The Truth About You

Two Months Later

-*- Hunter -*-

I rolled my neck to try and ease some of the tension and looked back down at the packet of papers sitting in front of me. I haven't been able to bring myself to open them.

When a white plate holding a double jalapeno burger and cheese fries was placed on top of them, I shook my head and looked up. I had completely forgotten I was sitting in the middle of LUCY'S. This place was like my second home growing up.

My best friend Holly Carter owns it now. It was passed down to her from her father and to him from his father before him. In fact, the place was named after her grandmother. It has some of the best food around.

Not just because it was the only place around but because everything here was made from old family recipes. All the food was locally sourced too. If a farmer didn't have it, that item just wasn't for sale that week.

Sure, Holly added a few things to the menu when she took over and had all the booths reupholstered. But it was still the same place it had been for the last fifty years.

Holly plopped down across from me and snatched a fry from the plate she put in front of me.

"Eat," she said. "You look like shit."

I chuckled.

In the twenty years I've known her I've never heard Holly not speak her mind. She was as fiery as that red hair of hers. We met in kindergarten when Bobby Wheeler wouldn't stop pulling her ponytail. I walked right over and just as I was about to knock him down, she punched him in the face.

I was awed and took the blame of course. Best friends ever since.

I grabbed the burger and took a big bite and raised an eyebrow at her as I chewed. She nodded to me and stole another fry. I was halfway through my burger when Holly motioned to the papers under the plate.

"Is that them?" she asked.

My stomach turned and I put down the food suddenly not hungry. All I could do was nod to answer her.

Holly reached out and grabbed the bundle and started flipping through them. I smiled as she scoffed at different things and rolled her eyes.

"This is so stupid," she hissed. "How the hell is she going to cite adultery as the reason for the divorce when you haven't even seen the proof."

"Something about not needing to show proof until mediation," I said with a sigh.

"Is she still not letting you see the kids?"

"Nope," I snapped then gave her an apologetic look. "According to her, her lawyer advised her it wouldn't be best due to the nature of her evidence. It shows me as an irresponsible alcoholic who likes to party."

"It was a fucking bachelor party!" Holly said outraged.

"Yeah, well supposedly since I don't have a place of residence, they don't see it any other way."

"How is couch surfing at your brothers?"

"Loud," I said with a sigh. "He and his buddies have a poker night on Sundays as well as a Madden tournament on Thursdays."

"You know," she began but stopped to pull at a napkin. It was a nervous habit she had picked up in high school. "You could always come stay with me. My parents just moved to Florida to retire and left me the house. So, I have the room for you and the kids."

I smiled and reached out and covered her hands with mine to stop the torcher being inflicted on the thin tissue.

"You know I can't," I said. "I love you for offering, but Candance has had some sort of irrational dislike for you. Which I never understood because you've been nothing but sweet to her. If she found out I was staying with you... I don't even want to think about the repercussions."