Complicate Me (The Good Ol' Boys #1) (27 page)

I loved Oak Island. It was home to me. I guess I assumed we would all attend Wilmington University and grow old here like our parents did. When the boys told me they were leaving because they wanted to live in a big city and do new things, I wanted to yell at them the same way I did when we were kids, and they told me something that didn’t make any sense, but I couldn’t.

It wouldn’t be fair to do that to them. I had to let them grow up, exactly the way I always had.

My mom had always told me that boys were different than girls. That we were made differently, and I never considered it to be true until they told me they were leaving so easily. The words flew from their mouths like the waves of the ocean. I pretended to be happy, ecstatic from the news even. My boys knew me well, so when they pulled me into tight hugs my eyes began to water. The older I got the harder it was to hold back my emotions. To keep them hidden like I did when I was a kid.

I guess I really did turn into a girl at some point.

Lucas had been spending more time with me and I knew it was for both our benefits. He would miss me as much as I would him.

That wasn’t even a question.

The answer was already ingrained in our hearts.

I didn’t know how long it would last, so I cherished it as much as I could not knowing when it might end. I started thinking about the future and how much it could really change. As soon as thoughts of love with other people crossed my mind I immediately shook it off.

I would rather be surprised than to expect it.

It was easier that way.

Or so I thought…

“Whatcha thinkin’ about over there?” Lucas asked while we were watching a movie on his bed.

“I’m watching the movie.”

“What’s it about?”

I looked from the TV to him. “Huh?”

“The movie, Half-Pint, what’s it about?” he grinned all knowing.

“Oh,” I smiled. “Is the movie too smart for you, Bo? Do you need me to explain it so that you understand?” I teased to no avail.

“You think that’s going to work on me? Give me some credit, Alex. What are you thinking about?”

“Why does it matter?”

He turned to face me. The intensity of his stare causing me to pull my legs up to my chest and wrap my arms around them in a comforting gesture.

“I can’t do this with you again,” he recalled with a familiar edge in his tone. “I can’t lose you again. I won’t, Alex. It doesn’t matter what happens between us, you have to be in my life and I don’t care if it’s just as my best friend. Know that I’ll take you any way I can. So, please tell me what you’re thinking, because I can guarantee you that every answer to your question is a no.”

The severity of his words shocked me to my core. Somewhere along the way my boy also grew up.

Into a man.

No longer the boy that I was in love with.

“I’m scared,” I half-whispered, and by the look on his face it wasn’t what he expected me to say.

“I’m scared that you’re moving away and you’re going to forget about me. I’m scared that you
all
will. I’m scared that nothing will ever be the same like it was when we were kids. I’m scared that I have no idea what I want to do with my life,” I paused to let my words sink in. “But mostly, I’m scared that we’re growing up and that
our
paths may never cross through the same direction, Bo. That we’re destined to remain in this friendship that I love so much, that I cherish with all my heart. The ups and downs are what make us, Bo and Half-Pint. What if that’s all we’ll ever have?”

He took in each and every word as if I recited his favorite song and then softly grabbed the sides of my face and looked deep into my eyes.

“I told you every answer was no,” he simply stated with a heartwarming look on his face before he leaned in and kissed the tip of my nose.

I wanted to remember this always.

Because what happened next…

I wanted to forget forever.

It was the Fourth of July.

Southport was the next town over and highway 211 was closed down every year for the Fourth of July Festival. Since 1972 over 40,000 tourists and residents gathered around to enjoy the day’s festivities. It was usually my favorite day of the year.

Not this year.

This year, my boys were leaving the very next day.

“Alex, honey, what are you doing here? Why aren’t you at the festival?” Mom asked as I cleaned my last table.

“I’m working,” I simply stated.

“Alex, you don’t need to be working. You’re missing the fun, you’re missing your boys. They leave tomorrow.”

“Don’t remind me.”

“Oh, honey,” she sighed as she grabbed my arm, making me sit with her.

“That’s what this is about?”

I shrugged because I didn’t know what to say.

“They’re going to come back for every holiday and I bet some random weekends, too. You will visit when you can. I promise.”

“Right.”

“Oh, Alex, at times I wish we would have been more careful with you and those boys.”

That grabbed my attention, making me look up at her. “What?”

“You’re so attached to them. Sometimes I worry if that’s healthy for you.”

“I’m fine. I’m just sad, is all. They leave tomorrow and I don’t want to ruin their last day here.”

“Now you know that’s not true. Do you have any idea how many times Lucas has called the restaurant begging me to let you off work? Why did you tell them that we’re making you work? That couldn’t be further from the truth.”

“It was easier that way. If I didn’t, they would be sitting here instead of enjoying their last day on the island.”

“Easier for who?”

I bowed my head.

“I don’t have to tell you, but you know that you’re so young. You all are. Honey, your lives are going to go in separate directions eventually, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be in each other’s lives at all.”

“How do you know that?”

“It comes with age.”

“It doesn’t feel that way to me.”

“Just trust me, Alex, for once, I promise. Your heart is here, which is true for all of you. Sometimes it takes leaving to know where you come from. To know where you belong.” She wrapped her arm around my shoulder and tugged me closer. “I love you, but if you don’t get the hell out of here right now. I’m going to fire you.”

I laughed.

“Now go!” She pushed me off the bench, smiled and left.

I went to the bathroom to change into a bikini under my dress. I let down my hair and put on some mascara, blush, and lip-gloss. After a few minutes I felt better about my appearance and walked out into the restaurant.

Cole sat on the exact bench that my mom and I were just on. I hadn’t been spending much time with him since he arrived on the island. I gave Lucas and the boys my undivided attention. Cole never complained about it, he knew they were leaving. We still talked on the phone and texted all the time. He was there for me as he had always been. The past summer’s incident was long forgotten.

Boys will be boys.

“What are you doing here?”

He grinned, his dimples prominently on full display. “Is that anyway to say hello, Darlin’?”

“Hello. What are you doing here?” I sassed and he chuckled, standing in front of me.

“I’m waiting for you.”

I cocked my head to the side.

“I hear there’s this beach party in Southport after the festival and seeing as the festival is over and it’s almost sunset, I’m assuming the party is just now getting good.”

I shook my head, confused. “I’m not much for those types of parties, Cole.”

“I’m aware of that, but I’m here now. Don’t you want me to have the full Fourth of July experience?”

“The festival is the experience.”

“You’re the experience. Fuck the festival.”

I smiled, blushing. The boy had a way with words that still made me blush like it was the first time I had spoken to him.

I nodded. “Fine.”

“Great. My car’s out front.”

We rode in silence while I tried to ignore the uneasy feeling knowing what awaited us.

Lucas.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Alex with pretty boy standing beside her. “I thought you were working?”

She looked from me to him even though my eyes were solely focused on her.

“Oh, I was but my mom said to go hang out. It was slow so she said to leave early.”

I knew that was a bunch of bullshit. It was the Fourth of July, their busiest day of the year.

“Why didn’t you call me? I would have come back to drive you.”

“Oh… well… Cole was already there and he wanted to check this out, so I came with him. I mean… I knew you’d be here so…” she said, nervous and uneasy.

“Is that right?” I nodded, taking my stare from her to him. “Thanks, Cole,” I said with a wide fake smile. The last thing I wanted to do was spend my last night in Oak Island with this fucking douchebag. “I really appreciate you bringing Half-Pint, but I’m here now so you can go.”

“I’m staying,” he affirmed.

“Of course you are.” I grabbed Alex’s hand and turned with him following close behind us.

She tottered close to my ear and whispered, “Be nice, Bo.”

I spent the next few hours with her close to my side and with him at hers. I wanted more than anything to be alone with her. As soon as her shift was over she would have walked out into the parking lot with me in my truck waiting for her. I hated that Cole got to her first and my plan went to shit.

I took a swig of my drink and Alex took it from my hand.

“What are you doing?”

She innocently shrugged. “I want to try.”

“Half-Pint—”

“Lucas,” Cole chimed in. “Let her fucking try the drink. She’s not a kid.”

I raised my eyebrow at him not backing down. “No shit. Except I’d rather make her a new one, she doesn’t drink and mine is really strong.”

Alex coughed and wiped her mouth, proving my point.

“I’ll make her another one,” he argued.

“Hey!” Alex shouted. “I’ll make myself one,” she announced before walking away from both of us with my drink still in her hand.

“She’s not a little girl, Lucas. The problem is you still see her as one. Maybe it’s time you realize that.”

Motherfucker.

I turned to face him, mere inches away from his face. “Who’s going to make me realize that, Cole? You?”

“Just sayin’, brother.”

“I’m not your brother. I’m not your friend. I don’t fucking like you! The problem is you need to mind your own goddamn business. It has nothing to do with that. I know Alex like the back of my hand. She doesn’t drink. I’m just watching out for her. I’m fully aware that she’s not a little girl,” I scoffed, glaring him up and down. “And when her body was lying beneath mine, my cock was fully aware of that too.”

He jerked back, stunned.

I smiled, angling my head to the side with a smug grin. “I guess
Alexandra
doesn’t tell you everything? Aren’t as close as you thought, huh,
brother
?”

“Lucas!” Jacob shouted from afar before he could reply.

“Come over here, you fuck and play beer pong! I’m losing because Dylan can’t play worth shit!”

I took one last look at Cole who hadn’t regained his composure, and I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or disappointed, I imagined it was both. I made my way to the boys and we played a few rounds of beer pong just shooting the shit with everyone and trying to enjoy our last night there. My attention was never too far from Alex. I didn’t even see it coming, it happened so fast. I looked around and she was gone.

My phone pinged with a text message, as Aubrey’s face lit up my screen. I swiped over the icon.

Aubrey:
Need you now! We’re by the pier.

I took off like a bat out of hell, not bothering to say anything to anyone or explain. As I’m running, a million thoughts raced through my mind and the minute I saw Alex bent over with Cole holding back her hair, each one of them were confirmed. He looked up when he heard my rapid footsteps in the sand and stepped away from her like he knew.

“Listen, man, it’s not what you—”

My fist had collided with his face before he got the last word out. His head whooshed back, taking half of his body with him. He stumbled, shaking it off.

“This is how it’s going to be?” Cole asked, spitting blood onto the sand.

“Hell yeah! It’s go time, motherfucker. I’ve been waiting for it.”

I charged him, ramming my body into his torso, taking him to the sand. He was prepared for it and instantly fought back. We wrestled around in the sand for a few minutes, each of us trying to get the upper hand on the other.

“You fucking son of a bitch!” I hit him. “You let her get drunk!” I hit him again. “For what, Cole? To take advantage of her?” I hit him twice.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” he yelled, blocking another blow.

“Lucas, stop!” Aubrey shouted, trying to pull me away. “This isn’t helping anything! Alex needs you!”

Every angry bone in my body stopped in an instant. We both breathed heavily, sweat pouring from our overheated bodies. I jumped back, removing myself from his body with one last shove, spitting blood to the ground by my feet. The crazed look in my eyes warned him to stop. That’s when I saw Alex. She was doubled over, dry heaving into the sand, one hand covering her stomach. Cole was no longer in my sights. I didn’t give a shit about him anymore. I wiped blood from my bottom lip and went to her. I went to Alex.

“Jesus, Half-Pint, what did you drink? I just saw you.”

“Whatever the fuck was in the punch. It hit her out of nowhere,” Aubrey answered.

I glared up at Cole while rubbing Alex’s back. “I fucking told you she doesn’t drink. Why the fuck would you let her drink this much?”

“She told me she was fine.”

I wanted to continue to yell at him and threaten him, but all it would do was reaffirm that he didn’t know her. By the look on his face he finally fucking realized it.

“What time is it?” I asked Aubrey.