Hooked (26 page)

    Wednesday night, I wanted to surprise Cash with dinner at hi
s work.  I text him at seven to
let him know I was already out front of the garage.  He came outside and met
me
at my car
and
ducked halfway inside my window.  “What’s wrong?”

     “Nothing
,
I just wanted to bring you some food.  Did you already eat?”  He looked at me like I grew two heads.  “What…why are you looking at me like that?”

     “You didn’t have to do this.”

     “I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to.”

     “You know, I really like the fact that you think of me.  I’ve never had that before.”

     “I love thinking about you!  Now get in and eat, unless you want to go inside.”

     “
Mmm
, no
,
I want some privacy with my beautiful girl
,
”
he said getting in.

    We ate in
a comfortable silence.
 
After a little bit
,
he asked me
what time he should pick me up Friday for homecoming.

     “I guess around seven.  That will give us time to meet up with everyone first.”

     “Why do we have to meet up with everyone?”

     “Why are you so anti
-
social?  You hardly talk to anyone.”

     “I guess I don’t have anything to say.”

     “Well, you talk to me.”

     “I have stuff to say to you.”

     I narrowed my eyes at him.  His lips twitched and I knew he wa
s joking.  “Well,
‘
sweetheart
’
, you better just get used to it because we’ll be hanging out with friends all night.”

     “That’s what you think.  I actually have a surprise for you and no, I won’t tell you what it is.”

     “Wait, please tell me.  I’m really impatient.”

     He chuckled as he answered, “Nope.”

     I snuggled his neck and arched my back so I could press up against him even though he was dirty.  “I love it when you’re working and dirty, I think it’s sexy.”

    
“Still not telling you
.
”
  H
e showed me his dimples.

     I kissed his neck and made my way up to just below his ear.  “Please, I really want to know.”

    “Millie, I’m really enjoying this show and trust me babe
,
that’s why it’s really difficult to tell you this…that’s still
gonna
be a no.  I want to see your face when you see it.”

     “Ugh alright
,
but I hate waiting.  Now that I know I’m getting something
,
I won’t be able to sleep.”

     “I think you can manage
,
but if you can’t
,
just know that I hope it will be worth it to you.”

     We finished eating and Cash had to go back into work.  He got out of my car and put our trash in the can outside.  He walked back up to my side of the car and bent down so his arms rested on the door so he could just poke his head inside my window.  “That was great, thank you for bringing me lunch.”

     “You are welcome.  I’m going to a movie with Cara tonight
,
so I’ll call you after I get home.”

     “How come Jess isn’t going with you guys?”

     “Oh you know
,
she’s too involved with Jake.  They went from hiding from everyone to spending every waking moment together.”

     He laughed at my sarcasm
.
“Alright, call me later and be careful.”  He kissed me lightly and walked back into the garage.

     Later that night
,
Cara picked me up for our movie.  We decided to go to the late movie because she had to talk to Jason.  She sounded upset on the phone
,
but I decided not to ask about it.  I figured she would talk to me about it once she got here.  I was just heading down stairs when I heard her honk. 

    
“I’m
leaving,
we will be back after the movie.”

     “Okay
,
be careful
,
sweetie,”
my
mom yelled from the kitchen.

     I slid in the
passenger
seat and was about to say something
,
when I realized Cara had been crying.

     “What’s wrong?”

     “I didn’t get into Jason’s school.  We won’t be going to school together in the fall.  I don’t see how we can work long distance.”

     “
Man that
sucks.  I’m really sorry.”  I felt horrible for her.  That was all she wanted.

     “Yeah, I’ve spent three years of my life with him.  I love him
,
Mil.  I guess I just didn’t see this coming.”

     “I don’t know what to say to make you feel better
,
but Cash and I are sort of going through the same thing.”

     “What?  What happened?”

     “Well, he told me that he’s planning on going into the Army.  So
,
I won’t be goin
g
to the same school he is either.”

     We both sat there for a minute.

     “Look, we can
both sit here and
throw
ourselves
a pity party
,
or we can go see the new Matthew
McC
ona
ughey
movie.  I’m all about seeing him without a shirt.”  We both smiled.

    
“Yes, I like your way of thinking.”

     When we got out of the movies
,
Cara drove me home and on the way we both yawned about fifty times.  “I had a good time
and
we will get through this with our guys.  Whatever happens is what is supposed to happen, Cara.
”

    
“Your right
,
I’ve fought, cried, prayed…I’ve done everything I know to do
,
Mil.  I guess I just needed you to remind me that there’s really nothing I can do.  We’re going in opposite directions and I don’t know how to stop it
,
but I feel
better
now.  Like you said
,
whatever will be, will be.”

    
“I’m glad we did this tonight, we needed it.”

    
“
I’ll
see you tomorrow
,
”
she said smiling.

     As I was walking into my bedroom
,
I pulled my cell phone out and
plopped
down on my bed.  Oh man, twelve missed calls from Cash.  I immediately called him back thinking something was wrong.

     “Millie!”

     “Cash, what’s wrong?”

     “What’s wrong?  Where the heck have you been?”

     “Huh?  I was at the movies with Cara, remember?  What’s wrong with you?”

     He sighed deeply, “Millie, I thought, when you, man, when you didn’t call me
,
I got worried.  I thought something happened to you.  I’ve been by your house ten times and I’ve tried calling Cara
,
too.”

     “I’m sorry
,
we decided to go to a late movie and I didn’t think about it.”

     “Sweetheart, I seriously about had a heart attack.  Please
,
from now on remember that I love you and I worry for two now.”

     “I love you
,
too and I’m sorry I worried you.  I’ll call you next time
.
I didn’t think about it, really.”

     “It’s ok
ay
,
I’m better now that I’ve heard your voice
.”

     “I love you.”

     “I love you
,
too.  I’ll let you get some sleep and I’ll talk to you tomorrow, sweet dreams.”

     I hung up the phone confused.  I get that he was worried because I should have called him by 9:30 pm and it was now 12:30 am.  But, I didn’t understand why he was so upset.  What did he think had happened to me?  I mean, my
dad’s
a police officer.  If I had been in trouble or a car wreck, my parents would have known.  I don’t know
,
but I’m too tired to think about it tonight. 

C
HAPTER
14

     Mom took me shopping on Thursday.  I had
n
o clue what kind of dress I wanted
,
so I decided to try out short ones
,
while mom was trying to help with cut and colors.  Mom went crazy once we got inside the store.  Between her and the sales lady, I had about thirty dresses to try on.  Of course, many of them I put on and took it right back off
,
because I didn’t have enough up top to fill it up.

   
Three hours later
,
I found the dress.  It was such a dark green it almost looked black until light hit it.  The dress was strapless and it was
cinched
at the waist.  The skirt was simple
,
but elegant and it wasn’t
showy
like something you would wear for prom.  I felt good in it and classy.  It really
was
just comfortable and made me feel pretty. 

     When I stepped out of the dressing room
,
my mom gasped
.  “Mil, you look beautiful!
  This is the dress, it’s perfect.”

     “You think?  I like it too, I think you are right, this is the dress.”

     Mom paid for my dress and we ended up not getting me any shoes.  Mom reminded me that I had some black strapless heels that would go perfect with the dress.  She made me buy them last year for one of my cousins wedding’s.  When we got home dad and Eli were playing his
X
box.

     “Hey
,
call Cash and see if he wants to play with us for a while,” Eli said not taking his eyes away from the game.

     “Alright, dinner should be ready in an hour.  I’m helping mom tonight
, we are having fried chicken.”

     I walked into the kitchen to help mom and Cash had texted me back saying he would be over in a little bit.  Within the hour, I walked in the living room to tell Eli and dad that
supper would
be ready in a few minutes, when I looked over and Cash was sitting on one end of the couch, my dad on the other.  Eli was sprawled out in the floor.  I giggled to myself.  It was surreal watching the three guys I loved like this
,
e
specially, since when I first started dating
Cash
,
m
y dad was so against it.  I guess between his talks with my mom and seeing how Cash treats me
,
he changed his mind.