In Between ➣ Cash Baker ✔️

09. Luna

"So he kissed you?"

"Yup."

"And you pushed him away?"

"Mhm."

"And you proceeded to tell him that you two wouldn't work?"

"Uh huh."

"Are you an idiot?"

"If I say yes will you stop asking questions?"

"I'll keep asking questions either way." Ashley spoke before she took a sip of alcohol out of the bottle I had snuck out of my house.

We were at the spot the following Monday morning of the baseball game and I had just finished telling Ashley about what happened during Friday night. She smacked me at first before settling on the rock and asking me quetions.

Can you tell me why you pushed him away?" Ashley asked and I shrugged. "C'mon, Luna, you like him. Why can't you just admit that out loud?" Ashley shoved me off the rock, making me stumble over my boots.

"Ashley!" I shouted, brushing off my jeans and heading over to the river. "Do I like him?" I mumbled, biting my nails and heading back over to the rock where Ashley was.

"You tell me, babe," Ashley placed a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Cash and I would never work!" I shouted again, picking up a small rock and aggressively throwing the rock into the river.

"Is that the real reason?" Ashley asked quietly and I clamped my mouth shut.

Was it the real reason? No, it wasn't. After my mom died and my dad left, my aunt spent all her time trying to comfort me. When I was old enough to understand what fully happened, Auntie Jen made sure I never felt unloved.

"What if it doesn't work out?" I sniffled, not realizing I was crying until my hand came up to wipe a tear as a reflex.

"Oh, babe, what if it does?" Ashley gave me a sad smile and I did my best to send her one back although my lips were trembling. "Is that what you're so scared of?"

"I just," I paused to bring my sleeve up to wipe my nose. "I just don't want him to leave. What if it doesn't work out and then I lose someone else in my life?" I bit the inside of my cheek and felt Ashley's head rest itself on my shoulder.

"I'm all for this cute friend moment." Ashley sighed, dragging herself off the rock and grabbing her backpack, swinging it over her shoulder. "But I think you should be talking to someone else." She moved out of the way and I squinted my eyes to see Cash walking towards us, hands in the pockets of his jeans.

"How did you-"

"I told him to come."

"How'd you get him to skip school so easily?" My eyes were probably wide at this point as I kept them trained on Cash who was getting closer.

"Well, I may have held him against the wall and threatened him to come." Ashley played with her fingers and spit out her words so fast it took me a minute to process them.

"See that sounds more like you," I spoke and she nodded proudly. She sent me a reassuring smile before heading out of the woods, towards school. I knew she was probably going to just sit in her car instead of actually going into school.

"Hey," I jumped at Cash's voice next to me. I turned slightly to face him, looking at his blue eyes that were still bright.

"Hi." Cash sat on the rock next to me and I placed my palms on the rock behind me, leaning back slightly before taking a deep breath. "I didn't mean to hurt you." I spoke quickly, afraid of what Cash was going say next.

"You did a good job at it though." Cash mumbled and I snapped my eyes up to meet his. "Listen, Luna, you didn't hurt me. I understand why you don't want to be with me," Cash scratched the back of his neck, his face slightly red.

"You do?" I asked, my voice scratchy and hopeful.

"Well, I mean, I think so," Cash trailed off, "Ashley probably lied to me-"

"Oh, no, she does a lot of questionable things but Ashley doesn't lie." I shook my head quickly before realizing what Cash had said. "What did Ashley tell you?" I asked, trying to stay calm.

"She came up to me after school one day in the parking lot and told me," Cash sighed, "she told me you liked me." He hopped off the rock and stood by the river, watching the water stream down. "I'm sorry, I probably shouldn't have told you that," Cash looked back at me.

"No, don't be sorry," I shook my head, "she did what I was too scared to do." I got off the rock and stood by Cash, hands in the pockets of my jeans. "I just, I feel like a hurricane sometimes. Like I ruin things without even trying."

"You don't ruin everything." Cash laughed softly and turned to me, placing his hands on my shoulders. "Can you tell me the real reason why you pushed me away?" He asked and I bit the inside of my cheek, going quiet for a little while.

"I was scared," my voice was quiet. Cash gestured for me to sit down and I did, leaving space for him to sit next to me on the leaves. The only sound being the stream of the water in front of us until I spoke again.

"You know why Ashley's my only friend?" I asked and Cash shook his head. "Because I'm scared to let anyone else in. If I were to lose her-"

"Hey, it's okay," Cash's voice was quieter than. He brought his finger up to quickly swipe away a tear just as it slipped out of my eye.

"Tell you what," Cash stood up and took my hand, hauling me off the ground. "I'll let you be the hurricane as long as I can be part of the destruction."

"Why would you want that?" I asked with a bewildered expression. "Do you have some horrible wish to get hurt?"

"No," he tells me. "I just think that everyone is going to get hurt by at least someone in their life, and how lucky I'd be if I could be destroyed by you," Cash stood close to me and I tilted my head.

"So you like me?" I asked in a whisper.

"Thought I made it obvious," Cash sighed overdramatically, making me laugh. "So, how do you feel about me?" He asked with his teeth over his bottom lip.

"I tried everything," I blew a raspberry, "I smoked, drank, drove 100 on the freeway. Anything to make my heart feel the way it did when it beat next to yours." I felt Cash's hands take mine, heating me up with a simple touch. I heard the bell ring in the distance and yanked my hands out of Cash's, leaving him stunned.

"I- I have to go." I almost tripped over my feet trying to grab my backpack. I swung it over my shoulders before turning back to Cash who was still by the water, eyes wide.

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ok luna's hesitate to be with cash i hope you understand why