Southern Boy Charm | ✓

Chapter 28

I expect him to say some witty retort or to just laugh it off, but he doesn't even look Bruce's way. He just cracks open a beer and stares off glassily into the night. When I see the beer, my heart pangs. He said that he was going to stop drinking for my sake.

I can tell that something is wrong, and based off Bruce's expression, so can he.

Sammy and Blair sneak each other smirks. They must think that he's mad at me, which I bet would make Sammy so very happy. Right now, however, I could care less about Sammy's obsession with my boyfriend. She, however, sees this as an opportunity and pounces. She leans in close to Nick, who sits on the other side of her, and pretends to lower her voice, as if she's telling a secret.

"Do you remember how every summer we would spend all our time in that treehouse of yours alone? I swear, we practically never left that place."

The treehouse?

Our special place?

I remember the intense guilt that I faced bringing Jack into there. It felt so wrong, because the place was ours. While I was feeling this guilt, Nick had been bringing girls in there every summer.

Are all these memories that I thought were ours even ours alone?

How many girls did he take swimming in the creek or horseback riding? How many nights did he spend with Sammy atop the treehouse roof, staring at the stars?

I want to vomit.

I wait for his reaction, for his eyes to jump to mine in panic. I wait for him to show some sign of remorse or caring, but nothing. He just takes another drink from his damn beer.

Who even is this guy in front of me?

Sammy doesn't get a reaction out of him either, but I know that she doesn't care. He may not show any emotion, but I do, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to see that I am upset. She leans back in her chair, her work obviously done, and shoots Blair yet another one of her smug smirks that make me want to pitch a ball straight into her face. But it isn't Sammy who betrayed me, it's Nick, and I won't let myself take the blame off him.

I focus intently on the fire in front of me and realize that my emotions and the fire pit have a lot in common. One single phrase by Sammy, coupled with Nick's somber mood, and I am a ball of anger, confusion and hurt. Over the flames, I see Bruce discreetly nudge Nick. I see him ask: "Are you okay?", but Nick just brushes him off, his eyes glassier than before.

"Hey Leighton," Bruce calls, snapping my attention away from him and the fire. "Do you want to help me bring this cooler into my trunk? I could use some of your softball muscles right now."

I know that he's trying to lighten my mood, so I nod my head and attempt to flash him a smile, but it comes out pitiful and lifeless. I stand up and trail behind him, and once we reach the trunk of his pick-up truck, which is a safe distance from the group, he turns towards me.

"Something is wrong with Nick."

"I bet," I mumble, my hurt coming across as attitude.

He sighs. "Look, I know that you're probably mad at him because of Sammy's comment, but if you knew what he was going through right now, you would cut him some slack."

I cross my arms. "What is he going through then?" He hesitates and tries to distract himself with something in the trunk, but I don't allow him to.

"You don't get to hint at it but not tell me," I say grabbing onto his wrist. "Come on."

He tucks his hands into his pockets before looking up at me. "He wouldn't want me to tell you this, but today is a really special day to him." I nod my head, urging him to continue. "Him and his dad would always take a trip for the day, just them two. He looked forward to it all summer."