Page 92 of Don't Let Me Go (Don't Let Me 2)

“Ain’t it the truth.” She takes a sip and hands it back to me.

I squeeze her hand. “It’s okay to be overwhelmed. But don’t let it ruin what you and Colt have. You two are perfect for each other, Ash. Like seriously. Nauseatingly perfect.”

She laughs and wipes beneath her eyes. “You’re right. I’m being––”

“Cautious,” I finish for her. “Which makes sense, considering your past with Logan. Putting all your eggs in one basket burned you the first time. Or so I’ve been told,” I add with a smile.

She glances at the house, searching for my brother and pushing her blonde hair over her shoulder while kicking the small patch of dirt beneath our feet. “Colt isn’t anything like Logan. He’s never been anything like Logan.”

“You’re right. He isn’t,” I agree. “Which means if you decide to stay back, and you guys do the long-distance thing for a little while until you’re ready to move across the country, he’ll be okay with it. He’ll wait until you are ready. I know it.”

“You think?” she whispers, looking over at me with those big doe eyes, the moisture clinging to her lashes.

“Yup. And if he even thinks about breaking your heart, I’ll neuter him for you. Future nieces and nephews be damned.”

She laughs and wipes at her tearstained cheeks as footsteps sound from behind us.

Colt returns with a thick comforter and wraps it around Ash until she’s basically a burrito. With a soft kiss to her forehead, he turns to me and says, “Thanks for keeping her company.”

“Always,” I answer, adding, “But treat her right, okay?”

“Don’t worry, Blake.” Colt smiles down at his girlfriend. “Ash is stuck with me.”

Squeezing her eyes shut, she snuggles into his chest but doesn’t say a word.

Feeling like I’ve been excused, I saunter off, letting the chilly air ground me as I lift my head toward the sky in search of quiet. Stars twinkle in the distance, the dark blues and almost black atmosphere reminding me of how small and insignificant my problems really are. I lay back on the ground and pull my jacket a little tighter around me, balancing my cup on the grass beside my hip.

The music is still blaring from the Taylor House, but it’s quieter out here. More peaceful. Less…chaotic. Crickets are singing their nightly lullaby among the trees. The cadence is soothing. Hypnotic. Addictive. And I let it roll over me, easing the jealousy in my chest while hoping it’ll be enough to quiet the what-ifs filtering through my mind.

Is Theo sleeping with her right now?

Did he take her to his room instead of using the spare one in the basement? Did he worship her the way he worshipped me?

My phone buzzes in my purse, but I ignore it, searching for the Big Dipper constellation hidden in the sky instead.

I don’t know how long I stay out here soaking up the comfortable ambiance before footsteps rustle in the grass behind me. And even though I don’t need to look to see who it is, I do. Because I’m a sucker for the bastard.

Twenty bucks says it’s Theo.

28

BLAKELY

Against my better judgment, I roll onto my side and search for the culprit in the darkness. The silhouette moves closer, but the darkness around us hides the majority of its features. Not that I need them. I could pick Theo out in a lineup while blindfolded.

“You,” I accuse, giving him my back and pushing myself to a sitting position.

“You,” he returns, the same accusing note to his voice.

“You should get back to the party.”

“I don’t want to be at the party.”

“Then why do you throw them?” I counter.

He shrugs and plops down beside me, resting his arms on his bent knees. “Habit, I guess.”

“Is that why you sleep with puck bunnies too?”

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