To Have, To Hold, and To Leave: A Bryce Hall FanFiction «completed»

53

The next few hours felt like they flew by. I was putting the finishing touches on my makeup when my phone rang. "Hey, Jaden. What's up?"
"Are you still on for that date tonight?" he asked. 
"Absolutely. Why? Did you really think that I was going to flake?" I laughed. 
"Yes. I definitely thought that you were going to flake. Are you trying to tell me that you never even thought about canceling?"
I laughed. "Hey, now. I didn't say all of that." 
"I know, goofy. The reservation's in an hour. He'll meet you there."
"Oh, Jaden! Who is it?" 
"I can't tell you all that. The element of surprise will make this date that much better. Just trust me, okay?" he assured me before hanging up. 

I looked at myself in the mirror. Dixie was right: I could definitely still be hot.
I went downstairs, sitting on the stool at the kitchen counter and pulling out my phone. As I searched through Jaden's followers, I found myself hoping for a clue, but I had no idea who it could be. 
I thought about texting Nessa, but I decided against it. She would text me when she was ready to talk, wouldn't she?
My phone rang again, and Jaden's name flashed across the screen. "Hello?"
"Okay, you need to leave the house now," he demanded. 
"I think that I know when I need to leave my house, Jaden. You're not my dad, remember?" 
"Hey," he protested. "I'm just looking out for you. I want this to go well for you, and that can't happen if you're late."
"Oh, a date is ruined if I'm late? Better not go at all then."
"Don't be a smart ass," he sighed. "Promise me that you'll leave now."
I had already gotten up and grabbed my purse. "I don't know, Jay. I think that I might just have to go back to bed."
"Kate," he said, a warning tone in his voice. 
"I'm going! I'm going!" I laughed. "I'll call you after. Sound good?" 
He agreed before hanging up. 

Jaden had set up reservations at BOA Steakhouse, and I got there quickly. Fletcher didn't really hang around in front of popular restaurants much anymore, and I was really grateful. I really didn't need to add the press on top of it all. 
"Welcome to BOA," the hostess greeted me. "Do you have a reservation?" 
"Yes, for Hossler."
"Perfect timing, ma'am. The other member of your party was just taken to the table. If you'll follow me," she said, motioning towards a set of tables. 
I followed her through the restaurant, and I recognized the man sitting at the table from pictures that Jaden had shown me. 

"Hello, Kate Hall," I introduced myself. 
He stood up quickly, walking around the table to pull out my chair. "Cade Allen. It's wonderful to meet you. Jaden has told me so many good things."
"Oh, I can only imagine what he's said," I laughed. 
He chuckled along with me. "Truthfully, I was a little nervous to come on this date. I almost canceled."
"Really?" I exclaimed. "Me too! Jaden thinks that it will be good for me."
"I, uh, I just finalized my divorce," Cade explained. 
"Wow, Jaden wasn't kidding when he said that he knew a guy that he thought would be perfect for me. My husband asked for a separation about six months ago, but I don't think that it's going to end in anything other than divorce," I sympathized. 
"Wait. Are you telling me that Bryce Hall is still technically your husband? Isn't he known for like, beating the shit out of people?" 
"He was young and stupid when he did all that," I chuckled. 

The waitress came over to take our drink orders, and our conversation stopped. We sat in a bit of silence for a few minutes before I broke it. "So, you went to high school with Jaden, right?" 
"That I did. We played football together. He's a great guy," he answered. "I saw him at Target a few weeks ago, and we got to talking. He had a lot to say about you."
"Oh, yeah? Like what?" I asked, genuinely curious now. 
"Jaden said that you were beautiful, but he didn't mention how beautiful. He also told me about your four kids. They sound like a lot of fun. I just have two of my own," he informed me. 
"Oh, that's great! I would love to see pictures," I asked. 
He nodded. "Absolutely, but only if I get to see pictures of your kids, too."

We both pulled out our phones, searching for the perfect picture. I settled on the one that we had taken the day that the kids all met Everleigh at the hospital. "These are them. The one on the left there is Isaiah. He's named after Jaden, actually," I chuckled. "He turns eleven tomorrow. Annalisa is in the middle. She's six, and she's really a firecracker. Owen is four, and that there is Everleigh. She's six months old."
"They're adorable," he complimented them before turning his phone to show me a picture of his own kids. "This is Emma. She's sixteen. I've definitely got my hands full with her. And this," he said, swiping, "is Cade Jr. CJ for short. He's eight."
"They're beautiful kids."

Suddenly, I laughed out loud. "I was worried that no one would want to date a single mom of four, and here we are, talking about our kids."
"Well, we don't have to keep talking about our kids," he suggested. "Tell me more about you."
"Oh, goodness. What is there to tell?"
"Well, what are your passions?" he asked. 
I sighed. "I went to school to be an elementary teacher, but I never really got a chance to do anything with my degree. I ended up just being a stay-at-home mom."
"That's a passion, too. Don't sell yourself short."
"Okay, you're literally perfect. My ex actually thought that I pretended to go to college," I laughed. All of Addison's lies seemed silly now that I was sitting across from this perfect human. 
Make a mental note to thank Jaden, Kate. Don't forget.