She threw her head back and let out a sigh. She looked around before speaking. “But I’m so attracted to him that I can’t even think straight. God! I’ve been fucking dreaming about his ass. I can’t get him out of my head, Whit. I don’t like him! I can’t like him, but my God, he’s so damn good-looking, and his body is out of this world. And his lips—I just want to taste them. Oh God, what am I saying?” Courtney buried her face into her hands.
“Court, honey, if you have feelings for Reed, don’t fight it. God, I can’t imagine if I had kept denying my feelings for Layton. I feel like he is the best thing that has eve
r happened to me. ”
Courtney glanced up, and her smile faded.
I looked over toward where she was staring. Layton was dancing with Olivia. My heart stopped. Florida Georgia Line’s “Never Let Her Go” was playing.
“Not the best song for him to be dancing with her to,” Courtney said as she turned back to me.
I couldn’t pull my eyes away from them. He wasn’t dancing very close to her, but a few people were watching them.
“Whit, he’s had a lot to drink. Maybe he just isn’t thinking straight. ”
I slowly looked at Courtney and then turned around and called out to Kevin. “Kevin, can you please take me back to shore?”
Kevin’s smile faded when he turned toward where Layton and Olivia were dancing. He looked back at me and shook his head. “Wait, Whitley, I’m sure that means nothing. I know Olivia has been bugging him all day about dancing. It means nothing. ”
I felt the tears burning, but I tried to hold them back. “Please…just take me back,” I whispered.
As we pulled up to the shore, “Done” by The Band Perry started playing. I couldn’t help but let out a gruff laugh.
Kevin grabbed my arm before I jumped off the boat. “Whitley…”
I looked him in the eye and smiled slightly. “And here, you were afraid I’d be the one who would hurt him. ” I turned and jumped off the pontoon, and then I started to make my way toward the road.
Courtney came running up and grabbed my arm. “Whit, stop! He’s not even dancing with her anymore or talking to her. I think Kevin was right. Layton was just trying to be nice. Please don’t do this, Whitley. Don’t walk away from him without giving him a chance to explain. ”
“I need to be alone. Please just give me a minute or two. Please, Court. ”
She gave me a weak smile and nodded. I looked over her shoulder and saw Layton walking toward me. I quickly spun around and walked away.
Please stop him from following me, Courtney. If you’re really my best friend, you will stop him.
I was too afraid to look back, and by the time I reached the giant oak I’d had my sights on, I was crying.
Fuck! Why was he dancing with her? How could I be so stupid?
“Whitley,” I heard Layton say from behind me.
I quickly wiped the tears away from my eyes. The last thing I wanted was for him to see me crying.
I knew this was too good to be true. I wasn’t meant to find happiness.
“Whit, it kills me to know you are crying because of me, baby. ”
The tenderness in his voice was my undoing. I started crying harder. All I wanted was for him to take me in his arms and tell me he loved me and that Olivia meant nothing to him.
The moment I felt his hands on me, I swore I felt the love flow through my body. I turned to look at him. When I saw a tear rolling down his face, I let out a gasp.
“I’m so sorry, baby. She kept asking me to dance with her, and I finally just broke down to shut her up. I wasn’t even thinking how it would look to you, and I wasn’t even paying attention to the song. I swear to God, Whitley, when I look at her, I don’t have any feelings at all for her. Baby, when I saw the look in your eyes before you walked away…I wanted to fall to the ground, just knowing it was me who put that hurt there. I love you, Whitley. Please believe me. I’d never do anything to hurt you. God, I promise you, I’ll never hurt you. ”
The next thing I knew, I was in his arms, and he was holding me so tightly while I just cried. I wasn’t even sure I was crying about him dancing with Olivia anymore.
He was moving his hand up and down my back. “Shh…baby, it’s all right. ”
I pulled back and stared into his beautiful blue eyes. I took a deep breath and knew what I had to do. I had to be completely honest with him.