Page 40 of Home Is Where You Are

“You know me. I never do.” He laughed as he walked away, heading straight for the woman who’d caught his eye.

I scanned the crowd, but had no idea who he was referring to. There were tons of beautiful women here, but I barely noticed. My sights were stuck on Ainsleigh who was currently walking away from the bar with a Solo cup in hand and her friends close behind.

Ainsleigh and her friends walked through the crowd, and I noticed how several men turned as she walked by them.

My teeth clenched with the amount of men who had noticed her, but I kept my facial expressions neutral as she neared.

“Hey there, squirt,” Brooks said as she stood before him. I hopped down from the truck and offered her a spot to sit.

“Don’t call me that. I’m not five anymore,” Ainsleigh replied as her and Aspen hopped on the tailgate.

Dylan stood to Aspen’s right with a beer in his hand.

“Brooks, Holden, these are my friends from college, Aspen and Dylan. Holden is the one leaning against the truck, and Brooks is the taller one standing beside him,” Ainsleigh said as she introduced her friends to her brothers.

“Nice to meet ya,” Aspen yelled and waved.

“Nice to meet you,” Dylan said as he walked over and shook Brooks's hand then Holden’s.

“How are y’all liking Texas so far?” Brooks asked.

“It’s hotter than Virginia, that's for sure.” Dylan laughed.

“This is nothing. How long are y’all planning on staying?” Holden asked before taking a swig of his beer.

“We’ll be here until Sunday morning, and then Dylan and I are heading to see my cousins in Sunset River,” Aspen replied.

“You know people in Sunset River? I know the Davenports from there,” Holden replied.

“It’s such a small world. The Davenports are my family.” Aspen laughed, her expression one of shock.

“Yeah, I know Rhett. We’ve hung out a few times. Tell him I said hi when you see him,” Holden said, and Aspen agreed.

I tried to keep my eyes focused on anything but Ainsleigh. She looked beautiful tonight. The moonlight danced across her pale skin. Before I could get too lost in thought, I shook my head and focused on the conversation between her friends and brothers.

They talked about their time in college, and how they had met, but I didn’t really hear any of it.

“Let’s go dance,” Ainsleigh said as she chugged down the rest of her drink and sat the cup on the tailgate.

Aspen hopped down, and she and Dylan followed behind Ainsleigh.

We weren’t far from where everyone danced, so I walked over and stood in the crowd, keeping a watchful eye.

At first, they all danced together, swaying to the beat of each song. They were laughing and jumping around, appearing to have the time of their lives.

Five songs later, a man about our age leaned over and I assumed asked Aspen to dance.

She turned and started dancing with him. I noticed Dylan turn and watch for a second before pulling Aspen into him.

Ainsleigh turned and leaned her back toward the man’s front.

Grinding my teeth, I watched the scene unfold before me. Soon after, they were dancing in a way that should have been illegal for the public eye.

Every part of me wanted to go over there and pummel that man into the ground, but I couldn’t. She wasn’t doing anything wrong. I hated seeing her in the arms of another man, though. Seeing him touching her when it should have been me. Was supposed to be only me. I didn’t have a right to feel this way. Shouldn’t even let the feelings of possessiveness begin, because if I let them out just a smidge, they’d take over, and I’d do something stupid. Like want her to be mine and try to make that want a reality.

One of the girls we went to school with walked up to me and started talking, but I didn’t hear a word. My eyes remained fixated on Ainsleigh and the way she danced with him. She was so carefree in this moment. Her head went from side to side as the beat picked up, and she had her arms in the air. This was what I wanted for her. For her to move on and be happy. Or that was what I told myself time and time again to convince my head what my heart wouldn’t give up. That she was meant to be mine.

I noticed the moment the dancing went from carefree to serious.