“Oh, excuse me,” Corbin interrupted before biting at my throat. “So many people would bite your head off for that kind of talk. That play is like the number one best classic romance ever.”
“It ends in death, so technically, it’s not a romance,” I explained. “Shakespeare’s work is phenomenal, and he had an amazing way with words. But the romances in his plays usually ended in tragedy. All are amazing, don’t get me wrong, but a happy ending is needed for it to be classified as such.”
“So you’re saying that a romance that ends in a tragedy isn’t a romance?” Corbin asked. Challenging me.
“Exactly.”
“So, if I died tomorrow,” he continued, “would our love not be a romance?”
“Don’t even joke about that,” I said, refusing to even think about a life without him. “We’ll always be together.”
“Just like we always have been,” he said, making my heart swell.
I stared into his gray eyes and stroked the sharp line of his jaw. We were both eighteen, but I still had a roundness to my face that I’d probably never outgrow. Corbin, on the other hand, was the embodiment of manly perfection.
“Okay, enough Shakespeare talk,” I said before looking at the dashboard clock. “I have to be home soon. Now shut up and kiss me.”
He smirked as he gripped my nape and pulled me closer. Gently, he touched his lips to mine before deepening the kiss. We’d been in a lip-lock for so long that my lips began to chap, but I didn’t care. He was worth it.
“We should probably go,” he said after breaking the kiss. His unmoving arms around my waist told me he’d rather do the opposite.
“Yeah. If I’m out any later, my dad will freak out.”
If I’d known what was going to happen in the next few days… I would’ve never let us leave that spot.
***
Waking up to the sun shining through my window, I winced at the assault on my eyes. I turned my head the other way on the pillow and tried to go back to sleep. Right as I shut my eyes, my alarm sounded.
I worked at my parents’ diner on the weekends, and I had to be there by nine. The pay wasn’t much, but I enjoyed helping them out. They’d had the place ever since I could remember, and a lot of my childhood had been spent with Corbin as we ran around the diner causing trouble. There was a section in the back for kids, and I knew it was because of us that my parents had added it.
I sat up and rubbed my eyes before grabbing my phone to kill the alarm. A new text message was on the screen, and I clicked to open it.
Corbin: U need to rethink ur stance on the whole S-speare thing, dude. “I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.” That shit is beautiful.
Smiling, I texted back.
Me: Looks like someone had some fun on Google way too early this morning. But, ok. You may have a point with that one. What are you doing 2day?
Corbin: Idk. Probably come hang out with u at the diner.
Me: Okay, stalker. See you in a bit?
Corbin: lol K <3
I rolled my eyes at the heart emoji, even though I thought it was cute.
After getting out of bed and going to the bathroom, I took a quick shower before getting dressed. There was a McDonalds down the road, so I’d just stop in to get breakfast there instead of trying to scrounge around the kitchen for something.
I went through the drive-thru and scarfed the sausage biscuit before pulling into the diner. Mom’s car was there, and I parked beside it. Dad told me good morning as I walked into the back office, and I groaned as usual for having to be up early. He chuckled.
“There’s coffee,” Dad said, adjusting the glasses on his nose. “Help yourself to some before talking to the customers, so you don’t snap at them.”
I laughed, knowing he had a point. Me before coffee was a scary sight.
Caffeinated and no longer plotting murder to those around me, I took customers’ orders and served their food. The morning went on as normal. I kept looking out the front windows to see if Corbin had pulled in yet, but he still hadn’t shown up.
My eyes focused on the spot at the bar he liked to sit and talk to me while eating his breakfast platter of pancakes, hash browns, eggs over easy, and bacon. A weird feeling went through me at seeing it so empty.
I couldn’t explain it, but it seemed symbolic in some way.
By mid-afternoon, I got a break, and the first thing I did was grab my phone and call him. It rang. And rang. No answer. My hands started shaking, and I re-dialed him. An unsettling feeling landed in the pit of my stomach, and when he didn’t answer for the fourth time, I called him again.
His words from the night before went through my head, “If I died tomorrow, would our love not be a romance?”
I felt like I was going to puke.
I was just about to go into full panic mode, when the jerk face finally decided to answer his goddamn phone.
“Hey!” he said, and that one word was the best thing I’d heard all day.
“For fucks sake, Cor, I was about to send out a rescue team for your stupid ass,” I said in a rush, shaking with relief. “I thought you were coming to the diner. What’s up?”
“Hunter, I have some fucking amazing news. I don’t want to tell you over the phone, though. Come over when you get off work, ‘kay?”
“Okay,” I said, curious. I didn’t like surprises, so with that curiosity was also nerves. “See you later.”
The day dragged ass after that, as if the universe was having a nice laugh at my expense. The clock moved super slow, and minutes seemed to last hours. By the time I was finally able to leave, it was around five o’clock.
I told my parents bye before hightailing it out of the diner and getting into my car.
When I got to Corbin’s house, I jogged up the steps and didn’t even knock on the door before going inside. I went over there so much that I practically lived there, and Bill—Corbin’s grandpa—had even made a joke before that he was going to start charging me rent.
“Hunter?” Bill asked before rounding the corner into the living room.
“Yeah, it’s me, Grandpa,” I said. And yeah, I’d started calling him that years ago. “Where’s Corbin?”
“He told me to tell you he’s at the lake,” he answered with a smile. “Have you eaten dinner? I’m cooking chicken-n-dumplings. Should be ready in about thirty minutes.”
“Sounds great!”
Back outside, I jogged to the woods and found the trail through the trees that led to the lake. The suspense was killing me. Anxiety bubbled inside my chest, and I ran faster, jumping over tree stumps and dodging thorn bushes. One snagged my leg, and I tore my pants free before continuing down the dirt path.
That unexplainable feeling I’d had at the diner returned.
And I suspected that whatever Corbin had to say…it was going to change everything.
Chapter 3
Corbin
At the lake, I bounced on my heels as I waited for Hunter. I still couldn’t believe the call I’d received hours earlier. It felt like a dream, and I had to pinch myself several times to make sure it wasn’t. My face hurt from smiling so much.
“Cor?” Hunter came through the trees and to where I stood on the grass. “What’s up?”
Unable to contain my excitement a moment longer, I leapt at him and threw my arms around his neck. He grunted as my body slammed into his.
“You’re not gonna believe who called me today,” I said, stepping back so I could see him better.
His brow scrunched. “Oprah?”
“Yes, Oprah.” I rolled my eyes. “Dude. It was a coach from USC! I guess one of the guys they recruited got into some trouble last week, and they dropped him. They didn’t want him reflecting badly on the team.”
University of Southern California. I was still in a state of shock.
Hunter’s stare was unwavering. “Okay…so what did they want with you? Recruiting ended in April.”
“That’s the thing,�
�� I said, becoming even more excited as I talked. “They said this rarely happens, but they can’t have that guy play for them because of the criminal record thing. And since I showed so much interest in playing for them at camp last summer, they checked out my game film I’d sent in of my forty yard dash, and they asked if I’d already committed to another school. They’re impressed with me being ambidextrous too. I guess they didn’t realize that before. Hunter, they want me! A Division 1 college!”
Hunter’s reaction wasn’t what I expected. Instead of looking happy for me, he seemed… I didn’t know. Upset.
“Awesome,” he said. “What did you tell them?”
Huh? Did he hear what I’d said?
“You’re shitting me, right? I told them yes.” My excitement was waning.
“What about us?” Hunter asked. “We had plans to go to U of A. To room together and finally come out. You can still play football there.”
“USC has a fucking amazing football program, Hunt, and have sent a shit load of players to the pro level. And you know that’s my dream.” I stared at him, confused by how angry he was. “Why can’t you just be happy for me?”
“Because it means I’m losing you, you asshole!” He shoved my chest, but it wasn’t hard enough to move me much. Tears welled in his eyes. “Don’t you get that? Or are you too fucking dimwitted to understand? You going to California means we’ll be apart.”
I hadn’t thought that far ahead, but now that he’d pointed it out, the weight of the decision sunk in.
“Come with me then,” I suggested, grabbing his hand. “There’s still time to apply and get late admission. We can still do everything we planned. Just in a different place.”
“Do you know how difficult it is to get accepted there?” He yanked his hand from mine, and the action was like a slash to my chest. “And even if by some miracle they did accept me and I could afford it, what then? You seriously expect me to drop everything and just go with you, as if I didn’t have dreams of my own?”
My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst through my ribcage.
“You’re an English Lit major. You can do that anywhere. It’s no big deal.” Right as the words slipped out of my mouth, I regretted them.
“Yeah, I forgot I’m not a hotshot, All-American athlete like you. My goals don’t matter.” Hunter stepped back. “California has always been your dream, Cor. Not mine.”
“For fuck’s sake, Hunter, can’t you at least be a supportive best friend for a minute and be happy for me?” I asked, shaking my head. “This is my dream college, a fucking competitive one too, and they want me.”
“I am happy for you,” he said in a softer tone. “I love you more than anything and want you to be happy. But if you leave, I can’t come with you.”
“Can’t or won’t?” I snapped.
Hunter didn’t respond; he just held my gaze with his sad brown eyes.
“You just won’t come with me, because you’re a fucking coward,” I said, glaring at him. “Mr. Routine and Predictability can’t handle change.”
“Don’t be like that,” Hunter said. “This is my home, Cor.”
“Yeah? Well, I don’t want to be stuck in this town forever,” I responded, trying to control my anger. We’d always said we’d follow each other everywhere and I couldn’t believe he was doing this. “I settled with U of A because the school I wanted chose someone else. I was never happy about it.”
“Oh.” Hunter glared and crossed his arms. “You were just settling with me then.”
“Goddammit, that’s not what I said,” I snapped. Blood rushed through my veins like fire, and I clenched my jaw. “You’re being selfish.”
At first he didn’t say anything. He walked to the edge of the lake and looked out over it. I walked up beside him, fighting the urge to pull him into my arms.
I was so pissed at him, but my heart hurt too.
“I’m being selfish,” he whispered, still not looking at me. “Maybe I am.” His brown eyes flashed to mine. “But so are you. The difference is mine derives from the fear of losing you, while yours comes from your inability to be happy with what you already have. Here, you have college, football, and me. It just isn’t enough for you. I’m not enough.”
I realized right then that he was right. I wanted more out of life. But he was wrong about me not thinking he was enough.
“We can still be together,” I said, refusing to give up so easy. Hunter wasn’t just my best friend.
I was in love with him, and you didn’t just throw that shit away.
“No. We can’t.” He returned his gaze to the water. “Maybe in the beginning we could, but after a while, you’ll meet some guy or girl and wanna fool around with them. To actually feel someone instead of just talking to them. I’ll be nothing but a picture on your phone and a name you start saying less and less.”
“That’s not true.” I gritted my teeth so hard my jaw hurt. “And who’s to say you won’t be the one finding someone else?”
“Don’t be a fucking moron, Corbin,” Hunter said with a scoff. “The only person I’ve ever wanted is you.”
“Same here,” I shot back, feeling my heart start to crack. Hunter had been my first true crush, my first kiss, my first love. Everything. “And don’t call me a moron.”
“Then stop behaving like one,” he countered, facing me and pinning me with a glare. “So, hotshot, when do you leave?”
My eyes stung, but I blinked back the tears. I didn’t know if I was more sad or pissed off.
“They want me there ASAP so I can start the summer program,” I answered. At my words, his anger faded and I saw the raw pain hidden beneath it. I couldn’t keep my distance any longer and reached for him. “Hunt…”
“Don’t touch me.” He jerked out of my hold as tears streamed down his face. “Don’t fucking touch me, Cor.”
The ache that’d started in my chest deepened, turning into a crater right where my heart should be.
All of our years together flashed through my head.
Hunter giggling when we were kids as I chased him through the elementary playground—how we’d hide in those huge tires and try to skip class. When I’d stayed the night at his house, sometimes we’d go to his parents’ diner Saturday mornings, and we’d torment the customers by running up and down the aisles before his parents kicked us outside. We were little demons, but we’d always had so much fun.
Then, I remembered our first kiss.
We’d been lying on my bed watching TV when our fingertips had touched. I had looked at him, and he’d returned my stare. Instead of moving our hands away, we moved them closer and linked our fingers. My heart had been like a war drum in my chest, and the blood had rushed through my ears. Hunter had leaned toward me; his brown eyes flickering to my mouth.
And then contact.
His lips had melded perfectly to mine; soft and sweet, but firm.
We hadn’t said anything about what we were doing next. No words had been needed. Our feelings had been clear as day. We knew each other on such a level that we’d often known what the other was thinking without saying a word.
Our bond had always been strong. Inseverable.
Until now.
“What’s happening to us, Hunter?” I asked, noticing how rough my voice sounded. Just the night before, we’d talked about being in love and how we’d always be together.
How quickly things changed.
Hunter didn’t answer right away. He watched a ripple in the water before slowly looking at me. “We grew up.”
I searched his face for any signs of hope. I didn’t want to accept that. It’d always been me and Hunter, and I didn’t want a life where that was different.
“Please come with me,” I practically begged. I wasn’t foolish enough to believe he’d get accepted into USC this late in the game, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t still move to California with me. He could attend a different college down there; it didn’t have to be USC. I just needed him with me
. “Please.”
“Why don’t you just stay here?” he suggested, stepping closer and pressing his face to my neck. His tears wet my skin. “You’d still have a shot at going pro by going through Arkansas.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him closer.
My dreams were within reach. All I had to do was take that leap. However, by leaping toward those dreams, I’d be leaving Hunter behind. I’d be leaving the future we’d planned for ourselves in the rearview.
My arms tightened around him, and I would’ve done anything to stay in that moment for forever, but I couldn’t. And I knew my next words were going to shatter what little we both still held on to.
“I can’t stay here,” I whispered.
“If not for me than what about for your grandpa?” he asked, refusing to back down. He sounded desperate to change my mind.
But it only pissed me off more.
“Don’t put that shit on me,” I growled at him. “That’s a low blow and you know it.”
Hunter shoved away from me as tears fell from his eyes. “You’re such an asshole, Corbin Taylor.” His chin trembled with the emotion he was barely keeping at bay. “You have people here who love you and you’re just eager to throw it all away as if we’re nothing.”
Maybe it was a defense mechanism or perhaps I was just finally tired of his attitude, but I exploded with anger. “You’re the asshole! You know how much this means to me, and yet all you can fucking think of is yourself and how it affects you.”
I pushed him. Hard.
Hunter stumbled and landed on his ass in the water. When he stared up at me, he looked so broken. Defeated.
I was too far gone with anger to care, and I screamed at him, “You’re just jealous, Hunter! I’m going to leave this town and make something of myself, and you’re going to be stuck here forever. All you’ll ever be is another kid who didn’t have the balls to chase what he wanted. I refuse to settle with this life, though.”
When his face crumbled with his grief, I turned my back on him. That was the last sight I had of him before running through the woods.
Tangled Up In You Page 2
