Hooked (20 page)

     “No, she would never be mean to me.  Like I said
,
she’s a good mom, she just doesn’t know how to deal with the things
that have happened.
  If anything, it’s more like I’m the parent at home.” 

    
I leaned over the console and gave him a hug.  The biggest one I could muster.  Cash was way bigger than me
,
but as I laid his head on my chest and rubbed his back, he felt small to me, like a little boy.  Just as I was about to speak, our porch light came on and went off again.

     “I think your dad’s trying to tell us something.”  He chuckled
.

     “Yeah, I guess so.  I had a really good time tonight, I know your kind of private
,
but I’m glad you told
me a little bit about your tattoo and your mom.”

     “I trust you, that’s why I told you.”  I smiled at him and put my hand on his cheek.

     “I trust you too
,
e
xcept when you embarrass me, then
there’s
no telling what you’ll do.”  I tickle his arm to let him know I’m teasing.  I lean over to give him a goodnight kiss and he backs up. 

    
“Oh no little girl, this is a proper date and I will walk you to your door.”

     “Wow, such a gentleman.”  I giggle.

     We both got out and made our way to my door.  He put one of his hands behind my neck and one on my waist and pulled me close and gave me the sweetest kiss.  “I better go before my dad actually comes out here
,
”
I said and
h
e
laughed at my nervousness
.

     “Night sweetheart, sleep well.  I’ll see you later.”

     “Goodnight, text me when you get home
,
so I know you made it safely.”  I turned around and headed inside.  Of course, my dad was sitting in his chair.

     “Hey
,
dad.”

     “Millie
,
I won’t have you sitting in a
boy’s
car outside in the dark making out.”

     “Daddy, we weren’t, we were only talking.”

     “Well, whatever you were doing, it doesn’t look good.”

     “Okay, I’m going to get ready for bed, night.”
  I walked away rolling my eyes.  He always has to find something negative to say where Cash is concerned.

     I went up to my room and was getting ready for bed when my phone beeped.

*Home safe and sound. 
Whatcha
doin
?

*getting ready for bed. U?

*
aww
baby, y do u say stuff like that to me?

*
lol
, clam down.im in shorts and a tank.

*I know you look
hot, I can picture it…I am picturing it.


*good night goofy


*good night
millie

     The whole next week at school
went by fast.  We had a couple of test
that I
aced
because of studying for one hour each night.  Cash, on the other hand, pulled a 74%, which he seemed to be proud of.  I had an away game
on Tuesday night.  Cash couldn’t go because he had to work.  He hated that he had to miss some of them
,
but he had to help his mom.
 
I knew his mom worked
,
but Cash felt like he should help her out with some of the bills.  Thursday
,
Cara asked me if Cash and I wanted to come over to her house on Saturday.  She was having a cook out and said we were going to hang out in the
hot
tub. 

    
“Okay, let me see what Cash is doing and I’ll text
ya
.”

     “Great, as of right now
,
there will only be about fifteen people there.  I don’t want it to get too out of control because Jake will be there too.
”  Oh,
that should be
interesting
,
I thought, knowing Jess would be there as well.

     When I walked out the front doors of the school, Cash was already waiting for me at my car.  “Hey you, how does a little get together at Cara’s house on Saturday night sound?”

     “Boring
,
”
h
e answered.

     “No
,
it will be fun, trust me.”

     “I don’t want to hang out with them.  I want to hang out with you
,
”
he said wrapping his arms around me.

     “Well, if you want to hang out with me…I guess you’re going to Cara’s on Saturday,” I say as I pull him into a hug.  He hugs me back
,
but I can tell he isn’t convinced he will have a good time.  “Do you not like my friends?”

     “I don’t know your friends.”

     “Well, that’s because you don’t ever try to get to know them.”

     “I don’t want to.  All I care about is you.”  He pouts.

     “How about if I tell you that this little shindig will end with us in the hot tub and me in a bikini, will you change your mind then?”  I say turning from side to side with my arms still around him.

     “Wait,
yes, that definitely changes things.
”  I laugh at his eagerness.

     “Well, that was easy
.
I guess I should’ve changed into my bikini that day in gym.”

     “What day are you talking about?” 
H
e asks while picking me up off the ground.
  I put my legs around his waist so I would be easier to hold.

     “Umm, hello…the stare off?” 

     “Oh yeah,” he
says laughing.
  “You had mad skills, I’ll give you that.”

     “Quit making fun of me—
”

     “
Hey, did you just call her MAD?”  Eli asked coming up behind Cash.  My brother has the worst timing.  “And really?  You two need to get a room, that’s just gross.”

     Cash sits me down and faces Eli.  “Why did you think I called her MAD?”

     “Eli, shut it!”  I snipped.

     “Because
,
her initials spell MAD.  So
,
I’ve been calling her MAD Millie since we were kids.”
 
Cash laughed so hard, he doubled over. 

    
“Whatever, I have to get home to, I need, ugh, I’m leaving,” I huffed at them both.

     “Don’t be mad, umm (both of them started laughing their butts off a
gain at his unintentional pun)
upset at us
,
Mil we were just teasing you.”

     “I’m not
,
I think it’s funny as hell
,
” Eli said as he got in the passenger side.  I rolled my eyes at him.

     “I have to work tonight, so I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” he said hugging me bye.  I told him bye and got into my car. 

    
“You are a brat sometimes
.
” I glare
d
at my brother.

     “Yep,” was all he said as he popped a Jay Z CD into my
CD player.
 

    
We sang all the way home and I realized I wasn’t as mad at him as I thought.
  I didn’t have ball practice tonight
,
so I decided to do some homework and watch TV.  After I finished my homework, I went downstairs to get something to eat.  My parents were in the kitchen and looked to be in deep discussion. 

    
“Sorry, I didn’t realize y
’
all were talking.”

     “Wait
,
Millie
,
this concerns you too,” my dad said.

     “What’s going on?”

     “This has been weighing on me and I thought I should talk to you about it.”

     I may only be seventeen, but I know when my dad says he thought he should talk, that means my mom told him to.

     “I just wanted to tell you a little bit about my past.  You’ve been distant from me and I can only assume it’s because I
was against you seeing
Cash.”

     “I’m sorry dad, I wasn’t trying to avoid you, I just felt like you judged him to
o
soon.”

     “Well, actually he has been arrested for public intoxication and disorderly conduct and I know this because yes, I did a check on him at work.  When I sat down and talked to your mother, she made me see that I needed to talk to you and let you know why
I
have been so against Cash.”

     “I grew up in Brooklyn
,
as you know.  Millie, it’s a total different life there.  The people I hung out with were not good.  That’s why I was hell bent on raising my family here
,
where bad people stick out.  Anyway, the people the
r
e were ruthless and didn’t care if you didn’t want to help them sell drugs or be the lookout while they robbed the corner store.  I had to
h
elp them or they would kill me or someone in my family.  I’ve done a lot of bad things in my life.  Some of them I was made to do and some I chose to do.  I didn’t want you to date Cash because he reminded me of
me when
I was his age.  And honestly yes, I thought you were too good for him and I still do.  Your mom has reminded me that people can change and I’m hoping that he has always been a good person, he was just growing up in a place that didn’t give him a good foundation.  I love you honey and I just want the best for you.”

     I started crying.  I don’t know why I got so emotional about this
,
I guess because my dad has never told me any of this.  “So
,
are you tellin
g
me that you got into trouble before you became a police officer?”

     “Not really trouble, I just didn’t have parents that looked out for me and in the city, there’s a lot to get into and older guys that don’t mind having a sixteen year old doing their dirty work.”

     “Thank you for telling me.  I understand where you are
coming
from dad
,
really I do
, but
Cash is a good guy
,
I promise.  His dad left him and his mom and he’s just trying to help her.”

     “I know
,
Millie.  Your mom and I trust you, it’s just hard to trust other people and that’s what I’m basically having to do is trust him to take care of you.  Your our little girl and we don’t want to see you hurt or in trouble.”  I stood up and walked over and hugged my dad.  “I love you
,
pumpkin.”

     “I love you too
,
daddy.”

    
I couldn’t imagine my dad doing any of those things he told me.  He was so steadfast, disciplined, and good.  It’s weird when you realize your parents were kids too
.  As much as I hated that my dad went through that, it made him more real to me.  I like knowing he made mistakes too. 
I went to my room after our talk and fell right to sleep.