“Not even one date?”
Ashton shrugged and pulled her knees up to her chin wrapping her arms around the front of her legs. “I think maybe one or two dates. Not sure. I don’t ask, really. Sawyer still acts weird around me and Beau gets very territorial if I bring up Sawyer. He doesn’t like me talking about him much.”
How sad for Sawyer. Ashton had been a big part of his life since they were twelve. Now, he couldn’t really talk to her anymore without Beau standing over them. As much as I wanted Sawyer to be over Ashton, I didn’t like the picture in my head. Sawyer, alone, bothered me. He didn’t deserve that. He’d been so good to both of them.
Welcome to the Jungle started blaring and Ashton reached for her cell phone on the table beside the bed.
“You cannot already be in bed,” Ashton purred into the phone. It had to be Beau.
“Really? Oh, okay, well that’s good. I’m glad the two of you are out together.” My ears perked up and I studied my fingernails trying to appear as if I weren’t completely curious about this conversation.
“I love you too. Be careful and remember he doesn’t drink much so get him home safe.” Was Sawyer drinking? With Beau?
Ashton smiled, “No, I love you more.”
Oh, please.
“I’ll keep it beside my pillow. Call me as soon as you get home.”
“Yes, we’re catching up,” she lifted her eyes to smile brightly at me.
“Okay, love you, bye.”
She dropped her phone in her lap and let out a happy sigh.
“I know you don’t like how things went down and that Sawyer was hurt but I love Beau so much, Lana. I’d do it all over again if I had to. I hated hurting Sawyer, I really did. I’ve never been so happy. Beau is wonderful.” Her voice went all dreamy and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.
Chapter Five
Sawyer
I still couldn’t figure out why I was here. Sure, I’d been to Kayla’s birthday parties every year since seventh grade but that had been because Ash wanted to come. This year, what Ash wanted no longer mattered, so why the hell was I here?
Spill Canvas blared through the speakers outside. The pool had several different colored strobe lights pointed at it from an upstairs balcony making the blue water appear pink, purple, green and yellow. Teak loungers surrounded the pool along with tiki torches. Last year, Jake had bumped into one of those and caught an umbrella on fire. Before it could get too out of hand, Beau had picked it up and chunked it into the pool. We’d laughed about it for weeks afterward.
I made my way over to the self-serve makeshift bar right outside the pool house, which basically consisted of large metal tubs filled with ice and drinks. If I was going to endure tonight, I needed alcohol. Lots of it.
“Sawyer! The man has arrived,” Ryan Mason slurred. He was already drunk. This was no surprise. The Mason boys were the owners of the land that we had our field parties on. Ryan’s older brother had started the field parties years back.
I nodded his way and reached for a bottle of Corona that was hidden under ice cubes.
“That’s it buddy, drink up. Ain’t got to impress the preacher’s daughter anymore, do ya?” Ryan called out from the middle of the pool. He was laying on a float with some girl I was pretty sure had gone to our school snuggled up beside him.
I didn’t respond to his asinine comment. Like Ash cared about that. Hell, she’d left me for Beau. Twisting off the top and throwing it into the recycle bin beside the drinks, I took a long swig. The cold liquid didn’t make me feel better but at least it tasted good.
Turning to walk back to the house and maybe find a television so I could turn on ESPN Sports Center, I took only a few steps before the glass doors opened and out stepped Ashton, Beau, and Lana.
Ah hell, I should’ve stayed home. Ashton waved at Kayla and pulled Lana over to where Kayla was lounging with some of the other girls we’d graduated with. Beau’s eyes met mine and he sauntered over to stand beside me. Both his hands were tucked into the front pockets of his jeans.
“Didn’t think you’d come to this,” Beau said in way of greeting.
Shrugging, I held up the Corona in my hand, “Free beer.”
Beau grinned and nodded. Free beer was definitely something he understood. His eyes didn’t leave Ash as she chatted happily with the other girls. The tiny cover-up she was wearing over her bikini left little to the imagination. She’d never dressed like that when we’d dated. Probably another one of her attempts at being perfect for me. What bullshit.
“Better be Lana you’re checking out,” Beau warned.
I shifted my eyes to Lana and was surprised to see her in a pair of really tiny shorts. Her legs weren’t tanned like Ash’s but they were long and shaped exactly like Ashton’s. The pale creamy color was delicate looking. I ran my gaze up her body and took in the way her hips flared just below a very small waist completely visible in the halter-top she wore over her bikini. It was odd that she had so many freckles on her face. The rest of her body looked so perfectly smooth she appeared almost airbrushed.