Page 15 of Dale
“Yeah,” he says and slides off the couch. “Let’s go so we can get back before night.”
When we get to the store, Colm is following behind me and watching everyone that talks to me. He’s trying to make sure no one comes close to me and I like the protection. It is similar to how Dale would act around me.
“What are we here for?” Colm asks as he pushes my cart through a clothing department store.
I smirk at how ridiculous he looks in the store. He sticks out a lot in here with his cut, shaggy hair and then his dirty smirk. I have watched several women about shit themselves or fall over themselves to try and get his attention. It would be humorous if I wasn’t currently in hiding.
“I need job interview clothes.”
“Where are you gettin’ a job at?”
I put a couple of pairs of work pants in the cart and a couple of blouses before I go over toward the bra department. He takes one look at the department and waggles his eyebrows.
“Can I help you try some shit on?”
“Haha, like you would.”
He stops the cart and looks at me with seriousness in his eyes. “Just because I haven’t made a move doesn’t mean I’m not a man. Cass, you’re a gorgeous woman.”
My face glows red with something I didn’t think it would glow red with. The only thing I can think about right now is the fact that I want Dale. Even though Dale has lied to me and kept such a serious part of his life from me, doesn’t mean I haven’t forgotten about him.
He places his hand out for me to stop and he looks down at me. “I don’t mean that I’m gonna be a pig or whatever. Cass, I know you’re stuck on my brother. I would never do something like that to you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper with tears clogging my throat.
We continue our shopping and then when it is time to leave, he pulls into this restaurant by the department store. We go into the restaurant and sit across from each other. Even though I have spent literal days with this man, it feels weird right now. It feels like he is trying to have a date with me but at the same time is not.
“Did you always know he was married?” I ask the question I have been dying to know the answer to.
“Yeah. He was ripped apart when she left. I can tell you, we didn’t know she was pregnant.”
“It’s really weird, right? It is weird that he would have something in life like this and not tell me?”
Colm shrugs. “I don’t know why he does the things he does. I do know that this was hard on him. He’s been really fuckin’ worried about you findin’ out.”
“What did he think I was going to do? Did he think I was going to freak out?”
The waitress comes to take our order and we give it to her. She leaves without looking back at us once. I know everyone is looking at our table because I’m with Colm right now. Colm is a gorgeous guy.
He would be the logical choice for me to get hooked up with.
Even thinking that right now, I’m feeling guilty. I miss Dale. I wonder how he’s doing.
“He’s doing good at the hospital,” Colm fills me in.
“I’m glad.”
We eat in silence and then we get back to the house, I fill Colm in with all of the job interviews I have lined up this week. He writes down the locations and then looks them up.
“A couple of these places look new,” he fills me in again.
“I just need to start making my own money.”
Chapter Sixteen
Dale
I’m finally released from the hospital and the first thing I want to do is go see my girl. I want to make sure she’s okay and explain to her about everything that has happened.
