Chapter 25

"Well then," Hunter whispered. "I'm going to kiss you."

Jacob felt a jolt of excitement. Why wasn't he freaking out? This was the fourth day of feeling the bond and he couldn't believe he had accepted it this fast. If Hunter had his way, he would have kissed him as soon as they connected.

"Is that okay with you?" He stared at his mouth.

Jacob nodded against his forehead. He was curious to know what it would feel like to kiss him. For years, he has known he was attracted to guys but he never dared to put that theory to the test.

Hunter's heart was racing. He never thought his mate would be male. Although, he did not once care enough for it to affect how he feels about Jacob. If he's attracted to him, then he's going to fully embrace it.

And this was it. They were connecting on a deeper level.

Hunter brought his face closer until Jacob's lips traced his own. A spark of electricity surged through them, creating Jacob to lean into him further and seal the kiss.

Their minds grew foggy with affection and the closeness of their relationship. Jacob's scent was enough to melt Hunter's insides but now they were sharing a kiss and he couldn't compare a better feeling.

He kissed him again and Jacob subconsciously rested his hand on Hunter's knee so he could lean into him with more ease.

He could barely believe that he was kissing someone. It felt so good, in fact, it felt amazing.

Hunter wanted to pull the kiss deeper but Jacob wasn't used to kissing anyone and would most likely struggle to keep up. And this was their first kiss, he didn't want to rush him.

He was just about to steal the third kiss when Jacob pulled back an inch. Their lips parted, feeling the cool breeze of the Saturday morning air.

He wanted to take a moment and cherish what he had just done. He felt proud of himself for going this far when he never thought he would. He could already feel a new version of himself. Well, his old self is very slowly returning after one hellish year.

Hunter could feel his warm and soft lips still lingering on his own.

"I knew that would feel amazing," He whispered.

Jacob opened his eyes and pulled his head back a little more so he could see his face properly. Hunter's beautiful grey eyes were glistening with passion.

"Are you okay?" He smiled. "You look a little starstruck."

"I-I'm just..." Jacob trailed off. He didn't really have words to express himself. So instead, he surprised Hunter by leaning forward and wrapping his arms around his bare waist. He allowed his body to collapse into his and his head to rest comfortably against his shoulder, giving him a hug.

Hunter wrapped his arms around him too after he realised what he was doing.

They both felt combined by a tighter force after sharing something so personal. They couldn't really explain how or why.

"Fancy going back to mine and watching a film or something?" Hunter suggested with a content smile on his face.

"Okay," Jacob whispered and pulled back. Now that they had shared something he was nervous about, he felt a lot more relaxed in Hunter's presence.

* * * * *

"He's not picking up his phone," Grace grumbled and stared at her husband. It was now half four in the evening and he had been out all day.

"Mum, will you chill out?" William sighed and looked up from his phone. "What's wrong with him being out all day? He's seventeen, not a kid."

"He isn't very stable at the minute," Grace snapped. "He can't be out on his own when he's feeling low."

"You don't know if he's feeling low. He loves to be outside, maybe it's helping him." William felt like he understood his brother more than his own mother.

"He just shouldn't be on his own," She sighed.

"Grace," Scott said, grabbing her attention. "You need to take a step back. He's closing us out because you're trapping him in. You need to give him room to be himself. He'll tell us how he feels when he wants to."

Just then, the front door opened and closed. Everyone stared at the living room door until it opened and Jacob walked in. He stopped when they were all staring at him.

"Where have you been!?" Grace asked with wide eyes and hands on her hips. Scott sighed and William rolled his eyes.

"Um," Jacob slowly began to fidget. "Nowhere."

"You've been out all day and you don't answer your phone anymore. What's going on?" She crossed her arms when Scott stood up.

"What did I just say?" He asked. "You have to give him space. He's allowed to be outside all day if he wants," Scott then turned to Jacob with a gentle smile. "Although it would be nice to know where you are."

Jacob thought about how he had spent the whole day with Hunter and shared his first ever kiss. They'd freak out if he told them. They wouldn't understand the urgency for them to develop their relationship so quickly. Also, he didn't even want to think about how his mum would react to him being gay. His dad would probably be okay with it. He's a psychologist, it's part of his job to understand people with minimal judging.

But he really didn't know what William would say.

"So then?" Grace questioned, a little softer this time. "Where have you been all day?"

"Just... getting fresh air. I wanted to be by myself," Jacob said quietly.

"Be truthful. You wanted to spend the day kissing me." Hunter's voice boomed in the back of his mind. It didn't make him jump anymore because he didn't spend every moment wishing it would stay quiet.

"Shut up." Jacob could have sworn he heard his deep chuckle.

"Why did you ignore our calls then?" Grace asked.

"Because I wanted to be alone and not talk to anyone." Jacob had started a slow backwards walk towards the stairs. He hated lying.

"You could have at least sent me a text to say you were okay. You were up and out before any of us even woke."

"Sorry."

Scott still hadn't forgotten about the time that Jacob had gone off with Hunter and his friends after lying about where he was going to be. It made him wonder if he was giving his mother basic answers because he was still lying.

Or maybe, Hunter was just helping him with his work on the project. Scott really didn't know and he wouldn't question him in front of everyone, it wasn't fair to do that to him and it wasn't the correct approach to take.

That is when his and Grace's parenting skills cause conflict. Grace is forceful, sometimes strict, very overprotective and doesn't think before she speaks. While Scott is always calm, he never raises his voice, he gives freedom when it needs to be given and he observes quietly.

"Is it possible for me to come around to yours tomorrow? I think you need to stay near your family so they don't suspect anything." Hunter asked.

"Good idea."

"I can phone Will later. He'll be happy to get started on the project."

Jacob brought a hand up and lightly rubbed his chest. He missed him.

"You keep promising me that you'll use your phone more. That is why you have one Jacob," Grace continued to lecture him.

"I think he knows after today hun," Scott added. "Don't you son?"

Jacob nodded. He just wanted to go up to his room and talk with Hunter. Although, he really did need to spend time with his family. He has been distancing himself a little bit.

"So stop ignoring me when I call you then. Are you trying to make us worry about you?" Grace was a little irritated that Jacob didn't think about how his disappearing acts would make her feel. He knows how much she worries.

Jacob frowned.

"No."

"Then why Jacob? Why do you do it to me?"

His mum was annoying him too.

"Because I can't deal with you when you're in this mood." He instantly regretted what he said. However, that was the reason he never picked up. She treats him like a little kid.

"I beg your pardon?" Grace frowned.

"Hun-"

"No, Scott. Just because he's sick doesn't mean he's allowed to talk to me like that."

"I'm not sick." Jacob crossed his arms. He never raised his voice with his parents, they very rarely argue. But recently, his mum has been struggling with him because he was starting to find that getting through the day was more of an issue. She does blame herself for the way he is and she shouldn't put that guilt on her shoulders.

William was sitting quietly. He felt sorry for his brother, he caught his mum on a bad day. She'll apologise to him later but there was no talking her out of arguing when she gets started. And unfortunately, Jacob was her target.

"You should give your mum a hug," Hunter thought. "It sounds like she has had a tough day." He knows Grace is never usually like this. After living in Jacob's head for a year, he knows a lot about his family.

Jacob wasn't a hugging kind of character but this was an exception. He sighed, uncrossed his arms and walked over to her. She watched him hold out his arms and fold them around her. He hugged her tight and patted her back.

"People have bad days mum," He said quietly. "I'm sorry I've made yours worse."

After that, Grace couldn't help but hug him back.

Scott's heart warmed. Jacob seemed to have his ability to read people well. Little did he know, it was the voice in his head that was good at reading people.

"I hate arguing Jay," She mumbled into his chest. "You can understand why I'm frustrated though, can't you? I'm just doing what all mothers do and worry about their children twenty-four hours a day."

Jacob released a little smile and pulled back.

"I know, I've been unfair. I'll stop ignoring your calls."

"Don't make promises you can't keep," She smiled. "But seriously, a text would be nice."

Now that the atmosphere was a little lighter, William stood up. He wanted to take the attention away from his brother and he had the perfect thing to do just that.

"Now that you're probably not going to rip my head off," He said, making everyone turn and look at him.

William cleared his throat and smiled proudly. He had something to announce that he hasn't announced for about a year. He had been holding it off for a few weeks because he wanted to find the right time to say it.

"I have a girlfriend."