Page 47 of Ruining Hattie

BASTION

O ut of respect for Hattie, when her father inquired where I was staying while I was in town, I lied and told him the same hotel I had stayed in all the other times I visited.

I knew without Hattie having to tell me that he wouldn’t approve of me staying with her.

He doesn’t even know that she lives with me in Seattle.

Robert and Carla know I’m her boss, but they don’t know the nature of the business I’m in. Hattie looked remorseful when she asked me to lie about it, insisting that while she has no problem with it, her parents just wouldn’t understand.

As I suspected, Hattie spends all our time over at her parents’ house. Robert is at work during the day, but because Carla isn’t well, she’s no longer working at the salon. Which has made for a long couple of days.

It’s given me time to see Carla and Hattie’s dynamic.

Seeing how close they are isn’t easy, but I cannot reconcile the woman in front of me with the one I used to try to wake as a child, worried that she was dead.

Seeing her well and the mother she is to Hattie only spurs my anger because now I see what I missed out on, the kind of mother Carla could have been to me.

Hattie says my name, and I blink, coming back to the present. I turn my attention her way, and she’s frowning.

“Sorry, my mind drifted off. What did you say?”

She glances over my shoulder at the sliding glass door that leads inside. Carla went in a few minutes ago to get ready for her doctor’s appointment. Robert should be here any minute to pick her up. Hattie and I are going to wait here until they return to let us know how it went.

“Are you okay?” Her head tilts.

“Of course, my mind just wandered to work. My apologies.” I reach across the table and take her hand, stroking her knuckles with my thumb.

“I know you probably need to get home, but I really appreciate you staying to support me.”

“You are my number one priority, Hattie. I’m sorry I drifted off.”

“And that’s all it is?” She’s worried. All the shit is showing on my face now, and it’s transparent to her.

I once thought this woman was na?ve, but now that she knows me, she’s too perceptive. “That’s all.”

“Because you seem really tense whenever my mother is around. It’s almost like you’re uncomfortable or something.”

Shit. I need to do a better job than I’m doing.

Thankfully, before I have to come up with an answer, the slider opens, and Robert and Carla walk out.

“Well, we’re off.” Carla’s voice shakes, revealing she’s nervous about the appointment.

Hattie rushes over and gives her a hug, then moves over to her dad to give him one.

Carla’s eyes veer toward me. “Why don’t you kids go swimming or something? Don’t just be waiting around here on pins and needles. We don’t want Bastion to think this place isn’t any fun. He’ll never want to come back here.”

Hattie pulls away from her dad and nods. “We brought our swimsuits today like you said.”

“Good.” Carla gives Hattie a kiss on her forehead. “I don’t want you sitting around stressing the whole time.”

She gives her mom a wan smile, and they leave. I walk over to Hattie and pull her into an embrace, wishing I could do something more, anything to make this better for her.

We separate, and she heaves a big sigh. “Okay, my mom is right. Let’s try to enjoy our afternoon. What do you want to do? I want to say a quick prayer, then I’m all yours.”

“In that case, you’re gonna get on your knees, but you won’t be praying, babe.”

She laughs and smacks my arm playfully. It’s good to see her smile, a laugh on her lips. It’s been days since they’ve made an appearance.

“Should I get changed into my swim trunks while you do that, or do you feel like doing something other than hanging by the pool?”

“I brought a book with me, and some relaxation sounds good. It’s hot out, so taking a dip might be good in a bit.”

“Okay, I’ll go change and meet you back out here.”

I give her credit—in my experience, religious people are intent on converting everyone to their cause, but not once has Hattie tried to push her religion on me.

Never tried to get me to church, never asked me to pray with her, none of it.

The thought that maybe that’s a bad thing, that perhaps she doesn’t see me as a permanent fixture in her life, crosses my mind, but I push away the insecurity.

I join Hattie back outside and see that she’s already changed into her swimsuit.

It’s a noticeably different style than the one she wore at my house in Avalon Pointe.

This is a one-piece, and though she looks fabulous in anything, it certainly isn’t close to as sexy as the bikini.

I’m assuming this one feels more parent-approved to her.

Another side of Hattie has emerged since we’ve been around her parents, and I wonder if that will ever change.

She’s seated on one of the loungers around the pool, her book and bottle of water on the table beside her. When she sees me approach, she holds up a bottle of sunscreen. “Can you put some on me?”

My dick twitches. I haven’t been inside her since we left the island.

I understand why, and I’m not going to be an asshole and pressure her to sleep with me when she’s dealing with so much, but I still miss her, miss her body, miss our connection during sex.

I only ever thought of the act of sex as physical, but with Hattie, it has a way of centering me, making me feel so much closer and loved.

“You know how much I love to do that.” I grin, trying to keep the mood light. I take the bottle from her and sit at the end of the lounger. “Sit up and give me your back.”

She does as I say, and I enjoy every second of rubbing my hands over her body. It’s the most action I’m getting for a while.

I’m concerned about how Hattie will react if Carla doesn’t get good news today. I continue to lie to myself that all I’m concerned with is Hattie’s feelings, not the welfare of the mother who abandoned me.

We relax in the sun, and Hattie reads her book while I catch up on some work stuff on my phone. Eventually I lean my head back and enjoy the feel of the sun’s heat.

“Do you want to go for a dip?”

I turn my head in Hattie’s direction. She’s shielding her eyes from the sun, looking at me. Her sunglasses lay discarded on the table beside her.

“Sure.” I bolt off the chair and take a couple large steps toward the pool, then jump in cannonball style.

When I resurface, Hattie is at the edge of the pool, giggling.

Mission accomplished. I know she’s stressed and worried right now. I just want to do what I can to lift her spirits.

“Let’s see what you got, babe.”

“Okay, prepare to be amazed. You might want to hold on to the side of the pool so you don’t drown from this crazy wave I’m going to make.”

I chuckle. “Let’s see it.”

She steps back, then runs toward the pool, leaping and dropping into the water in a cannonball that makes about half the waves my jump did.

Her head pops out of the water, and she’s grinning. “Well?”

“Sorry, babe, I’ve got you beat.” I tug her to me by the waist. It’s not the easiest while you’re treading water, but I manage to kiss her quickly.

The sun’s rays reflecting off the water bring out the gold flecks in her eyes, and for the first time all day, there’s something other than fear in them. I want to keep it like that for as long as I can.

“You want to play Marco Polo?” I ask.

“Sure! You try to find me first.” She wiggles out of my arms and swims away.

“All right, I’ll count to ten. Better hurry.” I close my eyes and start the countdown out loud.

I’m not sure how long it takes me to catch her, maybe five minutes, then our roles reverse.

She comes after me with no luck. A few minutes in, I decide to play a trick on her.

I swim to the pool’s edge and oh so slowly pull myself out of the water.

My sister and I used to do this to each other the few times our dad took us to the public pool growing up.

I always found it hilarious to see Ari frustrated and searching around in the water, knowing she was never going to find me.

“Marco,” Hattie calls.

“Polo,” I say right before I completely pull myself from the water.

She swims in the direction of my voice, feeling around with her hands. When she comes up empty, she calls out Marco again.

I quietly slip to the end of the pool and say, “Polo,” leaning over and dipping my hand in the water to make a splashing sound for good measure.

She swims that way with her eyes closed, and I move to the other side of the pool so I’m facing away from the house. Hattie lets out a growl of frustration when she makes it to the area I was just standing beside, and it’s all I can do to not laugh.

“Marco,” she shouts into the warm summer air, louder than the previous times and clearly annoyed.

This time I can’t stifle my chuckle, but before I can give up the game I’m playing, something crashes behind me, and the sound of shattering glass rings through the warm air. Hattie’s eyes pop open, and I whip around.

Robert and Carla are on the deck, the remnants of a serving tray, a jug, and several glasses spread on the concrete.

“Carla, are you okay?” Robert rubs her back.

Carla doesn’t respond, her eyes on me with a mix of horror and disbelief. “Tyler?”

So she does remember at least one thing about me. I’d laugh in her face if my heart didn’t wrench because I might lose Hattie.