"Should we be worried?" I ask, glancing at the clock for the tenth time in the last fifteen minutes.

Oliver shrugs and leans back in his chair. "We're in a hospital. If dad really does hurt him he won't be far from medical treatment."

Judah begins to laugh beside me and I slap him with the back of my hand. "It's not funny." Carefully, I readjust my position on the bed and reach for my phone. Still nothing. "I'm seriously worried."

Oliver leans forward and clasps his hands together. "Well, Elliot," he begins with a solemn expression. "You have been having a torrid affair with your high school English teacher that lives in our guest house. How do you think dad's going to respond to that?"

I bite my lip. "Reasonably?"

He laughs loudly and wipes fake tears from his eyes. "Oh, you really are about to get a dose of reality." After composing himself, he stands and pats Judah on the shoulder. "You guys may need to have a team meeting after this. I have a feeling things are going to change."

Judah's face falls a little and I feel instantly guilty for dragging him back into this again. I know that he tries to be okay with everything when he's really not. I'm about to respond to Oliver's unwanted commentary when my father walks back into the room, sans Hunter.

He hands me a coffee. "Your mother's getting the car." He turns to Oliver. "Did you drive here?"

Oliver nods slowly.

Mason smiles. "Good. You can take Judah home." He casually takes a sip of his coffee. "Hunter had to leave. He has some packing to do."

My heart drops into the pit of my stomach so fast I almost throw up. I struggle to keep my voice even as I open my mouth to speak. "I'll ride with Oliver. I left my things at the field house."

My father's eyes are hard as he looks between us. Oliver gives an unconvincing smirk and I consider punching him. "Okay," he says curtly. His eyes narrow slightly. "Come straight home afterwards."

I don't have to try to decipher the meaning behind his words. The fact that Hunter is gone, and currently packing, speaks volumes for how well their talk went and what's going to happen now.

After getting discharged, and trying to nail down the art of walking with crutches, we finally make it to Oliver's truck. Judah helps me inside and takes a seat in the back. I can tell he wants to say something, but for some reason he remains very quiet. Oliver, however, almost can't contain himself as he slips behind the driver's wheel.

"You've really done it this time, Elle," he says as he pulls out of the parking lot. "Dad is extremely pissed and the fact we haven't seen Hunter doesn't rule out his body being stuffed in a trashcan somewhere."

My typical sarcastic remark back is replaced by unexpected tears. A small sob escapes my lips and I cover my mouth quickly. Oliver looks over at me in shock.

"Elliot, I'm sorry. I'm just messing with you." He reaches over and pats my leg gently. "I'm sure Hunter's fine."

"No, I know he is," I choke out. "But I just feel so terrible."

"It's not your fault. Hunter's a big boy, he knew the risk he was taking."

"Yes, but I'm the one who started it."

It goes silent for a moment as Oliver's face turns thoughtful. "So, after I told you not to you basically just went and did it anyway." He shakes his head. "I should have never said anything in the first place. Maybe we wouldn't be here now."

I let out an incredulous laugh and tilt my head to him. "You think that I'm only dating him out of spite?"

"No, Elliot. I think you started dating him out of spite. What you are now is exactly what I was afraid of."

His words linger heavily in the truck as I turn my head away from him and stare out the window. I don't want to continue this conversation with Judah in the vehicle. Regardless of our history, he's been through enough without adding all the details of what's happened while he was gone.

Nobody speaks again until we arrive back at the school. Oliver pulls in next to Judah's truck behind the field house.

Judah leans himself up in between the seats. "I'll get your stuff for you, Elle." He pats my shoulder and exits the truck before Oliver turns to me.

"I'm sorry if I sounded like a dick. I just know him, Elliot." His eyes are pleading when I catch his stare. "He's all the way in with you. If this is some kind of game..."

"It's not," I say forcefully. My eyes begin to burn with a fresh set of tears as I glare back at him. "I love him, Ollie."

He just nods and leans back in his seat. "Okay. I really hope so."

It says a lot that my own brother doesn't even believe I am capable of having an actual meaningful relationship with someone. But my words are true. My love for Hunter is the only thing keeping sane right now while everything feels like it's completely falling apart.

***

When Oliver and I enter the kitchen, my father is waiting for us. Although I saw this coming, it's never a good sign.

I hobble over to the barstool with my crutches and sit down. He glares at Oliver and points to the chair beside me. "You sit too. I know you're somehow involved in all of this."

Oliver pulls his hands into his chest in disbelief. "Me? You think that I could possibly be involved in such things?"

My father rolls his eyes. "Don't bullshit me, Ollie. Sit down."

Oliver just nods. "You're right. I'm an accomplice." He holds up a finger after taking the seat next to me. "I want to let the record show that I have only recently become privy to all the details." He looks at me and shakes his head in admonishment. "They lied to me too."

I kick him with my good leg and he winces.

"Alright. I'm not going to pretend to understand why you have the Holloway boy involved as well, and to be honest, I don't want to know." My father's voice is relatively calm, which surprises me. I wait in trepidation as he folds his hands in front of him. "What I do want to know, is why you thought something like this was a good idea?"

I take breath. "Honestly dad, Hunter wasn't a teacher when we started seeing each other. Well, not one at Central."

He raises an eyebrow. "So, that makes it okay? Since you are a high school student and all, as long as he's not your teacher, it's perfectly fine?"

Oliver opens his mouth and I punch him in the ribs before he can speak. "God, Elle. You are super violent today," he whispers harshly at me, grabbing his side.

"I know it's not fine, but I... I mean we lo..."

My father holds his hands up. "Don't tell me that you love him. He already made it very clear how deep you two think your relationship is."

I smile involuntarily at the thought of Hunter professing his love for me and my father's eyes narrow again. "Okay, don't get too excited. I told him he has to leave."

"You can't do that! He has nowhere to go." I am very aware I sound like a whiny teenage girl, but that's basically what I am.

"Listen, I'm not heartless. I gave him a week to find a place, but I can't exactly have him living essentially in the same house with you anymore. If this really gets out, how will that make me look? Like I'm okay with this?"

I lower my eyes and begin to pull a string from the edge of my placemat. He has a point, but the thought of Hunter leaving kills me. When I glance up again, he's leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed. His expression softens, minimally.

"Elliot, you're an adult, and I can't tell you what to do. I'll be honest, I actually like the kid, but you have no idea what something like this can do to your future. It is my responsibility to protect you from things like that." He motions to Oliver. "I haven't exactly left you with a good role model."

Oliver scoffs. "Hey, I tried my best. She does what she wants."

"Sounds a lot like someone else I know," he responds bitterly. My father shakes his head and lets out a long sigh. "Look, all I want is for both my children to have a nice life and be successful. Is that too much to ask?"

Oliver and I shake our heads in unison.

"Okay, then." He turns to me. "Elle, I can't make you stop seeing him. In fact, I'm sure it will only make you want to do it more."

I give a warning glare to Oliver, but he remains stoic beside me.

"Just keep it under the radar for the next three months," he continues. "After that you can do whatever you want. I can't let you make a mistake now that could affect the rest of your life."

As much as I hate to admit it, my father's right. Hunter and I have been less than careful when it came to our relationship. Half of the problems with have right now are because of that. I'm sure we can find a way to make it work, discreetly, until graduation. I just hope that this newfound space between us doesn't cause us to fall apart.