Southern Boy Charm | ✓

Chapter 16

"Hey, do you want something to drink?" Bruce asks me, interrupting Sammy and I's stare down, a can of beer in his hand. I'm about to politely decline when Sammy interjects from the other couch. "Don't you remember? She doesn't drink. She's too innocent for that." Technically she's doing me a favor, but it's the way that she stresses the word innocent, venom dripping from her mouth, that I know that she didn't say it to be nice.

"It's not that," I say, sending a glare towards Sammy. "It's just that I'm going to be driving back so I shouldn't drink."

"It's okay, you can drink," Nick says, looking up at me from the ground. "I can drive home."

"I appreciate the offer, but I no one should be driving drunk. No matter how good you think you are at it."

He rolls his eyes at me. "I'm obviously not going to drink if you're in the car." My heart grows warm at the sentiment and how much he cares about my safety. But then I remember how little he cares for his own safety and those on the road, and I just get angry at him. But before I can start my usual rant, he cuts me off.

"And I already no what you're thinking, I've heard you say how stupid drinking and driving is a hundred times over so no, I'm not going to do it anymore." A triumphant smile wears on my face, finally happy that I've gotten to him, but Bruce wear's one of disbelief.

"What the hell has gotten into you?" he gawks. "Might as well put yourself on an ice ccream sundae with a cherry on top because you are absolutely whipped." Nick's face turns a deep red as he picks up a pillow from the couch and whips it at Bruce, earning a laugh from Bruce. "Shut up," he mutters.

My face is a similar shade as his, and Nick is intentionally looking anywhere but at me. Part of me is thankful, because seeing him would only make my embarrassment worse, but part of me is also curious. Does he feel the same way? I know that being whipped is supposed to be a bad thing, but is it so bad for him to care deeply about me?

All these thoughts swim around my head as I feel Sammy also clamp up beside me, stricken by Bruce's comments as well. She must really have feelings for him, feelings that are impossible to get over. And after spending time with Nick, I can understand why. Once he lets you in, chooses to let you get to know him, you want him all to yourself. Maybe that's why I didn't want to go out tonight, because I don't want to share him. It's selfish, I know, but I just can't help it when it comes to him, and apparently, neither can Sammy.

Blair and Sammy float into a conversation on their plans for the weekend. Apparently, they have tickets for a country concert that they have been dying to go to since forever. The boys, on the other hand, talk about the latest basketball game, a sport that I could be anything but interested in.

Stuck in between two conversations that I have nothing to contribute, I can't help but feel awkward. These are his friends, not mine, and it obviously shows. I stick out like a sore thumb.

I take out my phone and fiddle with it, as I always do in awkward situations, when it begins to vibrate. When I look down and see the caller ID, my blood runs cold.

Crap.

It's Jack.

Ever since Nick and I kissed, he hadn't even crossed my mind. It wasn't like we were official or anything. Jack had told me that he wasn't ready for a relationship, but we were supposed to go to the Summer Fling dance together once I came back to Ohio. We both acknowledged that we had some sort of feelings for each other, seemingly me more than him. But in the end, we knew that once he was ready for commitment we would date and make it official. But now, here I was with Nick, and thoughts of Jack long behind me.

I quickly press to ignore his call before anyone sees, but I'm too late. Sammy peers over my shoulder, and once she reads the caller ID, a sly smirk transcribes on her face.