Chapter Four
Sawyer
That couldn’t be good. I mentally cursed myself for making such a jackass move. Jerking my truck door open, I started to climb inside when Beau’s truck pulled in behind me. Perfect. Not what I needed right now. I needed to wrap my head around that stupid kiss with Lana. Not face Beau and Ash.
Beau’s truck door swung open and he got out with an angry snarl on his face. What was his deal?
“Better be a damn good reason you’re parked in Ash’s drive.”
Adjusting to Beau being a caveman over a girl had been almost as hard as seeing him with Ash. Beau didn’t do jealous, until Ashton had become his. Now, he was a freaking lunatic.
“I just dropped Lana off,” I replied, meeting his angry glare. I wasn’t scared of his stupid tough guy shit. I’d been in more fights with him than I could count.
My answer obviously confused him because he raised one eyebrow then turned to look at Ash as she scooted out behind him on the driver’s side.
“She’s here?” Ash squealed, jumping down before Beau could catch her. “Remember, I told you Lana was coming tonight,” she beamed up at Beau then frowned and looked over at me. “Why... how did you get her?”
Ash was adorable when she was confused. “She was eating dinner at Wings when we stopped in to eat. I offered to give her a ride to save her friend the trip.”
Ashton’s frown turned up into a smile again. I liked making her smile—always had. “Thank you! I’m so glad you met up with her.” Ash turned and wrapped her arms around Beau and laid a loud quick kiss on his lips before releasing him and stepping back, “I gotta go see her. I haven’t seen her in months. Call me later.”
Beau grabbed her hand and turned it palm up before kissing it and then licking it. Gross, I did not want to see this. “Yeah, I’ll call you when I crawl in bed,” his voice dropped until it was much deeper than normal and I swear I heard Ashton sigh. I’d seen more than I wanted. I started to climb up in my truck.
“Sawyer, wait,” Beau’s command stopped me. I really just wanted to leave but he was blocking me in so I couldn’t exactly escape.
Ashton ran inside and once she closed the door, Beau turned his gaze toward me.
“About tonight. Don’t do that again. It’s been six months and Ashton goes out of her way to be kind to you. You talk to her that way again and I’m gonna kick your ass.”
Figures it wasn’t an apology but a threat. But he was right, I had been a jerk to Ashton. I didn’t want to push either of them away. They both knew me better than anyone. They’d been my best friends all my life. We shared a secret and we shared memories. It formed a bond so important that I’d given up Ash without much of a fight in order to preserve.
“You’re right. I was a jackass. I’ll apologize to her next time I see her.”
Beau seemed appeased. His eyes shifted back to her now lit bedroom window. She and Lana would be inside talking and I wondered if I’d have something else to apologize for the next time I saw her. Because if Lana told her about that kiss then Ash would be pissed. Not because I kissed Lana but because I’d been a complete dick afterwards.
“Good,” Beau started to get into his truck and stopped. “Hey you, wanna go play some pool?”
“Aunt Honey working?”
“Yep.”
That meant free beer. I nodded, “Lead the way.”
Lana
I’d barely made it inside the door when Ashton had come racing inside squealing. She’d made quick work of getting us past her parents and their questions concerning my parents and up to her room. She closed the door and spun around smiling brightly at me.
“I am so glad you’re here.”
Her long blond hair was hanging loose down her back and her golden tan was already perfect. How did she do that? It had been summer for what now—a week? We shared the same green eyes. That was it. When I was younger, I’d hated her. Not because she was mean but because she looked like a Barbie doll. To retaliate, I’d been the one who was mean.
“Me too,” I replied when she plunked down on the bed beside me. Getting away from my mother and her endless griping about my dad was a major relief. They’d been officially divorced now for three months but she still ranted about him daily.
“We’re going to have so much fun. Kayla Jenkins’ birthday is tomorrow night and she’s having a huge party at her house. She throws one every year. You’ll love it and get to meet everyone. Then Beau and I have been talking about a camping trip. Maybe for a week up at Cheaha. We’re going to invite Sawyer, since hiking is his thing, and some other people. You, of course, are coming too. Then Leann is at the beach all summer at her grandmother’s beach house. So, I told her we’d come visit her one week.” Forcing a smile was hard but I somehow managed.