Lana
Sawyer was quiet. I tried not to stare at him as he and Ethan took my things from Jewel’s car and loaded them in the back of his truck. He seemed in a hurry to leave. Maybe Jewel had laid it on a little too thick with him and he was ready to get away from her. The thought made me smile.
Peeking over at him through the veil of my hair, I could see he’d relaxed since we’d gotten in the truck. Ethan had offered Jake the front seat and said he’d sit with me in the back but Sawyer had said that he wasn’t making me crawl into the back of the truck. I didn’t really consider the extended cab with the comfortable backseat “crawling” into anything but I hadn’t argued. His angry scowl had made me scramble into the front seat. Thankfully, he’d seemed to calm down once the other two got into the back.
“You can change the station if you want,” Sawyer said, glancing over in my direction.
I hadn’t been paying any attention to what was on the radio. I’d been more worried about figuring out why he was being so surly all of a sudden. I wasn’t used to seeing Sawyer like this. Normally he was all smiles and politeness. This must be Sawyer after Ashton. The thought made me sad.
“Ah, man, don’t let her choose. She’s a chick. She’ll pick some awful boy band shit,” Jake complained from the backseat. “Umph, ow, what the hell,” he snapped. I turned to see Ethan glaring at him.
If only Sawyer liked me as much as Ethan obviously did. Then again, Ethan was more in my league.
“I’ve a good mind to let her crawl back there and slap you,” Sawyer said with an amused tone to his voice.
“S’okay, I think E bruised my ribs. I’ll shut up.”
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful. There wasn’t much talking except for Sawyer asking me if I was comfortable. He’d turned the air vent toward me and told me to close it if I got cold. He’d changed the channels several times and always asked if I liked that song. This was the Sawyer I was used to. The attentive, polite one. Not the moody guy I’d witnessed all night.
When Sawyer pulled onto a dirt road, that I knew led out to the field parties, I searched the parked cars for Ashton’s car or Beau’s truck. I wasn’t sure I was ready to witness Ashton with both of the Vincent boys just yet. If Sawyer was still hung up on her it would almost kill me.
“I’ll see y’all later. I’m going to go ahead and take Lana to Ash’s.”
Ethan cleared his throat drawing my attention from the parked vehicles to him.
“Uh, I can take her,” he said in a cautious tone as he stared at Sawyer. Sawyer, on the other hand, hadn’t even turned around to look at him.
“I got this, Ethan,” he replied in a cool hard voice.
Ethan shifted his gaze from me to Sawyer, then let out a defeated sigh and opened the door and got out.
Once he’d closed the door, Sawyer backed up and turned around. I was silently thrilled he’d wanted to take me to Ashton’s but then the nagging reminder that he was probably doing it in hopes of seeing Ashton squelched my joy.
Instead of torturing myself with different scenarios in my head, I decided to ask him about Ashton.
“So, how are things with the three of you?” I didn’t have to elaborate. I knew he would know exactly who I was talking about.
He tensed up then let out a breath and cocked his head to the side and cut his eyes toward me, “Would you believe me if I said we were doing great?” The sad smile on his face broke my heart.
“No,” I replied.
He let out a small chuckle and ran his hand through his dark hair. “You knew about them last time you were here, didn’t you? I remember that time at the field party. Something had been off about that whole scenario. For starters, you weren’t Beau’s type and Ash wouldn’t have gotten all worked up if he had flirted with you because they’d mended their fences,” he shook his head, “guess you were the only reason I believed that story. I didn’t figure you for a liar.”
I always knew that lie was going to come back to haunt me. When Sawyer had found Ashton and Beau having a lover’s spat because Beau had followed Ashton into the woods so he could sneak a kiss, I couldn’t stand the thought of Sawyer finding out the truth that way. So, I’d lied and told Sawyer that Beau had hit on me and Aston didn’t think he was good enough for me. I’d told Ashton later that she had to choose or let them go because what she was doing to Sawyer was wrong.
“I’m sorry,” I replied. Because I was.
Sawyer nodded, “Yeah, me too.”
The rest of the drive over to Ashton’s was fairly quiet. He didn’t ask me if I was comfortable and he didn’t turn on the radio. Why had I opened my big mouth? Reminding him about my part in his cousin and girlfriend’s deception had been stupid.
“Ash’s car is here but I doubt she’s home. She was with Beau at the field earlier.”
I nodded and reached for the door handle. I’d said enough tonight. I needed to get out of his truck before I said anything else stupid.
“Wait, Lana,” Sawyer’s hand reached out and his fingers wrapped around my upper arm. Chill bumps from his rough warm skin popped out all over my skin.
“Uh, yeah,” I managed to choke out.
“Look, I was a jerk. I’m sorry. It isn’t your fault. That crap with Ash and Beau, none of it was your fault. I just needed an outlet to vent and you were the only person around. I was wrong,” he paused and I glanced back at him. “Forgive me?”
The sincere look in his eyes made me melt. He was like a sweet wounded puppy. Ashton had been crazy to hurt him. I mean, who does that? He was so perfect. How can you hurt someone so incredibly perfect?
“Yes, of course.”
A smile lit up his face and he squeezed my arm then let go. “Phew, thank you.”
We both got out of the truck and I met him on the other side to get the luggage he was lifting out of the back and setting on the driveway.
“I’ll help you. Don’t get the heavy stuff,” Sawyer said as he reached for the last bag. I didn’t normally pack so much but now that I wore makeup and styled my hair and had an actual wardrobe I had quite a few pieces of luggage.
“Thanks.”
“I didn’t peg you as a girl who packs a lot,” he observed.
I shrugged, “Things change.” I reached down to pick up my cosmetics and toiletries bags. They were the smaller two.