All Mine {BOOK 2 OF THE LAURIE U SERIES}

8| cowboy boots

Tucker

Cowboy boots. He just looks annoying as fuck.

Libby, Reece, Alina, and I decided to go out to a fancy new club. Guess whose fucking here?

Hali and her date, cowboy boots. And they're sitting right in my eyesight. She's looking delicious in her little black dress and red lip. Her date looks punchable.

She ended it. I have to keep reminding myself.

She doesn't want me. Clearly her taste is country now.

Libby pats my leg and I turn my attention back to her. She doesn't know about me and Hali and maybe that's for the best. I like Libby, I do. She's cute, she's sometimes funny and she hasn't tried to constantly push me away.

And that's what I look for in a woman.

My gaze voluntarily flicks back up to Hali and her date. She's got a hand on his shoulder and she leans into him slightly. She laughs at something he said and it's not one of her 'I wish you would shut up' laughs. It's her genuine laugh, and that makes my blood churn.

"Oh my god." Libby says animated now. "We need to get shots or something."

"I can't." Alina says. "I have practice tomorrow."

"But it's Saturday." Libby says.

"Yeah I know. But I have to squeeze in as much practice as I can before scouts come back in the spring."

"Lame." she says bounding towards the bar.

Alina looks like she just got slapped. "Tucker you got to do something about your girlfriend." Reece said grabbing Alina's hand.

"She didn't mean you were lame. I- she just- she- Argh!" I stood up and went after Libby.

I went and stood beside her at the bar. "Libby!"

"Yeah." she said turning to me with a smile on her face.

"Those are my friends. My best friends. You can't talk to them like that."

"You're being dramatic. And Alina's being sensitive. Calm down. We're here to have fun. You have heard of that before?" she takes the tray of shots and starts walking back toward our table.

I pull her arm back and she stumbles to in front of me. "Maybe it's best if you go home." I say.

"Excuse me?" she says slamming the tray of shots into my chest.

I have no idea how they're still upright.

"No one. Especially my girlfriend- will talk to my friends like that. I think you need to go."

"God, Tuck. You really are a son of a bitch." she angry walks back over to our booth and snatches her purse. On her way out she flips me the bird.

God. She's fucking psychotic.

I set the tray on the counter of the bar and signal for the bartender. He holds up one finger telling me one minute and I press my forehead to the bar.

After a second, I hear the bartender stalk over and I say, "Whiskey neat."

It's at the same time a woman behind me says. "Apple Tini."

I lift my head, cause I know that voice, and see Hali. Up close she looks fucking mouthwatering.

"Oh... sorry." she says. "I thought you were a half-dead drunkard."

"Thanks." I say placing my head back against the cool bar.

I hear her exhale. "Are you ok?" she asks.

"Peachy." I say into the bar.

After a moment of silence she says, "Thanks." I assume to the bartender.

I hear the clack of her heels walk away. And then back towards me.

"Are you sure your ok?" she asks.

I lift my head from the bar and turn to face her. "Why would you care?" I ask.

"Ouch. Just cause we- broke up-" she whispers that part like I'm a secret she doesn't want anyone else to know about. Cause I was. "Doesn't mean I stopped caring about you."

I'm not drunk enough for this. I turn around and grab my glass of whiskey. I down it in one gulp and one of Libby's shots and turn back to Hali.

"Yeah. Hali. I'm just great. I spent the night watching you and cowboy boots flirt and it made me want to die a little bit. And then my girlfriend started acting like a bitch so I broke that off. So yes, Hali, I'm great. Now walk back over to your little date and place a hand on his leg and smile and he'll take you home and screw you just right. Now that you've cleared your conscious, go."

"Ass!" she says walking away. And even though she hates me and I'm not so pleased with her I still watch her ass sway back and forth as she walks away.

God I am an ass.