Hooked (30 page)

     “Do I feel a wager coming on here?”
  I asked knowing I could win.

     “It’s not that serious,” he said like it didn’t matter.

     “Oh
,
I think it is.  I need an ego boost and I think win
n
ing a bet would do wonders, don’t you?” I say still stranded in mid air up against his chest.

    
He kisses my lips softly, “I don’t think so and
you’re
right
,
I wouldn’t last a day without being able to kiss you.”

     “Well
,
I guess as long as we both know who would win
,
I can live with it
.
”
I hug him tight and pat his back.  “Alright
,
chop, chop, I’m ready for my surprise.”

     He laughs as he sets me back on the ground.  “Maybe I’ll have to start having more surprises for you, I like watching you squirm.”

CHAPTER 15
    

     I walked into the living room while he finished getting ready.  “C
ash is just taking a shower before we leave.  Is there anything I can do for you before we go?”  I ask somehow feeling even though I was in her home I should ask.

     “No
,
honey, I’m fine.  I’ll be going to work later on tonight anyway.  I know what you must think of me
,
Millie.  I know I have a problem
.
I’m just not ready to face
it
yet.  I know Cash gets frustrated with me, it’s just hard.  I don’t know why I’m not strong enough on my own.”

     “Mary
,
you are strong enough.  You just haven’t looked deep enough inside yourself.  Cash tells me you are a great mom.  Have you ever thought about rehab?
 
Sorry, I don’t mean to
intrude
,
I just thought I might suggest something to help.”

      “Cash has tried to get me to go before
,
but I don’t want to leave him.  He’s only just turned 18 and I know I’m sometimes a burden to him
,
but at least I get to see him every
day and I know he is doing
well
.”

     Somehow
,
the only thing I got out of her
reply
,
was that Cash had just recently turned 18.  I don’t know why
,
but we had never even asked when each other’s birthdays were.  I guess we were so wrapped up with each other, it slipped our minds.

     “When did you say Cash turned 18?”
  

    
“
Just last week, November 5
th
.”

     I started breathing hard and I could feel my nostrils flaring. Ok
ay
,
after everything that had happened tonight, now I’m pissed.  How could he let me walk around with him all day and night Saturday at Cara’s house and not even tell me it was his freaking birthday?  I felt stupid now.  I’ve been with him for
three
months now and I didn’t even know when his birthday was.  To think
,
I was with him all night and I didn’t even get him
anything or even acknowledge it.

     “You ready?” He asked coming into the living room looking so handsome I almost forgot to be mad at him. 

    
He had on faded jeans and a black and white plaid shirt with a black sport coat over it.  I had never seen him this dressed up before.  He was somehow even more handsome than he was in his ball cap.  When I finally made eye contact with him
,
he was smiling so much
,
his dimples were showing.

     I put my scowl back on my face and decided I didn’t care that his mom was sitting there, I was angry.  He could obviously tell because he looked at me and then he looked at his mom
and said, “What? 
What’s wrong?”

     “I’m so angry with you right now.  This night already sucks and
we haven’t even started it yet!
  How could you be with me all day and night three weeks ago at Cara’s and not say a dang word about your birthday?”  I asked him with my arms crossed.  He looked flustered and looked back at his mom like he just got the fact that she’s the one that told me.

     “Mil
,
I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t a big deal.  No one just goes around saying
,
hey
,
it’s my birthday today.”

     “Well
,
it was a big deal for me!  I didn’t even get you anything!  I feel just horrible.”

     “Baby
,
yes you did give me something.”  He bent his knees so
that
his eyes were level with mine.  He
ran
both of his hands up and down my arms as if to comfort me.  “You gave me you and that is the best gift I have ever received.”

     I thought about what he was saying and realized what he meant.  That was the first time we had slept together.  I looked at his mom wondering if she got his double meaning and she didn’t seem to get it
,
so I wasn’t near as embarrassed as I could have been.  Then
,
I realized that I was the one who started this conversation in the first place even though I knew she was sitting there.

     “That’s not what I mean.  I wanted to get you a gift and celebrate your birthday.”

     “Look, I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal that you would get so upset by it.  Tonight is homecoming
and I don’t want this to ruin our night
,
so tell me what I can do to fix it.”

     I eyed him suspiciously.  He hasn’t said a word about my birthday and I have a feeling I know why.  “Do you know when my birthday is?”  I asked him cautiously.

     “March 5
th
.  Why?”

     “How did you find that out?”

     “I asked your brother, why?”

     “So
,
let me get this straight.  You thought about my birthday enough to ask my brother
,
but you don’t understand why I am upset that your birthday just came and went and I didn’t even know?”

     “I guess I see your point.  I’m sorry I didn’t think more about you and how you would feel not knowing about my birthday.  I’ll try to remember stuff like that from now on.  Baby, I’m telling the truth when I say this, you gave me the best present I have ever been given in my whole life.  My night with you was perfect.”

     I hug him and kiss his cheek.  “I can’t help but feel guilty.”

     “Please don’t, I said I’d work on stuff like this
,
just don’t feel guilty because then I’d feel bad and I have a surprise for you, remember?”

     I smiled big because I forgot about my surprise.  “What is it?”

     “Okay
,
I was going to wait and give you both surprises together
,
but since I’ve already messed the first part of the night up, I’m
gonna
give you one of them now
.
”

     “I can’t wait, hurry!”  I squealed like a little girl.

     “Come here for a sec
.
”

    
I followed him to his room and watched him pull something out of his top drawer.  He turned around and held it in both hands.  “I know this isn’t much
,
but I’m hoping the symbolism means as much to you as it does to me.”  He handed me the black box and when I opened it
,
I couldn’t believe he had got me something like this.

     “Cash
,
this is beautiful,” I said as he wiped a tear from my cheek. 

    
Inside the box was a circle silver pendant necklace with six numbers on it, 09-05-11.  I knew exactly what these numbers meant.  This was the first day Cash and I met.  I just stared at it for the longest time and ran my index finger over the engraving. 

    
“I don’t know what to say.  The symbolism means everything to me
,
too.”  I smiled at him and he kissed me.

     “That
,
of course
,
is the day I met you.  I now have two dates tattooed
on my arms.”

     He pushed up the sleeve on his right arm and there on the forearm in the exact spot as the other
,
was our date.  “I had this date tattooed on me because I was hopeless,” he said pointing to the August date.  “I’ve never been so low
,
Millie.  But this one,
”
he said pointing at the one with our date, “this one
,
is the day my life started over.  I’ve never
loved someone the way I do you.  You give me hope and the love you give me makes me happier than I ever thought I could be.”

     I hugged him tightly.  “I love you and thank you for everything.  I’ve never felt like this either and no one has ever showed me the things you do.  I love the way you make me feel.  I know you care about me and I trust you with my life.  This is the best surprise I’ve ever gotten and that includes my car,” I say wiggling my eyebrows.

     “I love you and I’m so glad you like it.”   

     “I absolutely love
it.  I love all of it
,
my necklace and your tattoo.”  He kissed me deeply and we stayed in that moment together for a couple of minutes. 

     “If you liked that surprise
,
you are going to love the next one.”

     “What? 
What is
it?
  Tell me please!”  I asked him excited.

     “How about we just go to the dance and then after the dance
,
I’ll show you your surprise.”

     “Okay, I want to get our pictures made though.”

     “Mil, we will get our pictures
,
I promise.”

     “Will you put my necklace on please?”

     He put my necklace on and we headed to the gym.  When we got there
,
everyone was already there.  I spotted Cara first.  She looked absolutely beautiful.  She had on a floor length red sequined dress.  Even though it was sequined
,
it was very simple and e
legant.  Her hair was done in a bun with curls coming down on each side of her face.  She was in the homecoming court and I think she has a really good chance at being queen.

     “Millie
,
you look beautiful,” she gushed at me.

    
“You too
,
Cara
.
You look
absolutely great.”

     “Where’s Jason?”

     “We
,
ah, we actually ended things for good
,
Millie.”

     I hugged her.  “Why didn’t you call me or something?”

     “Well, I guess I just needed to be by myself for a while.  It was hard
,
but I got through it.”

     “I’m really sorry, is there anything I can do?”

     “Not a thing
,
girly.  I
just want to have fun tonight,” she said smiling.