stupid. I can put 2 and 2 together. It’s no coincidence that he changes as she is suddenly single.”

“Maybe you’re reading too much into it.”

“I hope so. I know you don’t like the fact we’re together, but I really am falling in love with him Amara. I don’t want to lose him.

I sighed, “I know.”

“You’re Michelle’s friend…do you think you can find out if there is something between them?”

“I could, but are you sure you want confirmation if there is?”

Ronny nodded, “Yeah, I need to know.”

Hunter

~~~~~

I was watching GAC when they had a news update:

“It’s been confirmed, the massively popular country duo, Brooks and Dunn, are calling a quits. They will have their farewell tour next year. The duo states that there are no hard feelings, it’s just time. Meanwhile, starlet Michelle Morris is expected to have a new album out later this year. Although the album has yet to be titled, some song titles have been released, including ‘Criminal’ and ‘You’ve Ruined Me’. Morris continues to deny rumors that she is reuniting with ex-husband, Jon Giovanni, although there is still much speculation that the two are together. This has been a GAC Newsbreak.”

I sighed.

How could she go back to him? Jon, of all people. He was t he one I saved her from. When I met her she was being abused and was incredibly unhappy in her marriage. How could she still love him? How could she go back to him?

And I was the one that had broken up with her…my god I was stupid.

Michelle had also made it clear she didn’t want me back…at least not while I was with Ronny…but in truth I felt that was a cop out. I knew she blamed me for losing Aubrey…I blamed me for her losing Aubrey. She’d never be able to look at me the same way again. I was worried that even if we did get back together that would always be a point of contention between us and I couldn’t do that…I couldn’t be a constant reminder of what she lost.

I changed the channel and found Michelle’s new show. She was acting opposite this Italian guy. She was so beautiful but watching her kiss this guy, even in character, was driving me insane. She was good though…she was playing a good girl gone bad named Joey and she really sold the role. She was so good.

I heard the front door and changed the channel quickly. Ronny walked in.

“Hey baby.” She said as he put her keys down on the counter.

“Hi.” I said.

She walked over to the sofa and sat next to me. She wrapped her arms around me. “Did you have a good day?”

“Yeah.” I replied.

“Hunter, what’s wrong?”

“What?”

“You’ve been so distant and it’s scaring me.”

“I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

“Like what?”

“Stuff.”

Ronny looked at the TV, “Home Shopping Network huh?” she grabbed the remote and hit the previous channel button and saw Michelle’s show, “Like her?”

“Ronny, don’t start this again.”

“Hunter, do you want her back?”

“No.” I lied.

“Ever since RJ left her things have changed with us…you’ve changed.”

“It has nothing to do with her.”

“Then what?!”

“Just lay off!” I cried.

“Hunter, I don’t want to lose you, my god, talk to me!”

“Just back off Ronny!”

“Fine, I’m not going to beg my own boyfriend to open up to me!” Ronny cried as she got up and grabbed her keys. She stormed out of the apartment. I sighed. I was really messing this up.

Amara

~~~~~

I got home and found Trista in the kitchen cooking.

“Hey, where’s Michele?” I asked.

“Prepping a room at the museum for her new exhibit.” Trista replied.

“OK.”

“How was the track?”

“Eh, ok I guess. Ronny is upset.”

“How come?”

“She thinks Hunter is cheating on her with Michelle.”

“Seriously? Don’t you think we’d know if Michelle was with Hunter? I know she’s seeing Jon, Rocky, and Ryan…but not Hunter.”

“I know…but I promised Ronny I’d try to find out for sure.”

“Are you sure you want to get in the middle of this?”

“No, I don’t…at all…but she looked so sad.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“Call Michelle.”

Trista laughed, “Good luck with that.”

I picked up the phone and dialed Michelle’s number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hey Mich, it’s Amara.”

“Hi, what’s up?”

“I was taking to Ronny at the track today and she was really upset.”

“Ok, I’ll bite. Why?”

“She thinks you and Hunter are having an affair. Now, I told her this is crazy because you’d tell us…but I got to thinking, are you seeing Hunter again?”

Michelle sighed, “Not anymore.”

“Anymore? You were?”

“Yeah, I ended it because I couldn’t deal with sharing Hunter with Ronny, but yeah, we were having an affair for awhile. It’s over now.”

“Oh wow…”

“Ronny can have him. It’s over with us.”

“Are you ok?”

“Yeah, I have Jon and Rock. They make me happy. What Hunter and I had is way past over.”

“OK…if you need me I’m here.”

“Thanks.”

“OK, bye.

I hung up and sighed.

“Well?” Trista asked.

“She was having an affair with Hunter but she ended it. She said that what they had is over.”

“Oh wow…are you going to tell Ronny?”

“I guess…she wanted to know the truth.”

“I don’t envy you.”

I sighed, “Neither do I.”

I went back to the track to think. I needed to decide how to handle this. When I got there I saw Ronny racing around the track. Evidently things with Hunter weren’t any better. I waited in the pit area for her to stop. When she did she got out of the car and took her helmet off.

“Amara, hey…” she said.

“Hi.” I replied.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ronny, are you sure you want to know the truth?”

“You talked to Michelle didn’t you?”

“Yeah.”

“Yes, I have to know the truth.”

I took a deep breath.

“He’s seeing her isn’t he?”

I shook my head, “Not anymore.”

“But he was?”

“Yeah. He was. She ended it.”

“He was seeing her and she ended it?” Ronny repeated.

I nodded.

“Did she say why?”

“Because she couldn’t handle sharing Hunter. She didn’t want to be the other woman with him so she broke it off.”

Ronny nodded, “So he’d still be seeing her if she hadn’t ended things. Ok. Got it. Thank you Amara.”

“Are you ok?”

“Fine. Excuse me, I gotta get home.”

Ronny

~~~~~

I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. I had confirmation that Hunter had cheated on me and it broke my heart. I really had fallen in love with Hunter…which was hard for me. I didn’t like falling in love because it made me vulnerable and that meant I could get hurt…like now.

I got back to the apartment and went in. Hunter was laying on the sofa watching SportsCenter. I grabbed the remote and turned the TV off.

“I was watching that!” he cried.

“I don’t really care.” I countered.

“What’s wrong with you now?”

“I know Hunter.”

“You know what?”

“You and Michelle…I know.”

He sat up and looked at me, “What do you think you know?”

“I know you were messing around with her and I know the only reason you stopped was because she ended it.”

He eyes widened, I could see in his eyes he knew he’d been caught.

“What? Don’t have anything to say?!” I cried.

“You don’t understand!” Hunter replied.

“What’s to understand?! You cheated on me Hunter!”

Hunter sighed, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“You didn’t mean for me to find out. How could you do this to me?! You know how much I care about you!”

“I care about you too!”

“Clearly you don’t!”

“I do!”

“Then why did you hop back in bed with Michelle the first chance you had?”

“I can’t explain it! It’s something between Michelle and I…we have this connection…”

“It’s called sexual attraction and that’s obviously all it is and I can’t believe you’d throw away what we have for that!”

“It’s more than that!”

“Whatever, she’s hot and easy and you wanted her.”

“Do not talk that way about her! This has nothing to do with her!” Hunter yelled.

“This has everything to do with her! You can’t stay away from her and everytime disaster strikes!”

“That’s not true!”

“Oh yes it is! She lost her baby because you couldn’t leave her alone and you promised me it was over after that now I find out you went back again!”

“You don’t understand!”

“Yeah, sure! Michelle and Hunter…the ultimate love story…right, I get it! I can’t compare to her memory so why are you even with me?!” I screamed.

“Because I care about you!”

I looked at him, “You care about me…and that’s all you can say isn’t it? I love you. Do you get that Hunter? I love you. You can’t say it back and mean it can you?”

Hunter paused, “What kind of question is that?”

“A very telling one.”

Hunter looked at me.

“I knew it, you don’t love me.”

“How can you say that?”

“I didn’t…your silence said it all.”

“Ronny…” Hunter said as he reached for me.

“No, just don’t. I’m going to a hotel tonight. I’ll come get the rest of my things in the morning.” I said pulling away. I went to the room and packed an overnight bag and left.

I sat in my car for awhile and just cried. I wouldn’t let anyone see me cry but I had to let it out. I felt like my heart was broken. I finally pulled myself together and dialed Amara’s number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Hi Amara, it’s Ronny. I just wanted to thank you for telling me the truth.” I said.

“Are you ok?”

“I guess. We broke up. I’m on my way to find a hotel now. I’ll work on getting my own place tomorrow.”

Amara sighed, “Why don’t you come stay with us?”

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t want to impose.”

“No imposition. Hotaru’s room is empty since her kidnapping. You can stay in there.”

“Well, ok…thank you.”

“No problem. See you in a few.”

I hung up and started driving to Amara’s. As I drove I decided to call Michelle. I pulled out my cell and dialed her number.

“Hello?” she answered.

“Michelle, just who I wanted to talk to.” I said.

“Who is this?”

“Ronny.”

Michelle sighed, “Ronny, what do you want?”

“I just wanted to let you know you can have him.”

“What?”

“Hunter. He’s yours.”

“Oh damn. Ronny, I don’t want Hunter.”

“Yeah? Well he sure wants you.”

“Listen, I’m sorry for what happened with us. It was a mistake…Hunter and I are over.”

“Yeah, well so are Hunter and I.” I replied.

“Ronny, don’t break up with him. He does love you.”

“No, he loves you Michelle. He has always loved you and always will. He’ll never be mine because you have his heart.”

“I know I messed up…I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah, well you got your wish. I know you wanted us to break up and now we are. Congratulations. Michelle gets her way again.”

“This isn’t what I wanted.”

“Yeah, sure…whatever.” I said as I hung up. If I never heard the name ‘Michelle Morris’ again it would be too soon.

Hunter

~~~~~

I couldn’t believe what just happened. Ronny dumped me…just like that. I was still sitting on the sofa in a state of shock when the phone rang. I answered it.

“Hello?”

“What in the hell were you thinking?!” Michelle screamed on the other end of the phone.

I sighed. This is not what I needed, “What do you want?”

“Did you tell Ronny you don’t love her?!”

“No! I just couldn’t tell her I did.”

“Oh my god, you idiot! That’s the same thing! She thinks you’re still in love with me!”

“Because I am!”

“What? Hunter, no. No, no, no. It’s over with us, you know that.”

“I know that what we have was once in a lifetime and it doesn’t just go away because you want it to. We have a connection that is just us.”

“Oh my god. You sound like Jon now.”

“Whoa, don’t you ever compare me to him.”

“Well then stop talking like him! It’s over Hunter. You need to accept that and move on.”

“Can you honestly tell me you don’t love me anymore?”

“Hunter, a part of me will always love you, you know that, but it’s over. It’s over.”

“No Michelle, it’s not and it will never be ‘over’. I think you know that.”

“Please, just stay away from me.”

“Is this because of Aubrey?”

There was a long pause before she spoke again, “Don’t you ever say her name again. This conversation is over. Stay away from me.”

She hung up and I sighed. She did hate me for the lost of Aubrey. I had lost her forever.