“Nope. How about, this weekend, you concentrate on nothing but getting the next piece of ass and letting Hope go.”
I threw my phone down into the center console and rested my head back against the headrest. I didn’t want to forget about her. My phone pinged with a message a little while later. Grabbing my phone, I checked my messages, praying that Hunter had taken care of Felice and that she would leave me alone, at least for a while. But as soon as I saw the name that crossed my screen, I threw my phone down and fought the urge to be sick. I couldn’t...I couldn’t even bear to read what she had to say.
I cranked the tunes on the radio the rest of the drive home. As Hunter turned the car down the old familiar street, an overwhelming feeling rose in the pit of my stomach. What if I saw her while I was at home? I mean, she did live right across the road from my parents. After my brother pulled into the driveway, I climbed out of the car. The first eyes I locked on were hers. She stood on her parents’ front porch looking at me, her eyes dark. She raised her hand in a little wave. I turned my back away from her and demanded my brother bring the bags in.
Carter
After dinnerI sat in my father’s den, sipping on Scotch, and reading through the evening’s newspaper. Hunter had gone out with Chase and Bryce to see a movie. After they had left, I had finally taken a few minutes to read through the texts that Hope had sent. She was asking to meet me for a coffee. I was sure she just wanted to get her things, but she would have to wait until I was ready. I let out a breath, threw the paper down, grabbed my glass, and sat back in my father’s leather armchair.
“Well, son, how is the studying coming?” My father came into his office and sat down behind his desk, rooting through one of his drawers, looking for something.
“As well as can be, Dad.”
My father took one look at me, got up from his chair, and shut his office door. “Son, what is it?”
“What is what, Dad?”
“Who do you think you are fooling? You look like shit. What’s going on?”
I was quiet, downing the last bit of Scotch from my glass. I made my way over to my father’s cabinet and poured myself another glass. “Want some?” I asked, holding the bottle up.
He nodded. I filled the two glasses and set the bottle down. When I turned, my father took the two glasses from my hand, a worried expression coming over his face. “Are you in some sort of trouble, son?” I said nothing, just sat down and sipped another mouthful of the golden liquid, savoring the burn as I let it slowly roll down my throat. My father sat there in silence, waiting for me to talk. I wasn’t sure how much I wanted to tell him. “Son, if you are in trouble, just talk to me. We can figure it out.”
“I’m not in trouble, Dad.” I sat there, tapping the glass with the ring I wore, listening to the clink of the metal against the glass. “Have you ever wanted something so badly, but knew there was no way you could have it?”
“You know what I have always told you: work hard and you can have whatever you want.”
I rested my head back. “I know, but sometimes those things are just out of reach.”
“No, nothing is out of reach if you want it badly enough. As soon as you are done with this final exam, my friend has an opening at his firm; he needs a fresh family lawyer. He’s already told me to have you forward your grades and resume. A couple of months working there, and you should be able to get whatever it is you want.”
Oh God, he thought I was talking about a physical item. “No, Dad, this isn’t something I can acquire with money. It’s just this girl.”
“Your future holds so much promise, Carter. Any woman should be happy to have you. You shouldn’t waste your time on those who aren’t. If this is what all this moping is about then I suggest you straighten yourself up.” I looked at my Dad; the serious expression on his face told me he thought I was being ridiculous. “You know, Hunter told me what mess he found you in.”
“I’m in love with her, Dad,” I blurted.
“Did you tell her that?”
“Yes, or I thought I did.”
“You thought you did? It’s either you did or you didn’t.”
I looked at the glass in my hand and shrugged. “She’s in love with someone else.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“She’s engaged, Dad.”
“May I ask who this girl is?” My father tapped his ring on the edge of his glass, waiting for my response.
“It’s Hope.” I closed my eyes. My father had represented her father’s company in a legal battle a few years ago, and after that, our parents didn’t get along. I had no idea what had really happened except that it was a bad business deal gone wrong, but I had always been friends with her. “I know what you’re going to say, Dad—just to stay away and find someone else...”
My father held his hand up to shush me; it was something he had always done to stop anyone from putting words in his mouth. I looked at him and stopped speaking. “Carter, first, don’t put words in my mouth. Second, if you feel that strongly for her, then talk to her. It’s not my place to tell you whom you can and can’t love. I know she’s been home at her parents’. I’ve seen her around town. We have always liked Hope. Her parents? Well, that is another story. But don’t be foolish; we want to see you boys happy in your lives, and right now I can tell you aren’t happy. So, buck up, be a man, and go after what it is you want, not just in your personal life, but your business life as well.”
My father stood, grabbing his glass, and headed toward the door to his office. “Oh, and Carter, take it easy on the Scotch. It’s five hundred dollars a bottle.”
“No problem, Dad. I’ll replace it with my next paycheck.”