thru your phone - cardi b

"What the hell took you so long?" I grumbled as I climbed into Connor's truck.

"Hello to you too." He scoffed.

"You took too long to get here, so you don't get a proper greeting."

"I was here in eight minutes, Hope."

I waved him off and went to plug my phone in to play music.

"No." Connor groaned. He had always hated my taste in music, but his wasn't any better.

"Oh, shut up."

The entire way to the lake, Connor took turns playing music and screaming the lyrics at the top of our lungs. We were laughing and having a blast. He was successfully turning my bad day around.

When we got the lake Connor untied his small bass boat and helped me in. He drove the boat out for almost ten minutes before cutting the engine. We weren't far out from the docks, but there also weren't that many people here.

Coming to the lake had always been one of my favorite things to do just because of the peace that it brought me. Being outside and letting the wind blow through my hair and taking impromptu swims made me happy.

"So what's going on," Connor asked as he stood up and tossed his fishing line out.

"What do you mean?"

He turned around and looked at me like I had grown two heads, "Are you serious? The whole Leigh thing. He stood you up today plus, I saw him and that girl at the diner."

"Who? Shelby? They're just friends."

"You don't seriously believe that do you," Connor turned towards me with his eyebrows furrowed.

I stared out at the lake and watched the fish cause ripples in the otherwise calm water. I did believe that. Maybe I had some doubts, but I didn't think that Jack was cheating on me.

"I do."

Just as those two words came out of my mouth, a familiar boat came into view. It was Jack's boat. What the fuck.

Connor's eyes followed mine, and both of our mouths dropped open. On the boat was Jack, some of his teammates and their girlfriends, and Shelby. I couldn't believe it.

Before I could wrap my head around what I was seeing, Connor had started the boat and was driving us back to the docks at some unforsaken speed. But, I guess Jack and his hooligans had spotted us because they were following us back to the dock, as well.

"Hope!" Jack yelled as soon as I stepped onto the old dock. If I turned around and looked at him, there were only two things that I might do; cry or punch him. I decided against both and was just trying to get back to Connor's truck.

"Hope!" He yelled again, this time pulling my shoulder. So I did the only reasonable thing; I punched him.

"Don't fucking touch me," I spat. "I don't ever want to talk to you again."

I rushed over to Connor's truck and slammed the door closed. That's when it hit me. Jack had blown me off to hang out with another girl. Another girl who he had been spending way too much time with.

"I'm going to kill him H," Connor dragged his fingers through his hair frustratedly, "I swear to God. Do you want me to go back there and drown him or something?"

I shook my head and wiped under my eyes. I was trying my hardest not to cry, but I couldn't stop the slow tears that were cascading down my face.

"H..." Connor reached across the center console and gently grabbed my face. His hands were warm and calloused and I graveled in the comfort that they brought me. "It's okay to cry."

"No, it's not," I hiccupped.

"Why's that?"

"I should have seen it coming, I mean everyone else did. He doesn't love me, Connor, he probably never has." I started to cry harder.

"Hope, Jack is by far the stupidest boy ever. If he can blow you off to hang out with a girl named Shelby and some sweaty basketball players, then he's not worth it. But, it's still okay to cry. He has been your rock for over two years, and he just pulled that stunt. I would cry too." Connor pulled me into his shoulder and kissed my forehead, letting me cry into his shirt.

After I had calmed down a little, Connor started driving back to my house.

"My mom wants you to stay for dinner."

"She does?" His eyes widened as he looked over at me before focusing back on the road.

"Yeah."

"Well do you want me to stay?"

"I do," I nodded. "It'll be like old times."

Connor laughed and a small smile crept onto his face, "Just like old times."

~~~

In the hours leading up to dinner, Connor and I had laid on the couch and watched reruns of Jersey Shore. He would have much rather been watching whatever game was on, but he knew that this made me happy.

I wasn't exactly sure how dinner was going to go considering my dad and Connor were still on the rocks, but I also didn't care. After everything that happened today, I just wanted a calm dinner with my family and one of my best friends.

"So uh Connor," my dad cleared his throat and set his fork down, "Are you going to play football this year?" Good. The questions had already started.

"I'm not really sure. My grandpa needs a lot of help on the farm, and I don't want to make him hire someone to do the work that I can do for free."

"That's fair." My dad said. I was surprised that he wasn't going to make a witty joke or anything. Hmm, maybe he could behave.

"Hope," my little brother Beau started, "when is Jack going to come back over?"

"Never," I grunted.

"What? What happened honey?" My mom's eyes had widened and there was a look of concern on her and my father's faces.

"I don't want to talk about it." Connor squeezed my knee from underneath the table. I was glad he was here, just because I knew my parents wouldn't badger me about Jack.

Dinner ended shortly after, and Connor and I were sitting on the front porch underneath the moonlight. It was a breezy night, and the wind felt amazing on my skin.

"Hope?"

"Hmm?" I turned my head lazily towards Connor.

"You can't stay around people who make you feel like you're nothing to them."

"I know Connor."

"You're going to end up breaking your own heart." He gazed at me with an intensity that I had never seen before. He was so serious.

"My heart is already broken, C."

----
do you think that jack will come back to hope and try to win her back? or are things over forever?