Taming The Bad Boy By Ivy Coleman Chapter 30

Mr Hornton finished wrapping up Hunter’s hand as Hunter stretched out his bandaged paw and wiggled his non-broken fingers. Thankfully, the other hand was fine, only bruised and scraped and so when he reached it out and wiggled that, each fingertip moved (unlike the other hand).

Hunter pulled his hand back towards him as he eyed the bandage which had the tiniest crimson stain on it that had seeped through the multiple layers.

Mr Hornton packed everything away as he slapped his lips together. “Now you just get resting that hand. I don’t want to be ban…” His voice trailed off when he turned around and saw Hunter’s distant expression. Unlike Hunter’s usual distant expression where he was just blank and expressionless, this one had a slight twitch to his left brow that almost furrowed as if confused and unsure.

“Hunter?” Mr Hornton called, worried the muscular boy had finally lost the plot after returning with bloodied hands almost scraped down to the bone.

“What’s wrong is it hurting too much. I think I’ve got some pills here somewh—”

“Something’s wrong” Hunter finally spoke up. He stood so abruptly the stool beneath him toppled over as he ducked out of the tent before Mr Hornton could say anything else.

Hunter towered in the centre of the camp as his calculating, sharp eyes glanced around. He felt that familiar tug in his stomach as he gnawed at the inside of his gum before stalking over towards a talking Happy and Kay.

Stopping mid sentence, Happy paused when a dark shadow fell over them. He turned his head to see Hunter approaching them. “Have you seen, Sam?”

Hunter’s voice was urgent and loud, filled with slight panic which no one had ever heard in the Lion’s voice before.

Kay stood up, his expression also painting one of worry as he knew that if Hunter was getting worked up then something must have happened. He lifted his slender arm as he pointed a nimble finger towards the path leading north.

“Yeah. He went down there with Lyle not long ago.”

Hunter nodded as he went to rush down the path but Happy caught his wrist.

Turning around with a deadly glare screaming ‘Don’t fuck with me right now’ Happy brushed it off as his brows furrowed softly. “What’s wrong? Has something happened to Sam?”

Kay’s eyes widened. “I knew it was a bad idea letting him walk off with Lyle… dammit! We should have followed him.”

Hunter thought about coldly ripping his hand away from Happy, but he saw the genuine concern and fear flash through their eyes and realised he wasn’t the only one who cared for Sam. He knew how he was feeling right now. “I’m not sure.” Hunter stated as he turned his head and stared at the empty path ahead. “I just feel it.”

No one laughed as Hunter said that. Happy actually slid his arm around Kay’s waist as if he completely understood what Hunter meant, about just being able to tell.

Happy nodded with a determined look. “We’ll help you look for him.”

Kay reached down as he quickly grabbed his jacket, Hunter becoming impatient yet was grateful and so he said nothing.

“I’ll come too!”

The trio turned around as Carter came jogging over. He nodded towards Hunter. “I’ll help you find, Sam. He’s a good kid.”

“We’ll come as well.”

Bear’s voice echoed loudly down the centre of camp as Charlie stood beside him with a first aid kit in his hands ready.

“Hey I’ll join you.” A boy called as he came forward, standing beside Carter.

“I like, Sam. Kid helped me with my studying.”

“Yeah me too!”

Hunter watched as one by one students started to step forward, all offering their help and support for the lost boy. Hunter looked around as he was silent. He couldn’t help but be amazed and this proved just how wonderful Sam was.

Mr Hornton draped his raincoat over his form as he clapped his hands together. “Well what are we waiting for? Chop, chop then!”

Everyone headed towards the path as Hunter’s strides were much quicker and rushed. His head constantly checked left and right as eyes darted around the forest. “SAM?!”

Sam’s name echoed around the tree’s as students cupped their hands to their mouths and called out for the small boy.

The group finally reached the clearing with the large rock as Hunter rushed around, spinning in circles as he checked everywhere but could not see Sam anywhere. He grasped his hair, almost yanking out the black locks as he stood numbed in the centre.

“HUNTER OVER HERE!” Happy yelled as Hunter frantically turned towards him.

Happy was knelt down on his knees, Kay stood behind him with large eyes and grasping Happy’s shirt, so he wouldn’t accidentally topple over the edge.

Happy was speaking to someone, his voice soft and soothing as if reassuring someone as Hunter quickly approached.

Kneeling on his one knee like Happy, Hunter leaned down, peering over the edge as his heart snapped right there and then. “SAM!”

Happy glanced over at Hunter with a sympathetic and worried look as

Hunter’s eyes became wide and full of fear.

The students stopped looking all whispering to each other when seeing that Sam had obviously been found but seeing Hunter leaning over a cliff didn’t give off any good signs.

“Oh, dear God.” Mr Hornton gasped as he rushed towards the trio. He leaned over the edge as he gasped, covering his mouth with his hands as he grabbed at the boys.

“Get back, kids. Get back.”

Hunter didn’t budge. He was numb, frozen to the core as his heart shattered repeatedly over and over again like re-watching a heartbreaking home move.

The image would be ingrained into his memory for all of eternity, never once leaving his broken mind as he closed his eyes every night.

Everyone yelled out in response to when Hunter grasped the edge and lowered his leg.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING!”

Happy reached out and grabbed Hunter quickly as Kay cried out and grabbed Happy. “Happy! Careful!”

Everyone was on edge, unsure what to do as they watched the mournful lion trying to lower himself down. Hunter growled as he ripped his arm out of Happy’s clutches.

“I can lower myself down! I can make it without getting hurt!” Hunter argued as he glanced back down at Sam.

The sight below was one Hunter had never ever wanted to see in his entire life.

Sam laid, sprawled onto his back, his legs and arms splayed out around him as a pool of crimson almost swallowed him whole. His face was angled away from them, dirt smudged across his beautiful pale skin that had drained of any colour he once had.

A rock fell as Hunter’s foot tried to grip onto some rocks below. They crashed around Sam’s body, breaking and shattering around the silent boy as Hunter almost fell. He squeezed his eyes shut, inhaling and exhaling sharply as his mind flashed back to the time he spent holding onto the cliff when his brother died.

Mr Hornton reached out and grasped Hunter’s shoulder with a pained look.

“Son. Don’t. It’s not steady enough. You’ll fall.”

Hunter curled his fists up into the grass, lowering his head as if he was praying. No one said anything, all too shocked and silent as they watched the strong Lion fall to pieces. “I can’t” Hunter groaned out in a pained voice. “I can’t sit back and watch another person I care about die. Wh—why is this happening again.”

Hunter’s mind was triggering flashbacks of the cliff. Every time he tried to grasp the rock to lower himself down to Sam he kept having flickers of himself as a child, grasping onto the rocks with small, bloodied fingers as he cried out for his brother.

He inhaled a low pass of air as he pushed aside the fear and the triggering Rashbacks. He knew he needed to get over it for Sam’s sake.

Mr Hornton glanced around. “Hunter. We’re not leaving Sam behind. Don’t you worry about that. But just trying to lower yourself down wont do anybody any help, especially Sam. Let’s just think of a way to do this” Hunter sat up on his knees, his eyes constantly scrunching shut as he ran his fingers through his hair. He felt like leaning back and just screaming to yell fuck it as he just jumped down off the diff towards Sam. He was scared, scared he’d never hold Sam again, scared he’d never kiss him again or even talk to him again. He just wanted to know Sam was okay.

Hunter stood up, his legs swaying as he felt nauseous with fear. He was scared because the trauma he went through as a child just continued to flicker through his mind. He felt as if he was reliving it all over again and he knew how it ended. He was scared this would end the same.

“Fuck it!”

Screams rang out, yells and cries as Hunter ran towards the edge and literally jumped off.

Happy almost threw himself over the edge trying to see if Hunter was okay as Kay grabbed Happy’s back.

Happy watched, Mr Hornton leaning over the side with large eyes and his heart in his throat as Hunter went falling down, his black locks fluttering in the wind as gravity mercilessly pulled him towards its core.

Hunter landed with a slamming impact as he managed to land beside Sam and not on him. He was still for only a second as a wave of sharp pain numbed his body, but he clenched his teeth, pushing past it like he did the fear as he quickly scrambled towards Sam.

“Sam!” Hunter cried out as he slipped his hand under Sam’s head, pulling the limp head up towards him. Blood trickled out of Sam’s mouth as Hunter’s eyes widened. “Sam, baby, come on.” Hunter whispered.

A croak sounded as the frail body spluttered in response. Hunter’s breath hitched in his throat as he knelt on his knees, pleading and praying to anyone who was listening, “Sam… that’s it. Come on, baby, wake up. Come on. Open your eyes for me.”

Slowly, Sam stirred as his lids tried to flutter open, but they were so hay as if he had weights holding them down. The sunlight pierced whatever crack a his lids there was and so he winced as he kept them shut.

Hunter moved his head, so it blocked out the sun as he rubbed his thumb over Sam’s cheek.

“Please.”

Sam flinched, eye twitching when he felt something wet land on his cheek. He slowly opened his eyes as he was met with big, green eyes staring back at him, drowning in tears.

Another tear landed on his cheekbone, rolling down and onto his neck as Sam heaved, gasping for air. Hunter sighed out in relief as he wiped his eyes before he looked up and yelled “HE’S OKAY!”

Gasps of relief and whoops sounded from above as Hunter sat down and pulled Sam’s head carefully onto his lap. “Sam. Can you move at all? Can you wiggle your toes for me?”

Sam did as Hunter said, although it hurt he could feel the sensations in his body, unfortunately this meant he could feel every lick of pain that bit at him.

Sam tried to laugh but he only spluttered blood as he stared up at the green-eyed boy.

“Did you really jump off a cliff for me?”