“Goddess, keep it cool. It’s just for fun, okay, and besides, the boys hit on a beautiful girl all the time. Didn’t you say you want a regular high school life?” Hunter asked. He looked unbothered, but Hera knew it’s not true. She knew his possessive nature would creep out of him any minute when jealousy burns his sanity. She secretly enjoyed whenever the very perfect, daring and dashing Ace Hunter appeared to be scared of losing her. 

She was waiting for the mask to slip off his face, and she didn’t have to wait much longer. 

Very soon she watched his smile fade away bit by bit. 

“Why, are you afraid that you’ll fall for his charm?” Hunter questioned, his tone daring her to say yes. 

‘Hmm, here comes the Satan I know very well.’ 

.

With a long tired sigh, she shifted in her chair to come face to face with Hunter. She swatted his hand off her thigh, and he winced slightly before taking his injured hand away from her. 

“What’s going on, Hunter? What are you planning?” Hera folded her arms in front of her and waited for him to answer, her tone sharp and accusing. 

“Your food is getting cold, eat it. We don’t have the whole day,” he said, totally ignoring her question. Hera gritted her teeth in anger, obviously annoyed at the way he dismissed her. “I’m eating a frozen dessert, you Genius,” she said with a sarcastic smile. 

She shook her head. “No, Hunter, answer me first. Why were you so nice to Noel? Neither you snapped, nor you fought with him. You didn’t lose your temper either. You did the exact opposite of all that!” She exclaimed. “I’m starting to think something is wrong with you. What is it, Hunter, are you sick?” Hera asked with mock concern. 

Hunter stared at her with an unimpressed gaze for a few seconds. 

Hera watched as he licked his lips clean before shoving another forkful of pasta into his pretty mouth. Swallowing the chewed food, he looked at her, all traces of playfulness gone now. “Would you rather have me punching the shit out of that douche? Trust me, Goddess, I would prefer that too. I’m actually dying to disfigure his face. But I’ve promised you, haven’t I? I won’t hit or hurt him as long as you consider him as your friend. I’m trying to be the better person here,” he said shrugging. 

He ate one more forkful and shoved the plate towards her. “I’m full,” he said, dabbing his lips with a tissue.

Hera silently watched as he lifted her water bottle and drank directly from it. His Adam’s apple moved up and down while he swallowed the water down his throat and something clenched inside Hera’s stomach weirdly. All these new feelings were hard for her to understand and resist, as well. She averted her eyes as he finished drinking water. 

“Goddess, as I said, I’ll be busy until next week,” he stated. Pocketing his cell phone, he walked around and bent to her level. Hera straightened her posture, eying him with her widened eyes. His uninjured hand came up, and his fingers brushed against her temple before disappearing into her hair.

He twined a fistful of her hair around his fingers, and she nervously looked away. 

‘Bloody hell! Is he going to kiss me? Here? In front of everyone?’ 

Hera fidgeted in her seat, and his fingers tightened their hold on her hair, tugging slightly, angling her face to his convenience. He was careful not to hurt her with his grip on her hair. She held her breath when his lips came in contact with her skin. Not on the lips, but instead they landed on the tip of her nose, pecking it, and then he dragged them up to kiss the place in-between her eyebrows. After that, he kissed the corner of her eyelids right near her temple. 

The soft silky touch of his warm lips on her skin made her heart flutter, and she blushed. 

Hera was aware of his lips moving to her ear and shivered when they touched the tip of her ear as he whispered in a soft voice, “Keep blushing, and I’ll kiss your lips.” Her eyes widened in alarm, and she tried hard to hide her blush by scowling at him. 

Hunter pulled away, standing to his full height and watched her face in amusement. He scanned the food court searching for his friends, and when he’s about to walk away, Hera stopped him. 

“You said, you’ll be busy,” she stated, looking into his purple orbs that shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Hunter noticed, she’s holding her breath, and he could sense that something was bothering her. He nodded a yes to her question waiting for her to continue.

“With what, Hunter?” She asked, her impatient eyes fixed on him as she forgot to blink. “Why do you want to know?” He questioned her not showing any emotion on his face, and she blinked, taken aback before her wide eyes narrowed into tiny slits as she gritted her teeth. “Well, I think I have the right to know who you’ll be busy screwing with,” she spat out the words, making him smile which quickly turned into a wide grin showing his white set of pearls to her. 

“Don’t worry, my Love, it’s just me and my books. I’ve tests to prepare for, so I’ll be busy with my books,” he said, putting more emphasis on the last two words. Hera scoffed, “Of course, stupid nerd and his stupid books.” She smirked when he raised a brow with an annoyed expression that said, ‘Really?’ Hunter chuckled at her cute smirking face. She looked adorable, even though she’s trying to be mean. 

“Stupid is not the term your heart chose to describe me. I heard it say, hot nerd,” he said, winking at her, and she gave him a dirty look. 

“Okay, Goddess Hera, until we meet again be a good girl and don’t cause trouble for me,” he said, smiling at her, though she didn’t miss the warning lacing his tone. Hera replied with a scowl when he turned to walk away, “Sure. I’ll be a good girl, Daddy,” she drawled with a sugary sweet tone. Hunter paused mid-step and turned to her. Hera watched him drawing his lower lip between his teeth. He’s looking at her in a strange way which she couldn’t explain.

“Hmm,” he hummed, inclining his head in approval. “Daddy sounds good on your lips. I like it,” he said. Hera’s scowl intensified as a cocky smirk appeared on his handsome, arrogant face. “Hunter, you’re not my Daddy! It was supposed to be sarcasm,” she exclaimed, and he laughed softly. “I can be if you want me to,” Hunter said with a sly wink, making her frown in confusion. 

Hera looked thoughtful for a few seconds, and then her eyes widened as if she read the hidden meaning of his statement. “Oh, shut up, I’m not having babies with the Satan,” she snapped in irritation. Hunter smiled, shaking his head. “You look sexy when you’re stupidly ignorant,” he stated as he walked back to her. 

Bending to her level, he pushed her long hair from her shoulder, letting it fall over her back. He touched her skin with his lips again, and this time they landed at the junction where her neck and shoulder meet. He kissed her softly, and Hera inhaled sharply when his hot wet tongue touched her skin along with his lips, tasting her skin. She felt feverish and dizzy. “Until next time, Love,” with that said, he made his way to the exit, signalling his friends to join him. 

Hera drank a mouthful of water to cool herself as soon as Hunter left. She straightened her hair, running her fingers through it while her eyes roamed around, wishing that no one saw their intimate gesture. 

‘No such luck, I guess.’ 

She lowered her head in embarrassment as she found all the eyes fixed on her. Ignoring her surroundings, she silently started eating her strawberries, then finished the sandwich Hunter left in his plate, uneaten. Swirling her fork into her pasta, she recollected their conversation.

‘Daddy sounds good on your lips.’ 

Hunter’s words echoed through her thoughts, and she sighed sadly. She never had anyone to call Daddy. All her life, she wondered how it would feel to call someone Daddy and Mummy. 

‘What I would give to experience that feeling.’ 

She shook her head, compelling herself not to wander along that road. Sipping water from her cup, she noticed that her pasta was getting dry. She finished it quickly and left the Luncheon Bar. 

On her way back to her classroom, another thought started bothering her. She frowned as she got lost in her private thoughts. Hunter planned a date on Friday that would be a day after tomorrow, and he also said he would be busy until their tests get over, which start from this coming Monday. 

‘Did he forget that we have a date?’ 

Scowling, she wondered in disappointment.