Never Mine (Book One)

Chapter 33

"Look, Cole," I continue. "Wynn and I have never been together. Everybody in this damn county knows I've been desperately in love with Colby for my whole life. What kind of dummy would throw that away?" I gesture toward the prettiest girl in all of Texas, and Colby smiles shyly.

"The kind of dummy that made a mistake while the girl he was pining over was getting with me," Cole grumbles. "The kind of dummy who's jealous." He turns, striding away from the four of us in frustration, muttering obscenities.

"Right, okay," I growl. "Go ahead, Cole, walk away!" What a ridiculously stubborn bastard. I kick at the dirt with the toe of my boot, sending it spraying in Cole's retreating direction. I dunno how many more ways I can explain things to that dense dickhead. All I can figure is that he's got to come around eventually.

"Are you alright, Wynn?" Colby asks, and I hear the caution in her tone. She throws an arm around Wynona's shoulders, tugging her close.

"I'm fine," Wynn sighs. "I mean really, what did I expect after all those rumors flying around? This was bound to happen. My turning down of a relationship between us didn't help matters either."

"This will resolve," Colby says, smiling that big beautiful smile of hers in encouragement. "He just needs time. It's a lot to digest."

"Yeah, no kidding," Wynn scoffs, her hand landing softly on her abdomen. "And soon, he'll have even more of me to love." She frowns, and Colby snickers.

"Oh, please Wynn," Ari says, smiling widely. "You'll be the hottest pregnant chick I'll have ever seen. C'mon, let's bust a move and deal with all this shit tomorrow."

Ah, the ever-present tension reducer. He's in full-on charm mode. Wynn nods, a reluctant grin spreading across her face as Ari grabs her hand, leading her back toward the makeshift dance floor. "Get some ice on that shiner, Wyatt!" Ari tosses over his shoulder. "Your face is gettin' uglier by the second."

"Thanks for backing me up, veggie boy," I reply. He turns to face me briefly, saluting before he returns his attention to Wynn. Lifelong friends like Ari are hard to come by. How I ended up with a half dozen of them is beyond me.

"Do you wanna go home?" Colby asks, wrapping herself around me as she glances at my swollen face. "That looks like it hurts."

"Nah," I say, folding my arms around her tiny frame. "Let's stay and have some fun. This is the last year we get to do this."

She frowns. I don't think she realized.

"You're right," she agrees. "We better make the best of it then."

...

One hayride, two apple ciders, and six dances later, and the night is finally looking up. I haven't been to the Harvest Festival with B since our freshmen year. I'd forgotten what a riot she is.

"We're going to the pie eating contest next," she decrees, her eyes alight with humor when she sees my expression.

"You are gonna eat an entire pie while being timed?" I ask skeptically. "You're the slowest eater I've ever met. It takes you an hour to finish a hamburger!"

"That's why you're doing it," she declares, patting my cheek adoringly. "Win me that big stuffed giraffe sitting over there. That's the next prize."

I spy the four-foot tall reward that has suddenly become my nemesis, perched at the end of a table covered in various berries and crust crumbles from all the previous rounds. I eye my classmates, faces covered in purple and red berry stains, rolling about in agony in the dirt. Guess that's what happens when you eat a ten-inch pie in two minutes. It ain't worth it.