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He cracks open the beer and tips it back, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he shotguns all of it in a single go, then tosses it at his feet and grabs another. “Maybe I’ve changed,” Jace says with a shrug.
He pops the top, this time only taking a sip as his eyes meet mine over the rim.
“You, change?” Teagan snorts. “Yeah, okay, buddy.”
“If you’re looking for something more serious, I’m game.” Penny shrugs, and I want to scream,WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?
Jace shoots her a withering look which seems to do the job as she shrinks back, turning to talk to a group of people a couple of feet away.
“Shit. Who guessed the least?” Knox asks, as if it’s just occurred to him he might not have won the bet.
Atlas raises a fist in triumph as Mackenzie sidles up beside him. “I had four.”
“Four?” Teagan blinks. “Shit, man. That’s low.”
Atlas shrugs. “I figured he’d be too focused on football and policing Brynn.”
Jace narrows his eyes. “Four was the lowest fucking number?”
Everyone else just shrugs guiltily while Teagan laughs, and it occurs to me he’s being kind of a dick. It makes me want to tell him. It makes me want to let him know Jace is amazing in and out of bed. But I don’t. I keep my mouth shut because I promisedJace I would. And because I can’t tell if I’m right to be angry, or if it’s my defensiveness talking.
“Shoot. Remember that time at junior prom where Jace went missing, and we went looking for him?” Knox asks Graham, jabbing him in the ribs.
“And we found him in the bed of his truck with his dateandMillie Peterson?” Graham chimes in.
“Speaking of Millie”—Teagan tips his beer toward the other side of the bonfire—“she’s here tonight.”
“And she’s watching you as we speak,” Graham adds.
“Oh, shit,” Atlas says while the others laugh.
My stomach roils. I haven’t even touched the beer in my hand, and I think I’m going to be sick.
Unable to stop myself, I look across the bonfire until I find her. Sure enough, Millie is here, and she looks more beautiful than ever with the firelight playing over her rose gold locks. She’s wearing a short romper that showcase her long, toned legs
When I turn back around, Jace’s eyes are boring into me, but I don’t meet them, afraid I’ll drown if I do.
I fall quiet, and thankfully, the subject changes. Eventually, our little group moves to the fire and we all take a seat. I sip on my drink, trading in my untouched beer for a Coke, which isn’t nearly as satisfying without the lemon, while the guys talk about their glory days and catch up on what they missed over the summer. Atlas holds Mackenzie in his arms while Graham cuddles an adorable brunette I recognize as Skylar, the girl he started dating this past Christmas. The girls, bless them, try to draw me into a conversation of our own, but I’m not fully present and am having trouble following along. Though if they notice, they don’t say anything.
Teagan sits beside me. Knowing how protective he is, I’m sure it’s not by chance, and I wonder with a stab of irritation if he’llforever play sentinel, running off any guy who so much as looks in my direction.
But none of these things are what hold my attention.
Instead, I’m drawn to Jace, several seats down. He’s on what has to be his fifth beer, and though he’s not drunk yet, it’s obvious to me he’s drinking to cope with the pressure of keeping us a secret. I’m not sure how I feel about that. I do, however, know how I feel about the girl beside him, sitting so close she’s nearly on his lap.
It’s been more than thirty minutes since Millie sat down beside him, and my patience is wearing thin. My skin itches with my restraint. I’m not sure how much longer I can sit by and watch all the single girls here stare at my man. And I definitely don’t know how much longer I can watch Millie talk to him like they’re the only two in a room.
Rising from my spot on the grass, I tell Teagan I need to go to the bathroom and head down the slope of the hill toward the cabin where I plan to wallow like a toddler who didn’t get a cookie before bed. I only get midway down the hill when a hand captures my wrist.
I halt and turn, expecting it to be Teagan wanting to escort me in the dark, but find Jace instead. “Hey,” he says, his voice soft.
I glance behind us. We’re mostly obscured from view, thanks to the grade of the slope, but it wouldn’t take much for someone to see us.
Jace must catch the direction of my thoughts because he takes me by the arm and guides me a few hundred feet further down, near a couple of parked cars, before he yanks me behind an old oak tree.
His scent surrounds me as he leans in. “Cupcake, what’s wrong?”
I exhale, biting my lip as I stare at the ground and my thoughts scatter.
