The Vincent Brothers 2 (17 page)

              Lana searched my face as if she was waiting for more. I wasn’t sure what else I could say.

              “It isn’t easy always being second best. Soon, I’ll be third best with my dad. I keep getting pushed down the list with him. Maybe that makes me selfish but I just need there to be someone who I can run to. Last night I was running to you,” she paused and swallowed. “You would think after the rejection I’ve been dealt in my life that I’d be used to it. But it doesn’t get easier. Not really. It makes you cautious. It makes you careful not to get your hopes up. I got my hopes up with you. It’ll be hard for me to hand that kind of trust over again. This doesn’t mean we can’t still see each other this summer. It just means we need to take a few steps back. We sped forward the other night in the tent. Now, we need to back up.”

              She was forgiving me. I could earn her trust again. She’d open up to me again and I’d be ready for it. I would be there when she needed me.

              “Fair enough,” I replied. I slipped a finger under her chin and tilted her head back. “I need to kiss you now.”

              “Okay,” she whispered as my lips touched hers.

Lana

             
Beau had the camp packed up and strapped down on top of the Suburban when we arrived back at the campsite. He said Ashton needed to sleep in a decent bed tonight and we were all going to go to a hotel then head home in the morning. No one argued with him. I think we all were ready for a real bed anyway. I almost sighed in relief.

              I told Jake to sit up front with Sawyer and said I’d sit in the back beside Ashton. I just wasn’t ready to spend any more time with Sawyer right now. I’d forgiven him but my heart was still wounded. Ashton had understood and she’d reached down and held my hand as I slid in beside her. It had been a quiet trip.

              We were at the closest affordable hotel and the guys were getting our rooms. I wasn’t sure if I was sharing a room with Sawyer or if I was expected to get my own. I had enough to get my own if I needed to. No reason to save up for my college dreams. My dad had shot that hope down.

              Sitting in the lobby of the hotel, I waited with the other girls. I was still dirty from our day outdoors and I wanted a shower. Not to mention I was exhausted physically and emotionally.

              Sawyer walked toward me with his backpack and mine slung over his shoulders. “You need to get anything out of that duffle bag you and Ash are sharing?”

              “Um... yeah. I guess. Are we sharing a room?”

              Sawyer looked concerned as he closed the short distance between us. “I thought we were okay. You didn’t sit beside me but I figured you wanted to check on Ash.”

              “That’s fine. I was just wondering. I can get my own room if needed.”

              Sawyer reached out and slipped his hand in mine. I let him thread his fingers through mine. “I want you with me.”

              I nodded and forced a smile. He bent down and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m going to fix this. I promise you. You’ll trust me again,” he whispered before straightening back up and leading me toward the elevator.

              We all managed to get rooms on the same floor. Sawyer slipped the key card into the door  to room 314 and opened it up. He held out his hand for me to enter first. The room was roomier than most hotels I’d stayed at but then he’d been determined that we were staying at the Marriott instead of the mom and pop motel across the street. A king sized bed sat in the center of  everything.

              “One bed,” I said, glancing back at him.

              “They didn’t have any doubles available. Is this okay?”

              “Sure,” I replied and reached for my backpack still on his shoulder. “Can I take a shower first?”

              He slid it down his arm and handed it to me. “Of course. Take your time. I’ll order us some dinner.”

              “Okay, thank you.”

              I turned to walk into the bathroom.

              “Lana?” His voice sounded sad. I hated making him sad but I didn’t have the energy to do anything about it. I was drained.

              “Yes?” I asked and turned to look back at him. He reminded me of a lost little boy. His perfect face was troubled.

              “I’m sorry.”

              “For what?”

              “Being an idiot,” he replied.

              “I’ve already forgiven you, Sawyer.”

              He looked defeated. “Have you really?”

              “My forgiving you doesn’t make my heart hurt less. It takes awhile to heal.”

              I didn’t wait for his response. I closed the door behind me and turned on the shower.

Chapter Eighteen

              Sunlight poured in through the window and an arm held me tightly while a leg had me pinned to the bed. Sawyer had snuggled up against my back at some point last night. I’d eaten the cheeseburger he’d ordered me and a few bites of chocolate cake before curling up as far away from his side of the bed as possible and falling asleep instantly. I was still on my side but Sawyer was pressed up against me. He was holding onto me like some sort of lifeline.

              I reached up to move his arm so I could get up and go use the bathroom.

              “Don’t. Please, just let me hold you a little bit longer,” he mumbled into my hair.

              “You’re awake,” I replied

              “Mmmmhmmm and I’m enjoying myself. Please, just a little bit longer.”

              I smiled for the first time since the Ashton incident.

              “You can still enjoy yourself without me,” I teased.

              He froze for a second before snuggling even closer to me and moving his hand so that his palm covered my bare stomach where my tank top had inched up in my sleep.

              “I can’t enjoy it without you. You’re what I’m enjoying,” he whispered in a deep sleepy voice as he took a small nip at my earlobe.

              “Ah,” I squealed and he chuckled, sending chill bumps over my arms from the warmth of his breath tickling my ear and neck.

              “I missed you so much,” he replied in a more serious tone.

              I didn’t need to point out I’d been with him for three days. I knew what he meant. Mentally and emotionally, I’d been checked out yesterday. My chest didn’t ache this morning and I could breathe deeply again. Maybe it was the fact Sawyer’s big arms were wrapped around me giving me a false sense of safety.

              “Can I go to the restroom, please?” I asked, tickling his arm with my nails.

              “Will you promise to come back?”

              I had planned on jumping in the shower again and getting ready. However, as much as I hated to admit it, I’d missed him too.

              “Yes, if that’s what you want.”

              “I want,” he murmured in my ear and pressed a soft kiss to my temple.

Sawyer

             
“Bring the small bottle of mouthwash with you,” I called out when I heard the bathroom door open.

              Lana walked around the bed and handed me the bottle of mouthwash. “Here ya go.”

              I opened it and took a swig. Then swished it around some before swallowing it.

              “You did not just swallow that!”

              Grinning, I reached up, grabbed her tiny waist and pulled her down on top of me.

              “I believe I did. I probably need mouth to mouth to save me from the poisoning,” I teased leaning up and taking a nip at her bottom lip.

              “Mouth to mouth won’t save you from poisoning. You need your stomach pumped,” she informed me as she pressed a kiss to the side of my mouth.

              “Hmmmm... well that sounds like a lot of work. I’ll think about it later.” I slipped my hands into her messy curls and brought her mouth down to mine. Just as she opened her mouth to let me inside, Lana’s phone started singing.

              She pulled back from the kiss. I needed this kiss. I needed reassurance I hadn’t lost this... whatever it was we had between us. “Don’t answer it,” I begged, reaching up to kiss her chin. Laughing softly she curled back into my arms and let me get a taste of her minty toothpaste flavored mouth. But the minute the ringing stopped it started up again. Lana lifted her head and glanced over at her phone with a frown. I fought the urge to grab the phone and throw it against the wall to shut it up.

              “It might be an emergency,” she said and I loosened my hold on her and let her crawl off me and check her phone. The tense expression that came over her face had me sitting up and checking to see who was bothering her. Because it obviously wasn’t a welcome call.

             
Mom
- flashed across the screen.

              Lana slipped out of bed, “I need to take this. She’ll just keep calling until I do.”

              “Hello Mom,” her voice sounded tired instead of worried by her mother’s determination to get her on the phone. Lana walked around the bed and headed for the bathroom. Once the door clicked into place, I threw the pillow across the room and muttered a curse. She wouldn’t be shutting me out if I’d been there for her. I was willing to bet she’d been going to tell me what crap her parents were putting her though the other night. I wouldn’t have to worry about how to fix it. I’d know what needed to be done. 

              “No MOM!” I heard her raised voice and I jumped out of bed to go listen at the door. I was invading her privacy but she was upset. I had my reasons. It was a damn good reason.

              “I don’t want you to call him. I don’t want you to ask him. He’s moved on, Mom. He’s getting himself a brand new family now and we are his past. Just let this go. I’ll figure this all out. Just leave it alone. Please.”

              Was she talking about her Dad?

              “Mom, I’m an adult. You can’t continue to try to make all my decisions for me. I get to make those now. So please, back off.”

              I backed away from the door and walked over to the window overlooking the mountains we’d left last night. Why did I care so much about finding out her problems? It wasn’t like we were an actual couple. I tensed up as that realization came over me. I had no claim on Lana. If Ethan or anyone else asked her out again, I couldn’t stop her from saying yes.  Someone else could touch the soft smooth skin on her arms, her thighs, her stomach, her... oh, hell no. I needed to fix this and fast. This was more than a fling now. Sure, we were going our separate ways in August but right now, I didn’t want to share. I wouldn’t be able to share. I was pretty damn sure I’d rip another guy’s arms off his body if I saw him touch her.

              The bathroom door opened and Lana stepped out. A forced smile touched her lips as her eyes met mine.

              “Everything okay?” I asked, hoping to God that she’d tell me what was going on in her life.

              Instead, she only shrugged. Dammit.

              “Lana, listen, we need to talk about something,” I began walking across the room so I could touch her in case I needed to beg.

              She shook her head, “If this is bad news I really don’t think I can handle that right now. Give me a few hours first, please.”

              Well, hell, if the pain in her voice didn’t rip me in two. I pulled her against my chest and held her there. She was stiff as a board at first but I continued to rub her back and kiss the top of her head until she relaxed and wrapped her arms around my waist.

              “It isn’t bad. But it is time sensitive,” I explained.

              She tilted her head to look at me, “Time sensitive?”

              “Very. As in someone could lose a limb if they stepped out of line.”

              Lana pulled back and the frown puckering her brow was adorable.

              “What in the world are you talking about, Sawyer?”

              “The fact I want... no, I need, for us to be exclusive until we part ways when we head off to college.”

              Lana made a small ‘o’ with her mouth and then she nodded slowly, “Okay. That sounds like a good plan. But why would someone lose a limb?”

              I traced her bottom lip with my finger, “Because if they touched you, I’d have to rip off the offending limb.”

              A small bubble of laughter escaped her and then she bit down on my finger. Her eyes smiled up at me like a playful kitten.

              “So, you want to play rough, do you?” I picked her up and threw her down on the bed before covering her body with mine.

Lana

             
The ride back to Grove went fast but then I’d slept most of the way. Jake had not been happy when Sawyer informed him that I was sitting up front. I felt bad about it but I liked knowing Sawyer wanted me close to him.

              Everyone had loaded their gear into their cars and left. Ashton had even gone inside to go to bed. She was still pretty weak. Sawyer took my bags and put them inside the door of the house, then looked back at me.

              “Come with me for awhile,” he said, pulling me back outside onto the porch and closing the door behind me.

              “You aren’t tired from all that driving?”

              He shook his head and pulled me up against him. My aunt and uncle weren’t home but they could drive up at any minute. I wasn’t sure what they’d think of this.

              “Okay. Let me go check on Ash and I’ll be right back down.”

              “I’ll wait here,” he replied, letting go of my hand so I could run back inside.

              I knocked softly on Ashton’s door then peeked my head inside. She was already curled up under the covers. Closing her door softly, I headed back to Sawyer.