The Not - Outcast

“I don’t understand—”

“It’s narrow-minded bullshit.” Point blank. Period. The end. “That’s it. My mom was a junkie, and I got looked at the same way. Don’t mean a thing that I never touched drugs. That I was never like her, ever. They looked at me like I was her or I was going to be like her, and they’re wrong. That’s their issue.”

“Yes, and that’s my best friend.”

Shit.

The dent just got made.

I was bleeding for him.

“I’m sorry.”

We were reaching the outskirts of town, and he turned onto the interstate. It’d be more smooth driving now, and he glanced over as soon as we merged. “If he asks, how can he make this right?”

I shook my head. “He doesn’t have to do a thing for me.”

“Cheyenne.”

“No, Cut. Listen. It’s not me he’s wronged. Not in this situation. It’s you. He’s doing you wrong because you care, because you asked him, because he said he would be better. He didn’t do better, for you. You have to answer that, not me. I’m hurting for you, not for me. I’m never going to let them hurt me, so you need to understand that. I’m only hurting because they’re hurting you and in the process, they’re hurting Hunter.”

“Jesus.” He shook his head. “When I think I’m starting to get you figured out, then you say things and I’m now looking back at myself and being humbled.”

I grinned. “You’re good. It’s Chad and Deek who are the assholes.”

He grinned back, there was still sorrow there.

My heart ached, an invisible hand squeezing it together, but I couldn’t do anything there except have a word with Nut-Brother myself. But even then, Chad was going to do what Chad was going to do.

“He’s hurt Sasha, too, by all this.”

Cut was quiet, turning off on our exit.

I added, shifting to start seeing the line of cars waiting to get into Bresko’s, “He’s hurting you and her. Two people who care about him the most. She won’t tell me what he says, but I know they go back and forth. I also know that I’m the reason.”

“Cheyenne.”

I corrected, “He’s the reason, but you know what I mean. His thoughts, or whatever.”

“I still don’t like it.”

Which was fair.

I didn’t know what else to say, but then Cut asked, “So, you finally saw Hunter, huh?”

That was it. Now I totally knew what to say and I didn’t stop talking until we were pulling up to Bresko’s.* * *Our treatment was a lot of the same when we headed inside.

A water was handed instantly to me.

Cut held my hand the whole time. The difference between our arrival tonight, versus our arrival the other night, was that it seemed there were more people around. Then again, it was Saturday night. I suppose that was bound to happen. I’d been talking about Hunter so much, I hadn’t paid attention to how many people were waiting in their cars, but I did remember that there was a larger-than-normal crowd waiting outside the doors.

And as soon as Cut stepped out of his vehicle, word went through them real quick.

I heard Cut’s name a lot. The phones went up and the flashes started.

A few people were still in the entryway, and seeing Cut, they came over for autographs.

He glanced at me, but I nodded and slipped away. I was okay with this.

I got it. I really did.

His eyes darkened and his mouth tightened, but that was his only reaction.

They didn’t last long.

It seemed the staff was on point.

The autographs were signed. A couple selfies were taken, and they were whisked away by staff. The manager, the same one as the other night, showed us to the box. The exception this time was that a man was waiting inside.

He was standing at the edge, watching the dancers with a drink in hand. The other hand was in his pocket. Dress pants. A white buttoned shirt, that was unbuttoned at the top, and the ends were loosely tucked inside his pants.

“Tanner.” Cut strode forward, his hand already out.

“Cut. Hey.” The guy turned, and I was greeted with a startling beautiful face. Shaggy blond hair. Dark eyes. He had a whole rakish feel to him, and he was checking me out while skirting between Cut and myself. He indicated me with the drink. “This yours?”

Cut laughed, stepping back. “She is. This is Cheyenne. Cheyenne, this is Tanner. He owns Bresko’s.”

Oh. Wow.

This guy looked not even a day over thirty and he owned this place?

“Hi. Hello. I’m Cheyenne.”

Tanner’s mouth twitched. “It’s nice to meet you.” He said to Cut, “I was in town. Cary told me about your game, that a few of your teammates might be coming out. Thought I’d stick around, see if you were one of them.” He nodded to me. “And to meet your woman, it’s a double pleasure.”