Accident Prone

Mia and Hunter won their second match.

"Team 27 wins over team 9 with a score 21:17", the announcer officially ended their game.

"Good game!", Eric (from team 9) said while shaking hands with Hunter and Mia.

"Same here.", Mia responded.

"Where did you find this gem, Hunter?", Tom (from team 9) asked.

"She is my girlfriend.", Hunter said smugly.

"That didn't answer my question.", Tom complained.

"My intention was to tell you to mind your own business." Hunter placed his arm around Mia's shoulders.

Tom looked at Mia with complicated expression.

Mia felt Hunter's firm grip on her shoulder, and she smiled. "We can have a rematch anytime."

Eric's face lit up. "That would be great! How about we exchange phone… Oy! I was talking to her!", Eric complained to Hunter who was pulling Mia away.Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.readwn.com for visiting.

"If you want a rematch, you have my number.", Hunter grumbled without stopping his steps. He glanced at Mia: "Let's get water. All quarterfinal matches start at 3 PM, that gives us more than half an hour."

First two rounds start as soon as the court is available, but quarterfinals (and beyond) start at fixed time.

When Hunter and Mia stepped off the court, Mike, Jake, Derek and Ashton congratulated them on their win.

"I can't believe you two won over Eric and Tom!", Mike said.

"How about you?", Hunter asked.

Derek snorted. "In quarterfinals we are playing against Mike and Jake."

Jake leaned closer to Hunter and said in a hushed voice: "Tyler was asking about Mia."

Jake gestured toward the registration desk where Tyler is talking with the young woman sitting there, making everyone in their group turn that way.

Hunter frowned. It seems that the biggest gossip on the West Coast is interested in Mia. As much as Hunter wants to ignore Tyler, he also knows that Tyler will not give up until he gets something.

Mia looked at Hunter's troubled expression. "Is that a problem?"

"He has an unhealthy habit to stick his nose where it doesn't belong.", Hunter grumbled.

Mia nudged Hunter. "Do you know how we deal with malicious gossipers on the East Coast?" She saw that Hunter lifted his eyebrows and answered: "We give them what they want, and much more than that. You put my name in when you registered us, right?", Mia guessed.

Hunter confirmed. "Just your name."

"That's perfect!", Mia exclaimed and spoke to Mike, Jake, Derek and Ashton in a hushed voice, so that she is not overheard: "You can tell anyone who asks that my name is Mia but… you say that I'm from Florida. An accountant. Hunter and I met at my Uncle's barbeque party last month… your story is that I'm a musician from Canada and I met Hunter last year when he stopped to help me in replacing a flat tire…"

They all looked at Mia with confused expressions, but they had to agree that it will be fun to mess with Tyler (and other gossipers).

When Mia finished giving them instructions, she and Hunter went to the bar to get water.

Hunter noticed that his girl fan-club has their eyes on them. What a headache.

"We still have half an hour. There is a park nearby, do you want to go for a walk?", Hunter offered.

…

The park starts at the end of the beach. It has one dirt trail which is snaking between massive trees and bushes of an old growth forest.

About five steps in, it felt like the beach and all the noise disappeared behind them, and Hunter and Mia were in a forest wonderland where only slight breeze swooshing between the foliage and few songbirds could be heard.

Mia looked around with eyes open wide, taking in the sight around her. 'This is not the Central Park…'

She can swear that thirty seconds ago she was on a sidewalk with a beach and the ocean on her right, and shops and restaurants in-between houses on the left.

"You like it?", Hunter noticed her expression.

Mia confirmed. "Now I know why they call this an Evergreen State. I forgot how wonderful the West Coast is."

Hunter noticed longing in Mia's voice. "You've been here before?"

"Yeah. My family is from Oregon."

Based on the change in Mia's expression, Hunter understood that she does not want to talk about it.

The sound of footsteps came from behind. Hunter glanced and sighed.

"Your fans?", Mia asked.

Hunter was unable to hide his surprise. "You noticed them?" But it's not just that she noticed the four girls following them, but she deducted that they are after him as well. Really, Mia is amazing.

Mia smiled. "It is difficult to miss that woman from yesterday (aka Suzy). And three ladies who are accompanying her were glaring at me during the whole match." Mia looked around. "Do you want to lose them?"

Hunter frowned slightly. "We should not get off the trail. There are snakes and other creatures, and we might end up stepping on some nest…"

Mia lifted her hand to get him to stop talking and pointed up. "Are you any good with tree climbing?"

Hunter looked up at the massive trees. "I'm OK."

Mia dashed and jumped on one majestic cedar tree. She skillfully found the grooves in the bark and climbed it swiftly.

Hunter has to admit that his girlfriend has some wicked spider abilities, but his technique is different. For more than 15' high, the tree which Mia picked does not have branches he can hold onto, so he started climbing a nearby tree which is more climb-friendly. From there, he jumped on the lowest branch of the tree where Mia is, just below her.

It didn't take long before Mia and Hunter were sitting more than 20' high on a branch and watching four girls walk on the trail below them.

"When do you think they will notice that we are not there?", Hunter whispered.

"I don't know. But I wish that I can see their faces when they realize that." Mia responded.

Hunter looked at Mia and remembered how great she is at the volleyball, and how she had a hilarious idea to deal with gossipers by feeding them misinformation, and how she climbed this tree…

The more he thought about all those things, the bigger his smile was.

Mia noticed that he is looking at her, dazed. "What?"

"If climbing trees is a recognized sport, you would be a professional.", Hunter said.

Mia burst into giggles. "Stop flattering me. You are not bad either."

"I didn't say that I am bad. I said that you are amazing. In everything." Hunter cupped Mia's cheek in his palm. "Move in with me."

Mia's heart thumped in her ears. "What?"

"I feel that if we separate I will not make it. I don't have my place yet, but I plan to take a day off from work tomorrow and find one. Come with me and help me pick. I want you to like it because I hope that you will agree to move in with me."

"Shit, Hunter… we met yesterday.", Mia reminded him that all this is too fast. But at the same time, Mia was relieved that she is not the only one caught in this violent whirlpool of feelings between the two of them, unable to stay away.

"Was it only yesterday? How come I have a feeling that I've known you my whole life?"

Mia took a deep breath and peeled her gaze away from his. Those dark blue eyes have some magic ability to get her to agree no matter what he wants. He asked something important, and her whole being is screaming: 'YES! I WILL MOVE IN WITH YOU!', but she needs to think reasonably.

"I… I can't afford two rents and I can't bail on Bri."

Hunter was surprised that Mia wants to pay her share of the rent, but he knows that if he tells her that he will take care of it, it might push her away. She does not need a macho-type who will shoulder everything, Mia wants to be an equal.

"That is not a problem. You can give Bri six months or a year or how much you want notice and until then I will pay for this one. And before you mention your work… other than you can do most of it online from anywhere, I know that you travel and that is fine. Maybe I can join you sometimes. I will not be in your way of traveling, as long as you come home to me."

Mia studied Hunter's expression and his last words rang in her mind: 'Come home to me…'

Mia leaned closer and kissed him lightly on the lips.

Hunter smiled. "I will take that as a 'yes'."

"I can't believe that I have absolutely no defenses against you.", Mia whispered.

Hunter's face lit up when he understood Mia's statement as a confirmation that she will move in with him.

"Mia, I promise that you don't need any defenses against me. If any wall is required, it will be around us. Whatever troubles future brings, we will fight them off together."

Hunter's words shook her heart violently. Why did it sound like a vow? Mia can't believe how everything about Hunter is right. The way he moves, the way he looks at her, and all the words he says… He asked her to move in with him one day after they met and if it's anyone else, she would call him a crazy creep but with Hunter she knows that this is how it's supposed to be.

"Hunter...", Mia called breathlessly between kisses.

"Mhm?", he hummed back.

"I don't feel like playing volleyball anymore."

Hunter understood the meaning behind her words when she gripped his back, and that playful smile told him that he should not delay.

In less than a second he had a plan: "We will forfeit the match with an excuse that my leg injury flared up." Hunter glanced at the bruise behind his left knee.

Mia nodded in approval and her blush deepened. Oh, they are going back to the apartment!

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