The Vincent Boys (The Vincent Boys #1)(34)
“Um, yes, of course,” I replied.
Sawyer chuckled. “Then Ash is mine.”
Kayla smiled but she seemed more annoyed than amused. “We’re assigning each girl two players this year. So you’ll have one more boy to take care of too. The boys haven’t picked yet but I doubt anyone else chooses you since you’re Sawyer’s. You’ll have to draw a name.”
Nicole laughed and I instantly tensed, preparing for her rude comment. Without thinking I glanced over toward the sound of her laughter and immediately wished I hadn’t. Beau was sitting on the ground leaning up against a tractor tire with his legs bent and wide open. Right in between his muscular jean-clad legs sat Nicole. She had one arm wrapped around his neck and the other one resting on his knee. It would have been easier if she’d just stood up and punched me in the gut. Maybe whacked me around a few times. At the moment the pain would be a welcome distraction to the tightness taking over my chest.
Beau’s eyes locked on mine. After everything we’d been through together I hoped I would see some small shred of . . . oh . . . I don’t know. Just something. But he didn’t look phased by me at all. It was as if those two weeks never happened. I swallowed the lump in my throat.
“You know, Ashton, I’ve always wondered what it is you do so right that keeps Sawyer on such a tight leash. I mean you’ve got to be hiding some hidden talent from us.” Nicole’s words were slurred but they were loud and I was positive everyone heard her. Even people not in the little group surrounding us. My stomach turned and twisted. God, I hoped I didn’t get sick.
“It isn’t one thing, Nic, she’s perfect at everything she does.” Sawyer’s voice sounded as calm and nice as always.
Nicole snarled, “Doubt that. You just forgot what a good time feels like.”
Sawyer tensed, his arms tightened around me as if he was protecting me. I’d always wondered what Sawyer had done with Nicole in the seventh grade. At times I’d been jealous when she looked at him as if she knew him in ways I didn’t. But then he would be so careful not to do anything other than kiss me I figured he had to be as chaste as I was. “Was” being the important word here.
“Shut up, Nicole.” The words hadn’t been Sawyer’s. Beau’s deeper voice snapped out the order. Nicole giggled again and leaned forward to shake her braless boobs at Sawyer.
“You remember how much fun it was, don’t ya Saw. We had lots of fun,” she slurred.
“Shut the hell up, Nicole,” Beau growled angrily, pushing her away from him. I should be hurt that my boyfriend wasn’t as inexperienced as I’d thought. The fact he’d been unable to keep his hands off Nicole and didn’t have any problem not touching me should bother me. It didn’t. All I felt was relief at seeing Beau pushing Nicole off of him.
“What’s the matter? You don’t like hearing about how your cousin had me first? Hmmmm . . . don’t be jealous, baby. You’re the only one who’s getting in my pants tonight.” Nicole attempted to purr but her slurring kind of made it sound more like she was moaning.
Sawyer moved from behind me and took my arm to pull me away. I felt Beau’s eyes on me and I glanced back at him. In that moment I could see the Beau I’d thought loved me. His eyes said he was sorry as he pushed Nicole away absently. Not once did he break eye contact with me as Sawyer led me into the pecan orchard. There was pain in those eyes that haunted my dreams. I gave him a sad smile before turning to follow my boyfriend into the shadows of the trees. The light from the fire disappeared as did the noise. The moon managed to peek through the branches, shedding enough light to keep us from walking into a tree or tripping over a fallen branch.
“Ash, I’m so sorry,” Sawyer said, pulling me into his arms once we got to his truck. “She’s a vile human being and why I ever dated her I don’t know. I wish Beau would get rid of her.” He kissed the top of my head like I was a child he needed to comfort. I didn’t feel like crying. But I wanted to know why. For so long I thought he was without sin and I was the one who needed to be tamed, but that hadn’t been true.
“Did you have sex with her, Sawyer?” I asked, staring up at him. The guilty expression on his face answered my question for me. He cupped the side of my face with his hand.
“Ash, it was a long time ago. She was my first girlfriend and although she was pretty wild for a thirteen-year-old we were still young. Of course we didn’t have sex,” he said.
“You obviously did something. You hardly touch me yet it sounds like you did a lot more than kissing with Nicole.”
Sawyer frowned. He hadn’t been expecting me to voice my feelings. I normally reassured him when he was upset. I never wanted to ruffle his feathers. Make life easy for Sawyer had been my mantra for so long. Well, that part of this charade I was living was long gone. No more patting him on the back.
“Ashton, I made some bad decisions with Nicole. She pushed me to do some things. I gave in. But you, you’re different. You’re good. It isn’t about sex with us.”
How could you be in love with someone and not want sex? We were human. He was a teenage boy, for crying out loud. He had hormones.
“Are you not attracted to me that way? I mean I know I don’t have Nicole’s body and I won’t be winning any beauty contest, but if you love me then I would think sex with me would appeal to you.”