Chapter 441 - What If It's A Misunderstanding?

One day before Mia's and Hunter's wedding…

Hunter woke up and tightened his hold on Mia without opening his eyes.

He was elated that the first thing greeting him in the morning is Mia's warmth. Mia's presence is ingrained in every cell of his body and he wouldn't want it any other way.

Mia hummed while trying to stretch, but halfway she gave up on stretching, and her arms wrapped around Hunter's torso.

'Yup, it's perfect', Hunter thought.

Mia placed a few light kisses on Hunter's pecs and leaned her head on his chest to enjoy the sound of his heartbeat. She does that every morning and it's her favorite way to wake up, in Hunter's arms, listening to his heartbeat that is telling her that he is right there, for her.

"Good morning, future husband…", Mia greeted him when she was ready to open her eyes.

Hunter chuckled. Ever since they set the wedding date they start their day by addressing each other as 'future husband/wife'.

"Good morning, future wife…", he greeted her back.

"Today is the day when we party without each other.", Mia said with a pout.

She likes occasional outings with her girl-squad, but a party is not a party without Hunter. And Mia knows that Hunter feels the same.

Hunter exhaled and tried to lighten up the mood. "But tomorrow we get to say 'yes' to the rest of our lives together, and there will be no occasion that we need to be apart."

Mia hummed in agreement. "It does not sound so bad when you say it."

"When do you need to leave?"

"I'm meeting girls for lunch, and we will take it from there. You?"

"About the same. We are to meet at one o'clock and I hope that lunch is included. Do you know what you will be doing and where?"

Mia confirmed. "Yes. We are going full-lady treatment with pampering in a spa…", Mia's voice trailed as she reminded herself not to mention that she plans to get a Brazilian as a surprise for Hunter.

Liz told her that Max approved when she got her flower fully waxed a few months back, and that it was amazing for her. 

"After that, we will go to a nightclub and into a hotel suite to end the night."

"Do you know which nightclub?", Hunter continued probing.

"Not yet. But I will text you as soon as I find out. Actually, Max should know because he was arranging security for us."

Hunter hummed in acknowledgment. Since Irene disappeared, Max is making sure that there is security detail around Liz.

Hunter reached for his phone and sent a quick text to Max. He wanted to know where Mia will be. He was well aware that Mia can take care of herself, but with every day closer to the wedding date, the more his anxiety swelled, as if something bad might happen.

Hunter checked his messages and frowned.

Mia noticed. "Anything off?"

"Derek said that he is not coming."

"Did he say a reason?"

"No. Only that he can't make it. That is odd, he never misses a party. And I didn't consider having my bachelor's party without one of my four mates."

Mia looked at Hunter and she could feel his sadness. She understood him completely because if Liz or Bri cancel at the last moment, she would be sad as well.

"I might know what is going on.", Mia said, earning herself a curious gaze from Hunter. "I am not completely positive, but…"

"Say it…", Hunter urged her.

"Do you remember at the hospital two weeks ago? In the lounge?", Mia started with hints. "Derek was focused on someone…"

"Angela", Hunter said, and his expression told Mia that he didn't get where she was going with those questions. 

"Mhm…", Mia confirmed. "Well, after we left, he dropped off Angie home and…"

Hunter's brows furrowed when he remembered that he and Jake teased Derek about Angela. Hunter had a hunch that something is going on, but he got distracted and forgot about it. It must be more than a hunch if Mia brought up the same thing.

Hunter remembered how Derek and Angela flirted, and if he dropped her off home, then… "He didn't."

"He did. Derek broke Angie's heart and I have a nagging feeling that something happened at our rehearsal dinner. Angela left with Ashton and Sabrina early, and Derek disappeared without saying goodbye."

"Why didn't you tell me before?"

Mia looked at Hunter guiltily. "It was a girl talk between me and Angela, and I didn't think that it will impact anything. However, if it will make Derek avoid Grants and in extension our wedding as well, then…"

Hunter nodded in understanding. "You are telling me that he went full Derek on Angela, and Ashton found out."

"I'm not sure if Ashton found out, but the first part is a 'yes'.", Mia responded. "However, Ashton finding out can be the reason why Derek can't make it today."

Hunter stared at the ceiling. The possibility that Ashton and Derek were at odds with each other was not good, but if what Mia said was true, then Hunter could see that their group of five was about to break up. After all, Hunter lost it when he found out that Ashton was after Sabrina, and Ashton's intentions were sincere. If Ashton only wanted to bed Sabrina and move on after breaking her heart, Hunter would rip him into pieces and disregard any friendship that ever existed between them.

"What will you do?", Mia's question pulled Hunter out of his thoughts.

"About?"

"About Derek.", Mia answered. "You have a bachelor's party only once. If he ditches this, there is a chance he will not come to the wedding. Are you OK with that?"

"What can I do?"

"I don't know. But I know that if Liz and Bri turned against each other, I would do my best to get them to make up because I would not be able to pick one over the other."

"I hear you, honey, but… assuming that what you said was true, I understand Ashton completely. Telling Ashton to forgive Derek would go against my principles."

Mia exhaled sadly. "What about talking to Derek?"

"If Derek is the one at fault and Ashton is angry, what can Derek do? No amount of apologies will fix what he did."

"Are you saying that you are fine with Derek stepping away and you will not miss his presence? Sure, he likes to flirt with girls, and I remember that when we made our first appearance as a couple, he flirted with me as well."

Hunter frowned as he remembered the incident on the beach before their volleyball match. Derek flirted with Mia right in front of Hunter! "And I told you that if you reciprocate and go with him behind my back, I would be heartbroken."

"I think that's it. I didn't respond to his advances, but Angela did. Maybe she was inexperienced, but she knew what she was doing, and he definitely would not force himself on her.", Mia said earnestly.

Hunter eyed Mia suspiciously. "If there is a point, get to it, because right now I have a feeling that you are OK with Derek seducing Angela only so that he can have some fun and move on."

"Why are you assuming that for him it was a one-time thing? Even if all his previous relationships were short-lived, that does not mean that Derek didn't hope for something longer with Angela."

Hunter didn't agree. "I remember him arriving at the hospital and they introduced themselves. I even told him that if he came to visit Rina and Ash, he would know who Angela was and that she is staying with them. If Derek thought long term, he would not get handsy on the same day they met. I mean... what's the rush?"

Mia stifled a laugh. "Did you forget about the day we met? I remember that by the end of the day, your hands were on me, and so was the rest of your body. And look at us, ten months later, about to get married."

Hunter cleared his throat awkwardly. "That was different." 

"You don't know what was on Derek's mind.", Mia stated a fact. "Derek is playful, and he likes to push his luck, but if the girl is not willing, he will stop. To be honest, the only thing I know is that Angela's heart was broken. She thought they have something going on, and he acted like it was a hookup. It sounded straightforward, but I saw Derek at our rehearsal dinner, he was not his usual self."

"Maybe he was feeling guilty that he got found out.", Hunter said stiffly, still unhappy that Mia called him out on getting handsy with her on the same day they met. But it was a wonderful day that started in Liz's apartment with breakfast, stretched to lunch, sports club... and it ended back in Liz's apartment after a spar, in the guest bedroom where Mia examined his bruise... and then he got to examine Mia's body thoroughly... Ah, those are sweet memories that Hunter will cherish forever. The bruise included.

"Maybe. But what if it's something else? What if he likes Angela and he was guilty of messing it up?"

Hunter frowned. "Why are you defending him?"

"I am not defending him, love. I am trying to find cracks that will create the possibility of Derek not being a complete asshole and that you can help Derek and Ashton to mend their relationship because I know that both of them are important to you. Also, we don't know Derek's side of the story, what if it's a misunderstanding? You are putting up a wall to listen to my counter-argument, and I am confident that Ashton was not willing to sit and talk it out with Derek. You remember your state when you found out about Ash and Rina? And look at them now, happily married with a child."

Hunter had to agree with this. He plopped back into his pillow and thought for some time before snapping out of his daze. "OK. Get ready."

Mia thought how this was out of context. One minute they were talking about Derek, Angela, and Ashton, and in the next one Hunter was dashing out of the bed, telling her to get ready. "Ready for what?"

"There is only one way to get to the bottom of this, and that is to hear Derek's side of the story. We will grab breakfast on the way to his apartment."

Mia was pleased to see that Hunter was decisive, but… "I'm coming also?"

"Yes.", Hunter said without missing a beat. "First, it was your idea. Second, if he is a complete asshole, I will need you to hold me back from ripping his limbs away."

Mia smiled while thinking that Hunter's violence aimed to protect the maiden's heart was super-sexy. He was like a knight in shining armor. Her knight.

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