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.”