Chapter 20
Beau
“Well, hell has done froze slap over. Sawyer Vincent is walking into a bar.” My mama’s voice carried loud and clear over the empty room. I sat the beer down I’d been nursing since walking in here five minutes ago. Ashton was nowhere to be found so I came here hoping she was looking for me too.
“I’m not here for a social visit, Aunt Honey. I came to see my back-stabbing lying SOB of a cousin.”
Mama let out a low whistle and shook her head. “I shoulda known better than to believe you knew all about Beau and Ashton galavanting around town together.”
“Shut up, Mom,” I said without glancing her way. I kept my eyes on Sawyer. The hatred in his eyes wasn’t something I’d ever imagined seeing directed my way. Even though I knew I deserved it I still had a hard time swallowing it. His hair was tucked behind his ears and his teeth were so tightly clenched I could see his jaw tick.
“Is she here?” Sawyer asked, scanning the empty bar. He’d thought she would come to me too.
“No.”
“Where is she?”
“I don’t know.”
Sawyer stalked toward me. God, I didn’t want to hit him. I just wanted Ash. The real Ash. The one he didn’t know. The one he’d never be able to love.
“How could you do this, Beau? You’re like my brother.”
The pain in his eyes felt like a knife twisting in my gut. It wasn’t enough to make me regret anything but it hurt like hell.
“You don’t know her. You never did.”
“I don’t know her? I DON’T KNOW HER? Who in the HELL do you think you are, Beau? She’s been mine for three years. THREE YEARS. The two of you hardly acknowledged each other for three years. Then I leave for the summer and you two make up? Become friends? What exactly happened? Because the bull crap she tried to feed me outside the church isn’t gonna fly.”
Did I tell him the truth? He deserved the truth but I couldn’t tell him everything without Ash’s consent. It was her story too.
“We got close. We spent time together. We remembered why we were so close when we were younger.” I stopped and stared at him. There was one truth he needed to know. One truth that was mine to tell. But admitting it would probably kill any chance of us ever getting over this. It all boiled down to who was more important. My cousin. The one guy I’d always known would stand by me no matter what, my best friend. Then there was Ash. The one person I couldn’t live without. Not anymore. “I love her.”
Sawyer’s jaw dropped then clenched within a second. He was gearing up to take a swing at me. I could see it in his stance.
“You. Love. Her,” he repeated in angry disbelief. “Are you aware I intend to marry her one day? What about you, Beau, huh? You planning on marrying her? Moving her into your mama’s trailer? Maybe she could get a job working here with Aunt Honey once her parents completely cut her off.”
My fist slammed into his face before I knew what was happening. Sawyer staggered back, blood trickling down his nose. A loud roar erupted from his chest and he charged at me, tackling me to the ground. His fist connected with my jaw only because I knew I deserved it. But that was the last lick I’d take from him. The blood running down over his mouth now from his nose had me doing everything in my power to constrain him. I didn’t want to hit him again but I’d be damned if I’d let him hit me.
“Stop it, both of you,” Mama yelled over our grunts but Sawyer didn’t stop trying to take swings at me and I didn’t stop blocking his hits.
“You’re a bastard, Beau. She’s a good girl. You can’t give her what I can.” Sawyer’s words caused me to temporarily lose my cool and my fist planted on the side of his face again. Damn. He needed to shut the hell up.
“Shut up, Saw,” I yelled, shoving him off me and standing up.
“It’s true and you know it. She’s just too stupid to realize it.” He didn’t finish his sentence before I had him flat on his back, holding him to the ground with my hand clamped over his throat.
“Don’t ever call her stupid again,” I warned. He’d crossed a line. I loved him but I loved her more.
“That’s it. Get off him now, Beau. This has gone on long enough. You two are letting a girl ruin your relationship. Neither of y’all are gonna marry her. You’re kids. She’s sweet and pretty, I’ll give y’all that, but she ain’t worth throwing away your family for.”
Mama stood over us, her shadow covering Sawyer’s face. I eased up on my grip around his neck in case he was turning blue and I couldn’t tell.
“He isn’t my family.” Sawyer’s words stung but if he’d taken Ash from me then I’d feel the same way. I released my choke hold on him and stood up again, putting distance between us. Never taking my eyes off him.
“Sorry, kiddo, but being pissed at him over that girl don’t take away the blood running through your veins. Y’all are and forever will be family.”
Sawyer sneered, standing up and wiping the blood from his nose on his shirt sleeve.