First Date
Chapter 72
Garrett’s POV
I didn’t dress up, but I wore her favorite cologne to bring back memories. I also wore a blue button–down and black jeans to bring out my eyes. I know that Addison loves my eyes. She told me on several occasions, starting from eight years old, that my eyes were her favorite feature. So, I will do whatever I can to remind her of our past together. I can’t make any mistakes tonight. I need Addison back by my side and willing to give me another chance. She needed to ditch Phillip and agree to marry me instead.
I was waiting beside my SUV when she exited her house at precisely five p.m. She hadn’t dressed up. Her hair was in a high ponytail, an aqua t–shirt and black leggings. She looked comfortable and confident. The t–shirt pulled tightly across the swell of her breasts, and I had to remind myself to focus on her face. I wanted to look her up and down, but she was not mine yet. But I plan on doing whatever is needed to ensure she is soon.
I saw a movement in my periphery and noted the security guard looking at me with a smirk. He loved the fact I couldn’t come to her house. He would love nothing more than to kick my ass for even trying to go onto her property. He would like to take a shot at me. I could engage, but I knew it would end up in an actual fight and one that I probably wouldn’t be able to win. I was not quite two weeks out with my injury.
He didn’t intimidate me. I gave him the same smirk before walking around my SUV to open the passenger door for Addison. I gave him another smile after closing the door after her and heading back to the driver’s seat. I might not be able to go over to her house, but I still got her to come to mine and out for dinner. So, I still won despite Phillip’s best attempts at blocking me. I needed to get everything out in the open with Addison. The sooner she forgave me, the sooner my life would improve. All I wanted was Addison and Corbin in my life.
We were silent as I drove to the diner. I was trying to act calm, but inside, I wanted to scream from the rooftops that Addison was going out with me. Looking over at her at the light, I could tell that she was less relaxed than she had first appeared. She was staring out the window at the passing scenery, which I now knew as a woman being angry. I had gone on enough dates to know that now.
“The town has grown a lot since you left,” I remarked, trying to make small talk.
“It has. I come to town to visit my parents‘ graves each month, so I watched it grow larger” Addison replied.
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“Sorry, I hadn’t realized you had been back so often,” I told her. I didn’t want to remind her of a bad memory so soon, I wanted to eat first and then talk, I didn’t want to upset her right off the
bat.
Addison nodded at me but didn’t reply, staring out the window. I felt like an i***t. As much as she loved her mother, I should have known she would return, especially since she was much
closer than I thought.
We entered the diner, and the host immediately seated us. It wasn’t busy, as it was Thursday night. The following two nights, the place would be jam–packed. So coming tonight was a good idea. We were in a back corner, on the emptier side. I asked the host to seat us on the quieter side. She smiled at me and led us to a table. She didn’t try to hide that she was checking me out. I was used to it, but Addison looked put out. That was a good sign. The host lingered for a minute before handing us both the menus.
The host was pushing it by standing there smiling at me. Addison finally said, “Can you get
me a sweet tea?”
“Oh, I am not a server, honey. One will be right with you,” she said as she finally turned to look
at Addison.
“Oh, I know you’re not a server. I wondered if Johnny was letting people hang out at tables,
smiling at the male patrons. Because I know he didn’t allow that before,” Addison replied with
frost in her voice.
The host gave Addison a look that screamed ‘b***h‘ before silently turning on her heel and
walking away. Addison rolled her eyes and then started to look at her menu. She didn’t say
anything else, and I began to get nervous. Should I have spoken up? I liked the fact that
Addison had shown her claws. Was I supposed to have shot the host down? I honestly didn’t
know. We hadn’t even started the meal, and I had already messed up.
“I have no interest in that girl,” I finally said.
“I don’t care if you do or not, Garrett. It’s rude of her to hover over you, waiting for you to
acknowledge her. You can flirt or sleep with whoever you want to. It certainly hasn’t stopped
you before. I am sure she would love to get your number when we leave. I’ve got a pen and paper in my purse. I would be glad to let you give it to her,” Addison said as she looked at the
menu. She spoke without looking up at me.
I was in a full–blown panic, as this was not how I wanted my night or our conversation to start.
“Addison, no, you’re wrong. I don’t care about her or anyone else. I only want you. For now and forever, it is only you for me, I told her.
Her laughter at my words caught me by surprise. I was honest with her, and she laughed in my
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+8 Points
First Date
face. She didn’t try to silence it or hold back. A man seated near us looked over and then did a double take at seeing her. I gave him a glare that told him she was taken. His smirk, in return, was mocking me as he looked at the brace on my arm. I decided to ignore him.
Addison was still laughing. It was clear that she found what I said completely unbelievable. I tried to reach out to take her hand in mine, but she just pulled her hand away from me,
refusing to touch or look at me.
“Addison, I know you don’t believe me, but I meant what I said. I want nothing more than to
marry you. I want to make you mine in every sense of the word. I would marry you tomorrow if
you would accept me. I am serious. I want us to be a family,” I told her. I was happy she was
finally looking at me, but her face registered surprise, not the joy I expected.
“Garrett, let’s get one thing straight. You only want to marry me now because of Corbin. Not
because you love me. I’m only going to marry for love. Not because you all of a sudden feel
guilty for lying to me to get me to sleep with you. I knew the risks of our actions, even though I
was mourning my mother. I don’t regret ending up pregnant. But I can’t marry you. I can’t trust
you anymore. Not after all you have done to me,” Addison’s cold voice had a sense of finality.
“Addison, I was wrong, and I admit it. I was worried you might end up pregnant. I mentioned it
to my parents as I knew there was a chance. I have been worried about you for years. I was
still looking for you, even after I saw you had moved on. You are the love of my life. I have
never allowed anyone else in my heart. It is you that I want. It’s you that I need. I want to live
the rest of my days with you. I will do anything to earn your trust back, anything. I swear it,” I
told her. I was in a panic because I honestly thought that our first date wouldn’t go this badly.
“Garrett, I believed you when you said you loved me that night we were together. I trusted you,
yet you hurt me in the worst way. I still dream of seeing Tammy all over you the next day. You
didn’t try to stop her and seemed to enjoy it. How did you think I would feel seeing that after
you promised me that we would be together? You hurt me over and over again for the last
eight years. You seemed to think that all that pain you gave me could be erased with an
“oops” or “sorry,” and it can’t. The worst part was that you never told me why you were doing it.
You acted like I knew; I didn’t. Holden tried to stop Valerie from spilling it, but we both know
that she will do whatever she wants. She only told me because she was buying time to check
out my fiancé’s bare chest. That was the real reason she told me. So I know what you are
going to say, Garrett. It changes nothing between us at all,” Addison announced, looking me
dead in the eye as she spoke.
She was serious. I could see the anger and pain in her eyes. She was pissed, and I had caused
this whole thing. I did tell her I was going to claim her. I have to make this right. I have to tell her why.
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First Date
“Addison, I was going to claim you the next day. But then the video came out. I was going
around and asking people to delete it, in order to protect you. I was working with Principal Carson. I was only pretending to be with Tammy because I wanted proof of her admitting she had done it. I didn’t know you had family that could help you. I was trying to defend and protect you. You can ask Principal Carson yourself about it. I swear that I was through with Tammy. I was trying to clear your name, so I was playing along to get the evidence you needed. Holden was helping me. He was going to record it for me. He can tell you what I was doing. I would never have even tried if I had known that your family could deal with Tammy. I would have stayed by your side and protected you,” I told her as I tried again to reach for her hand. She immediately pulled them back away from me again.
The silence was deafening. My heart raced to hear what she was going to say next. I had given her the names of people she still trusted; all she had to do was ask them. I hoped she would believe me, but the look on her face was hard to read. When did she get so hard to read? I won’t get her back if she doesn’t give me a chance. We silently stared at each other for a few minutes when someone approached.
“What can I get you two?” our waitress stood beside me with a pen ready. I looked up at her and saw the smile aimed at me. Great, another twenty–year–old wanted to flirt with me while I was out with Addison. I can feel it in my gut that tonight would not end well. I wasn’t wrong.
