Hooked (19 page)

     “It’s ok
ay
,
Cash
.
I know you have a past, everyone does.  Really, what matters to me is how you treat me.”

     “Good
.  I don’t know what I did to deserve someone like you
,
but I’m t
he luckiest guy in the world,” he said bringing my hand up to his lips.

     
I was getting butterflies in the pit of my belly when we pulled up to the theatre.  When I got out of the car
,
I started walking up to the theatre and I noticed Cash hanging behind me.  I turned and caught him staring at my butt
.

    
“You are such a pervert!”  I squealed. 

    
He started laughing at me and grabbed my hand as he pulled me close and whispered in my ear as we kept walking, “I can’t help it
,
sweetheart
.
Y
ou turn me into a walking
horn dog
.”  He winks at me and I know he is only talking like this to see me blush.  So
,
I give him what he is after and blush.  Man, it embarrasses me to no end when he talks like that.

     “Millie
,
you’re so cute when you blush.”  He laughs at me
.

     “You can be so mean sometimes.  You just get your kicks from watching me squirm and it’s not funny
,
Cash.”  I pout.

     “
Aww
, I’m sorry, I’ll stop I promise
,
”
h
e says bringing my hand to his lips. 

    
Of course, I forgave him and walked up to the ticket booth.  Be
fore he could even speak
,
I said, “We’l
l take two for True Love and Other Problems.
”
  I turned sideways and gave him a devilish smile.  He raised an eyebrow and paid for our tickets
.

    
“I guess you’re running this show
,
huh?”

     “Yup.”  I smile because I know I’ve won.

     “Okay, I’ll give you this
one
.
I’d rather be in charge of the next date anyhow
.
”
H
e winks at me and we head inside.  Dang it!  My plan backfired.  He tickles my side, bringing me from my thoughts.

     “Millie!” 

    
I turned around to see some of the girls from the basketball team.  They we
re
with a group of guys from the football team.  “Hey guys, what’s up?”  I ask just to be nice.

     “Just hanging out, what are y
’
all going to see
?
W
e may be in the same movie
,
”
o
ne of the girls asked.

     I looked at Cash and he just stood there silently.  His expression didn’t change and he made no attempt to introduce himself or talk to them.  Okay, sucker, I thought.  “True Love and Other Problems,” I told them trying to sound gushy, so they would know Cash wasn’t the Mr. Big and Bad guy
they thought he was.  T
hat’s how it’s done
,
I think to myself.

     “Dude, that sucks,” one of the guys says to Cash, “I hope you get something out of it later.” 
He started laughing with some of the other guys in the group.

    
I couldn’t think of this boy’s name
,
but I thought it started with a B, Ben? Brian?  Cash let go of my hand and stepped up nose to nose with him. 

    
“
1) Don’t talk about my girlfriend like that, 2) since you
’
r
e
obviously a dick head, don’t even look at her and 3) were you or were you not there when I kicked your boy, Cameron’s ass?”  He said never taking his eyes from him. 

    
I sank back feeling a little uncomfortable with Cash so bluntly telling this douche bag off
,
but at the same time grateful that he was taking up for me again.  The rest of the girls looked confused and kind of scared. 

    
Another guy, I didn’t know his name either, stepped up and touched Cash’s arm and said, “Dude, just relax
, he was joking.”

     “I don’t know him well enough for him to joke about my girlfriend.”

     “Let’s go guys,” one of the girls said.  I gave her a look of thanks.  She turned around and led everybody to their movie.  Cash turned around and faced me. 

   
“
H
e’s really lucky you were here because I really wanted to kick his ass.”

     “Cash, it’s fine,” I said trying not to make it a big deal.

     “No, it’s always a big deal when it comes to you.  You are important to me
,
Millie.” 

    
I couldn’t stand it anymore.  I knew this was all moving way to fast
,
but I couldn’t help it.  I knew I was falling in love with him and I loved the feeling.  I went on my tip toes and put my arms around his neck and kissed him so hard
,
I felt like I didn’t know where I
stopped and he began.  He wrapped me in his arms and pulled me so close it was like we were sharing each
other’s
emotions.  I felt like I could feel every inch of him melting into me. 

    
“Um
m
, young lady, I’m surprised at you,” he said laughing at me for my aggressiveness.

     I put my head on his chest to catch my breath and I
mu
mbled into his chest, “I can’t
help it, I
lose myself in you.”  He smiled and kissed me lightly on the lips.

     “Me too
,
sweetheart
,
n
ow let’s get this True Love crap out of the way.
”
  He led us to the right theatre.

     “Wait, you and I were mushy with each other, what’s the difference?”

     “T
he difference is,
that,
”
he says as he points up to the screen,
“
isn’t you and me.”

     “Hmmm
.
”
The sound slipped out as I was thinking about his logic.

     “Now, don’t start moaning or I’m
gonna
lose it,” he says seductively and before he can start laughing at his own joke, I hit him on the shoulder. 

    
Somehow, this made us both laugh and we started an easy conversation.  We sat there and talked about everything we could think of.  There wasn’t enough information I could find out about him.  I also like picking his brain, seeing how he viewed things.

      The movie started before we were done talking
,
but I figured we still had time after the movie to finish our conversation.  About halfway through the movie
,
I felt him moving my side ponytail over my shoulder.  “I love how your shirt falls off you
r
shoulder,” he whispers and kisses my shoulder in the dark.
 

    
He keeps caressing my shoulder and nibbling on it like he’s amazed by that small patch of skin.  I’m biting on my lower lip at this point trying not to make any noises.  He’s barely skimming my skin and it tickles.

     “You have the prettiest neck too, it’s so small,” he says as he wraps his whole hand around it. 

    
I turn and look at him, “
T
hank you.”  I smile and he smiles back with his dimples hiding behind my shoulder as he skims my skin with his lips again. 

    
We finish watching the movie with me leaning on his shoulder and him gently caressing my bare shoulder.   It was so comfortable, I felt like I could have stayed there forever.

     After the movie, we headed back out to the car and I told Cash, “See, it wasn’t that bad
,
was it?”

     “I wouldn’t know, I wasn’t really watching the movie.” 

     “Well, you probably missed the best movie of the year
,
all because you wouldn’t have an open mind.”

     “Na
h
, I got to see something way better, I could look at you all day.”  He made my insides turn to
go
o
.  Yep, this is definitely love.

CHAPTER
10

   
 
He drove me home and when we got back to my house
,
he
parked in my driveway and turned to look at me.
“I had so much fun tonight.  What are we
gonna
do on our next date?”  I said showing him my excitement.

     “I’ll think of something
.
R
emember
,
I get to decide what we are doing.”

     “I didn’t agree to that,” I tell him teasing.

     “Yep, that’s the way the cookie crumbles.  You picked this one, I pick that one.”

     “Okay then, it’ll be good, I like surprises
,
” I said not knowing whether I was trying to convince me or him. 

    
He took his gr
a
y sweater off and threw it in the backseat and I noticed his tattoo again.  I was scared to ask about it because he had never brought it up, almost like he forgot it was there
,
but I was curious.  “Cash, can I see your tattoo?”  I asked grabbing for his arm.

    
“Yeah
,
sure
.
”
H
e sounded a little hesitant
,
but brought his forearm over to me.  I studied it for a long time.  It was six numbers, a date
,
08-14-07. 

    
“Why do you have August 14, 2007
,
on your arm?”

     He looked out the window for a minute, then back to me.  “That was the day my deadbeat dad left and my life as I knew it ended.”  He never changed his tone
,
but I could see the hurt in his eyes.

     “I’m sorry,” I said meaning it.

     “Millie
,
I don’t mind you asking questions, I just don’t like to remember that time in
my life.  It wasn’t a good time.  The day he left
,
I had to start planning for a future for my crappy existence.  It wasn’t something a fourteen year old boy should have to do or
think about, yet it’s really all I can remember, trying to get away from what I knew.  All I’ve cared about since then was going into the military to get away and have someone tell me what to do for four years
,
so I don’t have to think about it anymore.  Things are still tough on my mom.  She can’t deal with him being gone.  That’s why I never invited you over to meet her.  She’s a wreck and that was four years ago.  Don’t get me wrong, she’s a good mom, she just can’t deal.  She works a lot at the factory and when she comes home, she drinks.” 

     I look down at my hands that I’ve been wringing the whole time he spoke.  I knew it was a big deal that he was telling me this stuff.  “Is she mean to you or anything, when she drinks?”