He shoves me away, and I struggle to regain my footing.
“You’re right, Warren, this isn’t the time or the place. But I have news for you, when you least expect it, you’ll be getting a new asshole,” it heaves out of me in a heated rush. “AndI’mgoing to be the one to give it to you.”
I take off my heels and dive back into the crowd looking for Ace.
I pray to God I can explain everything. I pray to God I didn’t piss him off or worse, break his heart.
Come next week, I’m breaking my father’s heart, too.
Ace
The rocky mountain road is virtually abandoned as I follow the dirt trail all the way to the falls. I park the Cougar just shy of the towering pines and find a secluded clearing to set up the tent. There’s a campground back a good distance with shared restroom facilities, showers, and a snack shack. That’s what makes the falls the perfect place to spend an undetermined amount of time—the promise of indoor plumbing.
After Warren’s proposal, I couldn’t stand to hang around. My balls weren’t officially kicked in until Reese bleated out an enthusiasticyesfor all to hear. I’ll be reliving that moment in my nightmares for the next sixty years.
The logs call to me, so I start a fire and collapse right there on the dirt. I can’t help but wonder what could have happened if I had done what Brylee told me to do and let Reese in on how I feel. Three little words, I love you. That’s all. I could have walked away knowing I did all I could. I would have slept at night knowing she had the facts. And, if she still wanted to be with Warren, I would have been okay with that too—not really, but I could have faked it for about two minutes.
I pitch a rock across the field as the fireworks start over the lake. The screams and laughter from the crowd rise through the air and the cheerful lakefront only seems to exemplify my misery.
“Hey!” A girl’s voice calls from behind, and I turn to see the most beautiful sight in the world. “Well if it isn’t Reese Madelyn Westfield.”
She throws down a small duffle bag and falls into my lap, peppering my face with slow, lingering kisses. She tastes sweet like watermelon, and I’ll be the last person to stop her from loving me like this.
She pulls back and inspects me with a twinge of sadness in her eyes. “You know my middle name.”
“Does that impress you?” I wrap my arms around her as we look up at the fireworks lighting up the sky in shades of purple and blue.
“Everything about you impresses me.” She lays her head over my chest, her eyes drawn up to the sky in wonder. “You know I’m not marrying Warren, right?”
“You can marry whoever you want.” I don’t mean for it to sound as coldhearted as it does. “I’ll cheer you on.” I press a kiss over her temple. “I’ll always be there for you Reese, always.”
Reese looks up at me with those luminescent silver eyes, her dark hair framing her like a shadow.
“You left me,” she whispers.
My stomach tightens. She’s right. I hightailed it out of the there so fast I didn’t wait to listen to rhyme or reason. This was a summer thing I signed up for, what the hell right did I have abandoning her at the lake like some jealous pussy?
“Sorry. Guess I had my ego kicked in a notch.” First honest thought I’ve shared with her so far. It feels like a crack in the armor, and now, every feeling I’ve ever had wants to come streaming out.
Her eyes fill with tears. “He asked if I was pissed, and, when I said yes, he pointed the mike at me.”
Shit. I should have figured. “Warren always was creative.” My chest loosens. It feels like a five-karat weight has been lifted off, and, for the first time in an hour, I can breathe again. It still doesn’t make Reese mine, but at least she’s not Warren’s.
“And tonight”—she dips her hand into my shirt and I don’t stop her—“I’m hoping you’ll show me how creativeyouare.”
“You sure you want to do this?” My Adam’s apple rises and falls. Reese bears into me with those crystal clear eyes, and I feel like crap knowing she’s not really mine.
“Yes, I want to do this.” The sky fills with a pink canopy of stars that explode in quick succession. “There’s no one on the planet I’d rather do this with than you.”
There it is. That’s pretty damn close to exactly what I wanted to hear. Unless of course she’s just trying to get in my pants and I laugh a little at that one. The truth is, I’d never deny her a damn thing—for sure not my body.
I pick her up just as the grand finale sets in, but Reese never takes her eyes off mine.
For a second I think about running us over to the falls and tossing us both in the water to cool us off, but my legs move to the tent instead.
“Last chance,” I say, setting her down just shy of the orange structure.
She shakes her head, pulling me forward by the tip of my fingers. “There’s no way in hell I’m changing my mind.” Reese leads us into the tent and lands over the foam bedding I’ve laid out. “Comfy.” She shakes out her hair before pulling me down next to her.
