Page 74 of Sunrises & Salvation
“Do you have banana nut bread or focaccia bread?” she asks, humor lacing her tone.
“Can I plead the fifth?” Bread, of any kind, is not my strong suit. Baking is not my strong suit. I prefer cooking, where I can mix any number of ingredients, and it doesn’t matter if I don’t put enough eggs. Heaven forbid you don’t put exactly an egg and a half in a recipe, it’ll turn into a hockey puck. And how are you even supposed to measure to get half of the egg?
Speaking of eggs.
“Mom! I don’t have chicken. I can’t make chicken carbonara without the chicken!” I moan into the phone, wanting to curl up into a ball and wallow in self-pity. I told myself I was going to go grocery shopping yesterday after work, but that turned into me complaining to my dad about how there are pin holes in my wall and I can see them and it bothers me. That resulted in me going to Home Depot and asking a man to come over to my housefor a date. With no chicken. And the holes are still in my wall because I pleaded with my dad to come over and help me do it this weekend.
“It’s fine, Hunter. I’ll swing by and drop off some chicken we have in the fridge.”
“You don’t mind?” I ask hopefully.
“Of course I don’t mind. I’m walking to the kitchen to grab it, and I’ll be there soon.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“Love you, honey.”
She brings the chicken and the half-done cookies so they can finish baking at my house, and sits with me until the food is done and Trent lets me know he’s fifteen minutes away.
“You’ll do great. Just be yourself and I know he’ll love you. It’s hard not to.” Her words are sweet and reassuring, but with a sad undertone as well. I know she’s thinking about Adam and how she wanted me to talk to him. I don’t know if she planned on us trying to work it out or simply get closure, but this is how I’m choosing to move on.
“Love you, Mom.”
My mom leaves, and instead of going back into the kitchen, I wait by the front door. Not standing directly in front of it and watching like a creeper, but close enough that I’ll be able to see Trent when he comes up my driveway.
A truck parks, and I wait patiently for him to get out. My palms sweat as he waits in his front seat. I can’t see his expression from here, but I really hope he’s excited. I wanted tonight to be perfect. Tonight is my second chance at love, and a chance to start over.
I open the door when he finally gets out and I watch him with bated breath as his foot lifts like he’s going to get back into his truck, and my stomach drops. Pathetically, I wave my hand at him, hoping that he knows I’m waiting for him. I sadly amdesperate enough that I want him to give me a chance. I want someone to pick me, to choose me first.
Trent doesn’t get back in his truck; he slams his door shut and walks over to me. His dark hair is tucked behind his ears, and his short-sleeved shirt is showing off the sleeve of tattoos on his right arm.
“Hi,” I say shyly when he steps onto the porch. The strong smell of his cologne meets my nose, and I fight the urge to inhale deeply. It’s masculine and exactly what I would expect a guy like him to wear. I check his outfit up and down. The soft jeans he’s wearing are worn around the knees but stick to his thighs to show off the tight muscles underneath. “You look handsome.” I offer up the compliment, trying not to come off too strong and scare him away.
“So do you,” he tells me, and I run my tongue across my bottom lip, trying to avoid biting the skin and ripping it open.
“Dinner’s ready.” By the grace of my mother. “I hope you’re hungry.”
And the date goes great. He’s nice, and he has so many stories about the local people that there’s not a spare moment to overthink our conversation as we eat. He says and does all the right things, complimenting the food and offering to do the dishes. It’s almost too good to be true.
At the end of the night, right before he gets in his truck, he asks to see me again.
I agree, because how could I not?
When he presses a gentle kiss to my forehead, I melt a little on the inside.
This is what I deserve, what I crave. A soft, gentle type of love to guide me through life.
42
ADAM
When Trent asked me to go on a double date with him, I thought it would be a great idea. A way for me to bond with his new boyfriend, whom he’s spent the past month fawning over while I lick my wounds in peace at my desk. He’s been happier than I’ve seen him… well, almost ever. While I feel like my world is imploding.
Which is dramatic, and I’m man enough to admit that. I’ve been fawning over a man, but I cut myself off cold turkey from him right after that last deep dive I did on Google. I made a promise to myself, and Cheryl and Daniel, that I would not involve myself in anything Hunter-related.
I was waiting for him to reach out to me so I could respect his boundaries.
And fuck did that blow up in my face, horribly.
