That day went from bad to worse. When she didn’t meet him after school, he knew she was mad at him. Thinking her father had told her to stay away from him, he decided he was going to drive by her house after picking Greer up from football practice. However, when he walked into the locker room, it went silent, his friends avoiding his eyes. Greer, who was changing out of his uniform, gave him a curious look.
“Did Sutton tell you she ate lunch with Cash?”
“No.” Tate kept his voice low so no one could hear his reaction.
Greer nodded. “It made me fucking sick. She couldn’t keep her hands off him. I sit behind him in biology, and I heard him tell Miller that Sutton asked him to the prom.”
Tate slammed his fist against Gree’s locker, immediately going toward Cash who was standing with his friends.
Greer tried to hold him back, but he shoved him away.
“What’s up with you and my girl?” Tate snarled at Cash.
“Sutton’s not your girl. She told me so herself last night.”
Tate’s gut churned in anger. “She’s mine, so stay the fuck away from her.”
“I can’t do that. I’m taking her out tonight then to the prom on Saturday. If you have a problem with that, then you shouldn’t have broken up with her.”
“I didn’t break up with her!”
“That’s what she told me. Good to know she likes to stretch the truth. Of course, it’s not going to keep me from going out with her, but at least I’ll know not to trust her.”
Tate lunged at Cash; however, the other players held him back. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to see the fight; they just didn’t want the coach to get pissed off and make them run their asses off again.
Tate angrily shook them off going back outside to wait for Greer. He drove Greer home, instead of taking Greer’s advice to move on to another pussy, he drove back into town to Sutton’s home. Her mother answered the door, saying Sutton wasn’t home from school yet. Tate knew the woman was lying, but he backed off, unable to do anything else except drive home where he called Sutton several times, trying to reach her. Her mother answered each time, telling him she wasn’t there.
Then Tate remembered Cash saying that he and Sutton were going out that night. He ended up pacing around his house until finally going to bed.
The next day, he dragged his brothers and Rachel out of bed, determined to get to school early enough that Sutton couldn’t get past him without talking to him.
He was waiting by the front school door when Cash drove up in his truck, opening the passenger door for Sutton. After putting his arm around her, she and Cash approached him.
Tate swallowed hard. He didn’t have to be told; he knew. Sutton was different. The innocent, shy look in her eyes was gone, and she moved stiffly. Cash had fucked her, and Tate’s world crumbled around him. He had believed Sutton’s father had pressured her not to see him again. He was wrong. She had dumped him for only one reason—she wanted Cash.
Cash brought Sutton to a stop a few feet from him. “We going to have a problem?”
Tate stared at Sutton coldly, remembering how many times she had refused to let him touch her over the last few months, while Cash had managed to take her virginity after only being alone with him a few hours.
“No. You don’t have a fucking thing I want anymore.”
Sutton kept her gaze turned away from him, but she paled at his angry words.
“Tate, I’m sorry…” She broke off, quickly glancing at him, then away again.
“Don’t be. You were nothing but a tiebreaker, anyway.”
Her eyes jerked back to his. “A tiebreaker?”
Tate stared back at her mockingly. “Cash and I have each fucked eight girls the other wanted. If I had fucked you, you would have made number nine. You would have broken the tie in my favor. Congratulations, Cash, you win for now. I hear Lisa doesn’t have a date for prom.” Greer had told him Cash had been chasing after the dark-haired senior for the last couple of months.
“You’re a fucking prick, Tate.”
Cash’s arm stiffened around Sutton.
Tate shrugged. “I already paid for the hotel room this Saturday, so I’m not going to let it sit empty.”
Sutton’s face paled further. “Let’s go, Cash. I don’t want to be late for class.”
Tate held the door open for them, wanting to rip them apart yet too proud to let Sutton see how badly she had hurt him.
He was still standing in the doorway when he saw Lisa get out of her mother’s car.
“Hey, Lisa.”
“Tate.”
He held the door open for her then walked with her down the hallway. He waved nonchalently to the principal, a customer with a secret habit. Sutton and Cash were both standing by Sutton’s locker. He talked casually to Lisa as they came to a stop by her locker.
Feeling Sutton’s eyes on them, he brushed Lisa’s hair away from her cheek. “You look pretty today.”
“Thanks, Tate.”
They stayed at her locker, talking for several minutes, as he managed to convince her to let him go to prom with her. When the homeroom bell rang, he straightened off her locker, telling her he would meet her after school.
“You are eighteen aren’t you?” He teased seductively running his tumb over her bottom lip.
“Yes.” She sent him a flirtatious smile before she hurried off to her class.
He then sent a gloating look in Sutton’s direction as she passed him to go to her homeroom, hardening himself against the tears he saw in her eyes and telling himself over and over what Pa always told him.
“No one hurts a Porter and gets away with it. No one.”
Chapter 5
Sutton picked up a package of drop cloths, moving to the cleaning aisle in the local hardware store, hoping she would see less people in this store than the local grocery store. She would wait to go at night when she was sure not many customers would be in the store. She knew it was useless to avoid the locals who knew her, but she wanted to dodge as many as possible. She wasn’t looking forward to answering any of the nosy questions she was sure would be asked of her.
Putting a gallon of bleach and a mop in her buggy, she went to the cash register where she recognized the woman ringing up purchases. Sutton ignored her curious gaze, handing her the cash for her supplies.
“Sutton Creech?” Cheryl asked in dismay.
“Hi, Cheryl.”
“Damn, I can’t believe my eyes. I almost didn’t recognize you.”
Sutton was aware of the difference in her appearance. She wasn’t seventeen anymore. Overall, the years had been kind to her, although they had been better to Cheryl, who was still as attractive as she had been in high school.
“How long are you visiting?”
“I don’t know yet. I haven’t made up my mind.” Sutton picked up her bag, wanting to get out the door as fast as possible.
“Wait, you can’t just run off! We used to be best friends. Look, give me a minute, and we can go get a cup of coffee.”
“I’m kind of in a hurry. Maybe next time…” Sutton felt guilty after seeing the disappointment on Cheryl’s face. She remembered the many sleepovers they’d had in high school.
Sutton relented. Trying to avoid everyone was going to be a waste of time. Treepoint was too small. She would be better off just getting it over with and satisfying their curiosity. Then the town gossips could move on to someone else.
“Never mind. I’ll put my bag in my car and meet you outside.”
Cheryl’s face broke into a smile as she motioned for someone to take over the counter. Jared didn’t look happy as Cheryl explained they were going for a break. Sutton hadn’t liked Jared in high school, and she could see he hadn’t changed any since he and Cheryl had been together.
Sutton went outside, placing the bag in the trunk of her car. She was slamming it shut when she saw Cheryl came outside.
“You sure you have the time to go for a coffee? Jared didn’t look too happy.”
Cheryl made a comical face. “I quit worrying about what Jared thought when I found out he was cheating on me.” Cheryl placed her arm through hers as they walked down the sidewalk toward the diner. Sutton felt uncomfortable with the friendly gesture, so she sped up, forcing Cheryl to release her.
The restaurant was busy with the breakfast crowd when they entered, but few of the customers paid them any attention.
She and Cheryl managed to grab a small table for two in the corner and ordered coffee before the waitress could escape.
“I’m sorry to hear about Jared.” Sutton immediately directed the conversation toward Cheryl. If she was still like she was in high school, it would keep them occupied until it was time to return from her break.
Cheryl shrugged. “I went a little crazy when I found out. Our divorce was just final a few weeks ago. He had the nerve to fight it after I found out he was banging five different women in town. He had even put one up in her own apartment so he could visit her anytime he wanted.”
Sutton felt terrible for her friend. She knew how much Cheryl had idolized her jock boyfriend in high school.
“You warned me he was cheating on me before you left town, and I didn’t listen. I should have.”
Sutton’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “I didn’t take any of your advice, either, so we’re even.”