“I care about you being a father. Us being anything more is a question I haven’t even cared about. I have no illusions about what kind of a guy you are, Garrett. Loyal to his friends, a party animal, and a fighter. But not someone who can do monogamy or choose one woman. I only care that you are a good father to this kid.”
Harsh. And fair. But also…why does that hurt so much to hear?
No one since my teenage years had ever said such a thing and had it sting. I’d certainly heard variants of such accusations before, and I always wore them with some serious pride. Damn straight, I didn’t do monogamy.
But there was just something fucking different about Hannah Jett. There was just something about her fierceness and her fire that made it damn difficult to not like her to the extent that I would exclude anyone else. And that “something about her” made it painful to hear that she almost sounded resigned to me not being anything to her.
“Well,” I said with a chuckle. “That’s all true. But allow me to propose an alternative explanation.”
“Go on.”
I swallowed.
“The Garrett you know is the result of growing up and gaining confidence, but also some bullshit from before. The loyal, fighter part? That’s true. The likes to take shots and party? Yup, also true. The part about someone that cannot choose monogamy or choose one woman? I don’t think that’s as true as you think it is.”
Hannah arched an eyebrow.
“Look,” I said, realizing I was getting ahead of myself. “You’re probably right; it’s going to be hard to give up pussy that easily. I still like to fucking rage. But you know what? You saved my ass with Mason. I could be in a hospital bed right now if you’d told him the truth, and I don’t think a damn soul would have given two shits if you had. But you didn’t. You protected me. So the least I can do is to ask you this.”
I sighed. Was I really about to do this?
Well, then again, was I really about to be a father in eight or so months?
Yes. And yes.
“Have you got any plans this evening?”
Hannah
This was a joke, right?
I mean…
Was Garrett trolling me? Instead of refusing to engage, was he now doing so but just to embarrass me?
No. Unlikely. Doing so would make me turn on him in a heartbeat. He had to know that if he was tricking me, I’d tell Mason the truth.
But I hadn’t been on a date like this in…forever. And coming from Garrett…
This all seemed a little too surreal. My life as a whole right now seemed a little too surreal. But in that regard, it sort of felt like, “Fuck it, why not?”
“OK,” I said. “But we’re not doing it in Santa Maria. I don’t need anyone seeing us.”
“Hell no, I don’t need Mason clocking me after hours!” Garrett said in an excited tone. “I was thinking we can go to Albuquerque. Should take separate vehicles, much as it pains me to not have you ride on the back of the bike.”
“Again, I’m not looking for my brother to discover us,” I said. “But sure. When do you want to go?”
Garrett smirked.
“Why not now?”
I suppose I didn’t have a good reason not to. I just didn’t think this would all happen so quickly. And I couldn’t forget three weeks of ghosting.
But he seemed genuine enough. The alternative, anyway, was just staying home and doing what I always did—school and work, all under the watchful eye of Mason to try and get a better life.
“All right,” I said. “Let me get dressed. Text me a place to go and I’ll see you there in half an hour.”
* * *
