The Vincent Brothers 2 (24 page)

Lana

             
The tears were dried on my face as I made my way back to the condo.
I’d run for over an hour. My lungs burned and my legs would probably feel like Jell-O tomorrow. I wasn’t big on exercise so this was gonna hurt.

              Pulling up my window, I stepped inside to find someone sitting on my bed in the dark. Naturally,  I screamed.

              “Lana, it’s me.” Sawyer’s hands were on my arms instantly. Sawyer... Sawyer was here.

              I stood frozen, trying to decide if I’d passed out from the running and this was a dream.

              “I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m sorry.” The words “ I’m sorry,” snapped me out of my shocked haze and I jerked out of his grasp and moved away from him and toward the door quickly.

              “Lana, please don’t. Please listen to me. Don’t shut me out. You have no idea—”

              “I have no idea?
Me?
Yes, I have an idea. I want you to leave. Do you understand me? LEAVE. I. Do. Not. Want. To. See. You.” I was yelling but I knew no one would hear me over the noise outside.

              “Lana, please,” Sawyer begged and walked toward me hesitantly. I closed my eyes and crossed my arms protectively over my chest. I hated how the pleading sound in his voice pulled at me.

              “If you
ever
felt one small amount of anything for me, you’ll leave and let me move on,” I whispered fiercely.

              When he didn’t respond, I was torn between joy that he was leaving meaning he felt something for me, no matter how small it may be, relief that he wouldn’t be here to witness me crumble to the floor, and agony because seeing him had completely ripped me open.

              I heard the faint rattle of paper and I opened my eyes slowly to see Sawyer standing in the same spot with a worn looking letter in his hands. He began to read:

             
“I made the mistake of opening my heart up to someone who clearly could never feel the same about me. I knew Sawyer loved you. I’ve known it since we were kids. I thought maybe just getting his attention for a short time would be enough. It wasn’t.”

             
My chest felt like it was going to explode. He had the letter I’d left Ashton. Oh, God.

             
He lifted his eyes from the paper and looked directly at me with so much pain in his eyes and something else... “I loved Ashton once. She was my childhood crush. She was all I really knew. But when she left me, I didn’t cry. When you left me, I wept like a baby.”

              I stopped breathing as he lowered his eyes back to the paper in his hands.

              “I’ve grown up with two parents who never once thought about me in the choices they made. My emotions weren’t something they concerned themselves with and maybe that is my fault because I didn’t speak up. I just pushed the hurt and anger deep inside me. I wanted to be strong because I knew they were weak. I’m tired of being strong. I’m tired of being second best. I need someone to love me.”
He stopped reading and lifted his eyes to stare at me once again. “You should never and I mean,
never,
be anyone’s second choice. Anyone who doesn’t see you for the incredible gift you are is a blind bastard.”

              He lowered his eyes back to the paper and began reading again,

              “Staying in Grove isn’t a possible option for me. I let myself hope for too much. I’ve been broken too many times. I can’t stay somewhere near... someone who will eventually destroy me.”
His green eyes lifted to meet mine and the tears glistening in them took my breath away. “If I lose you because of the blind idiot I’ve been then I will be the one who is destroyed.”

              He continued to read:

             
“You had the right Vincent boy all along. Don’t take him for granted this time. He loves you in a way that I hope to one day inspire in someone. He would give up the world for you. When you have someone that special, that incredible that loves you, don’t let it go. This is your second chance to treasure what you’ve had all your life. Sawyer was always the Vincent boy worth fighting for. He’s the special one.”
Sawyer slowly folded the paper and rubbed his thumb over it as if it were something precious then tucked it back into his pocket.

              “Ashton didn’t have the right Vincent boy. I know this because I understand now what love really feels like. The kind that consumes you. Love holds the power to break you. It holds the power to complete you. When I read this letter, I was standing in Ashton’s living room after fixing things for her and Beau, which was all I wanted to do. They belong together. They’ve always belonged together. I get that now. Not because she chose him, but because you chose me. Until you, I was lost. I thought Ashton was what my life was supposed to be. Letting go of the comfort zone that our relationship represented was hard. Then you came into my life like a light bursting through the darkness. You made everything make sense.” He took a step closer to me and I fought the urge to throw myself in his arms.

              “Lana. I think about you every minute of every day. When I’m with you, my world is complete. When I touch you, I understand the meaning of life. When I lost you, I completely shattered. You. Own. Me.”

              A tear rolled down my face and dropped from my chin. That wasn’t enough. This time I needed more.

              Sawyer reached out for my hand and pulled me closer to him. I wanted to melt in his arms but I couldn’t.

              “I love you, Lana. I love you so much. Everything about you. The way you lips curl up slowly when you smile, the freckle right under your perfect little bottom, the way your laughter sends warmth flooding through my veins, how your touch lights me on fire. I love you and I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know that you are my number one. You will always be my number one.”

              That was it. That was enough. That was all I’d ever need to hear.

Chapter Twenty- Five

             
Crazy Girl
by The Eli Young Band woke me up from a very good dream. Stretching, I felt Sawyer’s arms tighten around me. “
Crazy girl, don’t you know that I love you?
” kept playing and I turned to look up at Sawyer who was reaching for my phone.

              “Why is my phone turned on and why is it singing a country song?’ I asked groggily as he looked at the screen and then dropped his gaze to mine.

              “It’s your mom. Talk to her or she’ll worry.”

              I gaped at him, “My mom? But—”

              “I got your phone out of your bag last night and turned it on. Finding you had my adrenaline pumping so calming down was hard to do. I changed your ringtone to the song that makes me think about you.” He lowered his mouth to mine and sang,
“Have I told you lately, I love you like crazy, girl?”
along with my ringing phone. I couldn’t get mad at him while he was doing something like that. Early-morning-singing-Sawyer was just too freaking sweet.  Even if he’d made it possible for my mom to call me.

              Sighing, I took the phone from him and answered, “Hi mom.”

              “Oh, Lana, you’ve turned your phone back on. I’m so glad. Does this mean you’re going to come home? I’m so ready to see you.”

              “No, I’m not coming home. Not yet anyway.” I met Sawyer’s gaze and wondered what I was going to do. I wasn’t sure I’d be welcomed back at Aunt Sarah’s after I’d run off like that. “I don’t really know what I’m going to do next.”

              “Why are you doing this? Is it still about Sawyer? I can tell you that—”

              “Mom, it isn’t about Sawyer,” I replied, reaching up and running my hand through his messy hair. “He’s perfect. I just don’t really know yet how I’m going to finish my summer.”

              Sawyer frowned and his arms tightened around me like I was going to vanish into thin air.

              “Wait, did you just say Sawyer was perfect? I thought you were mad at him. I mean, I agree with you he is a lovely young man. We’ve spoken a lot over the past two weeks and I think he really loves you. The boy has been so upset. He calls me all the time to see if I’ve heard from you. Even though every time you called I called him right away and told him what you said and that you were fine. Oh no. I didn’t mean to tell you that. Don’t be mad at me, honey. He was just so worried.”

              I smirked up at him, “He can be pretty persuasive. I understand.”

              “He’s a very good catch, Lana. Wealthy family and going to Florida for college too. I was so surprised when he told me he had gotten a scholarship there for football. That’s perfect.”

              “No, Mom it isn’t. Dad isn’t going to be able to help out.” Saying that never got easier.

              “Nonsense. Yes, he is going to help. The alimony he gives me every month will more than pay for it. Besides, I’m selling the house and downsizing. It’s too much house for just me.”

              “Mom, no, you love the house and I don’t think you understand how much it’ll cost with books and living expenses—”

              “I’m not an idiot, Lana. I checked into all of that while you’ve been gone. You’re still getting mail and I had to pay a few more fees and get the first quarter paid for. I’ve held off buying things for your dorm room until you come home to help me.”

              “Lana, what’s wrong?” Sawyer sat up quickly and pulled me up in his arms.

              “Is that Sawyer? Are you back in Grove?” my mother asked, as I patted Sawyer’s chest to silently calm him down. I’d teared up listening to my mother and he’d gone into panic mode.

              “Yes, that’s Sawyer. He, uh, found me last night,” I replied into the phone while smiling at Sawyer who was watching me carefully with frown lines between his eyebrows.

              “Found you? Where are you? How did he find you?”

              “I’ve been with Jewel all along. She covered for me and honestly, I have no idea how he found me, unless...,” I paused before I finished that thought. I didn’t want to have to explain this all to my mother and she would want to know. I was pretty sure who’d ratted me out. Ethan was the only one in Grove who knew where I had gone.

              “Listen Mom, I’ll call you later. I’ve got to figure some things out today but I’ll be sure to let you know. Let me talk to Sawyer, okay, and thank you, I love you.”

              “I love you too, Lana.”

              I disconnected and laid my phone down beside me before crawling over on top of him. “So, how’d you get my whereabouts out of Ethan? And is he still alive?”

              Sawyer chuckled and shifted me so I was straddling him. “Yes, he’s still breathing. Actually, I left him completely unharmed. I ran out of there so fast once I had your location, I didn’t even say goodbye.”

              “Good, now tell me how you got it out of him,” I replied, running my hands up his bare chest. I’d missed touching him.

              “He just told me,” he said in a husky whisper. His attention was focused on my hands as I traced circles around his very firm pecs.

              “The guilt got to him, I guess,” I murmured before leaning down to press a kiss to the bruise just over his ribs. “Did those big mean football players hurt you?” I cooed, raining a trail of kisses across his abs and back up his chest.

              “Uh huh, I can show you a lot of other places they hurt me too,” he sighed, running his hands down my back to cup my butt.

              “Mmmmkay, just let me finish kissing these booboos and I’ll get to the other ones next,” I cooed.

              “Please, take your time,” he groaned, slipping his hands inside my panties.

              “You still haven’t answered me about how you got my hideout location from Ethan,” I reminded him as I slid down his body so I could kiss just below his belly-button.

              “Gaaah, baby,” he arched into me then took a ragged breath, “who’s Ethan?” he asked in a low deep voice.

              I lifted my eyes to meet his fascinated gaze. “You remember Ethan. Your friend who told on me,” I reminded before I licked gently at the skin right above his boxers.

              “Oh, fuuuuuck,” he moaned, tangling his hands in my hair.

              I decided to let the Ethan thing go. I was having too much fun watching the guy I loved come apart in my arms. Slipping a finger into the top of his boxers, I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Any booboos down there I need to pay attention to?”

              “Oh yeah, lots and lots,” he croaked out.

Sawyer

              “Dad,” I called out in way of a greeting as I knocked once on his office door and stepped inside. My dad was sitting behind the large mahogany desk that he’d had shipped over from somewhere he and mom had visited. I didn’t remember the details.

              “Sawyer,” he replied, looking up from the paperwork on his desk. “How was practice?”

              “Good. I’m going to learn a lot this year. Being red shirted was a smart move.”

              Dad nodded in agreement.

              “Beau had a good week too. They’re starting him on the offensive line.” It drove me nuts that he never asked about his other son. The one he’d ignored. The one he never claimed.

              Dad frowned and looked back down at his paperwork, “That’s good. Your cousin has always excelled as a receiver.”

              “You mean my brother. Beau’s not my cousin. He’s my brother.” I’d never forced my dad to face this. I’d been so angry with Beau about Ashton when this all came out, I’d let this slide. If Beau didn’t want to deal with it then I’d figured why should I? But it wasn’t fair. This farce my dad lived wasn’t fair.

              Clearing his throat, he took off his reading glasses and leaned back in his chair to level his gaze on me. “You want to talk about that? Is that what this is about?”