Chapter Eighteen Vaughn
Chapter Eighteen
Vaughn
“You’re never going to reach it like that,” I say as Lacey climbs onto the top board of the fence and raises one arm over her head.
“I’m so close.” She pushes onto her toes and stretches higher. The movement makes her shirt lift, exposing smooth, toned skin. She’s already abandoned her coat because she claimed it was getting in the way. I’m having a hard time keeping focused on the activity and not her.
When I brought her out here, I was a little nervous she was going to think it was a dumb idea.
Sure, it was on her list, but picking apples at some farm with her friends is different from sneaking away from the party and going out into the woods with me to climb a rickety fence to swipe some from the neighbor’s trees.
With a dozen apples in a pile on top of her coat, I think she’s warmed to the idea. I have no idea how we’re going to get them out of here, but that’s a problem for later.
Right now, my gaze keeps dropping to her ass. In case she falls, of course. Not because it looks damn good in a pair of black jeans.
She groans as her fingertips brush the bottom of the apple. The old fence protests at the same time, and I get one arm around her middle as the board gives away. See? Safety. Good thing I was prepared.
“I almost had it,” she protests, looking up at me with a shy but frustrated scowl. “Sorry.”
I set her on the ground, a bit reluctantly since I don’t have an excuse to touch her again.
“I guess that’s enough.” Her tone is wistful as she looks longingly up at the apple she was trying to get. It’s not even that big of an apple or that ripe looking.
“I have an idea.” I squat down in front of her and beckon with one hand. “Get on my shoulders.”
Lacey hesitates only for a second, pulling the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth, then grinning and hurrying forward. I hold up one hand for her to steady herself, but she barely uses it as she makes herself comfortable and stable on my shoulders.
“Should have known a cheerleader wouldn’t need any help with this move,” I say as I stand.
Her laughter fills the night around us. “You’re a little taller than my usual spotter.”
I move toward the tree, getting right up to the fence line so she can reach. She plucks off one, then two more.
“Hold these.” She passes two down.
“What am I supposed to do with them?” I take them. My arms are hooked around her legs, but I don’t love the idea of not having my hands free in case I need to catch her again.
“Put them down your shirt or something.”
“Down my shirt?”
“Put them down your pants for all I care, Collins.” She’s already waiting with two more to pass off to me. “I need you to focus up.”
A rough chuckle leaves me. Got it. My problem.
She must pick at least ten more before she stops and says, “Okay. I think that’s enough.”
“You’re sure?” I ask dryly. I didn’t put them down my pants, but my sweatshirt is packed full.
“No, but now that I know where to come and how sturdy your shoulders are, I know who to ask.”
I squat back down, and she climbs off as nimbly as she got on. She’s smiling big now, holding an arm full of apples.
My mouth has a mind of its own, mirroring her expression. “What are you going to do with all those?”
“Make a pie.” She still has that huge, giddy look on her face as she puts all the apples in a stack, then sits on the ground next to them. Lacey can barely take her eyes off them. It’s cute.
“I think that’s enough to make several pies.” I add the ones I was holding in my sweatshirt to her pile and take a seat next to her. The grass is hard and cold, but she doesn’t seem to mind, and I guess I’d rather freeze my ass off than sit on the four-wheeler away from her.
When she finally glances my way, her smile makes me forget all about the cold seeping through my jeans.
“Thank you for this,” she says. She holds one apple in her hands, cradling it like it’s the most precious thing.
“It’s the least I could do after how much time you spent helping me.”
“It wasn’t that much time. And the protein bar was more than enough payment.” The sassy look she gives me is playful and teasing, but I don’t feel anything but warmth spreading through my chest at the jab.
Lacey tosses the apple in her hand to me. I barely catch it before it hits my lap.
“Should we try them out?” she asks and grabs another for herself.
“Are you sure we have enough?” I can’t help but tease her back.
I keep my gaze trained on her and wait until she brings the apple to her mouth, then take a bite of mine. We keep staring at each other as we chew and swallow. The fruit is sweet, just a little tart.
Lacey’s lips curve up as she swallows the bite. “It’s good.”
We eat in silence, sharing smiles and sitting in the quiet dark together. When I finish mine, I toss the core as far as I can throw it.
“That was evidence,” she claims, lifting one dark brow. “Your DNA and dental records will give us away.”
“I’d never snitch.”
Her shoulders shake lightly as she laughs. She finishes her apple and then hesitates before tossing it in the same direction as mine.
“Looks like we’re both going down for trespassing and theft.” I lean back, resting my weight on both hands.
She nods, then pulls a beer out of her coat pocket and pops the top. After she takes a drink, she hands the can to me.
I’m not a big drinker, but sitting out here like this with her feels special in a way that I don’t want to end yet. I take a drink and pass it back. Lacey shivers as she pulls her sleeves down over her hand to hold the cold can.
Her coat is still buried under two dozen apples, so I shrug out of my coat and hand it to her.
“I’m okay,” she insists, but I keep holding it out until she gives in.
She quickly slides her arms in and then pulls it closed around her front, huddling into it. “Won’t you be cold now?”
She tries to zip it closed, but she struggles with one hand still holding the beer.
“Nah.” I scoot closer and take the two ends of the coat in my hands. I line up the zipper and pull it to the top. I let my hand linger there. Our faces are so close the cold puffs of air she breathes out mix with mine.
My gaze drops to her lips. The need to kiss her hits me so hard I almost do it without thinking. But this is Lacey. She doesn’t want me to kiss her. Does she?
Before I’ve answered myself, she looks down and brings the can up to take another sip. I lean back slightly but don’t scoot over to where I was sitting before.
The wind blows her hair into her face, and she tucks it behind one ear. “You were really something at the game today. How’d it feel to be back?”
Compliments from Lacey continue to settle differently. A dozen or more people must have commented already on my performance today, but none felt as good as this.
“A lot better than standing on the sidelines, that’s for sure.” I nod, remembering that frustration of not being able to help or do anything.
“The team is better with you. You’re a good captain.”
“Wow, so many nice things in a row. Are you really Lacey?” I squint and pretend to scrutinize her for evidence she hasn’t been body snatched. I reach out one hand with the intent to pat her cheek but when my palm lands on her smooth skin, my fingers just sort of linger there.
She laughs softly and I let my hand drop. The truth is, she is good at making others feel valued. And I guess, despite all the success I’ve had, I’m not used to getting that from people. Respect and admiration? Sure. But people don’t usually just toss out such nice words.
She hands me the beer. “I’ve always known you were a good soccer player. Everyone does. That’s not something I could have taken away from you just because you broke my best friend’s heart.”
I wince a little at the cutting way she chose to phrase that. I guess I deserve it. I know I hurt Claire when I ended things, but she’s happier than ever now, so that has to make it better on some level, right?
“I guess it doesn’t matter now. She and Austin are together, and that wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t broken up with her,” Lacey says exactly what I was thinking.
“I don’t know. Those two might have found their way to each other either way.”
“No.” Lacey is adamant as she shakes her head. “She didn’t see anyone but you. She loved you.”
My guilt intensifies. I don’t know what would have happened, no one does, but it doesn’t excuse the way I treated her.
“Do you regret it?” she asks me.
“Of course. When she got hurt and had to quit skating, I felt awful. I knew how much it meant to her. As long as I’d known her, she’d had one dream and then it was gone. To be honest, I think it freaked me out.”
“Like if her dream could be taken away just like that, so could yours.”
“I hadn’t thought about it quite like that, but yeah.
Claire’s great and we were good together, but so much of what we had was based on understanding how important our goals were to us.
Soccer and skating came first. I should have handled everything better.
I know that. If I could go back and do things differently, I would.
” I blow out a breath. “But Claire and I are okay now and Austin is the kind of boyfriend she deserves. Maybe we were only ever supposed to be friends.”
That’s how it started. We had the same discipline and focus for our sports that our classmates didn’t always understand. I felt like she was the first person who knew and understood the real me.
“So if Austin and Claire broke up for some reason, you wouldn’t try to get her back?” Lacey asks.
I give the question some thought, even though I have the answer immediately. “No.”
“No?” Lacey’s surprise borders outrage like she thinks I’m offending her friend all over again.
“They’re not going to break up.”
She doesn’t look appeased by that answer. “Yeah, but I know you wanted her back just weeks ago. Why not now?”
The truth is that Lacey is why not now. I couldn’t get back with Claire while feeling this way about her best friend. And I really do think Claire and I are probably better off as friends. But there’s also the real fear that I’d do the same thing all over again.
“I don’t think jumping into another relationship would be the best thing for me. Believe it or not, I don’t revel in being a shitty boyfriend.”
Her hard-ass demeanor finally breaks, and she laughs softly. “You could just choose not to be a shitty boyfriend.”
“Sounds hard and complicated.” I laugh it off too, and I’m thankful to have the conversation feeling lighter again.
When our combined laughter dies off, she says more quietly, “You could do it if you wanted.”
I’m not sure if she’s right. “You really think so?”
I lock onto her stare again, and I search her face for any hesitation she feels. I trust her judgment. If she thinks I’m capable of it, then maybe I am.
“I think…” she starts and then stops. This time, as we’re openly staring at each other, her gaze is the one that drops. My chest warms and my skin tingles with anticipation.
Pretty certain she’s feeling this thing between us too, but wanting to test it, I reach out to brush another windblown piece of hair away from her face. She doesn’t flinch as the pads of my fingers drag along her cheekbone and tuck it behind her ear like she had. Instead, she inches closer.
My stomach swirls with desire and need as I lean in. I stop with my lips just an inch away from hers. One last chance to decide this isn’t what she wants.
“Vaughn.” My name comes out barely above a whisper. Is she reminding herself who I am or about to ask me to stop?
I don’t find out because the roar of an engine approaching, followed by squeals of happiness, cut through our quiet bubble.
Lacey’s eyes widen and she turns her head as we watch Eddie, one of the Whitlock twins, cut through the clearing on a four-wheeler with a girl on the back.
Lacey stands quickly, and I get to my feet a little slower.
Eddie and his girl come to a stop a few feet away.
“What are you two doing out here?” Eddie asks. He has one brow raised as he looks from Lacey to me.
“Oh my gosh. Are those apples?” the girl asks, spotting the giant pile on Lacey’s coat.
“Yes. We were picking apples,” Lacey replies.
“That’s so cute!” she says in a high-pitched, drunken voice.
“Where are you two heading?” I ask Eddie.
“Oh, you know.” He glances up at the night sky. “Just for a ride.”
I know people drive out here to make out—it just didn’t occur to me until right now that was what was happening.
“Right,” I say, and give him a salute. “Have fun. Be careful.”
“Always, Cap!”
Eddie speeds off, decidedly not carefully. When I glance over at Lacey, she’s already picked up her coat and tied it up to carry her apples.
“We should probably get back,” she says, not meeting my gaze.
I do my best to push back my disappointment as I nod. I climb back on the four-wheeler and Lacey gets behind me. I end up putting her coat filled with apples on my lap so she can hold on to me, and I enjoy the feel of her pressed up against me during the short ride back.
The noise from the party feels like an unwelcome intrusion as I park and turn off the vehicle.
Lacey climbs off first, and I sit there, not sure where we go from here. I hand over her coat. She tries to take off mine to return it, but I shake my head. “Keep it. You can give it to me the next time we study.”
“Study?”
“Yeah. You don’t think I can keep passing algebra without you, do you?”
One side of her mouth inches up to a smile, then the other side.
“I am a great tutor.” A little of her earlier sass and bubbliness have returned.
“You are,” I agree.
She stands there, staring and unmoving. Finally, she lifts the apples. “I’m going to find somewhere to put these and join the party. Are you staying?”
“Nah, I think I’m going to head out.”
I could be wrong, but I think a flicker of disappointment crosses her face.
“Okay. Well, thanks for this.” She lifts her coat as she takes a step backward.
“You’re welcome.”
She turns with a smile.
“Lacey,” I call out, stopping her.
She pauses and glances back at me.
“Busy tomorrow night?” I ask.
Her smile hits me right in the gut. “See you then, Collins.”
High School Bucket List
Make a high school memory box ?
Go apple picking ?
Get a piercing
Watch the sunrise from the fifty-yard line on the football field
Learn the “Thriller” dance!
Go on a double date
Stay up all night
Volunteer
Travel internationally
Kiss someone under the stars
Do something scary
Go to the homecoming dance with a date
Go ice-skating
Have a photo shoot with friends
Go skinny-dipping
Take a road trip with Dad
Leave my mark on Frost Lake High