you’re talking about. I loved Ashton like crazy. She was my world. I planned my future around her. She was never a trophy or possession. Just because I didn’t treat her like a piece of hot ass didn’t mean she wasn’t my reason for living. I respected her. I’d never treat her with anything less than respect. I’m not in danger of falling in love with someone like Lana. She’s a distraction. Sure, I treat her differently; she is different but she’s just for fun.”
The wide-eyed expression on Leann’s face as she glanced to her right and left alerted me to the fact that I’d stopped walking and raised my voice. I turned my head to the right and saw Ashton and Beau both looking at me. Beau’s expression was anything but pleased and Ash looked like she was about to cry. Well, hell.
Lana.
Turning my head to the left I saw Lana’s big green eyes glistening with unshed tears as she stared at me. Ethan was glaring at me with a murderous expression.
“Lana,” I started toward her and she shook her head at me and turned to run off. I took a step to chase after her when Ethan stepped in front of me.
“No. I won’t let you do this to her. I thought maybe you were sincere and I was willing to step down and let you have her. But you’re not. If you were you’d never have been able to yell what you just did without a thought to her hearing you.”
“Get out of my way, Ethan.” I started to shove past him when a large hand clamped down on my shoulder.
“You need to let him go to her. You’ve done enough.” Beau wouldn’t let me go. I’d have to fight him first and that would just get us both thrown in jail.
Sagging in defeat, I turned and stalked toward the car. Once the concert got going and Beau was distracted, I’d find her. I’d fix this. I had to. The hurt look in her eyes was more painful than I would have ever imagined.
Lana
“Lana, wait,” Ethan’s voice called out from behind me. As much as I didn’t want him to see me crying over Sawyer, I couldn’t exactly keep running away from him. He was my date. Slowing, I stopped and leaned back against the brick wall outside the restrooms.
Ethan stopped in front of me and the worried expression on his face made me feel even worse.
“Lana, I’m sorry.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything but make the mistake of asking me out on a date.”
He reached out, touched the side of my face, and wiped away tears with his finger. “Nothing about asking you out was a mistake.”
I let out a sad laugh, “Yeah, right.”
“I mean it,” he sighed and dropped his hand to grab one of mine. “I realized today on the boat that you liked Sawyer. The rest of the female population in Grove has a thing for Sawyer, except for Ash, so that wasn’t a big deal. I still wanted my chance. I didn’t expect Sawyer to find a way to come too.”
I’d been stupid enough to believe he had come because of me. It was sad, how deluded I’d been. “I’m an idiot,” I whispered through the lump in my throat.
“No, you’re smart, beautiful, and funny.”
I smiled up at him and wiped the rest of the tears from my face. “Thank you.”
“You gonna be okay?”
“Yes, I just need a little alone time. If that’s okay.”
Ethan nodded, “Sure, I’ll meet you back at our seats.”
“Alright.”
I washed my face with the cold water in
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