Chapter Ten Lacey
Chapter Ten
Lacey
Saturday morning, Vaughn arrives at my house almost before the sun is up.
“When I agreed to this, I thought we’d start sometime after noon,” I say, pulling my hair up in a ponytail. We were together studying until almost midnight. How is he even awake right now?
He texted on his way, giving me just enough time to brush my teeth and wash my face, but I’m still in my pajamas.
“I have practice at ten,” he says, walking into my house and looking far too big and tall for the space. And also, way too good for seven o’clock in the morning.
“Is your dad home?”
“Yes, but he was already in his office when I got up.” I leave out that it was only five minutes ago.
With a nod, Vaughn stands in the middle of the living room, looking uncertain.
“Sit wherever you want. I need to make coffee.”
“You drink coffee?” He moves over to the couch and takes a seat.
“No, but I like the smell, and my dad will wander out from his home office eventually to have breakfast.” I start the coffee, lingering for a moment and hoping the rich smell helps wake me up.
Vaughn Collins is in my house.
For as much time as we’ve spent together over the last week, it shouldn’t feel weird, but it does.
When I turn back to him, Vaughn is leaned over tentatively, scratching Burt’s head. He looks almost afraid of him.
“Do you like dogs?”
Without looking up at me, he shakes his head. “I don’t know. Never had one.”
“What about cats?”
He shakes his head again. His blond hair has grown out a little from his usual short haircut. “We’re gone too much to have a pet. Rowan had a tarantula one time that was pretty cool.”
My eyes widen so quickly that it pulls a laugh from Vaughn.
“I’m guessing you’re not a fan of spiders.”
A shiver works its way down my spine. “They can exist, I just don’t want to see them.”
I take a seat next to him on the couch. He glances down at my legs and then quickly away.
He clears his throat and then says, “So where should we start today?”
“Let’s review everything we did last night and make sure you’re solid before we move on.”
His jaw clenches and that dimple in his chin appears. “At this rate, I’ll be ready to take the test next year.”
I fight to hold back my laughter. He looks so damn frustrated but also adorable.
“What?” he asks when he sees me grinning.
“It’s like you’ve never been bad at anything before.”
His face pales.
“I’m sorry. You’re not bad at algebra. That isn’t what I meant.” I should have taken another sniff of the coffee. I rest a hand on Vaughn’s arm to reassure him, but the tingling sensation has me pulling back. “This is like anything else. It’s just going to take time.”
“I don’t have time. If I fail this test…” His lips slam shut, and his throat works with a swallow.
I can feel the panic radiating off him.
“You won’t.” I touch him again, this time forcing myself to ignore whatever weird reaction my body has every time I do.
His dark blue eyes search my face. “How can you know that?”
I get the sense that he needs me to reassure him. I didn’t think he needed anyone or anything.
“I just do. You’re Vaughn Collins. Stubborn, hardheaded, determined.”
The smallest smile tugs at one side of his mouth. “The way you say those things I’m not sure if you think it’s my downfall or my upside.”
“Maybe a little of both,” I admit. There’s no denying he’s good at getting the things he wants, but he’s so all-or-nothing. And the all is soccer.
“Come on. You got me out of bed, so we might as well make the most of the morning,” I grumble a little, then cover a yawn.
The tension in his body seems to relax. “It’s cute that you’re not a morning person.”
“I’m a morning person,” I counter, though my tone suggests maybe not this morning.
We study for the next two and a half hours. It goes by in a flash, and before I know it, he’s packing up and I’m finally awake and ready to start the day.
“What are your plans today?” he asks as he zips up his backpack. He’s a little freer with his words around me. Not chatty exactly, but I’m getting more than grunts. I guess that’s progress.
“Studying for the SAT this afternoon, and then I’m not sure. You?”
“Practice. More studying.”
“If you get stuck or have any questions, text me.”
“Yeah. I will.” He glances to the empty hallway. “Are you sure your dad is in there?”
“Trust me. He can stay holed up in his office for days.”
“Does that bother you?”
“No,” I say too quickly.
Vaughn stares at me intently like he’s sure I’m going to change my answer. Sure, I’d love to spend more time with my dad, but I’m gone a lot too with school, cheerleading, and friends. He just channels all his time into work.
“It isn’t that big of a deal. When he finishes every big project, we celebrate by watching a movie or going on a day trip,” I explain.
He nods, seemingly satisfied with my answer. But even after he’s gone, I can’t stop thinking about it.
* * *
The following day, I go over to Claire’s house in the evening. I spent all day yesterday alternating between studying and working on my bucket list, and I’m finally ready to share it.
“Okay, tell me what you think.” I set the paper down in Claire’s lap and take a seat next to her on the bed. “And be quick about it because I have to meet Vaughn in twenty minutes.”
She laughs quietly and then picks up the paper. “First of all, there is now glitter all over my bed.”
“You’re welcome,” I whisper, but then brush off a little from the comforter onto the floor. Oops. I might have gotten carried away with my little project, but I like glitter, and it felt like something that needed a little extra decoration.
While she reads over my bucket list, I start to get nervous. Maybe I should have just used my mom’s list and left it at that.
When Claire looks up, she smiles.
“The last three are dumb, right?” I wince and prepare for her feedback. Claire is never cruel, but I trust her to give it to me straight.
“No, I love it.”
“Really?”
“Yes.” She laughs incredulously. “This is so fun. I love that you’re going to do your mom’s list. When are you going to pick apples? I used to love going out to the old farm in the fall.”
“They closed, but there has to be another place around here.”
She looks back to the paper and smiles. “I cannot wait to hear about number fifteen.”
Go skinny-dipping.
“So you don’t think the whole bucket list thing is cringey?”
“What? No, of course not. Who said that?” She asks like she’s ready to fight anyone who would utter such nonsense. God, I love her.
“No one. Me, I guess.” I take the list back from her and reread all seventeen things. “Vaughn saw it by accident, and he seemed very perplexed by the whole concept.”
Claire snort-laughs in response. “This kind of fun is sort of out of his wheelhouse.”
I nod, though I don’t feel as sure of that as I did. I mean, who orders lemonade and a chocolate milkshake and doesn’t like fun? I can’t quite figure him out.
“How’s that going anyway?”
“Tutoring Vaughn?” I ask.
“Yeah.”
“Fine.” I shrug one shoulder.
Claire raises one eyebrow. “Fine?”
I do my best to remain chill on the outside, but on the inside I’m squirming. I don’t even know why. Claire and Vaughn are over, and she already knows I’m helping him. But admitting that he’s not as bad as I thought somehow feels like admitting too much.
“Better than fine. We’ve been getting along, actually,” I say. Every word out of my mouth has Claire’s smile widening. “Stop smiling at me like that. He’s still the worst. Just, you know, not all the time.”
“This makes me so happy.”
“It does. Why?”
“Because Vaughn and I are good, and now we can all hang out without you making it awkward.”
“I’m the one making it awkward?” I huff a laugh. “I’m sorry, but he is the one who made it that way by being all broody and quiet.”
She keeps laughing quietly.
“Okay, maybe I was still a little annoyed with him for how he treated you. I can’t help it. You’re my best friend.”
And he’s just so big and silent. I think I was always aware of him on a subconscious level, but now he’s in my space more often I can’t seem to make sense of the way he makes me feel.
“I would feel the same way if I were in your shoes, but if you’re holding on to that annoyance because you think I need you to, I don’t. I’m good. Honest.”
I nod slowly, wondering if I’m still holding his relationship with Claire against him or if it’s just the way he annoys me. “He did admit that he wasn’t the best boyfriend, so at least he seems to be more self-aware. Not that it stops girls from trying to get his attention.”
“Oh, it’s nonstop. But he is pretty hot. Even you have to admit that.”
“I’m not admitting that.” My cheeks heat.
I’ve always known Vaughn was attractive: tall, straight nose, good jawline, nice eyes.
Objectively he is pleasant to look at, but because Claire was with him, I didn’t look at him in that way.
At least, that’s what I’ve been telling myself.
Spending so much time with him the past week, I understand his appeal in a way I didn’t previously.
The broody, serious thing really works for him.
Claire continues to beam happily at me.
“You’re really over him?” I ask.
“Of course. I love Austin.”
“I know, but you can be in love with one guy and still have some lingering feelings for another. Or at least I think you can.” I wouldn’t know for sure, seeing as how I’ve never felt that way about anyone.
I’ve had crushes, gone out on dates. I even went out with a guy named Ryan for about a week in tenth grade.
But none of that really compares to the relationships that Claire has been in.
“Vaughn and I understood each other. It was comforting and convenient.”
Now it’s my time to snort a laugh. “Wow, that sounds so romantic.”
She sticks her tongue out at me. “We worked for a lot of reasons, but it’s different with Austin. I am over Vaughn, and I’m not harboring any secret crushes on him or any resentment.”
Her words are a relief to me for reasons I don’t want to think about too hard.
“I better go. He’s coming over to my house tonight to study, and I need to warn my dad.”
“Ooh, Daddy Kerr meets a boy.”
“Shut up. It isn’t like that.” And there’s a good chance Dad will work through it like he did yesterday. It was almost dinnertime before he emerged.
“Do you think he will grill him or go get his research out and bore him to death?”
“I hope neither.” I pull my backpack onto my shoulder. “Love you. See you tomorrow.”
My stomach flutters anxiously as I head out to my Bronco. I tap my finger against the steering wheel the whole ride. It’s only once I’m at my house and practically running to get inside that I realize it isn’t anxiety. It’s excitement.
I’m excited to see Vaughn.