*Anson's POV*
This is the first night I've spent with Cash since we broke up on the beach.
And honestly with how things are going and how I've felt all day, I should be sick to my stomach.
But I'm not.
With him still holding my hand as we pull into his driveway, rubbing his thumb across my knuckles and singing along to the radio.
"I missed this." I looked over at him as he put his car in park.
"What, coming to my house." He let out a small laugh. "You're always welcome here."
"No, I know. I'm friends with Kin. Not that. You just, holding my hand and singing along to the radio."
He sighed and nodded. "I guess, the last few times we've been in the car together it's been silent, or we've been arguing, huh?"
I nodded.
"Well." He lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. "Every part of me wants to sit here and promise you that there wont be anymore arguing. But I don't want to lie to you." He shook his head. "Is it going to be as often as it has been recently? No. But, couples argue. We're going to argue. And things won't always be perfect. I can sit here and say that I'm going to do everything I can to make you happy again Belle. Because I love you." He looked over at me and smiled.
Honestly, I like that he said that things wouldn't be perfect. Because I don't expect them to be. Perfection is such an unrealistic expectation to have.
What I want, is honesty. The raw, gritty, down right chaotic sides of love with more good than bad. I want the parts of Cash that he hasn't given anyone. But I want him different than I had him. I want calm and collected Cash. Secure and caring.
This is that Cash.
So, I pulled my hand from his, wrapped it around the back of his neck, and pulled him in to kiss me. "I love you too Cashew." I smiled.
He pursed his lips and nodded. "I'm going to let it slide this one time. Only because I really want to take you inside and show you what I have planned for you." He smiled.
"Can't wait to see it." I nodded.
He got out, walked around the car, opened my door for me and helped me out.
In which he lead me inside, but didn't stop at the living room. He lead me right outside to his back patio.
Where there was literally a blow up floaty sitting in the middle of his pool big enough for the both of us, a blow up basket with snacks on it, candles lining the pool, and a big white sheet hanging on their fence.
"What is this?" I looked up at him.
"I recall on I think our second date, you told me that one of your dream dates was to watch Titanic on the water. So, I made it a date for you."
"No, you didn't." I shook my head.
He looked around his back patio and then down at me. "You see it all Belle. I really did." He let out a small laugh and reached into the water.
He grabbed the little rope for the massive floaty and pulled it over to us. "Your seat for the night."
I smiled, and he helped me down on to this floaty.
He climbed on after me and pushed us off the side and into the center.
"Can I do something?" He cleared his throat.
"Whatever you want." I nodded.
He reached into my hair and pulled my hair tie out, and simply started scratching my head.
"Oh my god." I groaned and laid my head on his chest.
And he did that for the first 20 minutes of the movie.
After that, we sat up and he pulled the floaty with all the food over and just piled it in to the center of this one.
To be honest, it was really really quiet while we ate a whole pizza and drank an entire 2 liter of orange soda.
"Can I ask you something?" He reached over and tucked my hair behind my ear.
"Of course." I nodded.
"I don't want you to think I'm baiting, or just, throwing it out there randomly, I've just been curious."
I sighed and sat all the way up because I have a feeling it's about Parker. "Oh boy."
"What do you see in your life like, 10 years from now?"
I raised my eyebrows. "Huh?"
"Yeah. Like, how do you see your life 10 years from now?"
Ok so, my feeling was dead ass wrong. It was not about Parker, it was a genuine question.
"10 years from now, I see, me in love, with the career I want, buying my first home, and just, being happy." I nodded. "I would be 27, so, I would want to be settling down on the major parts of my life, whether it be gymnastics or racing."
"So in 10 years you want to be preparing for your future beyond what you are now?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Hmm." He nodded. "In 10 years, I think I want the same thing, starting my future with my person, buying a home, having a family and focusing on my career."
"What kind of career do you want after the military?"
"Honestly, I'd like to get in to real-estate." He smiled. "Moving so much, you get a feel for good homes, it's good money, you meet a lot of amazing people, and I'd be comfortable doing that because I'd be working from home. If I have kids I can help more with them, and my partner wont have to worry about child care because I'll be there. With that career I can be more involved with my family."
I smiled. "OK." I nodded.
"You know what, you ask me something now." He nodded.
"Hmm. What about, what is the biggest goal you've set for yourself?"
He pursed his lips. "Don't think I want anyone to die when I say this. I don't." He shook his head.
"Ok." I laughed.
"I want my own purple heart story."
"A purple heart story?"
He nodded. "To get a purple heart in the military, you have to suffer a wound as a direct or indirect result of enemy action, and the wound needs treatment by a medical officer at the time of injury. When my dad was overseas, he was a doctor, you knew that right?"
I shook my head. "I mean, I know he's a doctor now, but I didn't know he was when he was overseas."
"He was. And, one day, he was treating another soldier, one he had never met before, from a completely different unit, and a grenade was thrown into their tent. This guy was twice his size at the time, but the adrenaline kicked in, and my dad literally lifted him on to his shoulders and ran 18 meters with him like that. Granted, it wasn't far enough because they were still hit with the backlash of the explosion, but it was far enough for injuries to be minor. Once my dad made sure his soldier was ok, he ran back and started to tend to everyone injured who could be saved, all while he had a piece of shrapnel lodged through his shoulder. That's how my dad lost most of the mobility in his left arm. His shoulder. But after that, they were sent home. Dad still did work for the military obviously. But a year after they got home, he got a call. And he met the man he saved for lunch, where he told him that his wife was pregnant. They've remained friends since, I call him Uncle Barry, and my dad, is his children's god father."
"Your dad has a purple heart?"
He nodded. "Its what he did to earn the purple heart and what came out of it that meant something. He saved 6 lives that day with metal in his shoulder, and to this day, the guys still thank him for it. He made a difference, and he was someone's hero. I want to be someone's hero."
I let out a small smile. "Cash, you are someone's hero."
"Please, enlighten me on who." He let out a small laugh.
"Quinns." I nodded. "That little girl, she thinks the world about you. At every lesson she's going on and on bragging about how great her brother is. She may only be 5, but you're her hero. That right there means something."
He smiled. "I guess I am."
"You are." I shrugged. "Are you, going to ask me?"
"No." He shook his head. "Anson, I already know the biggest goal you've set for yourself."
"Oh really now?" I crossed my arms.
He nodded. "I know, you want to go pro for riding, or medal in the Olympics. But, the goal you've set for yourself is to buy the shop from your dad and Dan so they can retire when they're ready, and run MCCB for yourself. You want to pass on a legacy the same way your dad and Dan did. You love it, but you work so hard down there, learning every aspect of the business. But the biggest goal you have, is to have a family, and a relationship with your kids, which, you want 4 kids, so good that they always feel comfortable with you. To confide in you, call you when they're in trouble, to always be able to say 'I love my mom.' And actually mean it."
I raised my eyebrows. "How did you know all that?"
"Because Belle." He reached over and grabbed my hand. "I pay attention, I know you better than you think I do, and it's because I love you, and even though we're in high school, I hope some day that I can be the guy you have that family with. But I'm in no rush, we have a lot to get past, and I know we have a lot to go through, but I wouldn't rather do it with anyone else."
Now do you remember what I said earlier? Calm, collected, all that. How I want Cash different than I had him before?
This is a very good start to that.
Because he's never shown how much he actually pays attention, or actually said that he wants to be in my future.
I'm not delusional, as he said, we're in high school, we can't possibly know what's going to happen 10 years down the line. But it's knowing that he hopes he's with me.
It has me so incredibly happy, kind of nervous.
But so turned on at the same time.
"Really?" I let out a small smile.
He nodded.
And with that, I pounced.
I wrapped my arms right around him, and dove.
"Wait, Anson I-"
Now, we're both in the water.
We lifted us both back up so our heads were above water, I flipped my hair out of my face and wrapped my legs around his waist, and as soon as he opened his mouth, he gasped. "What in the hell?" He wiped the water off his face as the other arm went around my waist.
"I wanted to get closer." I nodded.
He let out a small laugh. "This whole situation is feeling a whole lot like Déjà vu, didn't you tackle me into a pond?"
"That I did." I smiled. "The only thing it's really missing now is you kissing me and telling me that you're interested, and you want a chance."
He smile, wrapped his free hand around the back of my neck, and pulled me in to kiss me.
He pulled back and brushed his thumb along my bottom lip. "I'm interested." He nodded. "And I'm more than glad to show it."
"Then, show it maybe? Upstairs? In that big comfy bed?"
He smirked and nodded. "Anson Ryder Cross, are you trying to get in my pants right now?"
"Get in them, get you out of them, whichever tickles your peach Rambo. All I know is I like hearing you talk about wanting to be with me 10 years from now, and that it was a very, very big turn on." I nodded.
He smiled. "Oh was it?"
"It was."
Then he started walking toward the pool stairs. "Then baby, I'm going to show it all night."