Just for Now (Sea Breeze #4)(25)

“You stopped coming to Live Bay and drinking with me, Amanda. Wondered what happened to you. We had a few fun nights,” Jess said, grinning at me with a wicked twinkle in her eye.

Back this summer after Preston had left me in that storage room, I’d done everything I could to get his attention, including drinking and partying with Jess. But one night when a guy had gotten a little too out of hand and Dewayne had showed up and beat his face in—that had been my last night out with Jess. It had been the wake up call I’d needed. I wasn’t that kind of girl. I never would be. And no amount of partying was going to get Preston to look at me again. He’d had his fill.

“Yeah, I’ve been busy,” I replied.

“Weren’t you going off to college? Auburn or some crazy shit like that?”

The main reason I wasn’t going was sitting across from me listening to every word I said. “Yeah, I was. But I didn’t want to miss the wedding planning for Marcus and Willow. And my mom still needs me. She isn’t ready for me to leave her just yet. Especially with Marcus getting married.”

“Sure about that?” Jess asked with a knowing look on her face.

I’d probably told her something I shouldn’t have one of the nights I drank too much. Dang it. I hadn’t thought about that. Maybe my little secret wasn’t as secret as I’d thought. I was no better than Preston. Dewayne knew something. Now Jess. Crap.

“I’m positive,” I replied with a forced smile.

“If you’re done with the twenty questions, Jess, we were talking about calculus. You can leave now,” Preston said, setting his cup down on the table. His long tanned fingers wrapped around the cup made me think of the other things I’d felt those hands do.

“Calculus my ass,” Jess replied, standing up. “You don’t normally go sniffing back around where you’ve already been.”

Preston’s annoyed frown transformed into a furious glare, and he slowly stood up. “Whatever the hell you think you know, you don’t. I don’t care who your cousin is. Friend or not. You won’t repeat any of it to anyone.”

Jess raised her eyebrows and met his glare with one of her own. “I’d never repeat a word. But not because your sorry ass threatened me—because I like Amanda. That’s the only reason. ’Cause, Preston Drake, I’d love to see you hung up by your balls.” Jess swung her gaze to me and smiled. “I’ll see ya around, Amanda.”

I nodded, but I was afraid to say anything else. I’d obviously told Jess about Preston and me. This was humiliating. Who else had I told while I’d had my few weeks of drunkenness?”

Jess spun around and strutted out the door. It took all my courage to look at Preston again. He was studying his coffee cup. Guess he was wondering who all I’d told too.

“I can’t believe you won the loyalty of that one. She’s a mean bitch,” Preston finally said, lifting his gaze to meet my anxious one.

I shrugged. I wasn’t sure how I’d managed that either. But we’d bonded over vodka. Weird but true. “Jess is misunderstood. That’s all.”

Preston chuckled. “No, Manda. Jess is a conniving, manipulative slut. She doesn’t make friends with females. Ever.”

“She’s not that bad,” I replied, needing to defend her.

Preston raised one eyebrow and twisted his cup around in his hands as he held my gaze. “We’ll agree to disagree. How’s that?”

I nodded.

He let out a weary sigh. “I didn’t know those drunk episodes of yours this summer were with Jess. I thought those two times I found you and took you home were flukes. It was your attempt at rebelling.”

“They were my attempt at rebelling. I figured out pretty quick it wasn’t for me.”

“Why’d you do it?” he asked.

I knew he wasn’t ready for this answer. Giving him something else to feel guilty about wasn’t what I wanted. Instead, I shrugged, reached for my drink, and took a sip through the straw.

“Please tell me it wasn’t because of what I did. . . .”

I didn’t want to lie to him, but this was one of those instances when lying was the best policy. “No, Preston. It had nothing to do with you.”

The relief on his face made me glad I’d lied.

“Do you have any more classes today?” he asked.

I didn’t. I was going with Willow to pick out bridesmaid dresses, and we were taking Larissa with us to find her a flower girl dress. “No, this is my easiest day of the week.”

Preston tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “I’ve got to head to the gym to work out with the team, but later you want to do something? Maybe help me figure out what the hell we did in class today? I’ll buy you a meal.”

He was really determined to do this friends thing and get free tutoring out of it too. As much as I’d like to spend time with him, I knew it was bad. “I can’t. I’m going with Willow and Larissa to pick out bridesmaid dresses and Larissa’s flower girl dress.”

Preston titled his head to the side, and the blond hair that brushed his shoulders drew my attention. He looked like one of those airbrushed models in a magazine. No guy should be that perfect-looking. It wasn’t fair.

“What about after? Stores close at six. You should be free then.”