by Nicole Dykes
I smile at Cassie’s friendliness and my mother pulls her hand back. “Well you’re a friendly one. I have to admit I was surprised when Hunter told me he was dating someone. I always figured he’d get back with Miranda.”
I roll my eyes not sure what my mother’s fascination is with Miranda. “That’s not happening.”
My mother nods her head disappointed. “Well let’s all make our way to the dining room shall we. Your father will be home soon.”
I look over at the clock. Three minutes. We all sit down, Cassie by my side and sure enough three minutes later I hear the front door open and my father’s boots walking toward the dining room.
He walks into the dining room and grunts a hello to everyone. As he sits down he says, “Who’s this?” looking at Cassie.
“This is my girlfriend, Cassie. Cassie this is my father.”
She smiles brightly over at him, as he studies her. “Hello, sir.”
He grunts again, “Hello.” He then turns to me, “Is she still in high school?”
Before I can answer his rude question, Cassie says, “No, I’m a freshman at K-State.”
He starts to add food to his plate and barely acknowledges Cassie before asking me, “Cheerleader?”
Cassie answers again, not letting him make her feel like she’s not important and I love it. “I was in high school, but not at the college level.”
My father finally looks over at her, “Have you picked a major?”
Cassie shrinks back a little at the seriousness of his tone and my mother who is pouring a glass of red wine for herself says, “Jesus Christopher, you don’t have to grill the poor thing.”
“I’m not grilling her. I’m taking an interest in our kids. Something you said I never do.” He growls over at my mother.
Yep. Here we go. This is almost every childhood memory of dinner.
“No, you aren’t you are just trying to decide if she’s worthy. If you approve of her dating Hunter. You always did that with Miranda too and look what happened.” My mother snaps.
That’s definitely not what happened with me and Miranda, but my mother is delusional. My father rolls his eyes, “Why don’t you just finish your wine and before we go into all of the ways I’ve ruined your life. Starting with the newest ridiculous one.”
My mother’s gaze is intense from across the table, “Art classes aren’t ridiculous.”
I turn to my mom, “You're taking art classes?”
She sips her wine, “It was an idea I had to start taking them during the winter semester, but we decided it was a bad idea.”
She means my father did. Maybe when I have the NFL’s money I can convince her to leave too. This is no way to live.
Chapter 38
Cassie
Wow. Dinner was intense. Hunter wasn’t joking when he said that his family is different from mine. His sister is really nice, but there is a sadness behind her eyes. She definitely didn’t hide the fact that she is ready to leave home.
Hunter’s mom is nice, but really distant. A far cry from my mother and Brooke. And his father? That man is almost eerie. It’s clear he’s not easy to please.
How the hell did Hunter turn out so well?
After a fairly quiet dinner, there was more awkward conversation with awkward silence in the living room. I could tell Hunter was on edge and he told his parents we would be back later and pulled me out the door toward his truck. I thanked them as I followed behind.
Silently I hopped up in the truck and waited for him to start the vehicle before saying, “So that was fun.”
He turns his head grinning over at me, shaking his head. “They are insane.”
He’s not wrong. I thought my family was crazy, but it’s on a whole other level. My family may be loud, opinionated and nosey, but at the end of the day there is no question that we all love each other dearly.
“I’m sorry Hunter.”
He laughs, “Don’t be. It could always be worse, but now you can see why I don’t visit often.”
I nod, “So where are we going?”
“I had to get the hell out of the house. So, I thought I would take you to a place I used to go when I needed to escape. If that’s okay?”
I smile and play with the radio stations. “Of course.”
About fifteen minutes later Hunter parks his truck in a full parking lot outside what seems to be an old diner. “We’re here.”
I look up at the neon hot pink and teal sign, “Are we in the fifties?”
He laughs, “It’s a fifties themed diner. It’s really good though, I promise.”
“So, you used to hang out here in high school.”
He nods and turns off the truck, “Even before that. I used to come here with my family when we first moved here. The place has been around for a while. Hell my parents had their first date here.” He looks unsure. “Maybe this was a bad idea.”
I shake my head, not letting him back out. I open my door, “Sounds like you have good memories here. So let’s go make some of our own.”
I hop out and he grins as he climbs out of the driver’s side and wraps an arm around me. We walk inside and are instantly meant by a woman in her fifties squealing, “Hunter Thompson!”
This reminds me of the restaurant he took me in Manhattan. She practically runs over to us and gives him a big hug. Yep. Exactly like that time. Hunter looks like he’s having the life squeezed out of him and squeaks out, “Hi, Helen.”
She releases him, “We have missed you! I didn’t think you were coming back! You know, even though it’s kinda a sin around here I watch all of your games on TV and secretly cheer on K-State.”
Hunter smiles, “Well I appreciate that.”
She beams over at him, “And who is this pretty girl you’re wrapped around?”
Hunter laughs, “This is my girlfriend, Cassie.”
I smile over at her and she smiles, “Well, nice upgrade from the last one I say.”
I have to admit that’s nice to hear especially after finding out that apparently, Hunter’s mom adores Miranda. How could a mother still like a girl who cheated on her son? Hunter laughs at that, “You have no idea.”
“Well you two grab a seat anywhere you like and I’ll be over soon.”
We thank her and Hunter finds a booth and we sit down. I can’t help but ask, “Is it like this everywhere you go?”
He slips out of his jacket, “Nah. Just here and in Manhattan.”
I laugh, “You’re like a celebrity. You know it’s just gonna get worse when you sign that NFL contract.”
He looks slightly nervous by that but smiles anyway. “I’ll still be me.”
“Yeah, I’m pretty sure you’ve always been a superstar.”
He just shakes his head and Helen takes our order. Hunter convinces me to get the apple pie just like him and when it arrives I tell him it was a good suggestion. Damn it’s good.
We are really enjoying our time until a guy I’ve never seen before walks over to our table. He looks around our age and is dressed in an OU t-shirt and matching baseball hat.
Hunter’s mood darkens almost immediately and the guy says, “Hey, Hunt.”
“What the hell are you doing here?”
The guy stands tall, “I live here. I didn’t know you were in town. Thought I would see if you would finally talk to me.”
The tension in the air is really uncomfortable and I shift in my seat wondering who this guy is. Hunter just glares over at him, “I don’t want to talk T.J. Just leave it alone okay? It’s been two years. I’m over it.”
Uh oh. Two years. Is this the guy Miranda cheated on him with? The guy pretty much answers my question. “Well maybe you are over it, but I still feel like total shit about what I did. I didn’t mean for it to happen Hunt. You and I were close, but when you fucking left I fucked up and made a move on Miranda. I’m sorry.”
“I don’t want to hear your reasons or apologies. It’s been two years. I’m happy, but that doesn’t mean I want to pick
up our friendship or forgive you. So get out of here.”
Hunter’s tone is rougher than I’ve ever heard. It’s clear he’s not totally over it. T.J. looks over at me and then back to Hunter. “This is total bullshit. You can forgive Miranda, but not me?”
Hunter puts a twenty dollar bill down on top of the check Helen brought to us a little bit earlier. “I haven’t forgiven, Miranda. I just don’t give a shit about her or you anymore.”
“Bullshit.” The guy slams his hands down on the table. “She told me that you guys talked at your hotel on Halloween. You can hear her out why not me?”
I can’t hide my shock and feel numb. I can feel Hunter’s eyes on mine, begging me not to freak out. Too late. His hotel? This Halloween? His eyes shift to his former friend, “She told you about that?”
That’s not the denial I was hoping for. T.J. stands up straight again, hands at his sides. “Yeah, she said that you guys had a great talk and it seemed like you were starting to be open to forgiving her.”
Hunter stands up from the booth, standing mere inches from the guy. “She’s delusional. She showed up at my hotel room after the game, begging for me to talk to her and I kicked her ass out.” Hunters eyes shift to me, “After I told her that I have girlfriend and I’m happy.”
I stand up from the booth also trying to comprehend all of this and grab my jacket. “I’ll give you guys some privacy.”
Hunter grabs my arms, quickly. He’s not rough with me, but it keeps me still. “Don’t leave. I swear nothing happened.” He turns to T.J. “I don’t want anything to do with either of you.”
I pull out of Hunter’s arm, “I just don’t know why you didn’t tell me.”
“Probably because there’s more to it,” T.J. says.
I don’t know him and I’m sure he’s just trying to goad Hunter, but I don’t want to talk about this in front of him. “I’ll be outside.” I say as I take off not giving him another chance to keep me there.
I’m humiliated. This is Hunter, I trust him, but how long have we really known each other. I know that Miranda was the one girl he’s loved and now I find out that she was in his hotel room a couple of months ago. Why didn’t he tell me if he had nothing to hide?
Chapter 39
Hunter
Dammit. Coming home is always a bad idea. I know this, yet it was my idea to come back here and bring Cassie with me. What the hell was I thinking?
First my father interrogates her at dinner and then proceeds to argue with my mom, both totally ignoring the fact that they had a guest. I’m numb to it, Shannon is numb to it, but Cassie? She’s never been around that kind of shit before.
Her family argues, but it’s usually funny with a joking undertone. She’s had her fair share of shit, but when it came down to it, her family stuck together.
That’s not my family. Then when I finally got us the hell out of my house and to a sanctuary, fucking T.J. had to really make things complicated.
Why the hell can’t he just let this go? He didn’t think twice when he started screwing Miranda two years ago. Now all of the sudden they both want to make things right? Just when things are starting to fall in place for me and I’m starting to feel like a normal human being again.
I glare at T.J., “Let it fucking go. You feel bad about what you did? Don’t come to me to make you feel better.”
“Hunt, we were best friends. All three of us, constantly together. We always talked about going to college together and then hopefully the pros and then boom you just decide you are leaving. Going out of state.”
I had to. I had an out. Away from my parents. My dad was pissed that I was perusing football in the first place. “I had a scholarship. You’re telling me that if the situation would have been reversed you wouldn’t have taken it. It’s K-state football, playing for a legendary coach.”
He glares at me, “I have loyalty. I would have stayed. You didn’t just leave me, you left Miranda too.”
“Bullshit!” I say it too loudly and I notice several eyes on us and lower my voice. “She left. I wanted to make it work.”
“Five hours away. Seeing each other around a grueling football schedule. We were both devastated.”
I grab my jacket, “Stay away from me. We aren’t friends. We aren’t going to be.”
Done with this I haul ass to the parking lot praying Cassie is still out there. Even though I drove, I know she’s pissed off. I wouldn’t put it past her to call a cab or worse try to walk alone not knowing where she’s going.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see her standing next to my truck and jog over to her, “Cassie.”
She holds her hand up, “Don’t.”
My face drops, “Cassie…”
“Let’s just please go back to your house. I don’t want to talk about it right now. I’m tired.”
I nod solemnly and unlock my truck letting her hop in before I go around to my side. The ride to my parent’s house is totally silent. No conversation. No radio. Just my thoughts swirling around in my head and Cassie’s dead stare out the passenger window.
When we get inside my old home, it’s dark and quiet. Lights out at ten o’clock as always.
Cassie starts up the stairs and I catch her hand in mine, “Cassie, I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
Her hand slowly pulls from mine, “Goodnight, Hunter.”
That’s all I get before she makes her way upstairs and toward the guest room.
Defeated I walk up the stairs and strip down to my boxers before climbing into my old bed. I can’t believe I’ve already fucked up. I know Cassie has trust issues. The last guy she dated was Brent.
I cringe at the thought of being compared to that asshole.
After tossing and turning for a good hour, I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want to leave it like this for even one night.
My parent’s bedroom is on the main floor right on the other side of the house so I carefully walk past Shannon’s door and as quietly as I can open the door to the guest room. I walk inside and shut the door behind me.
I see Cassie move and look over toward the door. She remains silent and I make way over to her. She still doesn’t say a word, but lifts the covers back for me to join her.
I grin and eagerly take my spot next to her in bed, wrapping my arms around her waist. My voice is near a whisper when I say, “I’m so fucking sorry, Cassie.”
She stays on her side as I spoon her, praying she will talk to me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was so stupid. I wanted to tell you in person. I didn’t think it was a big deal, but I knew it was something I should tell you. I didn’t want to upset you when I couldn’t be there to assure you so I decided to wait.”
“And then?”
“And then I saw you in person and everything just went out of my mind except how happy I was to see you. I know that sounds like a line, but I swear it’s the truth. All I thought about when I was here, was you.”
She sighs, “With anyone else, that would definitely sound like a line.”
I grin, “I know, but it’s true.”
She rolls so she’s facing me. The moonlight from the window the only light allowing me to look at her beautiful face, “Okay, so after we had been reunited for a bit. Why didn’t you tell me then?”
“Fair question. Honestly though, I’m an idiot. I just totally spaced it out. When I’m with you Cassie, everything just fades away. I was happy for the first time in a long damn time.”
She smiles, it’s just a small one, but I think her anger is starting to fade. “You make me happy too, but we promised we would tell each other everything.”
I brush her blonde locks out of her eyes and cup her cheek in my hand, “I know and I’m so sorry. I’m a guy, I’m going to fuck up. I promise you though, I will never do it on purpose and I will try like hell to keep it at a minimum.”
She nods her head, “Okay.”
“Okay?” I study her face in the dark.
“Yes. I trust
you and believe you that nothing happened and that it just slipped your mind. Maybe I overreacted.”
I shake my head, “No, I know better. I know that you have trust issues. Hell, I’m the king of trust issues. I’m sorry.”
She lays a quick kiss on my lips, “Don’t be.”
I swallow hard, my heartbeat increases to an almost scary rate. This girl is incredible. She’s everything to me and I’ll do everything in my power to make sure I don’t hurt her again. “I love you.”
Her eyes widen with surprise, “You don’t have to say that. I already forgive you.”
I laugh and kiss her sweet lips, not nearly as long as I want to before saying it again, “I love you, Cassie.”
“I love you too.”
I hold her in my arms and kiss her again, knowing that I don’t ever want to let her go. There’s nothing I won’t do for her. The thought should send chills through me, but instead fills me with a sense of contentment I’ve never felt in my life.
This is what love is.
Chapter 40
Cassie
After being around Hunter’s family it’s a relief to be around mine. I finished my first semester the day before we traveled to Hunter’s hometown and the dorms closed that day. When we got back to Manhattan I stayed with him for two days before driving back to Overland Park to stay with my family during winter break.
It’s unbelievably hard to be without Hunter, but we have video chatted, called and texted as much as he can with practice. They are preparing for the bowl game right after Christmas.
Today is Christmas Eve and I woke up so excited I can’t see straight. Hunter and Cam will be here today. They are both staying with Luke, but they are coming straight here for dinner.
I’m helping in the kitchen, waiting for guests to arrive and constantly listening for that doorbell.
It’s been five days since I’ve seen Hunter. I’m going slightly crazy here and I’ll only be able to spend a couple of days with him because he can only stay until the day after Christmas.
The doorbell rings and I spring into the living room with the apron still tied around my waist. I rip the door open and my face drops when I see Shriller standing there with some girl I’ve never seen before. “Hey, Cass! Damn, don’t look too happy to see me.” He says sarcastically.