REWRITE ~
LYLE CARVER IS A JACKASS.
Arms covered in various shapes and forms of black ink, I lost track after a while of how many tattoos he had. His deep-set jade eyes were bottomless like a swimming pool, and I wondered what was lurking beneath the waters within them. Not only in his eyes but beneath his ink as well. What was skin deep. Who he was a person.
Lyle Carver wasn't an open book. I could never read him.
I didn't know much about the six-foot-five guy now standing in my kitchen greeting my parents as he would be spending the entire summer break here in Brooksville, which left me questioning why he was now informing my parents he couldn't wait to 'see me.'
When we met when I was around five, The total of the twelve years that I've known of him, we've not once spoken or even interacted with each other. Besides the casually awkward exchanged glances and snickers he made when my brother made fun of me. But that was about it. Lyle Carver was my brother's best friend, not mine.
"Oh my goodness, look at you!" My mother cheered, squeezing his cheeks.
"It's good to see you too, Mrs. Finley! He chuckles, dimples showcasing on both his cheeks.
My father puts a hand on his broad shoulder.
"Why don't you go ahead and get settled in, son. Evie will be here if you need anything. Marleen and I have reservations to attend to."
Lyle sends my father a head nod then reaches down, grabbing his luggage. The veins in his arms stand out, and I watch his chocolate brown curls as they fall elegantly over his eyebrows. Then he looks up, his eyes locking with mine.
"Hey, Evie," His voice is deep and stern, but his eyes are soft and welcoming.
I stand in silence for a few moments debating if he was actually speaking to me. I had never once heard my name leave Lyle Carver's full lips in the entire time I had known of him. The whole experience was very foreign.
I open my mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. Shock and confusion must be the culprit. So instead, I simply give Lyle an awkward wave. I watch as his eyebrows crease into a line of thought, as if he's thinking I'm some sort of mute.
"So, you wanna help me, or-" He begins, his eyes scanning over my face. "You just gonna stand there?" He's chuckling softly now.
He probably thinks I look absolutely ridiculous standing on the staircase, with my mouth slightly open like a fish out of water due to the sight of him.
I clear my throat, "Uhm, yes. sorry." I grab one of his suitcases.
Lyle gestures for me to walk up the stairs first. My eyes sail unintentionally over the tattoos on his arm, which he seems to notice because his lips curl into a smirk, and his famous dimples begin to show.
"Do you like it?" He says, holding his arm out for me to get a better look.
I nod. "Yeah, you're very prett- the tattoos are very pretty."
I turn on my heel quickly, the sensation of blood rushing to warm my cheeks out of embarrassment. Lyle seems oblivious to my almost mess up of words. Either that, or he's just simply being nice.
I lead Lyle up to the guest bedroom, which he'll be staying in for the next few months. Lyle doesn't seem to say anything to me as we make our way up the stairs to the bedroom, and for a second, I consider the thought that maybe he had gone back to disregarding my presence.
I was wrong.
He stops on the way past my room. His attention is completely fixated on it as he scans the inside.
"This Your room?" He says, looking around.
I send him a weird look. "Uhh, yeah?"
"It's ugh, it's nice." He snickers, walking over to my nightstand.
The tattooed dark-haired boy with forest-green eyes who never spoke to me is now standing in my room. The woody vanilla scent of his cologne lingers in the air as the sunlight behind him gleams against his olive skin, emphasizing his side profile.
Lyle Carver was most definitely the type of guy you see at the airport and never seem to forget. His nose was slightly upturned, pouty pink lips with a detailed cupid's bow, His high cheeks bones, and not to mention his chiseled jawline.
I look away, realizing I had stared too long.
"This your boyfriend or something?" He looks over at me. He's holding a photo frame of jasper and I. my guy best friend.
I snort. "Um, no." I take the photo frame from him. "That's jasper, my best friend." I correct him.
I place the photo frame back down on my nightstand. Lyle walks past me, his shoulder brushing against mine in the process. He's looking at more photos, but this time it's not of jasper and I, just me when I was a kid.
"Awe, look at you." He grabs yet another photo frame, then sits down on my bed. His tank top hugs his body so tightly it outlines his abs beneath it. I make sure my eyes advert.
The fact He's smiling at my baby pictures has me on edge. Even more, that he's sitting on my bed, completely comfortable and unfazed as if it's an utterly normal thing to do
"I remember when you had those braces, Tyler used to call you-" Lyle doesn't get to finish his sentence because I snatch the photo frame from him.
"O-okay, that's enough reminiscing," I tell him."You should go unpack your things. Tyler will be home soon."
Lyle looks up at me, a playful glint dancing in his kale-green eyes under the sunlight. I step back as Lyle stands up, His tall figure now over towering mine.
"You seem nervous." He says, cooly.
I gulp slowly. Lyle was right. He seemed to be good at reading people. terrible, however, at knowing personal space. Or the obvious. which was the underlying fact he was finally acknowledging me, and I was dumbfounded by it.
"Yeah." I say. "Maybe because you're standing in my room, talking to me. You never talk to me. like ever, actually."
Lyle's nodding, but I can tell he doesn't seem to understand. Perhaps it's not such a big deal for him as it is for me.
"Maybe I wanna get to know you." There's his dimples again. I could almost swoon over him if I weren't so certain he had to been toying with me for his own amusement.
"W-why?" is the only thing I manage to say.
Lyle and I begin to have a stare-off. He's looking at me like I'm stupid for even asking him the question, and I'm looking back at him wondering why the hell he's so cool and collective about the situation.
"Why not? we grew up together, we're practically family." Lyle makes his argument sound like it's so blatantly correct.
Which in a way, it is. I would have chosen a different word choice, however. Preferably acquaintances instead of family. I sigh, though. I knew the conversation wasn't getting us anywhere, so I decided to withdraw from it. Lyle and I stand in awkward silence for a few moments, and I debate if I should say something or let him.
The way Lyle's staring at me makes me almost feel as if I'm naked, and I'm left with no other option but to break the silence first.
"What?" I narrow my eyebrows at him
His tongue wets his bottom lip, "Nothing, You just look different."
I want to ask him what exactly he means by that odd statement, considering he only saw me last summer, right before he and his family moved to Georiga. But the opportunity fades when my brother enters my room.
Lyle pulls his eyes from me to Tyler. "Where were you, you piece of shit?" He laughs.
"Coach called our asses in for football practice." Tyler bro hugs him.
"We still on for the lake house?" Lyle asks.
"What's happening at the lake house?" I butt in.
Tyler focuses his gaze on me, his eyebrows slightly raise when he finally notices Lyle had been in my room with me the whole time.
"We're having a get-together for Lyle." Tyler answers.
Lyle's lips curl up at me, "Come. You can bring Jasper." Tyler sends him a weird look.
I agree with Lyles's proposition, despite my brother's disapproval. We arrive at the lake house one hour later. I had assumed the get-together would be a small one. I was sadly mistaken. Rows and rows of cars were parked everywhere. The lake house was packed.
Some people were on jet-skis sliding through the lake. Some were jumping and backflipping off the docks, others dancing around the bonfire. The sight was insane. I had never seen so many people at a party before.
"Remind me why we're here again?" Jasper groans on our way inside. he wasn't a party person.
"For Lyle," amber says. "Who's gorgeous, by the way."
Amber Miller is your stereotypical pretty girl, but she has good a good heart. I haven't been friends with her as long as Jasper, but it feels like it.
"How long have you had a thing for Lyle?" I tease her, "Two years? three?"
Amber rolls her sapphire eyes at me, "I want what I want." She smiles.
Colorful laser lights flash across the sea of intoxicated bodies that danced lazily to the sound of the music as it drifted through the busy atmosphere. The bass notes were so loud I could practically feel them vibrate through my body.
Jasper had offered to go and get amber and me drinks as we waited on the staircase. We were scared we might get crushed if we even attempted to step foot on the dance floor.
Amber sighs next to me, "Have you seen Lyle?"
"He's probably outside on one of the jet-skis," I say.
"Maybe I'll ask him if he can take me for a ride." She wiggles her eyebrows.
I tell her she's disgusting with a laugh, then make my way upstairs to use the bathroom while she goes to look for Lyle. that girl was seriously obsessed with that guy. I'd be lying if I said I couldn't see why though.
Once I finally find the bathroom, I reach for the door handle, but it opens for me. A tall body appears from behind it, blocking my path.
"Oh, my bad," He apologies before moving to let me pass.
I send him a reassuring smile, "Don't be."
I go to pass, but his hand lands on my shoulder, stopping me once again.
"Hey, aren't you Tyler's little sister?" He asks. He looks sort of like Lyle but with blue eyes, short hair, and no tattoos.
"I am?" I had no idea who this guy was. Tyler was popular. So he had a lot of different guy friends, too many for me to know, though.
His hand drops from my shoulder, "I thought so, I'm Tate. Lyle's cousin."
Well, that's why they looked similar, I thought to myself.
Tate extends his arm to me, and I shake his hand.
"Evie." I introduce. "You probably already knew that, though.
"I did," He confirms, "Have you seen Lyle?"
I start to shake my head when I see Lyle advancing towards us, an aggravated expression displayed on his features at the sight of Tate and me together for some odd reason.
Lyle gently grabs my arm, "I was looking for you." He tells me.
"You were?" I frown up at him.
Tate scoffs, "Don't worry, Lyle. I was just introducing myself."
The look Lyle sends Tate is more than cold. I watch as his jaw clenches, and for a split second, I assume any moment Lyle would lunge for Tate, but he doesn't.
"Yeah, I'm sure that's all you were doing." Lyle finally responds. His voice was calm, yet intimidating.
Tate puts his hand up in surrender, "Chill, it's the truth, man."
"Whatever. just stay away from her," Lyle warned Tate before he finally walked away.
Once Tate's fully out of view, I turn my attention back to Lyle. So many questions running through my mind I could barely think properly.
I didn't understand any of this, or Lyle, for that matter. A year ago, Lyle wouldn't even have bothered to look at me twice, now he's acting like some overprotective jackass, but for what exact reason? whatever his purpose was, I was bound to get to the bottom of it.
I pull my arm from his grasp, "What are you doing?"
The expression showcasing on Lyle Carver's face screams denial. "I'm just looking out for you," He disclosed firmly.
"Since when?" I'm almost laughing at how ridiculous this is.
"Since now." Lyle says coldly. "Since guys like him are pieces of shit, alright? just stay away from him." He's reaching for my arm again.
I move back. "It's really not your place to do that. I have to go." Then I close the bathroom door in his face.
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hey guys lmao. I hope the new readers enjoyed this. thoughts on the new and improved Lyle Carver? lemme know if you like the new version of him or the old one.
Make sure to vote so I know if you guys enjoyed the story :)
I apologise for taking the story down. . . I have gained such a large following over the last few days and found myself having a hard time adjusting. I've realised my followers mean more to me than people who have nothing else to do but talk shit <3 I hope you guys can forgive me and understand.