Away (20 page)

Jason turned his stool around, his soft eyes catching mine before Jeff had twirled me around and started up with his weird shimmy dance move. I wanted to look back at Jason again, but I stopped myself. It was clear to me now that I had to talk to him; I had to know what was going on between us, if it was even anything.

I locked my eyes back on Jeff who had some seriously bad dance moves. Not that mine was much better, but these were awful. I took my hands, put them on his arms, and told him to stop. He looked up at me bewildered.

“A little less shimmy and a little more steady,” I told him.

“Can you show me?” he asked in a sultry voice I wasn’t prepared for. I assumed it was the beer talking. I shrugged it off.

I looked over to Jason before I showed Jeff the correct way to dance with a girl and noticed
her
. She was in front of him and they were talking. She had on a short skirt and a cute top with a pair of cowboy boots. She looked perfect. She was heavily flirting, but the guy who came in with her stood next to her until she shooed him away.

“Cassandra?” Jeff said, getting my attention.

I looked back at him and remembered I was out here to dance with him. “Sorry. So about that dance.”

I put my hand to the side of me getting ready to show him a better way to shimmy when another slow song came over the speakers. Damn.

“Oh.” I felt Jeff’s hands immediately on my waist and his hot-liquored breath warmed my face. My stomach started to feel homesick as I realized this was not even close to what it felt like slow dancing with Jason.

“Like this, right?” he asked in another voice that almost made me want to run for the hills.

“Yeah, just not so tight, okay,” I said, trying to be firm but nice.

I glanced over in Jason’s direction only to see the girl sitting down on my barstool. My pulse started racing, a fire started building inside. I tilted my head. Was I getting jealous and protective over my seat? I shook my head a little to try and get myself out of this feeling. He must have been looking at me because I saw him grin when my eyes found his. I gave him one back and then watched the girl continue to talk to Jase. Her seat was facing him, but he kept facing forward. My thoughts were overtaken and brought back to dancing when I felt Jeff gripping my waist a little tighter.

“Wow, you are a great dancer,” he said in a hushed voice, making me shiver in disgust. I was not feeling comfortable with this anymore. I was trying to be less uptight and enjoy myself but he was making it difficult.

I felt his hand move further down my waist and start to grab my ass cheek. I was getting ready to leave before I smacked him across the face and perhaps another place when he was suddenly jerked away. Looking up, I saw Jason pulling him off of me. I gasped, “Oh My God.” It was like watching it in slow motion. I saw Jase throw him to the floor, punch him in the face, and as he went to punch him again Moose pulled Jason off, hauling him to the bathroom. The crowd around us that halted to watch the commotion had now gone back to dancing before a few guys came to get Jeff off the floor.

Kasey came running toward me. “Are you okay?”

“Holy shit. What just happened?” I searched her face for answers.

“You are about to get an answer to a question you might not want to know the answer to,” she said. “I told you; he likes you, Cassandra. That was Jason being protective of you.”

I wanted to believe her. I wanted to confirm what I felt earlier, but without hearing it out of Jase’s mouth, I couldn’t.

“You still don’t believe me?” she asked, shaking her head. “Come on, let’s go wait at the bar for the guys.”

I looked back over to the guys who were helping Jeff walk over to the other side of the bar. “He thought what Jase did to him was bad?” I looked over to Kasey who had her eyes on me. “He’s lucky Jason got to him first. I was about to smack him in both heads,” I told her. She started laughing and then grabbed me by my arm.

“He’s harmless but tonight he’s clearly had way too much to drink,” she replied.

We walked over to the bar and asked the bartender for a fresh glass of water, when really what I wanted yet again was a shot of vodka. I could feel the tension in my shoulders as I rolled them back. Kasey sat down to my right as we quietly sipped on our drinks while waiting for Jason and Moose.

“Hey there… Yeah you. I need a tall vodka and cranberry. Thanks.” I heard a high-pitched voice saying next to me. I gave Kasey a look as the voice continued, only to see her eyes widening.

I turned my head to see what was going on. Sitting right next to me was the so-called bitch. It was like watching a show about an animal and finally getting the close up shot of it.

“Hi. I’m Anna,” she said as she sipped her tall drink.

I froze, not knowing what to do in front of said animal. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Kasey quickly get up from her seat and walk away. My eyes frantically went back and forth from Kasey to Anna, unsure of what to do. It was like taking a test you didn’t study for. I took a deep breath and decided to start the exam.

“Hi. Cassandra,” I told her.

“Well, Cassandra,” she said, making me cringe the way she said my name. She looked normal on the outside, but I fully understood the bitch part after hearing her speak. It was like a baby voice stuck in a grown ass woman’s body. Nails on a chalkboard. “Listen, I don’t know who you are, and seeing how he won’t give me the time of day here, I’m assuming it’s because of you, especially since you’re the one he keeps staring at. He’ll never choose you. You’ll never come first. I know you probably know everything, but you’ll just end up doing what I did and leave him. Take it from me and leave him now,” she said. I watched as her little body sat down on the stool next to me.

“And why would I take advice from you? I don’t even know you.” I raised my brow at her.

“Because honey,” she said slowly. “He’s never gotten over me and he won’t change, not even for some city girl. Yeah, I know why you’re here. The town is small and people talk. I just had to come see for myself the girl who he’s been following around like a little lost puppy. You’re just the shiny new toy. Now me,” she said, pointing to herself, “I’m the real deal. We grew up together and were high school sweethearts. You don’t stand a chance.”

I didn’t have the slightest clue what she was talking about, but I’d had enough of her voice for one night. This girl clearly missed out and couldn’t help but try and ruin us, even though there wasn’t an ‘us’, but now understood why there wasn’t a ‘them’ anymore either. “Well that’s a shame for you, because I like him just the way he is. Not to mention, I might be the shiny new toy, but you’re the old one that gets sold for cheap,” I practically growled at her. I swung my chair in the other direction only to be saved by Jason, Moose, and Kasey who were quickly walking toward us.

“Jason, we need to talk,” Anna barked as Jason stopped in front of me, his eyes staying only on mine.

“We’re done Anna. It’s taken me a long time to realize it, but I don’t deserve you.” He finally shifted his eyes at Anna.

“You do deserve me Jason. Can we talk in private please?” She begged like a toddler, whining out the last word slowly. Jason let out a huff and then looked at me.

“No Anna, I deserve better than you.”

I didn’t know much about Anna, but anyone with two thumbs and a brain could tell he absolutely deserved better.

“Jason!” She slammed her palm on the counter and stared him down. I looked up at him and said what I knew I had to say.

“Red light, Jase,” I smirked.

“Me too, Sweetheart. Let’s get out of here,” he said, reaching for my hand. “Anna, I don’t want to hear from you again, ever.”

The look on her face was like a kid being told no in a candy store. Upset and clearly as though she had never been told no before. It was glorious to watch. I looked at Moose and Kasey who were watching this final goodbye unfold in front of their eyes too.

“Bye guys.” I quickly waved at them as we exchanged shocked glances.

“See you later Moose and Kasey,” he said before hauling us out of the bar, one that I was glad to be leaving.

“What all did Anna tell you?” he asked, his eyes firm as we hustled through the doors.

“Nothing really, but it’s okay because I’m pretty sure I shut her up on my end,” I told him. “She really is quite the bitch you know.”

“You have no idea,” he huffed.

Jason was opening my door as we approached the truck, but my heart stopped my body from moving. I grabbed his arm and stopped him.

“What was all that back there? With Jeff, why did you take him out like he was your punching bag? I’ve never seen you like that before Jason,” I told him, pausing long enough to take a breath. “I may not have known you a long time, but I know you well enough to see that this isn’t your normal behavior.”

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his fists clenching by his side.

“I couldn’t stand his hands touring your backside, Cassie. I lost it, okay?” His eyes finally peeled open, piercing mine. “He doesn’t need to be hitting on you.” He inched closer to me, placing a hand on my cheek. “You have enough going on in your life than to worry about being hit on by him.”

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. “What do you mean I have enough going on in my life Jase?” I questioned him.

“I mean, you need someone who won’t run when they find out you’re pregnant.” He stood motionless as his eyes pierced mine.

Holy. Shit. “You know?” I gasped, almost losing my balance and falling down to the ground.

“Yes, and you need someone who will help you through it, realizing there’s more to you than just a hot piece of ass, like Jeff sees. Drunk or not, what Jeff did wasn’t okay. I was raised better than that. I had to protect you.”

I pulled his hand away from my cheek. I wanted to cry. I wanted to heave. Anything, but be standing here in front him. “How do you know? Did your mom tell you?” I asked panicked, terrified that my secret was out without me even knowing. I knew I needed to tell him, but having him find out from someone other than me was hard to take.

He cocked his head. “My mom knows? What?” He looked upset and shocked as his eyes stayed trained on mine.

“I had to tell her at the hospital Jason. I had to see if I was still pregnant. You didn’t answer my damn question. How do you know Jason?”

“Sweetheart, I may be from a small town, but I’m not stupid,” he said deviously.

I let out a deep sigh. I was completely shocked. It wasn’t that I thought he was stupid; it was that I thought I was better at lying.

“Come on, Cassie!” He yelled at me as he threw his hands in the air. “If you constantly getting sick weren’t a dead giveaway, then maybe the fact you were running away was. It doesn’t take an idiot to put two and two together.”

“Oh my God.” I put my head in my hands and began weeping, letting the turning feeling in my stomach match the outside of my body; tears streaming down my face.

“Get in the truck Sweetheart. We need to talk,” he said, holding the door open for me.

I got in, not thinking that I really had much choice in the matter. It was me who lied to him to begin with. The ice was already broken. How bad could the rest of the conversation go?

N
OT
A
WORD
WAS
SAID
as we headed in a direction we had yet to go in this town. I kept my eyes in front of me and Jason did the same. It was awkward and it was killing me, but I was hurt. He lied to me. He knew what was going on the whole time and made me believe I was hiding it from him. I wiped the tears that were slipping out in a continuous flow now as I thought of how he had to feel about me now, pregnant, lost, and apparently not as good of a liar as I once believed.

“You probably think I’m a terrible person and I’m sorry I lied to you, but I was afraid. I was terrified of what you would think of me once you found out. I was scared of losing you and your friendship that I’ve grown to enjoy too much,” I said quietly as I closed my eyes, wondering if he even heard me.

“Look, I’m not going anywhere, you have to believe me. I want to help you; you don’t have to go through this alone. I know you have your friend, but you have me too.”

I looked over at him, his eyes still shying away from mine. “You should have told me you knew Jason. You shouldn’t have let me continue to hide everything if you knew.”

“It wasn’t my place to say, Cassie.
You
needed to tell me, but then tonight, seeing Jeff and his damn hands, I couldn’t take it anymore,” he said, his hands slamming down on his steering wheel. “I knew you would want answers so I just had to come clean. Listen, I’m not proud of what I did, but I’ll be damned if I let someone put their hands on you.”

“Where are you taking us?” I asked lost, hurt, and scared. I didn’t want to hear about his feelings, how he didn’t want someone else to touch me, yet he wouldn’t. I just wanted to run, go back to his house, and cry into my pillow.

“You’ll see,” he said quietly.

Before I knew it, we had arrived at what looked like a farm. I could only guess it was theirs. “Your farm?” I asked as he parked in front of a huge wheat field.