Tragic (Cherry Grove Book 1)

by Cole Lepley

  “Not everything in life is an easy fix, Oliver.”

  He raises an eyebrow and lets out a whistle before stepping back from me. “See. That’s what I’m talking about. You need to go with the flow, let things comes as they may and just roll with it.”

  “God, Ollie. I seriously can’t take your bullshit philosophies on life today.” I pinch the bridge of my nose and take a few breaths.

  When I open my eyes again he’s looking over at me with a shocked expression. “You think I’m full of shit?”

  I shake my head. “No, man. I’m sorry. It’s just not a good day for me.”

  He nods. “It’s cool.”

  I put my hand on his shoulder. “No, it’s not. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

  Oliver flashes a smile and pats me back. “Seriously, it’s fine.” He walks over to the golf cart and loads his club before turning back to me. “You know I may seem like it’s all glitter and fucking rainbows all the time, but I get down sometimes too. What’s important to remember is that there are some things we can’t control. When that happens, you have to trust it will work itself out, and if it doesn’t, then we were never meant to have it anyway.”

  “That’s the most sense I’ve ever heard you make.”

  A smug smile crosses his face, and he shrugs. “I’m a fucking genius. The sooner everyone realizes that the better off we’ll all be.”

  I can’t help but laugh. “So true, man.”

  The next nine holes aren’t any better, but somehow, I manage to keep my rising temper in check. I never thought I would say this, but Oliver is right. If fate meant for Elliot and I to be together then no matter what obstacle we face we should be able to overcome it. Even though it seems that literally every force is trying to pry us apart, I have to believe we were brought together for a reason.

  18

  Dodging Bullets

  The look on Hunter’s face this morning when Judah showed up is still burned into my mind. After all the progress we made last night I’m worried he will take it the wrong way. I know I need to have a conversation with Judah about Hunter, but it’s not like I can actually tell him that we’re dating. No matter what we do, it still has to be a secret. If I tell Judah I’m dating someone else, I know how he is. He’ll dig until he finds out who it is, and I can’t let that happen. I wish I could talk to Ollie about this. What’s worse is that all of this could have been avoided if I could just tell him. He’s a reasonable guy, maybe he won’t even get mad?

  I’ve been alternating between pacing back and forth across the kitchen and peeking out into the driveway through the window for about two hours now. How long does it take to play a round of golf?

  My phone buzzes on the counter, and I almost leap to grab it. Hunter hasn’t responded to any of my texts all day. My heart drops again when I see it’s from Judah. He’s relentless. I click the message off without fully reading it and take a seat at the kitchen table. I’ve been pacing for so long, I’m driving myself crazy.

  I’m about to go upstairs and call it a night when headlights flash through the room. I remain seated and wait for one of them to enter. Even though I can barely stand it, I can’t exactly run out there and jump into Hunter’s arms.

  Two minutes and thirty-eight seconds later, Oliver strolls into the kitchen. “Elle, what are you doing sitting here in the dark?” He shoots me a look before walking over and flipping on the light switch.

  So much for not seeming suspicious. I was so wrapped up in waiting for him I didn’t even realize it got dark outside. I fold my hands on the table. “I was just sitting here thinking and lost track of time.” Also sounds suspicious.

  He nods before grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and leans back against the counter. “Did Judah tell you about his plans for next semester?”

  I sigh. “Yes. What’s his problem lately?”

  Oliver takes a drink before responding. “He loves you.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “How can you say that? You know Judah as well as I do.”

  “Exactly.

  “Oliver, he does not love me. He’s upset about the fact he can’t have me whenever he wants anymore.”

  Oliver shrugs as he replaces the cap on his bottle. “I don’t know. I’ve never seen him act this way before. I think he’s serious.” He pats me on the shoulder on his way to the living room. “Let him down gently, killer.”

  After sitting in stunned silence for about five minutes, I make my way over to the guest house. I take a deep breath and knock on the door.

  Hunter opens it immediately. “Hey, I was wondering how long it was going to take you.” His smile and warm reaction throw me for a loop.

  “Aren’t you mad?” I ask.

  He looks behind me and then pulls me inside. “No, of course not.” His arms wrap around me, and I inhale his comforting scent. He smells like soap combined with something woodsy and it calms me.

  “I texted you and you never answered.”

  He pulls back and kisses me on the forehead. “I’m sorry, baby. I was in such a hurry this morning I left my phone.”

  Okay, solves that I guess. The bigger question is why is he taking this so well? Any other guy would have freaked out by now and demanded to know why Judah was really here.

  I pull back to study his face. “I didn’t mean for that to happen this morning.”

  “I know. It’s okay, seriously.”

  My face scrunches up and I take a step toward the kitchen. “You’re acting weird.”

  I hear him laugh from behind me as I browse the refrigerator for alcohol. With all the drama over this past weekend, it feels necessary.

  He leans forward over the breakfast bar on his elbows. “Listen, I talked to Ollie today and he made me feel better. What he said made a lot of sense actually.”

  I turn around to face him, snapping the top off of a bottle of beer. I’m almost positive my mouth is hanging open. “Ollie made sense? There really must be something wrong with you if you are starting to agree with his logic.”

  Hunter laughs again, and I take a long drink. “Elle, the point is, if I let every little thing bother me then we are never going to make it. Even though I want to physically hurt the guy, I can’t help it if Judah keeps coming around. Not until we don’t have to keep this a secret anymore.”

  I set my beer down and walk around the counter. He pulls me into him and places a kiss in my hair. “How long do you think it will have to be this way?” I ask.

  “At least until you graduate. I’m not sure how accepting people will be of me dating my student.”

  All I can do is hold onto him tighter. With so many odds stacked against us already it would be easy to want to run away and not have to deal with the inevitable heartbreak. What bothers me the most is what I don’t know about Hunter, and there’s only one person I can ask.

  The next couple of weeks go on without any major conflicts. I somehow managed to talk Judah out of transferring schools next semester. He didn’t take it very well at first, but his calls have been dwindling, so I’m hoping he gets the idea it’s really over.

  I’m just about to head to practice when I notice Hunter still inside his classroom. I walk quickly down the hallway to his open door, knocking twice. When he turns to look at me a smile crosses his face. “Don’t be late for practice, Elle. Oliver will make you run hurdles again.”

  “Well, I just wanted to talk to you, Mr. Graham.” I walk over to him and run my hand down his tie.

  He visibly swallows. “I like the way you say that.”

  “Hmm, do you?” I step a little closer and he glances over my shoulder. “Maybe you should give me detention? That way I can skip practice and you can bend me over your desk.”

  Hunter’s eyes turn darker with my words. I think the thrill of getting caught excites him. If I’m being honest, it excites me too—but he already knows that.

  As if he can read my thoughts, he grabs my hand and casually runs it down the front of his pants. “You see what you�
��re doing to me? You’re being very bad, Elliot.”

  I trace my hand along the hardened outline through his pants. “Maybe you should punish me?”

  He lets out a deep groan and tilts his head to me, speaking close to my ear. “You should go to practice, baby. If you don’t, the things I want to do to you right now will get me fired.”

  I release my hand from him and smile. “Later.”

  I’m still smiling to myself when I step out into the hall and directly into Dylan. He grins when I look up at him. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

  I step around him and stop at my locker to get my bag for practice. For some reason he’s still right behind me. “Elle,” he says hesitantly. “I’ve been meaning to talk to you.”

  Not what I want to deal with right now. “Well, I’m late for practice. Can it wait?” I don’t wait for his reply. I sling my bag over my shoulder and start walking toward the gym. He keeps in step beside me.

  “It’s just we never talked about what happened,” he says quickly.

  I laugh once. “What’s there to talk about?”

  He shoots me a look. “We used to be friends, and now you don’t even talk to me anymore. I can tell you’re mad at me over what went down at your party.”

  I raise an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you be the one who’s mad?”

  Our footsteps echo through the empty gymnasium and I continue toward doors that lead to the field. He grabs my arm to stop me. “I know Judah can be an asshole, and yes I was mad that you took his side, but I didn’t realize how bad it was.”

  I let out a sigh and shift my bag to the other arm. “Okay, what are you talking about? Everything’s fine. Judah is gone, and he’s going to stay that way.”

  He lets out a laugh and runs a hand through his hair. “Oh, Elliot. You have no idea do you?”

  My irritation is growing by the minute, and I’m running out of them. I glance at my watch and see that I have five left before Ollie goes into full blown dick mode. “Dylan, just tell me what’s going on.”

  “Judah has been asking around, trying to figure out who you’re with. He’s threatened basically everyone, and all the guys have been watching for him. He’s becoming completely unhinged over this.”

  I sigh and pat him on the shoulder. “I can handle Judah. Don’t worry about it.”

  He grabs my arm again before I make it another step. “Elliot, I’m not afraid of him.”

  “Okay…”

  “I’m just saying that you don’t have to be alone because Judah’s acting like a psycho,” he adds.

  “That’s nice of you and I’m glad you still want to be friends, but I want to be alone right now.”

  He nods and releases my arm. “I understand.” The smile perks up on his face again. “But if you ever change your mind, I’ll be here.”

  I give a tight smile. “That’s nice of you, Dylan. Thank you.”

  By the time I finally make it onto the field it’s already after four. Looks like I’ll be running hurdles after all.

  19

  Haunted

  My dad called yesterday. I haven’t spoken to him in at least a year, and I’ve only seen him once since my mother and I moved here from Texas right after I turned sixteen. It’s funny how no matter how hard you try to run, your past always finds a way to catch up with you. Even though I sent his call to voicemail it’s all I’ve been able to think about. Elliot has been working hard to put me in a better mood. She always has an innate way of sensing when something is bothering me even if I try to hide it. She can’t help me with this, and I don’t want her to.

  The next night I wake up in a cold sweat with Elliot gently shaking my arm, alarm written all over her face. There are some things that I don’t want her to see, and this would be one of them.

  I’m slightly disoriented, staring blankly back at her for a moment. It’s been a long time since I had a dream like that. I can almost taste the blood clogging my throat when I try to take a full breath.

  “Hunter, are you okay?” she asks softly. The distress radiating off of her is still palpable as I nod. “Are you sure? You were—"

  “I’m fine,” I interrupt a little too loudly. I take another quick breath and collect myself, turning toward her. “I mean—I’m okay, baby. I’m sorry.”

  Her hand is clutching her stomach as she remains up on her knees at my side. “You scared me. I couldn’t wake you up.” She slowly sinks back into the covers and curls against my side again.

  I wrap my arm around her while I continue to try to catch my breath. “It was just a dream, everything is fine.”

  Elliot pops her head up, searching my face. “Hunter, you’re still shaking. Does this happen often—do you want to talk about it?”

  I shake my head. “No, I’m fine. Really.”

  She doesn’t look convinced, but she also doesn’t press further. Instead of lying down beside me again, she gets up from the bed.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m going to get you some water,” she says, pulling on a pair of sweatpants.

  I sit up quickly and throw the comforter aside. “Elliot, get back into bed. I said I’m fucking fine, will you just let it go?”

  Her face contorts in disbelief. “Hunter, you were literally screaming. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, but I’m trying to help you.”

  I throw my hands up and stand up from the bed, walking past her. “I don’t need your help right now.” I know my words come out harsher than I intend them to because her face falls.

  She wraps her arms around her tiny frame and nods. Causing her to feel that way almost breaks me, and I curse under my breath as I walk back to her. “Baby, I’m sorry.” I kiss her forehead and then her temple before pulling her into my arms. “Okay? It just caught me off guard is all. I’m sorry.”

  Her face presses harder against my chest, her voice barely a whisper. “I love you. You can talk to me about anything.”

  My arms stiffen around her. Elliot loves me? I pull her back a little so I can see her face. I heard her plain as day, but I want to hear it again.

  “What did you say?”

  She wipes a tear from her eye and smiles. “I said—I love you, Hunter.”

  Leaning down, I kiss her once softly. “I love you, too.” I wrap my arms around her and hold her against my chest again. “So much.”

  As much as I try to stop it, a tear begins to fall down my cheek. What will she think of me when she finds out who I really am?

  Walking up onto the warped floorboards of the front porch I frown at the screen door still hanging off its hinges. I told that lazy piece of shit I’d fix it the last time I was here, but he insisted he would get to It. Looks like I was right again.

  I take a breath before knocking twice. It goes so long I almost knock again before my mother answers the door. “Hunter,” she says with a small smile. “I wasn’t expecting you.” She waves for me to come inside, and I take in her tired eyes. She looks ten years older than she’s supposed to, and I know the reason.

  “Sorry, I was going to call but—"

  “No, I’m really glad you’re here,” she says cutting me off. “Can I make you something to eat or a drink maybe? I just made a fresh batch of tea.”

  I nod as I walk into the small kitchen and take a seat at the table. “Tea sounds great.”

  My acceptance makes her smile a little brighter, and she grabs a glass from the cabinet. “Russ isn’t here right now. He got a new job and it keeps him on the road for most of the week. I’m sure he’ll be sad he missed you.”

  That’s highly doubtful. In the almost five years since they’ve been together, I can’t remember a single conversation between me and her boyfriend that I would consider to be amicable. “Tell him I said hi when you talk to him.” Sometimes it’s better to keep the peace rather than admit the truth.

  She nods as she continues to pour my drink. “How’s Regan doing? You haven’t brought her around lately.”

  I scrat
ch my head as I take the glass from her hand. “Oh, we kind of broke up. I’m actually living at Ollie’s right now.”

  She smiles again, taking the seat across from me. “Such a nice boy he is. I always enjoy when he comes by.” I almost laugh. Oliver really puts on a show for her when I bring him with me. You would think he actually had manners.

  “Yeah, he’s something alright.”

  “Well, what happened with this one?”

  I shrug. “She wasn’t the one for me I guess.”

  The look on her face tells me she knows there’s more to my visit than some girl. A mother always can, they are programmed that way. “So, that’s it then? Nothing else new going on?”

  I take another drink because my mouth suddenly feels dry. “Dad called a couple days ago.” I pause and gauge her reaction. She folds her hands together but keeps her features even. Ever since they divorced, she always tried to keep things as casual as possible for me considering the circumstances surrounding it. “When’s the last time you talked to him?”

  “Um, I talk to him a good bit about you. He’s always asking how you’re doing.”

  I laugh, but not out of humor. “But he doesn’t ask me though. I haven’t spoken to him since last summer.”

  “You know it’s hard for him to communicate with you. That doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care.”

  My mother has been making excuses for him since I was old enough to listen. Her choice in men hasn’t changed as I would assume it seldom does for most women. My jaw clenches. “Well, what does he want?”

  Her eyes drift to her intertwined hands and then back to me. “He wants you to go visit him. I think it’s a good idea. It’s time you two hash things out finally. You only get one father, and everyone deserves a second chance.”

  The weight of her words lands heavily on my chest. I’m not sure I have even an ounce of forgiveness in me for that man. I stand up from the table and lean in to kiss her on the cheek. “I’ll think about it, okay?”