Without You (Love Wanted in Texas #1)(42)
Grace walked up to him and tilted her head as she looked him up and down. “Not my problem.”
She turned and began walking away as I let go of him with a push.
Lex and Maegan followed her. Mike put his face in his hands and began mumbling how his father was going to kill him.
“If I find out that you’ve even looked at Grace ever again, you will regret it. Am I making myself clear?” I said.
Mike dropped his hands and looked at me. “Very.”
“Good. Get the f*ck off my property.”
Mike turned and began walking back through the brush. I followed, walked him to his car, and watched as he drove off.
I felt a hand on my arm. I turned to see Grace.
“Thank you. I know how hard that must have been for you to watch Lex flirting with Mike.”
“Grace, why didn’t you tell Luke or me about the video? We would have handled it.”
She swallowed hard and wiped a tear away. “I couldn’t risk my father or mother ever seeing it, Will. I wanted to tell Luke so many times, but I knew if I did, he would beat the shit out of Mike.”
I nodded. “Yeah, he would have.”
“Please, Will. Please don’t say anything to Luke.”
I pulled her into my arms when she broke down crying. “I promise, Grace. I promise.”
Grace and I walked over and sat down on one of the logs surrounding the fire pit. I would start a fire soon once the sun started to go down.
Lex sat down next to me and smiled weakly. “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. If I had, you would have talked us out of it and gone after him yourself. I knew we would be okay with you there.”
I shook my head. “Lex, that was dangerous. What if he had tried—”
She put her finger up to my lips. “He didn’t, and you were there.”
“Which one of you came up with this plan?” I asked as Maegan sat down opposite of me and Lex.
Maegan pointed to Lex. “The brains of Operation Take Down Mike.”
Lex and Grace laughed.
I pulled Lex closer to me. “I love you. I have to admit, the whole you making out with Maegan almost threw me into a bit of shock.”
Lex hit me in the stomach as Maegan laughed.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
I looked up to see Libby standing there.
“Hey, sis. You all changed?”
She nodded her head. She seemed flustered and confused.
“Where’s Luke?” Grace asked.
“Um…he’s kind of passed out in Colt’s truck. He managed to, um…change into dry clothes, but he’s really drunk. I had to help him back into the truck.”
Grace laughed. “What is with him getting so shitfaced lately?”
Libby sat down and glanced over to me. Something wasn’t right.
I mouthed, Are you all right?
She nodded and smiled weakly.
“Libby, can I talk to you in private?” I asked as I stood up. I always knew when something wasn’t right with my sister. It was almost like I could feel when she was upset or sad or just not right.
She stood up and began walking to my truck. She stopped and turned around with a fake-ass smile on her face. “What’s up?”
I raised my eyebrow at her. “Libby, I know you well enough to know that something is off. You look flustered and confused as hell.”
She laughed. “Will, I promise, everything is okay.”
Then, I felt the heat moving up my body. “Did Luke try anything with you? I’ll hurt that bastard if he did.”
She shook her head. “Will, no. Everything is fine.”
Sam Hunt’s “Raised on It” began playing, and the girls all screamed.
Libby smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek. “I promise, I’m okay, Will.”
“I love you, Lib.”
“I love you, too.”
Libby turned and walked over to the girls, and they started dancing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke walking up. He was for sure drunk and acting like a fool.
I pulled out my phone and started recording everyone. I couldn’t help but think about how most of us would soon be leaving for college. I smiled as I watched Lex dancing. I tried to push away the uneasy feeling I got in the pit of my stomach. It was that same uneasy feeling that told me things were going to change soon, very soon.
I sat on my bed, holding Emma to my chest. Tears threatened to come again. I had cried so much the last two days that I was sure I had no more tears left.
I heard the door open and felt my bed move. The moment he entered my room, I knew it was Will.
“Hey,” he whispered.
I couldn’t talk. If I talked, I’d cry again. I shook my head and clutched Emma harder.
“Lex, I promise you, everything is going to be okay.”
I turned and looked at him. His eyes were bloodshot.
Has he been crying?
Libby had told me that Will hadn’t been sleeping well at all the last few nights.
“I-I can’t leave you.” I broke down crying again.
Will moved closer to me and took me in his arms. “Baby, I swear to you, we’re gonna make this work. Our love is too strong, Lex. You have to believe in our love.”
I sniffled and whispered, “I do, Will. I do believe in our love, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”