Hooked (38 page)

     “I got it, thank you.”

     “
You’re
welcome
.
I want you to call us when you get there and before you leave on Sunday.”

     “I will dad
.
W
e will be careful.  I think Cash already has everything planned out and taken care of.”

     “No, I will take care of you and your brother.  I’ll give you money for a hotel room, which you and your brother will share and you should have enough for food as well.  I don’t need Cash paying for yours and Eli’s stuff.”

     “Alright,” I said feeling awkward.  I guess my dad got a few feathers ruffled.

     Thirty minutes later
,
I met Jess and Cara in the food court.

     “Hey Millie, what are we buying today?”  Cara asked excitedly.

     “Well, I still need to get Cash
a watch and have it engraved
and I wanted to get him and Eli a shirt
,
too.”

     “Let’s go to the watch place first.  I want to get Jake a wallet, maybe they will have some there
,
” Jess said.

     “I don’t really have anyone to buy for this year
,
so I have decided to spend my money on myself,” Cara said and we laughed at her.

     We didn’t spend much time shopping for the watch because I knew exactly which one I wanted.  I ha
d them engrave, Forever, Millie,
on the back of it.  I felt like that was perfect because that’s exactly how I felt, I wanted forever with him.

     “I can’t believe in less than six months you and my brother will be living together,” Cara said to Jess.

    
“I know
,
it’s cool though.
  I think you guys make a great couple
,
” I added.

     “Yeah, it’s weird how things work out.  I mean, I’m not his normal type and he’s not mine either.  I always thought you and Jason would get married right out of high school and Millie…wow, you’ve freaking shocked me girl.”

     “What? 
How?”
I asked curious.

    
“Seriously?
  Your dad is a
cop,
Cash is the furthest thing from a cop.  He doesn’t enforce laws
,
he breaks them.  I mean your dad actually arrested him when he first moved here.”  She laughed.

     “Well, I know we may not be your normal couple
,
but we love each other.  I can’t wait until we can be together on our own.  Jess, I totally get why you and Jake are moving in together.”

     “I think it’s romantic, both of you.  Jess
,
you and Jake are perfect together.  On the outside looking in, someone would think he’s the one taking care of you, just because of your personalities
,
but if you pay attention, which I do, it’s you that takes care of him.  You always make sure he’s fed, has his homework done, heck
,
I’ve even seen you do his laundry.  He’s lucky to have you
,
but he knows it.  Trust
me,
I have never seen my brother in love like this.  It’s the real deal for him and I wouldn’t be surprised if he doesn’t have you married and pregnant by the time you graduate college.”

     “Whoa
,
whoa
,
whoa, I was with you until you had me weighing 250 pounds at
twenty-two
.  I don’t want kids until I’m like
twenty-seven
or
twenty-eight
.  Jake and I want to have fun and travel first.”

     “Wow
,
I’m just impressed that you’ve actually thought about it,” I said playing with her.

     “Mil, I think you and Cash are great together
,
too.  I have never seen you like this with anyone and him…forget about it.  That dude is head over heels.  You can totally tell that he doesn’t give a damn about anything but you
,
” Jess said smiling at me and bumping my shoulder as we walked.

     “I want that, someone who puts me first.  What kind of feeling is that?” Cara turned to both Jess and I.

     “You are
gonna
have it
,
Cara.  I bet you find you
r
guy in college,” I said trying to look on the bright side.

     We entered a poplar clothing store where I wanted to buy Cash and my brother a shirt.
 
“Is it weird that I’m looking for my brother and Cash
a shirt in the same store?  I can so see him in this plaid, can’t you?” I asked.

     “Mil, if you’re getting Cash plaid, I would stick with your basic black and gray
,” Jess explained.

     “You’re right
.
Eli is more of a blue or green kind of guy.”

     “Yeah, I may actually get Jake one of these shirts. 
It
’
s
crazy isn’t it?  My boyfriend’s
a prep
.” She cringed when she said it.  “I normally wouldn’t be caught in this store, freaking $30.00 for a shirt, yeah right
.
  I really should’ve looked at the goodwill
,
but I
would be chancing it now with it being so close.”  Cara and I laughed at her because before her, Jake would have never worn anything from the goodwill, but now
…I
guess he shop’s there with her.

     “I know
,
it’s funny to think that you’re dating
a prep
,
Jess
.
I think Jake gets jealous of your short tank tops though, of course
,
I don’t see him complaining when it’s just us at the house, but when we go out he always gets that crease between his eyebrows when he sees other guys checking you out.”  Cara laughed.

     “Well, he can just get over it
.  I’m me and
that’s it.  If I can handle his jock, preppy, straight
A
, dingy girl magnet, doctrine getting degree self, then he can deal with me and my simple love of skin revealing shirts, piercings and Kurt Cobain,” she said simply.

     Cara and I laughed at her.  I absolutely loved that about Jess, she is herself all the time, it doesn’t matter who she’s around.

     “Alright girls, I’m done shopping for the day.  I got Eli two shirts and I got Cash a watch, which I know he doesn’t
have,
a shirt and some cologne.  Do y
’
all think that’s enough?”

     “Sounds like plenty to me
,
Mil,” Cara said walking out.

     “Oh
,
my gosh
, I am so getting Jake a pair of these boxers.”  Jess was doubled over laughing.  Cara and I walked over to where she was.

     “Look at these, aren’t they funny?”
She
asked
holding them up.

     I looked at the ones she had in her hand and started laughing.  They were bright blue and said,
W
anker
S
panker
,
in black block letters all over them.

     “That’s hilarious!”  Cara laughed.

     “Look Mil, these are cute,” Jess said.

     I walked over and grabbed them.  If she only knew the ammunition she had just provided me with.  They were green and said, I’m
H
ooked on
Y
ou.  They had
gold
fish hooks all over them.  There was absolutely no way I was walking out of this store without them after our fishing incident.

     “I’m so getting these.  I think he will like them
,
” I lied smoothly.  I can’t wait to see how well he can take my joke.

      I didn’t get home until nine o’clock that night.  Cash had texted me at seven
,
but I told him I was still out and I would call him when I got home.  When I walked in
,
Eli was downstairs watching a movie. 

    
“Hey
,
are you already packed for tomorrow?”

     “Yeah, we are coming back Sunday morning, right?”

     “Yeah, I
gotta
call Cash right quick,
then
I’ll let you know what time we are leaving.  I got you a couple of presents tonight.  I hope you like them,” I teased as I ran up the stairs.

     “I’m sure I will, you have good taste.”

     When I got to my room
,
I put the presents on my bed so I could wrap them and I dialed Cash’s number.

     “Hey sweetheart, what are you doing?”

     “I’m actually about to wrap your presents.  I got you a couple more tonight, I couldn’t resist.”

     “Well, I’ve already got yours wrapped
,
too.  I hope you like them
.
I’m not great at gifts.”

     “Yes
,
you are, I haven’t taken my necklace off since you gave it to me.  What time are you coming to pick us up in the morning?”

    
“Us?”

     “Oh yeah, I kind of had to include my brother.”

     “Why?”

    
“You know I can’t think fast on my feet.  My parents wouldn’t let me spend the night just me and you
,
so I had to tell them Eli could come with us and we would get our own hotel and you would get a room for yourself,” I told him knowing that it sounded like a better idea when I thought of it than it did right now.

     “Mil, why didn’t you just tell them we were staying with my mom?  The rehab facility has an extra room for family members.”

     “Because, Cash
,
that would have actually made freaking sense.  Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

     “No
,
sweetheart, the rehab really doesn’t, I just made all of that up.”

     “Ugh, how can you just do that?  I started sweating and breathing hard and everything trying to think of something.”

     He
,
of course
,
started laughing at me.  “You can’t do it because
you’re
too good
,
baby.  I like that you can’t deceive.”

     I narrowed my eyes even though he couldn’t see me.  “Well, I don’t know how I feel that you can deceive so well.”

     “You don’t ever have to worry about me deceiving you.  It won’t happen, I love you too much.”

     “I love you too
,
goofy.  Well, thanks to me
,
we now have a third
-
wheel and that butthole made me pay him!”

    
“He what?
 
How much?”

    
“Fifty dollars.”

     “You want me to scare him into not taking it?”  He asked laughing.

     “No, I’ll get him back on my own.”

     “Alright, I’ll pick you up around seven
,
okay?”