The Bennett Boys

BONUS CHAPTER 3

Lucas's POV

Safe to say that I'm fucked up right now. Very fucked up. And this time, it has nothing to do with my dad or the family business. This time, it has everything to do with the girl who's been consuming every single one of my emotions since the day that she stepped foot onto Newport soil.

Today with Lily at the food tasting was one of the best days that I've ever had in my life. I'm not even bullshitting right now. When my mom forced me to drive her to Claudette's, it's not that I didn't want to – I did. Seriously. I did. It was that I had to pretend that I didn't want to so that Lily wouldn't catch onto the fact that she has me all up in my feelings.

I don't know how she does it, but I'm enamored by her. I'm falling deeper and deeper the more that I'm around her, even though I know that I shouldn't be falling period. That I can't be. But, at the same time, I can't stop it. She's like this wave that takes me down with her, even though she's not intentionally trying to. I mean, she's with my baby brother. Like 'boyfriend-girlfriend', 'dating', 'exclusive' kind of with my brother. I hate myself for wanting her like Teddy doesn't even exist, but the thing with wanting is that it drives you to do selfish things – and in my case right now – self-destructing things.

I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit at the dinner table tonight and watch the two of them like she hasn't been constantly on my mind. It definitely didn't help that my dad pulled me into his study beforehand to talk about a work trip to New York. But that wasn't even what set me off. It was noticing Teddy's eyes on her like she's the only thing that he sees. It was the way that she caught me staring when his hands were around her waist. It was the way that I saw how she looking at me because it was the same way that I was looking at her. With desire.

I called an Uber to take me to Landon's the second that I stormed out of the house. I don't care how much my parents despise his influence on me, I had to get away from Teddy and Lily.

8 tequila shots later, and nothing fazes me, which was precisely the goal because I don't want to think about anything right now; like the fact that I could fall in love with her if she trusted me enough to.

No, stop.

I know Lily's making the right move by being with Teddy. She is. He's the best person that I know.

I'm sitting on the couch in Landon's living room with Candace perched on my lap. She voluntarily placed herself on my thighs, and if I wasn't so heated by all things Lily Miller right now, I would've never let Candace take that place on my body to begin with. But I need a distraction. And Candace has always been good at distracting me despite the fact that I feel nothing whatsoever when it comes to her.

Landon hands me a joint, but I know that if I take it, it'll just put me over the edge and, at this point, I'm already teetering.

"Yo, Luke," Josh Peterson calls out. He's annoying as fuck but I have to tolerate him because we're on the lacrosse team together. So, I look in his direction, and he continues. "Someone just said that they saw Teddy walk in."

"Don't care," I tell him as I reach for the J in Landon's hand. Fuck it; I changed my mind about smoking.

"Apparently he walked in with that new, blonde-haired chick. What's her name? Lauren? Lisa?"

I freeze, then breathe out heavily once I realize who he's referring to. "Lily," I state, gritting through my teeth. "Her name's Lily."

"Right. Lily," he says. There's a shady tone to the way he pronounces her name. "Cute girl. I'd totally tap that," he continues, and now my fists are clenching.

"Nice try, Peterson," Landon interrupts through closed lips as he draws in smoke from the joint that he's holding into his mouth, "but Lucas will beat your ass if you even glance in her direction."

"Ah, I see," Josh says with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, shifting his gaze from Landon to me. "You trying to make moves on your brother's girl, Bennett? Or do you mean to tell me that Lily's not as innocent as she looks?"

I instinctively shift my body towards him, which causes Candace to move, too. For fuck's sake, I'd wish she'd just get off me already. Venom runs through my blood at the way this fucker keeps saying Lily's name.

"Say her name one more time, Peterson, and you'll be watching our Lacrosse games from the benches instead of playing in them," I threaten, which gets him to finally back off.

"You're lucky he gave you a warning this time, Peterson," my best friend Marshall chimes in as I glare at Josh, who steadies his hands out at me.

"Okay, okay. Chill, bro," he says in a scared tone. He's a harmless piece of shit, I know that. He's always talk and no action, so I let it go because I know that he's just a waste of my time. I give him one more intimidating stare down before bringing my eyes to the center of the room, and that's when my jaw drops.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I ask the girl standing before me; the same girl who's been consuming every single one of my emotions.