Wingless and beautiful episode 4

🕊WINGLESS AND BEAUTIFUL🕊
🍁EPISODE FOUR🍁

I kept coming back to the center every day for more than
a month. It seemed that since my meteor shower date with
Hunter, I had a permanent smile on my face. I felt lighter
in,side. I also found it easier to sleep at night. My nightmares
were somehow replaced with dreams of the magnificent boy
I met at the most unlikely place.
Every day, Hunter would wait for me at the front steps
and we’d go to our garden together. He would always have
his guitar case slung on his back. I would always play the
song, ‘Angel’ for him. It was like we had our own world, and
no one could touch us… hurt us or haunt us here in our
garden.

Hunter was devilishly handsome… and heavenly sweet.
He would give me flowers almost every day. He would
serenade me with his beautiful voice. He would k-ss my
scars every day before I went home and he would tell me
that he would chase my nightmares away.
He was teaching me how to play ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’.
It was a difficult piece, even for me. When my hands would
get too stiff or tired, he would take the guitar from me and
he would play the piece as fast as humanly possible, just to
tease me.
“Someday, I would get that piece by heart, and you
would be so proud of me,” I vowed.
He leaned forward and k-ssed me. “I have no doubt you
will. And you are right. I would be so damn proud.”
One afternoon, as the sun prepared to set, we were
sitting under a tree in our garden. I was sitting between
Hunter’s thighs, resting my back against his chest, with his
arms wrapped around me. I played ‘Angel’ on the guitar. I sang the words with my heart, and he listened to me
intently.
He leaned his cheek against mine… close to where my
scar was. I would feel him occasionally k-ss my temple, then
my scars. His soft, lingering k-sses were speaking to my
soul, pulling at my heartstrings.
When I strummed the last chord, I turned my head to
look at his face. He leaned forward and k-ssed me softly on
the l-ips.

“I would always remember you when I hear that song,”
he said, smiling gently. Then the expression on his face
turned sober. “You are my angel, Allison. With you in my
arms… I find hope… courage… comfort…” He took a deep
breath and added, “Love.”
I raised my hand and cupped his cheek. He turned
sideways and k-ssed my palm. He took a deep breath and
then he smiled.
“When I came to this place, I felt it was a curse. It was
my death sentence. I went here to punish my father… to
punish myself. I lost the will to live, the will to fight. This was
my hell.” He shook his head very gently. “I never thought I
would find heaven here. It never occurred to me that I would
meet an angel amidst all the anger and misery that I felt.”
“You’re too young to waste your life in anger and
misery, Hunter,” I said. “Like me… life goes on. Our mothers
left us… but the only way we could really make them live in
our memories… is if we start living our lives again. Forgive.
And move on.”
“When I came here, I had no sense of purpose anymore.

I had no will to let go of that tragic day. I lived that day over
and over in my head for the past three hundred and sixty-
five days. I didn’t want to see again, because I thought
nothing in the world was good and beautiful anymore.” He
took a deep breath. “But I would give everything just to see
your face right now.”
I smiled and then I leaned forward to k-ss him. I put the
guitar aside and shifted my body so I could face him
properly. I took his hands in mine and then I brought them to
my face. He touched every inch of it, as if he was
memorizing my features, imagining in his mind what I
looked like.

He gave me a crooked smile. “You’ve been lying to me.”
“What?” I asked.
“You’re not horrendous,” he said. “Not even close.”
I laughed. “Well, I’m no beauty queen either.”
He shook his head. “You’re beautiful… wonderful.” Then
slowly he leaned forward and k-ssed my left eye… then my
right… then the tip of my nose… my right cheek… my left
cheek. “And, angel… I think…” He took a deep breath. “I’m
falling for you.”
My eyes w¡dened and I think I dropped my heart to my
toes. My breathing completely stopped. And before I could
react or say something… before I could even breathe again,
Hunter closed the gap between us and k-ssed me on the
l-ips… numbing me and electrocuting me at the same time…
then completely wiping out my senses.

***

“You’re happy,” Meredith said to me after dinner that
night. We were sitting on the couch, drinking hot chocolate.
I just smiled at her. She fell silent for a while, not really
knowing what to say next.
Well, this is awkward.
I really did feel for Meredith. She looked so unsure, so
uncomfortable, but also so determined. So I decided to help
her out. “I am,” I said. “He’s… beyond great!”
“Who would have thought you would meet somebody in
the center, right?”
I nodded. “He made life worth living for again. No
offense to you. You know I love you, Mer.”
“What’s his name again?”
“Hunter. Hunter Vaughn.”
Meredith took her laptop and typed something. After a
while, I saw her eyes w¡den.
“What?”
“Your boyfriend is… really hot!”
“He’s not my boyfriend.” To be honest, I don’t know if he
was. We never talked about it… about us. He said he was
falling for me. But we never really told each other that we
were going steady… that I’m his girlfriend now. Maybe it
was too early. What mattered most was that… we’re happy.
I’m happy. I barely have nightmares anymore.
Meredith continued reading on the screen.

“What’s that anyway?” I asked.
“I’m checking his file. I volunteer there so I get access to
their database… at least the basic stuff,” she replied.
“Hunter Zale Vaughn. Age, sixteen. Parents: Patrick Vaughn
and Diana Vaughn, deceased. Only child. He’s from
Jacksonville…” She trailed off as she continued reading
Hunter’s profile. “Apparently the prince of Jacksonville.”
“What?”
“His father owned one of the biggest property
development firms in the country. His mother owned several
real estate firms. Hunter was tested with an IQ of…” She
trailed off and stared at me with an amazed expression on
her face. “One hundred sixty. Whew!” She shook her head.
“He was a member of Mensa. He achieved Chess Master
rating at the age of fifteen. He played tennis and was on the
school’s football team. A black belt in Karate. He played the
guitar and drums. Geez! Is there anything this guy can’t
do?”
I felt a sense of pride run through me. I sighed. Yeah.
That’s Hunter.
My Hunter.
“Hot. Genius.” Meredith shook her head. “Wow! No
wonder you were going back to the center every day.”

I laughed and threw a small pillow at her. We fell silent
for a while. Then Meredith took a deep breath and I just
knew she was going to say something awkward.
“Alice… since I’m your designated… guardian. I get to
be the one to tell you that…” She took a deep breath again.
Oh no! She’s going to give me ‘the talk!’ This is going to
be embarrassing!
“Just make sure…” she started and I thought she looked
constipated.
“We’re not having s€×, Mer,” I cut her off. “And it’s very
unlikely that we will. Well, at least… not yet… not in a very
long time.”
She breathed in a sigh of relief. “Okay. I’m sure you’re a
smart girl. And you’re dating a genius. But… well, just be
careful, okay? I won’t stop you… but you two could have a
good future going for you. Even with his condition. As long
as you make the right choices and… wait for the right time.”
“I’ll remember that.”
Meredith began searching through the net again.
“Anyway, what’s up with you?” I asked her.

She heaved a frustrated sigh. “My company’s going to
shut down. I will have to start looking for another job.”
I instantly felt bad for her… actually more of guilty than
bad. She’s twenty-five and taking on the responsibility of a
forty-five-year-old woman. And it’s not like my mother left
her with a fortune anyway. She only left behind a few
trinkets, which Meredith didn’t want to sell. I didn’t either.
I smiled at her ruefully. I think Meredith has taken care
of me long enough. It’s time for me to do my share around
the house. I finished my hot chocolate. Then I went to her
and gave her a hug. “Thanks for taking care of me, Mer.” I
k-ssed her cheek and then I went to my room.

The next day, I went to the nearest newsstand and got a
copy of the local paper. I went through the classifieds and
decided to look for part-time jobs. Anything that would
accept a sixteen-year-old girl.
I spent the day calling firms hoping to land a job.
Meredith needed help. I wanted to give it to her. I’m fine
now. As in, ‘really-okay’. Not ‘bottled-up-pretending-to-be-
fine-okay’.
It was already late when I went to CRC to see Hunter. He
was playing his guitar, sitting on the bench in our garden.
When I approached him, I saw his mouth curve into a smile.
“There you are,” he said. “I was afraid you weren’t
coming.” He put the guitar aside and reached out for my
hand. He pulled me to him and made me sit on his lap.
Hunter was not all muscular, but he wasn’t ski-ny either. He
was lean, his muscles were surprisingly well-toned, and his
shoulders were broad. I fit perfectly in his arms with my
small, petite frame.

I rested my head on his shoulder, as if it was the most
natural thing for me in the world. He k-ssed the top of my
head and inhaled through my hair.
I giggled. “You love doing that, don’t you?”
“Hmmm… you smell like strawberries. You have this
sweet scent that is engraved in my mind now. I would
recognize you anywhere.”
“Did I keep you waiting for long?”
“I would wait for you until midnight if I have to.” Then in
a somewhat sad voice, he said, “I would freeze this moment
if I have a choice.”
I giggled and pulled away from him. “We do this every
day. I was afraid you would have gotten tired of me already.”
He shook his head. “I would never get tired of you,
angel.”
I squeezed his nose and he squirmed a bit. I laughed
and then I rested my head on his shoulder again.
“Meredith looked up your profile.”
“Investigating on who you’re dating already?” he asked,
amusement all over his voice.
“She was just curious.”
“And worried,” he added.
I giggled. “I’m sure she would never admit that. But
yeah. I think so, too.”
“So what did she find out?”
“Nothing bad. Apparently, you were the high school
sweetheart in Jacksonville. A lot of girls must be pining for
your attention, huh,” I replied.
“Jealous?” he asked, a crooked smile spreading over his
face.

“No.” That was a lie. I would probably be jealous if I saw
him with somebody else. Some other girl who was flawless…
beautiful… unscarred… unbroken. But then again… if he
wasn’t blind, he probably wouldn’t see me, which I think
was quite the irony.
“What else did she see on my file?”
“What your parents did. You weren’t kidding about the
Chess Master bit.”
“You thought I was? After I beat you… twice… without
looking?”
I pinched his side and he laughed.
“Wow! Hunter, you have an IQ of one-sixty? You’re like…
Einstein-smart!”
“Some would debate that Einstein’s IQ would be more
than that,” he said. “I think I’m alright.”
“Humility doesn’t suit you!” I teased. “So what subjects
were you good at?”
“Math,” he replied. “Science. Literature. Music.”
“And you don’t even look like a nerd.”
“I know. I look hot, don’t I?” He grinned.
I laughed. “Oh my God! You’re humble about your brains
and conceited about your looks? You should seriously know
what your assets are. Brag about what you have… keep
quiet about what you don’t.”
He laughed. “Oh my God! I can’t believe the first girl I
dated seriously wouldn’t even think I’m at least cute!”
I blinked back at him. “You… never dated anybody
seriously before?”
He nodded. “Like you said… nerd!” he replied. “And you
never dated anybody before me?”
“Like you know… broken. Scarred,” I said in a sober
voice.

He took a deep breath. He didn’t say anything. He just
pulled me to him and k-ssed my temple. “Beautiful,” he
whispered.
“If you weren’t blind… do you think you would even
notice me?”
“Do you think I’m shallow and I only care about the
looks and fancy clothes?”
I shrugged. I wouldn’t know. I didn’t know him before he
was blind.
“I’m sure I would notice you immediately. Your scent
would draw me in. And if you play a song and sing for me…
then I’m gone! It’s over. Your every wish would be my
command. I have a certain weakness for kick-ass chicks who
can challenge my guitar prowess,” he said, grinning at me.
Then he shook his head. “There are many, many things
about you that a guy would kill for, angel. Don’t let any
other girl make you feel small about yourself.”
I smiled at his words. They meant a lot to me. I didn’t
have many friends and I wasn’t always appreciated. So
when I heard those words from Hunter, I couldn’t help being
touched. I couldn’t help feeling that I was… worth looking
at.

We stayed there, cuddled in each other’s arms until
sunset. It was getting dark, but somehow, Hunter refused to
let me go. He kept holding me, car-ssing my arms, k-ssing
the top of my head.
“Shall we go?” I asked.
“Wait for a while,” he whispered.
I rested my head back on his shoulder and I stared at
the last rays of the sun. It was getting darker but we still sat
there, locked in each other’s arms.
“It’s getting dark, Hunter,” I said.
“And you’re scared?”
“We might not find our way back,” I replied.

He laughed. “You’re with me. And whether it’s day or
night does not make a difference to me. This time… let me
have the unfair advantage.”
I giggled. “You’re right. Just make sure you don’t make
me trip or something.”
“Impossible. You’re clumsy,” he teased. Then his face
turned serious. “Is it dark enough?”
“Yes,” I replied.
“Look around, angel. Do you see them?” he whispered.
I pulled away from him and looked around us and up
above the branches over us. Suddenly, I could see what he
wanted me to see. My breath caught in my throat and I
gasped. I was speechless as I watch the magnificent
creatures flying around us, emitting glowing lights and
making our garden… even more magical than it already is.
“Hunter…” I whispered.
“Beautiful, aren’t they?”
“Wonderful,” I said. “How did you know…”
“A bird told me. Figured I’d surprise you.” He grinned.
“Do you like them?”
“Love them,” I whispered. “If you could only see them
too.” Tears welled up in my eyes. I really wished he could
see where we are right now. It was a place as magnificent
and as perfect as he was.

“I would rather see your face as you look at them. What
I wouldn’t give to see it right now,” he said in a sad voice.
I leaned forward and gave him a hug. “Thank you!” I
whispered. Then I reached up and found his l-ips. He k-ssed
me thoroughly… right there… in the middle of the fireflies.
We stayed there for a little while more. Just then,
Hunter’s watch beeped.
“Eight o’clock,” he gro-ned.
“Which means?”
“Means one hour before lights out. As if that would be a
problem for me, right?”
When I thought he would normally feel angry about
that, he actually looked amused with his own joke. I think
Hunter was beginning to accept his condition… embrace it
even. He was beginning to find happiness after the storm.
And I felt good thinking that I was part of his change. I was
part of his reason to smile again… laugh again… live again.
I stood up from the bench and pulled him to his feet. He
put an arm around my shoulders. “Stay close to me, if you
don’t want to lose your…”
“Life?” I supplied for him.
“Your shoe.” He grinned.
I laughed. “You’re not even funny.”
“Charming, though,” he said smugly.
“Alright, Prince Charming, lead the way.”
We walked out the path quietly. Hunter walked the same
way he always does. With quiet precision, you won’t even
think he’s blind if it weren’t for the walking stick in his hand.
“Is Meredith going to pick you up?” he asked.
“Yes. She’s probably here already. Wonder why she
hasn’t called me up yet.”
We walked slowly, still savoring our time with each
other. I had my arm around Hunter’s wa-ist. There were
fireflies all over us, keeping our path illuminated. It was
amazing.
Hunter walked me all the way to the parking lot where
Meredith’s car was, but without signs of her.
“I’ll be okay. You can go in now,” I said to Hunter.

“I will not leave you until she comes… until I know
you’re gonna be safely home.”
“Protective, aren’t we?”
He smiled ruefully. “I just wish I could do more for you,
you know.”
“You are,” I assured him. “Since I met you… I can sleep
better at nights.”
He grinned smugly. “You’re saying you’re thinking about
me before you go to sleep and you dream about me?”
“No. I’m saying you’re hideous enough, even my
nightmares went running scared.”
He laughed heartily. “Unbelievable! Allison Harley…
your sense of humor alone got me wrapped around your
little finger.” Then his face turned serious. “As long as you
think of me often… that would be enough.” And then he
leaned forward and k-ssed me. He k-ssed me like he would
never be able to k-ss me again.
When he pulled away, I was left breathless… complete
and empty at the same time. I felt like I didn’t want to let
him go… because the minute I did… I might never get to
hold him again… see him again… or k-ss him again.
It was then that I realized how I really felt about Hunter.
If a guy could make you feel happy and sad… full and
empty… complete and broken… all at the same time… I
didn’t have to be a genius like him to know what was
happening to me. I realized, I’ve just made myself
vulnerable to him. I’ve completely fallen in love with him.
Somebody coughed behind us. I turned around and saw
Meredith looking at me.
“Your aunt?” Hunter whispered behind me.
“Yes.”
“I would like to meet her,” he said.
I took his hand and guided him towards Meredith.
“Mer… this is Hunter. Hunter, this is Meredith, my aunt.”
Hunter extended his hand and waited for my aunt to
shake it. “It was a pleasure to meet you, Meredith.”
“Pleasure is all mine, Hunter.” Meredith smiled. “I’m
glad that somebody is making my niece smile these days.”
“She not only makes me smile, she taught me how to
laugh again too,” Hunter said, smiling at her politely.

“Well, we better go. I have an early start tomorrow,”
Meredith said. “I’ll wait for you in the car,” she said to me
and then she turned to Hunter. “Nice meeting you, Hunter.”
“Same here, ma’am,” Hunter said.
I turned to him. “So… I need to go.”
His face turned sober. And then he nodded. He pulled
me to him and gave me a tight hug. Then he k-ssed my
forehead and then my l-ips. One k-ss. But it felt like he
wanted it to last forever.
I was breathless again when I pulled away from him. “I’ll
see you.”
He nodded. “Take care, angel.”
“You too.”
Then I hopped in,side Meredith’s car. Hunter was still
standing at the parking lot even when Meredith drove away.
And somehow, I couldn’t help my heart breaking at the sight
of the w¡dening distance between us. I turned away and
faced the road sadly.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Meredith asked.

I sighed. “I think so.”
“He’s cute! No… he’s, I don’t know how kids your age
call it these days… but we usually score from one to ten.
And that boy, Alice… is a perfect ten.”
“We still score that way. For me, he’s actually a twelve.
And I’m not even accounting the looks yet,” I said, looking
out the window, missing Hunter already.
***
The next afternoon, I went back to CRC. I couldn’t wait to
see Hunter again. Yesterday, I was unsuccessful with the
job-hunting thing. Today, I planned to put a bright smile on
my face first and then I’ll go job-hunting again tomorrow.
But when I got to CRC, Hunter was not waiting for me at
the steps. He must have gone to the garden already.
However, when I got to our place, he wasn’t there either. I
felt extremely disappointed. I never went to this garden and
not find him sitting on the bench or pacing back and forth in
front of it… because he was eagerly waiting for me. But today… something was different. And somehow, I have this
nagging feeling that… something was not right.

At the table, there was a small wooden box. I picked it
up nervously, my hands were trembling. Somehow, I knew it
was for me. Nobody else came to this place but the two of
us.
I opened the box, and found a small recording device. It
had a post-it on it that read ‘Play me’, in crooked lines. My
heart immediately broke because I knew the clumsy
handwriting was Hunter’s effort to write something without
actually seeing. I also have a feeling that whatever was on
the tape… was his way of saying goodbye.
I took a deep breath and pressed play. After a while, I
heard his soothing voice speak to me… like he was just
sitting here beside me.
“Angel, I’m sorry. I had to make a quick decision to leave
and take my chances. When I came to this place, I planned
to stay here for as long as my father could pay the bills. I
thought this would be my jail, my hell… for the rest of my
life. I had no intention of going back to my old life… or living
my life at all.
“But when you came… you taught me how to smile
again. You reminded me of the things I loved about my life.
You touched me in ways that I never thought possible. You
gave me the warmth, comfort and hope that I never thought
I needed.

“You gave me a new reason to live for… a new reason to
want to wake up in the morning and see the light. You gave
my life a new meaning… a new reason to get out of the
darkness where I found refuge in for so many months.
“Because of you… I want to see again. I want to take
care of you. I want to see you smile, as much as I love
hearing you laugh. I want to build a future with you… where
I can protect you, where I am capable enough to chase your
nightmares away.
“This is not goodbye. I know we will see each other
again. And when that time comes… I will be able to see the
beautiful face of my angel.
“Can you do something for me? Can you write a diary
for me? Write on it every day until we see each other again?
Because when I come back, I would want to know
everything I missed about you… about what happened to
your life while I was gone. When I come back… I would be
able to read your diary, angel. I would be wh0le again… and
strong enough to protect you, take care of you… live for
you.

“I have something for you. I enclosed it with this letter. I
hope you wear it. And think about me every day… because
I, for certain, would think about you every day of my life
until we see each other again.
“You never told me how you felt about me. I guess I’m
gonna have to wait until I get back to know for sure. But I
want you to know… without a doubt… I love you, angel.
“I didn’t say it in front of you before because I want to
be able to see your face when I do. I never said that to
anybody before. I never felt as strongly for anyone. But
now… it’s one of the reasons why I wanted to see again… if
only to see the reaction on your face when I say those
words to you.
“You will always be my angel… and I hope one day, I
could be yours.”
Tears were rolling down my cheeks. I struggled to
breathe and I was cursing myself. I should have come
earlier. I should have been with him the wh0le day
yesterday. If only I knew that it was our last day, I would
have spent most of it with him. I wouldn’t have wanted that
day to end. I would have k-ssed him a million times and
memorized how to it feels. I should have taken a picture of
him, so I could look at his face every night before I go to
bed.

I should have told him how I really felt about him.
Because I loved him too! While he was doing what was
needed to be done to get his vision back… he should have
that to hold on to. He deserved to know that I would be
waiting for him to come back to me. And even if he couldn’t
see again… I would still stay with him… and love him. That I
didn’t care if he was blind… he was still capable of
protecting me… he already chased my nightmares away.
And that was enough… he was enough.
in,side the box, I found a gold necklace. The pendant
was a shape of a guitar pick. It was gold with the letters ‘H
& A’ engraved on it. At the back, something was engraved
in Braille. I didn’t know how to read Braille but I had a
feeling I knew what it meant. Three lines. First line had one
character. The second line had four. And the last line had
three.
I sat on the bench and raised my knees up to my chin. I
hugged my legs… wishing that it was Hunter’s arms that
were wrapped around me now… just like yesterday and the
days before.

He said he would give everything just to see my face.
Well, right now, I would give everything just to have him
with me again. Here. Now.
Thinking about him and calling out his name in my
head… I did the only thing I could do… I let all the tears go.