one minute || h.s

twelve

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Adam carried me on his back around Target and we laughed and I’d missed him a lot. Eventually though, as nice as it was to not have to walk on my own, he began pinching my butt and I was forced to hop off. Ever since I got home on Thursday, we’d hardly spent a minute apart. Our week was spent being hermits inside my apartment and a lot of I love you’s were shared and I was really happy. “Devil’s food brownies or Milk chocolate?” I gave him a face like, what the actual fuck is wrong with you and he laughed, throwing the Devil’s food into the cart.

“I need a gallon of cashew milk.”

“You and your weird health food.”

“First, it’s not a food. It’s a beverage, dummy. Second, it’s not a weird health anything. It’s really yummy and it’s better for you then regular milk.”

“Okay, fine. But tell me this…does it go well with Oreos?” It didn’t actually.

“No. But it’s so yummy.”

“I win this argument.” I pouted and his lips pecked mine quickly before continuing on down the aisle. “But I do love you.”

“Okay.” I tapped his butt before skipping around the corner. A second later, I was colliding with a man and he as chuckling as I rambled my sorries. 

“Dad?” The man’s face lit up and he embraced Adam.

“How are ya, son?”

“Um—yeah, good. I’m good.”

“And who is this beaut?” I blushed as my boyfriend’s hand fell to my lower back. 

“Dad, this is Hallie. My girlfriend…Hal, this is my dad.”

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Rutherford.”

“Oh please, call me Mike.” He looked back up at Adam and then at our cart. “So, what’re you two shoppin’ for?”

“Just necessities…you?”

“Same. Your mother needed some kind of nut milk…” My face lit up.

“Cashew milk?” 

“How’d you know?!”

“Adam was just giving me a hard time for drinking it.”

“Was he now?”

“He was.”

“It doesn’t go well with Oreos!”

“Well then, you can count on me to never go near it.” The three of us were laughing and I really liked his dad. He was nice and warm and he reminded me a lot of his son. 

“It’s really yummy…your wife has good taste in beverages.”

“Well, my son has good taste in women.” 

“It was good seeing you, dad.”

“Yeah, you too, son. And bring this young lady by soon. We miss you and you’re mother would love to meet her.” We miss you?

“Yeah, yeah I will.”

“Well, I’m off to go get some new fishing wire. The guys and I are going up to Big Bear in the morning.”

“You really like fishing, huh?” I smiled at him and he looked at me, clearly confused. “Well, the two of you just went this weekend, didn’t you?” Mike looked to his son and I could see him begin to process this. Then his eyes, which were almost sad, moved back to me and Adam tried to pull me away. 

“Yeah…yeah. We caught plenty of fish. Have a good one, you two.” My stomach dropped and the empty pit made me feel sick.

“So…we should grab the milk and head out.” His tone was shaky and I truly thought I’d vomit. I followed him over to the dairy fridge and he grabbed to half gallons of cashew milk and one gallon of two percent and I couldn’t really breathe?

“You said you didn’t catch anything.”

“Huh?”

“You said…that you caught nothing. No fish…but he—he said you did…” He knew because his eyes closed and he pinched the bridge of his nose and I was definitely going to be sick. “You…you didn’t go fishing last weekend did you?” More silence and then tears kind of blurred my vision. I grabbed my purse out of the cart and I tried to get away but he was too quick and before I could even protest I was in his arms and he was apologizing but I didn’t even know what he was apologizing for. “You cheated…on me…you—why?” I sounded pathetically broken and the word sorry just kept rolling off his tongue. Then the words it meant nothing and I love you, please believe me followed. “I—I need to go home. Take me home.”

“We can…please don’t leave me. I fücked up, I did…but please, can you forgive me, Hal? Please…” I continued walking towards checkout. Neither of us said anything after that. He paid and we got our things and left. Not one word was spoken in the car and when we were finally in front of my building, he grabbed my hand and begged me again and I told him I needed time, which he in turn nodded and promised he’d be better, if I just gave him a chance. I slipped out of the car and grabbed my bags and I walked in my apartment and I cried because Harry was right.