A tall form shadowed her figure, and Hera lifted her eyelids watching while Hunter got settled himself on the chair next to her left, surprisingly without his gang. Her mouth watered when she eyed his plates, one filled with frozen dessert, Arctic roll and strawberries and the other with his favourite sandwiches with lots of cheese dripping out of it. 

A smile broke into her face when Hunter silently pushed the plate towards her, replacing her pasta with his dessert. 

She moaned in pure bliss after filling her mouth with the first bite and heard Hunter groan in disapproval. “Bianca is right, Goddess, you need to learn some table manners,” he said and averted his eyes. Hera noticed his clenched jaw and ignored his usual reaction to her moans as she never understood the actual reason for his displeasure. 

“Speaking of Bianca, something incredible happened yesterday at Mrs Roger’s kitchen,” Hera said, capturing his attention. He swallowed the food and licked his lips, and Hera broke the eye contact. His lips were a dark shade of pink, and for some crazy reason, Hera felt the urge to taste them. Clearing her throat, she shoved another bite into her mouth before getting back to their conversation. 

“She apologised for what happened at the party and said that she’s calling a truce for a while,” Hera stated, her wide eyes silently asking, ‘Can you believe it?’ Hunter grinned in delight, asking, “Did she?” Hera didn’t tell him the details, like how she even taunted Bianca by telling her that at least for once she got the punishment she deserved.. 

Shockingly, Bianca didn’t fight back but instead said that Ace wouldn’t want them to fight. So, for her best friend’s sake, she would stop bullying her. 

Hera stopped eating and observed his features while he ate his sandwich. He’s eating with his left hand, and his bandaged right hand was resting on the table. All she could see was the movement of his clean-shaven jaw as he chewed the food, his pink lips and his tongue darting out now and then running over those lips. She sensed a strange hunger inside, but definitely not for the food. 

‘Can anyone make eating the sandwich look sexy?’ 

Hera sighed in irritation. 

‘Rich kids and their sophistication!’ 

No wonder his friends called her a pig every time they saw her eating. 

Hunter looked up, and a brow arched up in question. She’d been staring at him for too long. Hera realised she’d stopped eating and took a big bite of the frozen sweetness. “What happened to your hand?” She asked conversationally, keeping her tone soft, and he shrugged in reply. She kicked his shin under the table and narrowed her eyes into slits. 

Wincing, Hunter said he got hurt during the soccer match. 

He lied, of course, she knew. 

Testing the water, Hera softly announced, “Someone asked me out on a date today.” His eyes snapped up to meet hers immediately, and Hera smirked in satisfaction. 

“Who’s it, that new guy?” He guessed, and Hera’s mouth fell open while she wondered how did he find out so accurately. He snickered, “Who else at Spalev High will dare to ask my girl on a date unless they’re new and have no idea what they’re messing with?” He asked amusedly. Hera scoffed at his cockiness and moved her knife and fork in a stabbing gesture at him. 

“What’s his name again, ah, Rascal, right?” Hunter asked with disinterest, a brow rose in utter arrogance, voice dripping with ridicule. Hera rolled her eyes at his enormous ego. Gritting her teeth, “Noel Russel,” she supplied, and Hunter’s eyes roamed around the food court until they rested on the person in question. To Hera’s absolute shock, he yelled, “Hey, Russel,” and motioned with his hand for him to come. 

As though he’s waiting for the offered opportunity, Noel got up from his place and walked briskly to Hera’s table. She’s a bit scared thinking what Hunter might do to him. But surprisingly, he asked him to join them for lunch, and Noel complied, immediately settling into a chair to Hera’s right. 

A wide grin on his face as his hand reached out to grab one of Hunter’s sandwiches without any trace of hesitation. Meanwhile, Hera watched, holding her breath. Hunter swatted his advancing hand, very rudely shoving it away. 

“You invited him to join lunch, remember?” Hera asked, glaring at him while Hunter shifted his complete attention to Noel. “Get your own plate, dude. I don’t share,” he said, voice calm as the quiet morning breeze. 

Hera ducked her head, spying the food on her plate. Suddenly, she wished she could exclude herself from this awkward situation. It’s something about the way Hunter said about not sharing. She knew he wasn’t talking about the food. 

“And, Russel, a word of advice. Don’t ever hit on a girl already taken. Because it won’t do any good for you, especially when the girl is mine,” Hunter said, issuing a subtle warning. 

Hera bit her lip, eyeballs moving back and forth shifting between Noel and Hunter. He didn’t sound threatening at all with his voice soft and kind. But Hera knew him better. His hand was rotating the fork carelessly over the plate of pasta he switched with Hera, and the only sign giving away his concealed anger was the ticking nerve in his jaw. 

‘It’s not advice, but an open ultimatum.’

Hera hoped, Noel would catch on the hidden threat for his own sake, but to her annoyance, the idiot chuckled infuriating Hunter. 

“Come on, Ace, we can deal with it like two adults instead of indulging in petty fights,” said Noel, leaning comfortably against the chair. Hunter stopped twirling his fork, and he motioned for him to continue with a jerk of his head, and Noel did. 

“Look, Ace, I know that you two are a thing. But I like Hera. It’s not exactly a competition, but I’m very persuasive, and I plan on winning her. Let her decide who she fancies. If you’re confident about your relationship, it shouldn’t bother or scare you,” Noel implied as he waited for Hunter’s response. 

Hunter lifted an eyebrow, and surprisingly, Hera saw a hint of a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. 

Noel continued as he said, “I think it’s only fair I get at least one chance to try my luck, that’s of course if you’re not feeling threatened or something.” Once finished, he winked at Hera. Her back stiffened at his audacity. 

‘The Bastard is purposely provoking my Satan.’ 

Hera looked at Hunter only to find him already looking at her. To her horror, he smiled, and his dimples appeared, creating a deep dent on each of his cheeks. Startled, Hera jumped when his right hand went under the table, resting on her thigh before giving a gentle squeeze. Not knowing what to do, or how to respond, she averted her eyes. 

She tried hard to distract herself from the warm sensation Hunter’s touch was eliciting within. 

She looked down into her plate again and pulled her upper lip in between her teeth. The tension was too much to bear. 

“Alright, you got yourself a chance. Try your best, Russel and let’s see if you can change my girl’s mind and heart,” said Hunter, looking sharply at Noel, his words painted in an undeniable challenge. “But remember to stay in your limits. If you dare to cross the line and try something dirty, you won’t be possessing a dick anymore to do anything with any girl,” he warned, not bothering to be subtle this time. 

Noel quietly listened to everything Hunter said and nodded. He kept his face blank, not giving out anything. 

“To your advantage, I’ll be busy in the coming week, so, all I have is right now. Why don’t you be a good boy and give us some space for now?” With a charming smile, Hunter suggested. Without wasting any time, Noel complied and took one of Hera’s hands in his while Hunter watched his every move without blinking. Noel kissed the back of her hand before walking away from their table. 

Hera looked like a lost puppy wondering what just happened, and Hunter laughed at her dumbfounded face. Noel slowed his steps and glanced over his shoulders as he heard Hunter’s amused laughter. 

‘Laugh how much you want, for now, Ace Hunter because I’ll be the one laughing at you after I finish you. The best part is, you’ll never know what hit you, and I’ll hit you where it hurts the most.’ 

With that promise made, Noel waved his hand at Hera and jogged his way back to his table. Hera faked a smile in reply before eyeing Hunter through her narrowed slits. 

“I’m not an object you can bet on,” she snapped in anger. 

Honestly, Hera was terrified inside. She could sense it in her guts that something was not right as in Noel had some hidden agenda over them. He’d appeared out of nowhere barging into their lives, invading their personal space.