I leave them to get a buzz and get back to serving the happy hour crowd. I should have left thirty minutes ago but my replacement is late, and I wouldn’t feel right about leaving Sienna with this much of a crowd. I know I shouldn’t feel jealous when I see Lucas and a few of his buddies circling around Hattie and Kiesha like vultures but I do. Not because I think Hattie would do anything but because he wants what is mine. I don’t know why the guy can’t get it through his fat skull that she doesn’t want him. He is always trying to hang around her. He shows up at the coffee shop she works at all the damn time like a loser stalker.
I see Hattie tense and flinch, shrinking away when he leans in close to her, trying to whisper something in her ear. Her face pales as she gives me a strange look and shakes her head at what he is saying. Kiesha gives me an odd look as well. What in the fuck did he just say to her?
Cassie comes behind the bar and wraps her arms around me, trying to hug me. I shove her away. “What are you doing?”
I see Hattie storming towards the bathroom with tears in her eyes. Kiesha is following close behind her. Lucas looks at Cassie and me and laughs as him and his friends go over and grab a table. Cassie doesn’t answer me, and she goes over to take their order. I am fuming and livid. I need to find out what in the hell that fucker did, but I can’t leave Sienna on her own with this many drink orders coming in. I dig in and get as many drink orders as I can filled quickly. Cassie avoids me, giving her orders to Sienna instead. Suits me just fine, I don’t want to serve that dicklick and his friends.
My replacement finally shows up. Hattie still hasn’t emerged from the bathroom. It must be something bad, if she is this upset. I don’t even bother to count my drawer out. I go straight to the women’s room to see what has her so upset.
I knock on the door softly and Kiesha pokes her head out. When she sees that it is me, she steps aside and leaves me in the bathroom alone with Hattie. “Wanna tell me why you are in the bathroom crying?”
“Were you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” I ask confused as she blows her nose.
“About Cassie,” she says as though I should know what in the hell that means.
“You already know that I have slept with her, what more is there to say. She has nothing to do with us.” I go to hug her, and she takes a step back from me.
“What the fuck, baby? I haven’t done anything wrong. Maybe you should try talking to me and asking about whatever it is you are assuming about me.” I start pacing, getting pissed. Lucas, that fucker tells her something and she immediately believes him and jumps to conclusions without even asking me. I won’t be with someone who doesn’t trust me. I know Hattie has trust issues, but I haven’t given her any reason to doubt me in the least. “You gotta give me something here.”
“I know you fucked her but when were you going to tell me that she’s pregnant with your baby?” her words strike me like a punch to the face. My neck snaps back and my throat burns.
“Are you seriously asking me this? Cassie hasn’t breathed a word to me and I didn’t even get off when we fucked. Have I done anything to make you question the way I feel about you? You’ve ruined me for anyone else, Hattie. I’ve been drunk on you since the moment you first drove through Wild Horse Acres. That first day when your eyes locked with mine—I knew then my life was about to change. I just wasn’t sure how. I fucking love you.” Shit, did I say that last part aloud.
“You love me,” she says, taking a step toward me.
“Yeah, Hattie, I do. So are you going to believe the word of an asshole who wants in your pants or are you going to trust me when I say that I love you and I would never hurt you? I’m not Justin. I wouldn’t do that to you. If there was a chance in hell that Cassie could be pregnant with my child, I’d do the right thing and be a man and own that shit, but I wore a condom with her and I swear I couldn’t get off because she wasn’t you. All I could think about when I was with her was how she’d never be you.”
“I’m sorry, Zane. I guess it’s still hard for me to trust someone.” I wrap my arms around her and hug her. She leans up and kisses me, apologizing again.
“Come on.” I lead her back out to the bar and she takes her seat back at the counter. I apologize to Sienna and count my drawer out. Cassie is staring a hole though Hattie. Whatever this shit is…it ends right now.
I grab my girl by the hand and take her over to Cassie and I yell for Lucas to join us. Cassie looks uncomfortable and Lucas loses the smug look on his face when he sees that Hattie is holding my hand.
“I don’t know what in the hell the two of you got against Hattie and me, but she’s my girl. Cassie, we fucked once, it was months ago, and it wasn’t even that great. I couldn’t even get off. The whole time I was with you, I was picturing Hattie in my mind because she had just turned me down. If you are pregnant, I have to break it to you, it isn’t by me. If I thought there was a chance I’d step up, but it didn’t happen. Lucas, Hattie wouldn’t have you even if she wasn’t with me, get over it. The next time the two of you decide to gang up and make up shit about me, I won’t be so understanding. Maybe the two of you should fuck, I don’t know, but you are done interfering with our lives. You’re supposed to be my brother, man.” I shake my head. He’s fucking pathetic.
I don’t wait for either of them to say anything. I leave the bar with my woman. I promised her a movie and I intend to keep good on my word. We have a good thing going and I want to keep it that way.
They can fuck right off.
Chapter 22
Hattie Mae
Zane has been trying so hard to show me that I can count on him and that he will never hurt me. I have to say he has been an amazing boyfriend so far. He doesn’t even flirt with the women who come into the bar when he is working. I told him I would understand if he did, that is how he earns better tips. He told me it didn’t matter and that he wants people to respect our relationship. He said if he was flirting with other women it would only open the door to trouble and I guess he is right.
I think about the shit Lucas and Cassie pulled… and how I reacted, automatically thinking the worst of him. That wasn’t very fair of me, especially when he has been making such an effort to treat me so good. I guess it was a combination of the alcohol and my own insecurity that made me consider the lie Lucas had told. It didn’t help that right when he told me, I looked up and saw Cassie wrapping her arms around my man, embracing him. I really felt stupid when Zane told me how he loved me. I know from here on out he has my trust. It won’t always be easy, but he never promised that it would be.
Kiesha sent me a text that said Lucas thinks she fucked Zane and that is why he has been hellbent on coming between us. It makes sense. I simply hope Lucas can get his head out of his ass and make things right between him and Zane. They shouldn’t hate each other so much.
I lay back between his legs in the back of his truck with his arms wrapped around me. He kisses the top of my hair and I hear him
inhale deeply.
“Did you just sniff my hair?” I twist around to face him.
“Just watch the movie, baby,” he orders me.