Tailgates and Whiskey

Chapter 10

Hadley stepped out of her truck, shutting the door and walking up the porch, knocking on the door to the farmhouse.

Her mother answered, and immediately wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"I'm so happy to see you...I've missed you." She spoke.

"I missed you too, mama." Hadley mumbled, letting her go.

Her mother nodded, taking a deep breath and patting Hadleys shoulder. She moved aside, grabbing her bags and taking them into her room for her.

Hadley kicked off her boots, following behind with the rest of her belongings.

"So, how's life in the city?" Anne asked, placing the stuff on Hadley's bed.

"Nothing like it is here. But it's a refreshing start. I have a stable, high-paying job and pay rent to bunk with Jackson." Hadley spoke.

Anne nodded.

"It's not the same without you here." She mumbled. "Cade misses you, a lot."

Hadley froze.

Cade.

Sweet, sweet Cade. She must've crushed his heart when she left.

He still likes her instagram posts, and he seems to be doing well. He mostly posts pictures of him drinking with friends.

The same group of friends he was with when they first met. The ones that pointed her out to him. All because it was rumoured she left town after grad and came back.

Her throat suddenly felt tight. She could only nod in response.

She regretted leaving him. To be honest, the city wasn't giving her the life she wanted. Yeah, she only knew him for about 2 months, and at the time it seemed she didn't even love him.

But she did. And she only realised that after she crushed his heart and disappeared to start a new life.

She wanted a life with him. She could only blame herself.

The letter he wrote her after they met had been replaced by a stack of new ones.

She picked up the most recent one, lifting it out of the envelope.

Dear Hadley,

It's clear you aren't coming back. Ever. I've spent 3 months waiting. Finally I can bring myself to accept it.

However, I know I'll never get over you. The one that got away. I hear the slow country songs and can't help but remember us dancing in the headlights, going on the random trail rides. For all the things my hands have held, you were the best.

I miss holding you in my arms. You understood me so well, Hadley. You brought me comfort I can never find again no matter how hard I try. The feeling of being curled up in your arms with our fingers intertwined and the soft feel of your breath on my neck can never be put into words. I can tell you that I know it's where I belong, and it is in your arms that I feel at home.

I lay awake at night thinking of everything.

What if I was able to catch you before you left? Maybe you'd stay. For me.

The best thing would be to move on, and lord have I tried, darling, but at the end of the day I want it to be you and me.

I want your early mornings and your late nights. I want you on your good days, even more on your bad.

I thought your absence affected me most. But then I ran into your mother at the store. She lost her spark completely.

I would join her for dinner on Fridays. She knew.

She always knew.

She always knew that I loved you. She wishes you stayed.

She wishes I was enough to make you stay. I wish I was enough to make you stay.

You will always be my first love. Not like the first girl I liked, or the one who took my breath away, or my first kiss, but my first strong, everlasting feeling. I knew from the moment I first saw you, my heart would belong to you. You got the best of me, I will never regret loving you. Even if we can't be together, I will love you in this life and another.

I will always be yours.

-Cade.