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I shrug my shoulders.
“She’s modest,” Presley explains and winks at me. “She’s the best dancer I’ve ever seen.”
“Huh, how about that,” Rebecca states, raising a brow at Stanley who looks away, ashamed.
“What?” I wonder what secret conversation they’re having right now.
“Nothing. I just think it’s nice that Presley has a friend who he has so much in common with.” Rebecca winks at her son.
“Girlfriend,” Presley corrects and flashes me a crooked grin.
Both Lane and Stanley look at me again.
“We haven’t even been on a date yet. Stop talking S-H-I-T,” I hiss at him and his crooked smile gets more animated.
“What’s S-I-eight-T?” Paisley asks, looking up at me from her coloring book where she’s sitting between Rebecca’s knees.
“It’s the spelling of a very bad word,” I reply and Lane clips me upside my head. I just laugh and stick my tongue out at her profile.
“Fine, go on a date with me?” Presley asks and everybody looks at me again.
“Dude, you are not playing fair right now.”
“All’s fair in love and war.”
“Cheesy as F-U-C-K. As Simon Cowell would say, it’s a no from me.”
“Is F-C-O-K a bad word too?” Paisley stares at me with her round, innocent eyes.
Rebecca giggles and pulls on her daughter’s braid. Then she pats her son on the arm. “Don’t put her on the spot like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because it’s not a nice thing to do.”
“Why?”
Rebecca blinks. “Because it puts her on the spot so she feels like she can’t say no.”
“She just said no though, so your theory is flawed.”
I stifle my laugh but not my smile. “Presley, stop winding your mom up.”
“Go on a date with me.”
“Aren’t you dating Carter?” Lane asks and I let my laugh free, except it’s a nervous chortle and sounds so unnatural.
“I’ll talk her round.” Presley relaxes back and smiles lazily at me. “Besides, Carter knows I called dibs.”
“Both you and Carter will keep your grubby teen-boy hands off my daughter.”
The room stills. My heart stops. I inhale sharply and my eyes swing Stanley’s way. “You can’t say things like that.”
“I know, I’m sorry. I overstepped.”
“I’m leaving soon. You can’t say shit like that,” I snap at him. “It’s bad enough that we all love each other, but don’t start labeling it because I know and you know that when I leave, you’re going to move on and forget all about me.”
“What can we do to make you believe that isn’t true?” Lane asks as Stanley avoids my eyes.
“Stick around,” Presley answers for me. “Only time will prove the truth.” And then, because he’s a douchebag, he adds, “We’ll go to New Orleans. There’s a Cajun dance thing going on at a really cool dive.”
“You want to take me Cajun dancing?”
“What’s wrong? Don’t think you can handle it?”
I narrow my gaze and aim it his way. “Oh you know I can.”
“Do you want to, then?”
The problem is I really do want to. More than anything.
“Sure, why not?” Then I add with a mischievous smirk, “Shall I invite Carter, or are you going to?”
His face falls to a glare and Lane sniggers beside me.
“You were right,” I call breathlessly, showing off in the middle of the dance floor. “This place is amazing!”
“Told you.” Presley swings me out and back in but Carter catches me and pulls me to him.
Melvin and Alice practice a two-step and Asher is doing her own thing.
This was such a good idea.
“Do you like me more now?” Presley asks, half joking.
“Stop,” I laugh. It’s all they’ve done for the past few days. Low-key argue over me. It was fun at first but it is starting to get serious. They want an answer to their question, they want me to choose and I don’t think I can.
They’re both just so amazing.
“Can we just have fun?”
Alice cheers and starts rubbing up against Melvin, mostly because she loves how much it pisses off Asher and so does Melvin. So funny.
When the music changes we make our way to the bar for a drink. Dancing is thirsty work and we do so much of it at the moment, I’m constantly aching all over.
When we leave, the boys fight over who is going to open the door for me, so I sigh, walk around to the other side, and climb in that way.
When we get back to Presley’s trailer and he invites me to stay, Carter invites himself in too.
“This has to stop,” I say to both of them. “This isn’t funny anymore. You’re both driving me insane. I mean… I loved the attention at first but now you’re just annoying the fuck out of me.”
“Then, give us an answer,” Carter replies, folding his arms over his chest.
“It’s not an easy choice to make,” I grumble and rub my temples.
Presley yanks me back into his chest and digs his fingers into my forehead and hair. It feels amazing. “Headache, babe? I got you.”
