FALLING IN LOVE WITH HIM - HER FIRST LOVE

Hera hated herself in that instant for doubting Hunter, but Clara had left her no other option. Hera was shell-shocked. She couldn't deny that Hunter had anger issues.

'He would do anything when he's mad.'

Clara's accusing statement kept ringing in her ear. She cried her heart out while Clara pulled her to her chest in a tight embrace, her hand rubbing Hera's back soothingly. "If you don't believe me, then why don't you go and ask your boyfriend?" Clara spoke, breaking the train of Hera's thoughts.

Hera pulled away from the hug and shoved at Clara's shoulders. She stared into her hands for a few seconds without uttering a word. She was too shocked and tongue-tied to speak or respond. Her eyes were red and puffy with all the crying. Clara removed a box full of tissues from her drawer and tried to wipe Hera's tears off her cheeks..

Scoffing at the other girl's gesture, Hera shoved her hand away. Finally, she looked at her best friend. "Don't pretend as if you care. I hate you, Clara. I hate you for doing this to me," Hera mumbled in between her sobs and covered her face, hiding behind her palms. Clara seemed offended and threw the tissue box into Hera's lap with unnecessary force.

Startled, Hera looked at her friend with her widened eyes.

"It seems like you're still struggling to digest the truth. Fine, Hera," Clara said and picked her backpack, adjusting the strap on her shoulder. "There's only one way to prove it. I dare you, Hera, ask Ace Hunter if he killed Nate or not, if he touched me or not that night," she spat out the words with much aggression.

Hera stared while Clara seethed in anger. "Do it if you have the guts to face him," she said, marching towards the door.

Hera stared at the girl's retreating back when Clara glanced over her shoulder. "And please do ask about Andrew also. The mistake Nate committed was nothing in comparison to Andrew's. So I doubt Ace Hunter would've let him walk out alive," she mumbled, frowning to herself and stormed out of the room, slamming the door on her way out.

Shell-shocked at Clara's assumptions, Hera stayed on the bed, shedding silent tears. She lifted her lashes and glanced at Nathan's picture. Guilt pierced through her spine, weighing her shoulders down. "Hunter wanted me to stay away from you. I should've listened to him, and then you wouldn't have suffered," she confessed, muttering apologies to him. She had reduced herself into a snivelling, hiccupping mess.

Eventually, her tears dried, and her sobs died down. However, her insides felt as empty as the room, and the quietness surrounding her wasn't comfortable anymore as it felt itchy, and Hera didn't like the uneasiness it brought. She rushed to the bathroom and washed her face.

When she looked at her reflection in the mirror, Hera felt ashamed of herself. She was too quick to judge, and it could only mean one thing. She didn't trust Hunter. So far, she had only heard Clara's narrative, and she was yet to hear Hunter's part of the story.

"There are always two sides to the coin," she reassured herself and wiped her face with the towel.

Tears and water drops had ruined her uniform shirt. Taking it off, she ironed it again to get rid of the dampness. She was ready and all set to go, but her feet remained glued to the spot.

Hera realised she was scared.

"Don't lose hope, Hera. Give him the benefit of the doubt, at least until you confront him," she consoled her broken heart. "Hunter didn't do it. He would never do it," she kept chanting, willing it to be the only truth.

She kept staring at her empty hands as she collected her thoughts. She would've to speak to Hunter if she wanted to know the whole truth. Bewildered, Hera took a deep breath while she contemplated how to approach Hunter with this dangerously sensitive topic.

"What should I ask him?" she wondered out aloud. "Or would it be right to ask him in the first place?" That seemed to be the biggest dilemma she had ever faced.

Hunter would be devastated to know that she didn't trust him enough to believe him. Hera knew it would break his heart as soon as those obscene words would come out of her mouth. Then, she would have to face the inevitable anger that would follow.

"Will he hurt Clara for daring to break his rule, or will he punish me for defying him?" Hera sighed in frustration. Questions seemed never-ending, and she had no answer for any of them. Then she remembered his words from yesterday at her birthday celebration.

  'You have all the right to question me.'

Hera inclined her head with determination. She needed this closure to move on from Clara's accusation. She wouldn't ignore the issue only because she was scared to address it with Hunter. She decided to follow the head-first fall into the abyss no matter how dangerous it could turn out.

If it went wrong, she could always apologise to him. "It may take more than two days for him to forgive me, but he'll forgive me," Hera assured herself. She was sure he couldn't stay mad at her forever. A faint smile of relief graced her lips, but her logical brain decided to burst her bubble of hope sooner than she wanted.

Then came the million-dollar question.

'What if what Clara said is true?'

Was Hera ready to face the ugly truth if she found Hunter guilty? The answer to the question rang loud and clear in her heart. It was a big, fat "No". Her heart skipped a beat, and then came the rush of stomach-churning fear. She could never forgive him if it turned out true, and then their relationship would come to an end.

She would lose her Hunter again.

"God, how will I survive without him?'

She wasn't sure she could live without him, especially after learning the horrible truth.

Agonisingly, Hera realised she was frightened to find the truth.

She shook her head frantically and cursed under her breath. "It can never be true. My Hunter did no such wrong," she declared to the empty room. Grabbing her phone, she checked for his message or missed call but was disappointed to find none.

The wallpaper on the screen brought a smile to her face. Hunter smiled at her while shooting her a wink through the picture. She took the photo yesterday at the beach.

Yesterday she had the best birthday of her life. Everything was so pleasant, every memory so precious, and life was so beautiful. Hera was so happy until Clara decided to open her mouth.

Sighing tiredly, Hera turned the phone off and let it slide into her pocket. Grabbing her backpack, she walked out of the room and marched towards the assembly.

She wanted to skip school, or she wished at least she could avoid joining the assembly. She was dreading seeing Hunter there. Dragging her feet lazily, she walked, eyes focused on nothing. She bumped into a few students on her way and ignored the insult thrown at her.

Suddenly, she lifted her gaze as though compelled by some invisible force but immediately regretted her decision.

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