We all sat down and talked for a bit more.
"Lib, you're going to A&M. Are you going to be able to go to the same school as Luke? What if you, you know, see him on dates?" Grace asked.
My heart sank at the idea of Will being at a different school than me, especially knowing he would be rooming with Luke. I didn't think Luke was a man-whore, but I knew he had already slept with his fair share of girls.
Libby shook her head and stood up. "I'll be fine. I guess it's my fault for letting my feelings for Luke get in the way of our friendship. I'm going to be fine. I'll meet someone at A&M and forget all about Luke Johnson." She turned and climbed back onto her horse. She looked down at us and smiled. "You always forget about your first love after high school anyway, right?"
Grace laughed and nodded her head. We all started talking about Lauren's last year of high school.
I couldn't help myself, but I kept thinking of Libby's comment.
You always forget about your first love …
"Lex? Hello? Are you still with me?" Will asked.
I smiled weakly. "Sorry, I was thinking about the other day. Libby told us that Claire and Luke were making out, and she was bothered by it. I just think Claire is out to get Luke before she heads off to college. I just don't like her."
Will gripped the steering wheel and shook his head. "I swear, if Luke hurts my sister again … "
I placed my hand on his arm, and he looked at me.
"Let's just enjoy our evening, okay?"
He smiled and winked at me. "Deal."
Will pulled up and parked next to Colt's truck. I waited for Will to open my door, and we began walking down toward the river. I could already hear people screaming and laughing. I saw Colt talking to Rachel. She didn't look happy at all. I knew he was breaking it off with her for good.
"Has Colt ever mentioned anything about Lauren to you?" I asked Will.
///
Will looked over toward Colt and then quickly back to me. "Um … well, um … "
I smiled and slowly nodded my head. "I won't make you share a secret. Come on, let's go find everyone."
Will took my hand in his, and we made our way over to Grace and Libby.
"Hey, y'all!" Grace said as she jumped up. She hugged me and then Will.
Libby gave me a hug and then looked at Will. They exchanged looks, and Will smiled from ear to ear. I looked between them with a questioning look, but Will quickly kissed me before sitting down on the giant log and pulling me onto his lap.
"What was that about?" I asked with a smirk.
He winked and turned to Grace. "So, is Mike here?"
Grace's smile faded for a quick second. "Um … yeah, he is somewhere."
I looked around and saw him over on the rope swing with his hands all over that bitch, Claire.
Ugh. What a slut.
"Grace, why do you even bother with him? He's such an ass. He flirts with everyone and treats you like-"
"Alex, please, not again." Grace looked at me with pleading eyes.
I knew she didn't want Will to know how Mike had been treating her.
"Treats you like what? Has that jerk ever laid his hands on you, Grace? I'll kick his damn ass."
Grace laughed. "No, Will. He has never touched me. Alex and Libby just don't like Mike, that's all."
Grace looked around. She must have found the bastard because when she turned back around, I swore I saw her eyes filling with tears.
We spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, playing horseshoes, potato-sack races, and tug of war. You named it, and we did it. I was exhausted by the time the sun went down. I looked over and saw Lauren leaning against a tree. She was talking to some guy I'd never seen before. Colt was standing nearby, and I noticed he kept looking over.
I nudged Will. "You need to go tell Colt that he'd better make his move if he's interested in Lauren. I have no clue who the new guy is."
Will looked up and nodded. "That's Claire's cousin, Brax. He just moved here from Montana or something like that."
"Huh. Well, Brax sure seems to have his eyes on Lauren."
"Yeah, he does." Will leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "I'll be right back."
He got up and walked over to Colt. He leaned in and said something to him. Colt nodded and pushed off the tree, and then they started making their way over to Lauren and Brax.
"Oh shit," I whispered.
Libby sat down across from me and asked, "Oh shit what?"
I didn't look at her as I kept watching Will and Colt. "Colt … I think he likes Lauren. The new guy, Brax, is giving Lauren a lot of one-on-one attention. I told Will to tell Colt that he'd better make his move now if he was interested before this Brax guy gets too much into her head."
"Oh shit. They're walking over there, Alex!"
I looked at Libby. "I know, Lib! That's why I said, oh shit. The overprotective big-brother syndrome is playing out before our eyes."
"What's going on?"
Libby closed her eyes at the sound of Luke's voice. I turned and looked up at Luke staring down at Libby and me.
I smiled at my handsome cousin. "Oh, um … nothing. I think Colt likes Lauren, and some new guy named Brax has been talking to her. Will and Colt are walking up to them. You know how y'all get with each of us, all protective and stuff."
Luke smiled weakly and then looked over at Lauren. "Yeah, Colt likes Lauren."
Libby snapped her head to look up at Luke.
Speaking at the same time, we both said, "He does?"
Luke took a drink of his beer and sat down next to me. He was sitting directly across from Libby and staring right at her. "Yep. He got drunk and told us how much he liked her."
Libby looked away, but Luke kept staring at her.
Libby was watching what was happening with Colt and Lauren as she said, "Why doesn't he just tell her he likes her instead of playing games?"
Somehow, I didn't think Libby was talking about Colt and Lauren anymore.
"I don't know. Maybe he's afraid."
Libby turned her head and looked at Luke. "Of what?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. Maybe he's never felt the way he feels when Lauren's around him. Maybe it freaks him out."
Libby just stared at him before she smiled slightly. "Maybe he should stop being such a pussy about it then. Seems to me that Lauren isn't going to wait around for him, is she?"
I saw the muscles in Luke's neck tighten, and I knew neither one of them were talking about Colt and Lauren.
///
"Colt, knock it off!" Lauren shouted.
I looked back at Lauren, and Colt had Brax pushed up against a tree while Will was trying to get him to stop.
"Great," I said. I jumped up and walked over there. "Colt Mathews, stop it right now."
Colt looked at me and then gave Brax a good push that caused him to stumble.
Lauren ran over to Brax. "Are you okay?" She looked at Colt with a confused look. "What is wrong with you?"
Just by looking at Colt, I could tell he'd had too much to drink. "Colt, why don't you go lie down in the back of your truck for a bit?" I tried to pull him away.
Colt laughed. "If you want another guy to treat you like a whore again, then by all means, Lauren, have at it."
Lauren's mouth dropped open.
Will and I said, "Colt!"
"You want to be treated like that again?" Colt asked.
Will grabbed Colt and began pulling him away. "You're just making it worse, you ass. You want to push her to him?"
Colt shook his head. "No."
"Then, shut the fuck up."
Lauren was looking at Colt and Will with a confused look. "What is going on?" she asked as she walked up to Colt. "Why are you so angry?"
Colt wouldn't look at her.
Lauren frowned. "Colt, please talk to me. We're friends."
He turned and grabbed Lauren by the shoulders. "That's just it, Lauren. I don't want to be friends with you. I want more."
Lauren sucked in a breath of air. "What?"
"I want more, Lauren. Why can't you see that?" Colt let go of Lauren. He pushed his hands through his hair and let out a groan before turning and walking toward his truck.
Lauren just stood there and watched him walk away. Why she didn't go after him I had no clue.
She slowly turned and looked at us and then Brax. "Um … Brax, do you want to head down to the fire?"
"What? Lauren, Colt just-"
Lauren looked at me and smiled. "I know, Alex. Thanks. I'll take care of it later."
My mouth dropped open as I looked at Will, and he shrugged his shoulders. I turned and watched as Lauren walked away with Brax.
Libby threw her hands on her hips and said, "Where is she going? She's going with Brax? What about what Colt just told her?"
"I have no clue," Lex said as she looked over to me.
Luke let out a gruff laugh. "Stupid bastard shouldn't have told her how he feels. Look at him now-alone and drunk in the back of his truck."
Libby spun around and glared at him. "What do you think he should be doing, Luke? Maybe sneaking off with someone and fucking her?"