12. Lara
Dylan would”ve gone alone with—What the hell?
My cheeks flush with heat as Amanda expertly weaves daises into a flower crown for Dylan. My gaze drops to his lips on their own accord, and memories of our sinful kisses swing in full force.
My body tingles.
Sexual awareness prickles through me until I have no choice but to intentionally slam on the hormonal brakes.
What the hell am I thinking?
To my horror, Dylan winks as if he knows what I”m thinking.
Oh my God! What the hell is wrong with me?
I bite my lip and glare at him as he scoots closer and tries to hold back his laugh.
I regret not bringing my book so I can pretend not to be affected by his stupidly handsome face.
I arch an eyebrow. ”You”d go off alone with me?”
He chuckles and doesn”t answer.
I bite my lip. I can”t control myself. ”How far would you go?” I ask, intrigued.
”I”d have dropped everything,” he says.
He wouldsay something like that. Yet, it”s like there”s a whole lotta truth behind his words.
”The fact that Parker doesn”t see your worth—” Dylan tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my eat and strokes my cheek. ”It”s his loss.”
”He”s just stubborn.” I defend Parker because it would look bad if I didn”t.
I want to glance and see if he”s done with his stupid game, but Dylan”s finger grasps the bottom of my chin, and I have to stare into his eyes instead. Thank God Amanda and Juliet are too busy on the flower crown to notice. I hope!
”Stubborn? Yeah.” Dylan stares at my lips. ”About the wrong things if you ask me.”
Embarrassment coils in my stomach, knowing how right he is.
”It doesn”t matter, though,” Dylan continues. ”About him, I mean.”
I blink, confused. ”It doesn”t?”
”It”s going to work in my favor… When you realize you”re worth more.” He leans in, his breath fanning my face.
My heart skips, and a million not-safe-for-picnic thoughts swirl in my head.
He grins and scoots himself around suddenly.
I”m not sure what he”s doing until he removes his hat, lays back, and puts his head onto my thighs, using them like a pillow.
”Uh, do you mind?” I grumble, flicking his forehead.
”I do,” he jokes and rubs at the spot. ”Because I”ve always loved a good head-scratching.”
I scoff. ”This is your version of trying harder?”
The wind decides to visit and makes a mess of his already-tousled hair. Instinctively, I brush it to the side. He cracks one eye open, and my heart flutters.
My palm settles on one side of his face. I”m drawn into his blue gaze, knowing he can see right through me.
”Nah,” he says. This is just my version of heaven.”
You know the right things to say.
”Done!” Amanda yells.
I jump, looking toward the girls, smiling at us with the daisy chain around their fingers.
Dylan chuckles, sitting up and bowing while my sister lays the crown on his head.
”Thank you, ma”am. You girls are the best.” He boops Amanda”s nose. ”Maybe you were a fairy once.”
It sends her spiraling into a fit of giggles, and his taking time to bond with my sister makes me smile.
”I made you something, too!” Amanda reaches into her pocket and pulls out something for me.
A ring made of daisies with a poppy at the center.
”This is beautiful, Amanda. Thank you.” I smile, reaching for it and delicately holding onto the fragile ring. I straighten, about to slip it on, when she grabs my wrist, stopping me. I look at her. ”What”s the matter?”
”You can”t put it on,” she declares and snatches it back.
”Why not?”
”A prince has to do it,” she says, her nose scrunching like it”s a no-brainer.
Sometimes, I forget she”s still a child who believes in fairytales—because my prince is too busy playing horseshoes to entertain his princess.
Amanda”s eyes sweep around and then sparkle as she thrusts the ring at Dylan. ”You do it!”
Oh my God. Kill me.
Though, by the massive grins on Amanda”s and Juliet”s faces, there”s no escaping.
They set this up. Traitors. They”re not even trying to hide it.
”It would be my honor.” Dylan takes the ring from Amanda and turns to me.
I should”ve known he”d be over the top when he gets on one knee. He holds my hand and gives me a smoldering look. It doesn”t exactly work with the flower crown on his head, though, and I”m holding back laughter.
”May I?” he asks.
”You”re silly,” I say, but my pulse races. As he slips the ring onto my finger, my heart does tiny flip-flops because, for some reason—this is too good—magical.
He leans in and kisses my hand, and I shiver at the warmth of his lips against my skin.
”Then, they live happily ever after,” Juliet sings and plucks the flowers off her crown to throw into the air around us.
Amanda squeals in delight, doing the same with some grass she pulls.
Dylan chuckles. ”Is this the part where I kiss the princess?”
I roll my eyes. ”You wish.”
There”s devilry in his eyes as he leans in. ”It came true yesterday, princess.”
”Was that what it was? Your dream came true?” I push him back. There”s no way I”ll let him have the upper hand again. ”I”ve had better.”
Not really, but I”m not going to tell him that.
His eyes narrow, and I”m playing with fire now.
Amanda and Juliet have already gone to chase some butterflies, but they look back occasionally with Cheshire-like grins.
Amanda even has the nerve to give me a thumbs up.
Is it possible for an eight-year-old to play wingman?
Dylan”s nose brushes my cheek, and then he nips my earlobe. A squeak tumbles from my mouth.
”Then maybe I should take another kiss to redeem myself,” he says. ”To show you how capable I am.”
Goosebumps break across my flesh. I elbow him in the chest. ”Now you”re just being smug,” I murmur.
”What the hell is going on?”
I pull my hands away as if I”ve just touched a hot burner.
Whipping my head up, I see my boyfriend finally remember my existence.
Parker scowls down at me as I betray him.
He”s brought two plates with him. A sandwich for him and a salad for me as he hands me the plate with the wilting lettuce.
Usually, I wouldn”t mind—and frankly love a simple salad—but today, something about him purposely getting green fuels the frustrated flames inside me for some odd reason. I don”t think there”s a real reason. It”s just there.
I smile at Parker, not wanting to make a big deal out of it.
”Thanks,” I grit out.
”Look who”s back,” Dylan drawls at Parker, not moving as he forcefully wedges between us.
I mentally sigh at the fight brewing. It”s in the air.
Parker, stubborn as a mule, practically sits on Dylan”s lap, and like a bull, Dylan refuses to move even an inch from beside me. I”m pretty sure Parker is sitting on Dylan”s thigh and hand.
”How was your date with the chump over at the horseshoe toss?” Dylan asks, holding his body ridged.
”Fuck you,” Parker snarls.
I scowl at him. ”Parker!”
”Parker said a bad word,” Amanda sings, pointing her finger at him. ”Naughty! Naughty!”
”You know, man, if you keep this up, you”ll never get her parents” approval.” Dylan sighs, shaking his head. He doesn”t even look concerned at the veins bulging on Parker”s forehead. ”Or Amanda”s approval.”
My sister perks and gazes at Dylan with mystified eyes. ”I get to decide?”
”Of course,” Dylan replies. He”ll be your brother—kind of—if they get married. So you have to take this job seriously, Amanda.”
”Okay. Then can I choose… Dylan,” she says with the biggest smile ever—so innocent without ill intent.
This day is turning into a free-for-all.
”Amanda!” I whisper in mortification.
”He called you his princess. And it”s true,” she proclaims. ”I”m a fairy, so I allow it!”
”There”s no such thing as fairies,” Parker says before shoving the sandwich into his mouth.
”Yes, there are.” She huffs, balling her fists and stomping her foot. ”Fairies are real! We all know it.”
”There is, Amada. Parker is just confused,” Juliet chimes in and throws daggers Parker”s way. As usual, he”s oblivious. Juliet grabs Amanda”s arm. ”Let”s go over there and make some more daisy chains.”
Once they”re away from earshot, I don”t even get to scold Parker because he whips his head toward Dylan.
”You hitting on my girl, punk?”
Why can”t I even eat my wilting salad in peace?
”Just providing what you”re not giving her,” Dylan says.
That”s enough to rile Parker full tilt.
He throws his plate and shoots up from where he”s sitting, knocking over my salad.
”You want to go at it, McClintock?” he snarls.
Dylan sighs as if this entire conversation is beneath him. He brushes off some of the salad leaves that fell onto my shorts before getting to his feet and helping me up.
”You don”t want to take me on, Parker,” he retaliates.
”I took you on just fine when I kicked your ass yesterday. I still see those ugly bruises. And I wouldn”t mind giving you new ones,” Parker taunts, cracking his knuckles.
”I”m good,” Dylan says. ”You won because you caught me off guard, by the way.”
Something in my gut tells me it”s true.
Even though Parker is my boyfriend, and I should defend him, Dylan is right. Parker got lucky yesterday. Does that make me an asshole for thinking it? Yeah.
Am I being brutally honest? Also, yeah.
”Scared?” Parker challenges.
”Just doing you a favor. Because if you want to embarrass yourself in front of her, be my guest.”
”You”re just jealous of what I have,” Parker says without missing a beat.
At that—for some strange reason—Dylan”s gaze drifts to me and lingers. His eyes get dreamy. ”Yeah. Maybe I am,” he murmurs, then steps in my direction.
My breath catches. My knees start trembling because—is he going to kiss me right in front of Parker?
But instead, he slowly circles me, making me hyperaware of his every move. He walks to the other side of me, tilting his head. ”Here”s an idea, Parker. Why don”t I fight you for your girl? The winner gets her.”
What the hell?
Rage burns my ears and makes them ring.
Then, my emotions are followed by disappointment in Dylan for falling for Parker”s games. Damn it.
I”d curse him on the spot if it weren”t for Amanda and Juliet close by.
I”m not a piece of—whatever—that can be won.
I whirl my head, ready to tell Parker we”re leaving, but to my horror, he puffs out his chest and holds his hand out for Dylan to shake. ”Fine. Deal.”
My stomach churns, and my mouth opens and closes.
What the hell is happening?
I”m the freaking prize like something that can be won at the fair?
Repulsion speeds through me. I might throw up.
I won”t stand for this or go with whoever wins this offensive bet. My parents have taught me my entire life to understand my worth.
I”m leaving.
I”m done.
I”m taking Amanda, and we”re going to the tent so I can read my book and not cry out at how guys are assholes!
I”d rather jump into a pile of horse poop than be fought over like a slab of meat. Like I”m some cow to be bought at an auction!
But Dylan doesn”t take Parker”s outstretched hand. He looks at it with a curled lip before turning to me with a grin.
”And there you have it,” Dylan says with a half-shrug, slapping Parker”s hand away.
”What the hell do you mean, McClintock?” Parker barks.
Even I”m confused.
”It means I”m not someone who would gamble away his girlfriend—if he truly had her in the first place,” Dylan says, placing his thumb into the belt loop of his jeans. ”I just want her to know what kind of person you really are.”