Hooked (36 page)

     He smirked at me
.
“Yeah, I think I got it.”  I knew he was being a smart
butt,
but I just let it go because I was curious as to how well he was going to do.

     I got my pole ready
an
d cast
it
out to the river.  I watched him intently waiting for him to ask for my help, he didn’t
,
of course.  I huffed a little because I actually wanted to beat him at this.  I don’t know why I cared so much
.
I guess I wanted him to be impressed.  Right then, I felt a tug on my line. 

    
“Cash, I got one!”  I reeled the little guy in.  He wasn’t that impressive
,
but I only had my pole in for a couple of minutes, so I felt like this was a good sign.

     “Shit!”

     H
is cussing brought me out of my reverie.  I turned to look back at him and I almost feel into the river trying to get up to him fast enough.  I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry for him.  I ran over to him and tried my best to help him.

     “Oh
my gosh
, h
ow did you do this?  It’s bleeding everywhere.  Hang on
,
let me get a napkin first
,
then I will pull it out
.”  I ran over to the basket and pulled the napkins out along with
a
bottle
of
water.  I went back over to him and he was now sitting on a rock.

     “Damn
,
this hurts
,
”
h
e hissed.

     “How did you even do this, you hooked yourself in the back of the neck.”

     “Wow
,
Millie you’re perceptive
,
”
h
e snipped at me.

     “Well, I see what kind of attitude someone get’s when he’s been hurt
,
” I said.

“Just sit still for a sec…okay
,
this is probably
gonna
hurt a little bit.”  I bit my bottom lip because I didn’t want to hurt him
,
but I had to pull the hook out.

     “Just do it quick
, ah, damn,
ahhh
, just
do
it
!
”

     I pulled the hook out while he was still talking thinking it would keep him more distracted.  I rushed the napkins u
p to his neck.  The trickle of blood didn’t seem to be t
oo extreme, but I knew we had to go to the hospital.
  

     “How do you feel?”  I walked in front of him while holding the napkins to his neck so I could see his face.

     He put his head on my stomach and wrapped both of his arms around my waist.
  “Thank you
,
baby, I don’t know how in the heck I did that
,
but it freaking hurt.”

     “I know, when you put it behind you to cast I guess you didn’t have it high enough,” I said.  I didn’t want to laugh at him because he was really hurt
,
but this was one of the funniest things ever.  I think what made it so funny was that it was him,
Mr. Perfect
, that hooked himself.

     “Well, this trip was short lived
.
”
I laughed.  “W
e have to get you to the hospital for a tetanus shot.  You go get in the car and I’ll carry everything up.”

     “No
,
I can get the stuff with one hand.”  He had one hand holding the napkins on his neck and the other was holding our poles and tackle box. 

     “You are the one that’s hurt, let me do something
,
” I argued on the way to the car.

     “Baby, I got it, just get in
,
”
h
e said as he put the stuff in the trunk.

     Screw that
,
I thought, I’m driving us there.  He can suck it up.  There was no way I was letting him carry all of our stuff and drive himself to the hospital
,
so I slid in the driver’s side of his car.

     “What do you think you are doing?”

     “I’m driving you.  Don’t argue with me, you always try to do everything so I don’t have to.  I took the dang hook out and I’m driving you to the
dang
hospital, now get i
n
,
” I said sternly so he would know I wasn’t backing down.

     “Alright, chill out.  I just didn’t want you doing stuff for me that I could do for myself.”

     “Well, I’m here and I’m taking care of you.  Don’t treat me like I can’t, I don’t want you doing anything until we make sure you’re ok
ay
.”

     By the time we finally made it to the hospital
,
Cash had stopped bleeding and the doctor on call told us he would need the shot since it had been more than
ten
years since his last one.  After I helped him fill out his paper work,
(
which he didn’t really like
,
but
since I went off on him earlier, he decided to keep his mouth shut) he got his shot and I drove us to my house.  We pulled in the driveway
later that afternoon
,
six
hours after we first left this morning.  It was an hour to the river and we only spent
thirty
minutes on the river
,
so we probably spent about
three
hours at the hospital.  I was tired and I know he was.

     “I’m sorry I ruined our fishing trip
.
”
  H
e laughed.

     “I’m not, I won.” I grinned.

     “No, you didn’t.  We didn’t get to finish.”

     “Yes
,
I did, fair and square.  You didn’t catch anything and I caught one, so I won.”

     “Millie
,
that’s a
technicality
, we didn’t actually get
to even have the competition.”

     “Nope, you’re not getting off that easy.  I
won;
just accept defeat like a man
.
”
I leaned over and snuggled his neck.

     “Fine, have it y
our way.  What do I have to do?
  You wouldn’t happen to want the same thing I want
ed
, would you?”

     “You mean the night
alone?
  Actually
,
that sounds great
,
but that’s not what you’re
gonna
do.  You sir, are going to stop smoking.”  I smiled as I looked into his eyes.

     “Umm no, I don’t even smoke around you anymore, isn’t that good enough?”

     “No, you are the one who wanted to bet.  I won and now you’re
gonna
welch
?  If you had
won
you would’ve expected me to give you what you wanted.”
I pouted.

     He kissed me deeply and rubbed his hands over my back.  “Fine, I’ll quit
,
but I feel like I still deserve that night since I went through so much pain and all
.
”
  H
e stuck out his bottom lip for me.

     I laughed at him.  “I think we can work something out.  Are you ok
ay
to drive home?”

     “Yeah, I’m good.  I’ll call you when I get home
,
ok
ay
?  I’ll bring the poles and stuff back tomorrow that way you don’t have to put it up tonight.”

     “Okay, I love you and I’m sorry you hurt yourself…city boy.”  I giggled as I got out.

CHAPTER
19

     We got out for Christmas break on Wednesday.  I was really excited because I absolutely love Christmas, plus
,
who doesn’t want to be out of school for a couple of weeks?  Cash was working almost every day during the break
,
but I knew he had a couple of days of
f
for Christmas.  I really wanted to go with him to visit his mom.  He had not seen his mom in a month and I know she was supposed to stay at least sixty days.

     We were in my bedroom Monday night and I had just played basketball at home.

“You played great
,
Mil.”

     “Thank you
.
I did have a good game tonight.  I think I actually had like 26 points.”

     “You had 27.  Remember, you made that free throw at the end when you got fouled?”

     “Oh yeah, you actually keep up with me better than I do
.
”
I play hit him.

     He grabbed me around the waist and laid me back on my floor.  “Well, somebody has to, I enjoy it.” He took my hands into one of his and held them over my head.

     “Please don’t do what I think you are about to do
.
”
I tensed up knowing what was coming.

     He ran his finger down my side and tickled me so softly.  “Please, stop!  You know I can’t, I don’t like it!” I screamed giggling. 

     “I’m sorry
,
sweetheart, but I absolutely cannot resist this.  It’s too hard and you make it too easy.  I love seeing your face when I do this
.
”
H
e nuzzled his face into my side and ran his cheek up and under my arm.

     “Cash please, you’re facial hair is scratching me
,
” I tried to lie. 

    
I figured if I gave him an excuse that I was getting hurt he would stop…I was wrong.  He tickled me until I almost started crying.  I don’t know why he likes doing it so much
.
I think he likes it because he knows there’s really nothing I can do to stop him.

     “I need to work on my paper for English
,
” I told him trying to get up.

     He held me in place and said, “You’ve got plenty of time to do that.”

     “No
,
I don’t, it’s due in like two days.  Have you even started on yours?”

   
“Yeah
,
I worked on it last week some
.
I don’t really care as long as I pass.”

     “You are horrible
.
”
I laughed at him.

     “No, you’re a goody two shoes
,
but I love that about you.  See, we balance each
other out, you care about everything and I care about you
.
”
H
e smiled at me like he’d just solved a mystery.

     “Alright,
”
I said shaking my head at him,
“
you go downstairs and play whatever game it is that you and Eli play, and I will finish my paper so we can watch TV later, deal?” I stuck out my hand for him to shake.

     “Yeah, that’s cool
,
but I don’t shake
hands
with my girlfriend, we’ll seal this deal with a kiss.”
He grabbed me and pulled me close.