by Hayden Hunt
Cabin Love
Hayden Hunt
Contents
Copyright
1. James
2. Chris
3. James
4. Chris
5. James
6. Chris
7. James
8. Chris
9. James
10. Chris
Epilogue
FREE Picture Perfect Excerpt
11. Rich
12. Patrick
13. Rich
FREE Cold Turkey Excerpt
14. Daniel
15. Ethan
16. Daniel
17. Ethan
FREE BONUS CHAPTER
Copyright
Copyright © 2016 by Hayden Hunt
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
1
James
“Shit,” I mumbled, as I pulled a batch of burnt cookies out of the oven. Fantastic, I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of this.
I was a shitty cook and an even worse baker, but I was trying to practice prior to the holiday weekend next week.
I was going with my boyfriend to his family’s house, and he had volunteered us to bring some dessert. I still wasn’t sure exactly what that dessert was going to be, hopefully something more complex than cookies, but it looks like maybe not.
The unfortunate thing is that my boyfriend really isn’t that bad of a cook, but he never wanted to do it. I was responsible for pretty much all our meals except on the rare occasion when he made a phone call to the pizza delivery place. Whether I was buying groceries full of frozen food or picking things up on my way home from work, I was the only one in charge of dinner.
In fact, most of the time when I come home, the first question out of my boyfriend’s mouth is, “What’s for dinner?” I do all the housework, too! So, you might ask, what does he bring to the relationship?
Honestly, I don’t know anymore.
It didn’t always used to be like this. A couple years ago, we had a great relationship. He put effort into us, and he was a genuinely sweet guy. That’s actually why I fell for him, because he was so unbelievably kind to me.
But I haven’t seen that kindness in a long time. And these days, thereee more cruelty than kindness. I can’t even remember the last time I’n heard him say, “I love you,” or apologize for his behavior. He’s just kind of an asshole twenty-four-seven these days.
And, I know I should leave. In fact, I plan to, just… not right now. I don’t want to dump him right before the holidays. I don’t want to be that cruel.
Which is funny, because cruelty was pretty much all he showed me. But I’d like to rise above him. Besides, I know he’s going to be even more hellish to break up with if I do it right before Christmas. He’ll go on a tirade about how I’m ruining his Christmas and what is he supposed to tell his family and blah blah, whatever. I don’t feel like dealing with it. And I won’t have to for much longer.
“James, are those cookies done?!” I heard him call from the living room. “I need a snack!”
He then proceeded to laugh at something he saw on television. That’s all he does when he comes over to my house, use my flat screen television and ignore me unless he has to ask me something about food.
I found myself actually dreading his visits these days. It was so unhealthy, but it’ll only be a couple more weeks. Eventually, I would get this guy off my back and out of my life.
I sighed and walked from the kitchen into the living room. I wasn’t even going to mention the cookies. With any luck, he’ just forget about them when he got reabsorbed into whatever television show at which he’d been gawking.
I sat on the couch next to him and knew immediately by the look he was giving me that this was not going to end easily.
“What’s that smell?” he snapped.
“What smell?” I played stupid, though I knew damn well what he was talking about.
“That… burning smell. Did you ruin the cookies?”
“Uh, yeah, I did.” I admitted and then turned my attention to the television.
He stared at me angrily. “You’re kidding me, right!? I’ve been fucking waiting an hour for them.”
I rolled my eyes at this exaggeration. “It hasn’t taken me an hour to bake the cookies.”
“How the hell do you know?!” he snapped quickly.
“Because, Tim, the recipe only gave me a fifteen minute prep-time and twenty minute cook-time.”
He scoffed. “Yeah, and you went over on the cook-time, and I’m positive you went over on the prep-time, since it takes you a million fucking years to do the simplest thing. Seriously, how hard is it to bake cookies? How the hell can you expect to bake something for my family’s Christmas if you can’t even avoid ruining cookies?!”
“It was an accident, okay!” I snapped back. “I forgot to put a timer on, and I got distracted. There’s no need to berate me for it.”
“Yeah, there is, because if I just let it go, you’re never going to learn.”
I was immediately disgusted by what he had said. Well, that was a new concept for him. He’a never let on before that he felt like he needed to teach me proper behavior. Like I’m some child or a pet he has to train. He has to verbally harass me for me to learn anything, is that really what he thinks?
Hell, maybe that’s why he’d been like this lately. He did manage to insult or criticize me at any given opportunity. Maybe he thought he was just doing his job in teaching me to be a better fucking boyfriend or some shit.
“You don’t need to teach me anything,”YI told him coldly. “I can learn on my own, and, even if I couldn’t, do you really think yelling at me will to make me a better cook?”
“I don’t fucking know. Maybe! I’ve got to try something! Being nice doesn’t get the best out of you, either. And I have to make sure that something decent is made for my family, so I won’t be totally fucking embarrassed.”
I told myself to bite my tongue, but it was easier said than done.
“If you want to make sure something is done, why don’t you do it?! Why does it have to be me? I’m not even a good fucking cook, and you are!”
“I don’t have the time!” he bit back.
Which was total bullshit. He worked about five hours more than I did each week, but he acted like he was working his ass off while I had all the time in the world to cook and clean.
And, okay, this is my apartment, so I know I should be responsible for all the cleaning here. But the thing is, he spends literally all of his spare time here. I’m pretty much never allowed to go over to his place. Which means he comes over here, expects me to make food for him, makes a mess in my apartment every night, and leaves me responsible for cleaning it up.
Seriously, he doesn’t even clean up after himself! He stays up late in my apartment playing video games and leaves beer cans and snack wrappers all over my kitchen table. If he spills something, he just fucking pretends it didn’t happen! Chip crumbs all over the carpet from him eating on the couch, which I’ve asked him not to do? Completely my problem. Nothing is his responsibility.
“You’re really not much busier than I am,,”.I told him sternly. “In fact, with cooking and cleaning, I’m a hell of a lot busier than you are. And this is for your family. You can bake them whatever you want, this doesn’t have to fall on me.”
“You’re so fucking worthless,”Yhe snapped back.
This is what he does every time an argument doesn
’t go his way. Instead of making a counter-argument, he simply snaps back by insulting me.
Though, admittedly, it’s usually not as cruel as, “you’re fucking worthless.” This was setting me over the edge. I could feel my blood boiling, and I knew, in that moment, I couldn’t do this any longer. I couldn’t continue to live my life like this. I don’t deserve this treatment.
“You know what? Get out,”YI said coldly.
“What?!” he roared. “Who the hell do you think you’re talking to?!”
“Who do you think you’re talking to?! Your slave?! Your little bitch boyfriend? Someone who isn’t going to stick up for himself? Yeah, I could see why you’d think that, considering I really haven’t up until this point, but that’s done. I’m done with this. You’re not going to mistreat me anymore. Get out of my house.”
“You can’t kick me out!”
“I just did. Go, get out.”
“So, is that it?” he asked. “You’re just breaking up with me now?”
“That’s right,”TI said, not even batting an eye.
I had no regrets about this, especially after what he had just said. I had made up my mind that this had been over a long time ago, and I had no qualms about finally ending it. I didn’t even feel bad about the holidays anymore. If I’m so worthless, then he didn’t need me to help him.
His jaw dropped. “Over one fucking fight!? We’ve been together for years, and you’re going to end this over one fight?!”
“Of course not. This isn’t over one fight. It’s over months and months of you treating me badly. Months of you snapping at me over insignificant things. Months of you implying that you’re somehow better than I am, that I just hold you back. But now, you’re not even implying it, you’re just saying that I’m worthless to you! Why should I stay with you when it’s clear you don’t even like me?”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re such a drama queen.”
I had to laugh, because I was the opposite of a drama queen. I was subdued, patient; I pretty much never have issues with anyone. Not at work, not with friends, not with my family, nobody! And even with him, I rarely responded to him escalating our fights.
But there was no point in arguing this with him. Obviously, my mind was made up anyway. Why fight about it?
“Yep, that’s me, the drama queen. Now get out.”
He looked at me and raised an eyebrow. “You’re serious, you want me to go?”
“Yeah, I want you to go, now.”
“My fucking show is on!” he motioned to the television.
Holy shit, is that seriously what he’s thinking about right now? That I’m disrupting his fucking television time? God, of course he is. This selfish fucking asshole…
“Go watch it at your house!”
“I’ll miss it while Iss driving over there!”
“Honestly, Tim, I could not give a fuck less. I want you gone. You have disrespected me enough in my own fucking house. You should have thought about your precious television show before you called me worthless.”
He threw my remote across the room. “Fucking fine, I’ll go, and I won’t fucking forget you kicking me out like this!”
“Why would I care if you do or don’t forget it?” I asked. “Why would that matter to me?”
“Because you’re going to regret this. You’ll start to miss me as soon as I’m gone, and you’re going to wish that I’d come back into your life. But I fucking won’t, James! If you push me out that door, then I’m gone forever.”
“Great!” I shouted. “That’s exactly what I’ve been looking for! Ding ding ding, get out that door forever!”
He lowered his eyes at me, and I could tell, he knew I was serious. He knew this was the last time I was going to see him. That I was completely through with his ass.
I didn’t know what I had expected out of him. I guess a little part of me had thought he might try to change when he had realized he was losing me. That he would have begged and pleaded for a second chance and promise on everything that he’d change his attitude for me.
But that’s not what happened, and it’s definitely not what I should have expected. He went the entire opposite direction, actually. He was going full scorched earth on me.
“You know what? I’m not leaving,”Yhe said, as he sat back down on the couch.
“What?!”
“I’m not fucking going.” He turned back in the direction of the television and pretended I wasn’t there.
“You have to go! You don’t have a choice! This is my place.”
“Yeah? Who’Y going to force me out? You?” he laughed. “Nah, think I’ll sit right here and enjoy television for the rest of the night.”
And just like that, I felt like everything I had once thought of him was solidified. The fear that he had only ever wanted to come over here was because my place was better than his apartment and I had a big television was suddenly no longer unfounded.
I mean, I guess it never was unfounded. I’ve had reason to suspect this for a long time. But, now I knew, I was nothing to him.
“Get out, or I’ll call the fucking cops,”oI threatened.
“No, you won’t, though. I know you. I know what kind of person you are. You’re too pussy to call the cops on me. I’m not fucking stupid. But, yeah, go ahead. Do what you gotta do.”
That’s it. This was the last time he was ever going to insult me, the last time I was going to deal with this bullshit from him.
I pulled up my phone and started searching for our local police precinct’s non-emergency line.
He glanced over at me. “What are you doing?” he asked, trying to still sound casual.
“I’m calling the cops.”
“Pfft. All right, sure,”Phe said, as if he didn’t believe I possibly could be doing that. But I could hear in his voice that he was getting a little nervous. And when I put the phone to my ear, the anxiety on his face only increased.
“Hello, Jenning Police Department, how many I direct your call?” a woman answered.
“Hello, yes, I’m calling because my now ex-boyfriend is refusing to leave the premises,”oI told the operator on the phone.
Before she even had time to answer me, Tim was on his feet, cussing at me.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me, you dumb motherfucker. Trying to call the cops on me, fucking asshole prick.”
“Oh, I think it’s okay, actually, he seems to be leaving,”OI told her.
“Would you like me to stay on the line as he leaves?” she asked. “Is there any chance of him becoming violent or aggressive?”
“No, I think it’ll be fine, but don’t worry, I won’t hesitate to call back if anything happens.”
“All right, sir, we’ll be here if you need anything.”
“Thanks, goodbye.” I hung up, staring at Tim coldly.
“I can’t believe you’d seriously call the cops on me,”ohe said hotly. “You are un-fucking believable.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m unbelievable, and you’re a goddamn saint. Just get the hell out of my house, or I’ll tell them you’re no longer being compliant.”
“Fine, fucking fine, but this isn’t over, you know.”
“And what the hell is that supposed to mean?” I snapped.
“It means this isn’t over, me and you. You’re going to come crawling back to me, trust me. In a week, you’re going to miss me so much, you’ll be pleading with me to come back to you. And I’m not fucking going to. I’ll be out of your fucking life for good. I’ll always remember that you were willing to call the cops on me.”
“Oh, no!” I responded sarcastically. “How ever will I survive?”
He looked shocked, once again. He wasn’t used to me standing up to him. “Fuck you, James. Seriously, fuck you.”
I sat back down on the couch. “Don’t let the door hit you on your way out,” I said, as I took the remote and changed the channel. The last thing I could do that I knew would bug the shit out of him.
He left in
a huff, but I couldn’t care less. I was just happy to see him walk out the door.
I thought, maybe once he did, I might be a little upset, and, in a way, I kind of was. But not because I was losing him, mostly because I had another failed relationship under my belt as I was entering my late-twenties.
But, mostly, I felt incredibly free. I had wanted to do this for a long time, and I no longer cared that I was dumping his sorry ass right before the holidays. It was his problem now. I don’t know why I made his problem my problems when he had never done the same. He had never cared about anything that was going on in my life, not for a second.
So, now I no longer cared, either. And, you know what? It felt pretty damn good.
Still, I didn’t want to sit in this house all weekend, now that we were no longer together. I know myself, and I have a tendency to obsess over things, and, honestly, I wouldn’t put it past Tim to show up again at some point. Either to beg me to get back together with him or just harass me out of spite, I’m honestly not sure which he’d do.
Regardless, I didn’t need to be here if and when he arrives. I really needed to do something this weekend, get out of the house, do something to avoid thinking and obsessing about all this.
I didn’t have too many close friends, but one person came to mind. One of my best friends since middle school, Jake. I knew, if he was free, he wouldn, hesitate to hang out with me. I immediately called him up.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Jake, hey, it’s me. I, uh...” I didn’t know where to start. Did I just ask him to hang out? Confess to him that I was going through a break-up with Tim? I’d always been pretty awkward on the phone, but especially so at times like these.
“Is something wrong?” he asked immediately. He knew me too well.
“Actually, kind of, Tim and I broke up.”
“Aw, sorry, bro. That fucking blows. What happened?”
“You know, I don’t know. Nothing really happened. I guess I think it was just my frustration with him pretty much always being an asshole. I just didn't want to deal with it anymore, so… here I am.”
