Love Notes (15 page)

As soon as we arrive at my house, Maverick leans over, “Thank you for tonight and for agreeing to go to homecoming with me.” My only response, is to kiss him on the mouth really quick and open the door. When I turn to close it, I smile and wave good night.

I know I was abrupt. But sitting in the driveway of my parents house with him, is really not a good idea. Hoping, I don’t disturb anyone and can get into the house as quietly as possible, is all I can pray for.

I open the door and slide in. Turn around to close it and praying it doesn’t click loudly when it’s shut.

“Where the hell have you been?” My dad yells from behind me.

I turn around, completely startled, “I told mom I was going to the football game and that Maverick would be bringing me home.”

I shut and lock the door, not having to worry about the noise anymore. Clearly. I walk into the house completely, walk into the light and see him standing there sneering.

“Why does your hair look like you’ve been doing more than watching a game?”

“Shit!”
is all that runs through my brain.

“Charlie, what? Are you whoring yourself out now, to the first boy that pays you any attention? Just wait. You give it to him and guess what’s going to happen? He’s going to leave your stupid, fat ass and dump you. You’ll be the laughing stock at your school. This is rich. What I can’t understand, is why in the hell, he would want to be with you? This baffles me. Unless, he sees you as an easy screw?”

I quietly respond with, “It’s not like that.” my voice trembles. It’s never good to ever respond, when he’s on a rampage. I’m so stupid. I should have kept my mouth shut and just took it, like I always do.

“What did you just say? It’s not like that? Is that what you really believe? If you truly believe that, then you are in for a major eye opener. Mark my words. He’s going to use you and spit you out. And you will only have yourself to blame. Just like your damn mother.”

“I’m sorry?” I ask, with shaky breath, not sure I heard the last part.

He must’ve not wanted to repeat the last part, because he acts like he doesn’t hear me. “Get out of my face and get you’re fat ass to bed. Slut.” I refuse to let him see me cry and give him the satisfaction.

I walk quickly to my room, without running and shut and lock my door. Tears begin to fall and I fall asleep with two words being replayed in my mind over and over.

Chapter 25-Charlie

It’s been a month since the blowout with my dad. Things have been perfect at least where Maverick’s concerned. We have a routine and things could not be better. Maverick has practice regularly and I attend his games, cheering him on.

Tori is the very best kick ass friend I could ever ask for. When I told her about going to homecoming with Maverick, she didn’t seem surprised at all. She was happy and elated and we spent an afternoon dress shopping together. Tori’s going dateless and we’ll just all hang together at the dance. I almost brought up the possibility of Will and Tori going together. Almost.

We have a complete blast in choir. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard. Not a day goes by when we practice that Maverick doesn't tell me how good I am.

The ‘bitches’ still give me some grief, but it’s not nearly as bad as it used to be. I still catch sneering looks and nasty comments from time to time when Tori and I walk by. Nothing is ever said, while I’m walking with Maverick, of course. That would just show how incredibly awful they truly are. Tori is always first to step in and say something, when we're passing them. She is my all-time cheerleader.

At home things have taken a turn for the worse, as if it wasn’t bad enough before. My mom seems to be more stoic if at all possible and I really don’t know why. I’m hoping she’ll snap the hell out of it, but I'm not holding my breath.

It’s a very lonely existence in that house–my version of hell.

My dad has become even more degrading with his comments, especially when I told him that Maverick had asked me to homecoming. I received an all out laugh out of him and I believe it was a Carrie reference that went along with it. Every comment is always about Maverick and me. Always mean and always cutting. I would never confront him, because I think he would actually flip out. So I just deal with it. It’s become somewhat easier taking it, only because I know that I have Maverick. I don’t tell anyone what goes on, but knowing that he’s there, helps. Some days are worse than others though, and I can handle it okay most of the time. However, there are those days that I lose it, but only ever in the privacy of my own room. I refuse to let that man see me cry anymore.

I’ve had Maverick over some and we go to the movies and dinner from time to time but the majority of our time together is actually spent at school. Between going to school, Maverick’s football and choir practice, there's not a lot of time.

I can’t say I will ever get used to the attention that I garner from being with Maverick. I probably never will. He’s smoking hot and popular and just an overall good guy. He makes me laugh like no other, well maybe other than Tori. That chick is some serious funny.

How is it that everything can seem to be so perfect and then all of a suddenly stop being so? In a quick blink of an eye it changes with no warning? Just when I was so incredibly happy, my world stopped being perfect.

Chapter 26-Charlie

It was an early evening and it had been raining on and off all day. We had hopes that the rain would let up for the game; however it had just started trickling again.

I was following Maverick to my house to drop my Jeep off so we could ride together, when the car came out of nowhere. I never saw it coming and I know Maverick didn’t either. The car ran a red light and plowed into the driver's side of Maverick's Camaro.

In that moment my stomach falls to the floor board and I feel paralyzed.

Instincts quickly take over and I throw Lexie into park and run to him like a bat out of hell leaving my door hanging wide open. By the time I get to his Camaro it starts raining harder and I’m getting soaked but I don’t care.

All of my thoughts are on Maverick. Is he okay, is he hurt and is he breathing?

I just know I can’t lose him; I need him like the air I breath.

I peek into his passenger side window and notice he has a huge gash on his forehead. I immediately called 911. I feel monotone while talking to the dispatcher. I keep my cool but I have the feeling, as if I’m floating outside of my body.

I know that this doesn’t look good. His whole driver's side is dented in with the other car still firmly attached to it. There’s no movement from the inside of the other car either. I figure the other driver has to be hurt as well.

My brain is going a hundred miles a minute. Every scenario known to man is flying through it. But then I quickly chastise myself and say, “He will be fine, because I need him and he needs me, he has to be.”

Never, have I ever thought about that. It was true though, he needs me as much as I need him.

I can hear the sirens and know they are almost here. Thank God, please hurry. I’m praying the whole time. Praying that God will keep him safe and everything will be okay.

As soon as the firemen and paramedics arrive and start working, I know something is wrong. The other driver is easier to get to and he’s immediately put into the ambulance and whisked away. Maverick is still stuck in his car. The firemen has to have the other vehicle moved and use a device I have only ever seen on TV, to get his driver side door opened. I stand watching on the sidelines with tears streaming down my face and soaked to the bone. I don’t feel the cold, but I feel completely numb.

The minute they pull Maverick out of the car, I let out the breath I don’t realize I’ve been holding. The paramedics immediately start bagging him and helping him to breathe. He isn’t conscious and I’m cared out of my mind.

One of the fireman starts walking towards me. “Miss, you really need to get out of the rain, you will catch your death out here. You’re soaking wet.” I can’t seem to find my voice to answer him, I just stand there.

He must have pulled his heavy fireman jacket off of himself, because he places it around my shoulders. It feels like lead, it’s so heavy. I can hear him speaking to another one of his firemen. “I think she’s in shock, we need to get her to the hospital and get her checked out.”

I don’t remember anything after that. I wake up in a hospital bed in a hospital gown with my mother and Tori sitting in a chair in the sterile smelling room.

“Maverick, oh my gosh Maverick, how is he? I need to know now.”

I start to climb out of the bed, when my mother rushes to my side, “No you don’t Charlie, get back in bed and I will find out for you.”

I know this is awful but I can’t help but think, what in the hell is my mom doing here? It’s the most caring I have seen in her in a very long time, if ever.

Tori walks over to my bed and places her hand in mine. “When I was trying to get in touch with you, your mom answered your phone. Your mom said that you were in the hospital, I was so scared. I didn’t know until I finally arrived that you were safe. I mean, she said you were, but I needed to know for sure. I don’t know what I would have done if anything had ever happened to you. We may not have known each other long but it feels like I’ve known you all my life.”

She doesn’t wait for me to respond. “Charlie, you know he will be fine, right?” I look at Tori straight in the eye, “I hope so.”

Waiting for my mother to come back in, so I can find out about Maverick, is the worst kind of pain. Everything runs through your mind.

Before I got in the Jeep, did I tell him that I loved him? Did he truly know how I felt about him?

It seems like an eternity before my mother finally shows back up.

“Well, what did they say?”

She looks at me with a sad look in her eyes. “Charlie, he’s not good, he will eventually be physically fine. He has a lot of injuries. He has a concussion bruises and whiplash. To top it all off, his knee is hyper-extended in the accident and will require surgery.”

This was all Greek to me. “Okay, what does a hyper-extended knee mean?”

“Well, from what I understand, the impact from the accident caused his knee to be pushed inward causing it to be bent unnaturally. Charlie, this means that his chances for playing football are pretty slim. To be honest, he will probably never play football again. His career and hope for a college scholarship are over.”

I close my eyes and keep them closed and just keep repeating to myself, “He’s alive, he’s alive. He will be fine, he’s alive.”

I glance at my mother, “I need to see him mom. I need to see for myself, I have to.”

“First, we need to talk to your doctor before we let you out of this bed and I honestly don’t know if they are allowing visitors. We need to check with his parents.”

I love Maverick’s mother and know where Mav got his gorgeous blue eyes from. His father was just as wonderful. First time he met me I was on the receiving end of a huge bear hug. I loved them immediately and they were so welcoming of me. They would not allow me to call them Mr. and Mrs. Hardy. They were Robert and Carol to me. I knew they were the reason their son was the way he was. They raised him to be the perfect man.