*Anson's POV*
I am honestly so excited to be at school today.
Don't get me wrong, the small break from Helen was great. But I missed school.
More specifically, I missed Gymnastics.
I have it tonight, and I'm so beyond the point of excited to get into the gym.
I was standing at my locker when Garrett came walking over to me.
"What's up?" I gave him a nod.
"My dad isn't answering, but I need to let the guys know. What time should we be at the gym tonight?"
"Huh?" I raised my eyebrows.
"Your mom asked my dad if she could use us tonight." He nodded. "I guess the gyms getting cleaned and she needs some stuff moved around."
"Oh, uh. Just right after school. Piper and I have training tonight. So."
"OK." He smiled. "Still wearing your bracelet."
"I haven't taken it off." I shook my head.
"It looks really nice. Uh, how was your weekend at the lake?"
I felt my face get really hot. "It was great." I nodded.
He raised his eyebrows. "Jesus, with the shade of red your face just turned, it must've been."
"That bad?" I scrunched my face.
"That bad." He nodded. "Kind of hoped that I would be your first." He shrugged.
"Whoah." I shook my head. "Boundary."
"You're right, I'm sorry." He held his hands up.
Then a throat was cleared behind us.
We both turned and Parker was standing there. "Can I help you?" He crossed his arms.
"Just, asking when to be at the gym." Garrett nodded.
"Right after school. Goodbye Garrett." He waved.
Garrett rolled his eyes and walked away.
"You really think that was a good idea?" He leaned against my locker.
"What?" I shook my head.
"Talking to him?"
"We're." I pursed my lips. "I don't if friends is the phrase to use here."
"I have no clue what you two are. But, conversations with 'ex's' when your boyfriend could easily walk down the hall? Stupid decision."
"I can talk to people you know. Cash is not my owner."
"I know that Ani, but incase you haven't realized this, when it comes to other dudes, Cash is a 'swing first deal with the consequences later' kind of guy. And he is just LOOKING for a reason to swing on that kid. Don't give him a reason to swing." He shook his head.
"Didn't you two get into a fight this weekend?" I gave him a look. "And aren't you the first one who swung?"
His face went completely flat.
"Yeah, exactly." I nodded. "You ever going to tell me what the fight was about?"
"No, he's not." Dyson came walking over with Cash. "Done and over with. Buried, right guys?"
Cash and Parker both nodded.
"What's wrong?" Cash looked down at me.
I shook my head. "Just talking."
"About?" He raised his eyebrows.
"Just, you guys moving things around the gym."
"Liar." Parker crossed his arms. "Garrett, asked her what time they should be there to help."
I narrowed my eyes and looked at Parker. "Really?"
"Who invited Garrett?" Cash crossed his arms.
"My mom." I nodded. "You going to turn all cave man and tell him he can't be there?" I crossed my arms.
He took a deep breath and looked at Dyson.
He shook his head.
Cash nodded, leaned down, and kissed me. "I'm going to go to class. I love you."
"I love you too." I nodded.
He walked away and I looked at Dyson and Parker. "What is his problem?"
"Garrett is his problem." Dyson nodded. "Garrett is my problem. And Parkers problem. And Dads problem. And Pipers problem. He himself is a fucking problem."
"So are you." I nodded. "I am a big girl. Nothing is going on with Garrett. I can talk to whoever I want, and if Cash has a problem with that, I will gladly talk to him about it, when I'M ready. Not you." I looked at Parker. "I was going to talk to him about it later, by the way. Next time maybe give me some fucking time? You know, like at lunch when he and I are going off campus so I can re-assure him nothing was going on?" I closed my locker. "Stay the hell out of my business. Both of you." I rolled my eyes and walked away.
I walked in to first person and sat down next to Cadence. "You OK babe?"
"Fucking boys, I swear to god." I shook my head.
"Oh no. Boyfriend, the whatever the hell he is, or Dyson?"
"All three." I sighed. "I have one conversation with Garrett about him and the guys coming to help at the gym tonight, and I swear, it was like they were trying to catch me in the act."
She pursed her lips. "OK. So, I need to tell you something that Andy told me over the weekend." She nodded.
"OK?"
"Well, we went to Nulls, and Garrett was there with Craig and Griffin, per usual."
"Of course." I nodded.
"Well, Andy recognized him, and told me something he said at your birthday party to Cash. And like, everyone heard it. Bobby, Andy, Jake, Dyson, Parker, and others."
"What'd he say?" I gave her a look.
"He told Cash not to count him out because he was still in, and that he had you long before Cash showed up." She scrunched her face.
I literally felt my entire face go blank. "I'm sorry." I held a hand up. "He said what?"
She nodded. "Cash, he has a reason to be skeptical around Garrett."
"Not anymore." I shook my head.
"Oh boy." She pursed her lips.
"Oh yeah."
The next few periods went by, and I met Cash for lunch out at his car.
"You still snippy?" I raised my eyebrows.
"I wasn't trying to be snippy with you." He shook his head and opened my door.
"Well, you were." I nodded and got in his car.
He walked around to his side and got in. "I know I was. I just, don't like that you still talk to Garrett, but do you." He pulled out of the parking lot.
"I know you think he's a dick. But, is there any specific reason why you don't like that I talk to him still?"
He pursed his lips and shook his head. "Nope. Just he's a dick and he hurt you."
I nodded. "Well, I'm over that. You should be to."
He looked at me and raised his eyebrows. "You're over him pushing off actually being with you, and fucking around with other girls?"
"Yep." I smiled. "We're friends for the most part. Unless, you know something I don't?"
He shook his head. "Nope."
I pursed my lips and nodded. "Well, you are my boyfriend, and I love you." I reached over and grabbed his hand.
He smiled. "I love you too Belle." He nodded. "How, would you feel about taking a night while we're in Nashville to go on a date?"
My smile grew. "Really?"
"Yeah." He nodded. "I figure we can go out to dinner, go dancing, whatever you want. You've been to Nashville, I haven't. So I figured it'd be a good way to spend some time together."
"Deal." I nodded.
"Great." He leaned over and kissed my cheek.
Let me tell you the problems with that conversation.
1. I asked him TWICE if there was any other reason, he doesn't want me talking to Garrett. He said no. He lied.
2. I MYSELF, have given him no reason to ever lie to me, keep things from me, or not trust me.
3. I haven't given him a reason to be snippy with me.
But, I promise you, I'm going to handle the Garrett situation.
Believe that.
*Cash's POV*
I would never in my life tell Anson who she can and can't talk to or hand out with.
But I am literally a speck of dust away from folding this kid in the middle of the fucking hall.
She took her truck home after school and rode back to the gym with Dyson.
Garrett stared at her ass the whole time we were moving things around, she went slightly harder than normal today.
And with her doing that, I know something is bothering her.
Her and Piper went and changed out of their shorts and leo's, and met us in the parking lot.
But Anson, she didn't look like she was walking up to me.
She looked like she was walking up to Garrett.
What the hell is she doing.
"Thank you, for sticking around." She looked up at him.
"You asked me to." He smiled.
The fuck does he mean she asked him to.
She nodded and looked at me. "I'm going to give you one more chance to tell me the truth."
I raised my eyebrows. "I did tell you the truth?"
"The whole truth?" She raised her eyebrows.
I can not tell you how straight my face went.
"Oh shit." Dyson sighed.
And then, she swung on Garrett, he dropped, she bent down and grabbed his face.
"Lets get one thing fucking clear." She nodded. "There is not a chance in this lifetime, or the next, that we will ever be more than what we are now. You are not 'still in' and you can be counted out. And I do not care if you had me long before he showed up. You fucked it up, not me. Do not talk to my boyfriend again, do not even mention what happened between you and I. Because it's been over for months."
"Alright!" Garrett yelled.
She let go, stood up, and looked at me. "Get in the fucking car." She walked around to the passenger's side and got in.
I sighed and looked at Parker and Dyson.
"I have no clue." Parker shook his head.
"And I sure as hell didn't say anything." Dyson pursed his lips.
"No. Neither of you did." Piper shook her head. "Luckily, Cadence isn't a scared little bitch to tell her about the truth like you 3." She rolled her eyes and got in Dyson's jeep.
"Great." I nodded and walked over to get into my car.
I got in and buckled up. "Say it."
She shook her head. "Not until we're parked somewhere where I can't push you out of a moving vehicle." She crossed her arms.
I sighed. "Where do you want to go?"
"Mooses." She nodded.
I pulled out of the parking lot, and it was dead silent the entire way.
We got out, ordered, she paid for her own food unfortunately, and we headed down to the beach.
"It's not a big deal." I shook my head.
She looked over at me. "Really? You lying to me isn't a big deal?"
"I didn't lie to you." I groaned.
"I asked you twice earlier if there was any other reason. That was your chance to tell me what he said to you." She nodded. "But you didn't."
"I didn't tell you all of it, I admit that. But I also didn't want you to know he said that because I don't want you to think about the possibilities of you –"
And before I could even finish, she stood up and left her food on our beach blanket.
"Babe." I shook my head. "Belle!" I jumped up and followed her. "Anson stop!" I yelled and grabbed her hand.
"You know what." She turned around and looked at me. "You go on and on about how I need to use my words, but when I flat out ask you something, you have the nerve to lie to me?"
"I didn't lie to you." I sighed. "I just, with held the whole truth."
"That's lying Cash!" She screamed. "You lied to me because you don't trust me!"
"I never said I don't trust you."
"The possibilities of what Cash." She crossed her arms.
"Anson, I trust you." I nodded.
"The possibilities of what?"
"You leaving me, OK? Look, I am new to this whole relationship thing. I am trying. I love you, so obviously, I'm going to be scared of you leaving me. You're trying to say you're not?"
"No." She shook her head.
I paused. "You're not?" I pursed my lips.
"No. Cash you love me. I believe you when you say it." She nodded. "Believe me, I see you surrounded by girls on a daily basis. Courtney, and Paige, Laylynn, all of them. But it doesn't bother me."
"You're not jealous, or scared, at all?"
"I have no reason to be." She shook her head. "I trust you. Have you ever noticed the only time I have ever gotten jealous if because of the sex thing?"
I nodded.
"I'm not jealous of other girls, because I know you're mine. The only time I've gotten mad because of a girl with when you've 'withheld' the truth. Don't keep things from me Cash. Because that, that's what's going to lose me." She nodded.
My face sunk. "No." I shook my head. "No, no no no. Babe I'm sorry. I love you. I swear to god I will never keep something from you again. Just, don't ever say that again."
"I can deal with jealousy and insecurities." She sighed. "I have no problem reassuring. But don't lie to me." She shook her head.
"OK." I grabbed her hand and pulled her in to me. "OK. I'm sorry." I wrapped my arms around her.
She wrapped her arms around my back and squeezed. "I love you."
"I love you." I kissed the top of her head.
I swear to god, she is the most secure person I have ever met in my life.
As for myself, I knew the minute I said I love her that this was going to happen.
Because now, I have something to actually lose.