Sweet Fall (Sweet Home 2)

Lexi stood next to me, and I discreetly nudged her with my arm. I caught her smile ghost across her lips.

“So what’s the plan tonight?” Ally asked as she looked around the group.

“We don’t go home until the morning, so let’s go out,” Rome replied and wrapped his arms around Molly from behind. She looked up at him like he was her world. I caught Lexi sigh and look at Rome pressing a kiss on Molly’s neck, like she wished it were her.

As if she felt me watching, Lexi’s eyes locked on mine, then immediately turned down.

My body tensed and I got pretty damn pissed. What the f**k is that all about? Does she have a thing for Rome?

“We could go out. I feel like we haven’t done much as a group for a while,” Molly said in her thick English accent.

Rome nodded. “Then it’s decided. Tonight we go out.”

“Jimmy-Don, you better get your juicy hiney on this here dance floor and get to two-steppin’. I’m fixin’ to dance!” Cass hollered from the dance floor to Jimmy-Don, who was sitting with us in our booth. My cowboy friend shook his head and laughed as he made his way toward the larger-than-life blonde, donning his Stetson.

They were actually pretty perfect together.

“Reece, you wanna dance?” Ally asked the surfer-looking freshman. He jumped outta his seat like his ass was on fire.

“I’m gonna murder that little shit if he keeps creeping on my cousin like that,” Rome promised from across the table, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Rome didn’t care who Ally dated, but he drew the line at anyone from the team. Last thing he wanted to hear was locker room talk about how she was in the sack.

“Baby, leave him alone and come dance with me,” Molly said, and, like always, Rome’s mood lightened. He lifted a giggling Molly from the booth and headed to the floor.

“Are you guys joining us?” Molly shouted over Rome’s shoulder.

Lexi seemed to be wearing the same mask of horror I was, and we mutually shook our heads.

“Not feeling the country tunes?” Lexi asked, dressed in her black loose dress and Doc Martin boots.

“Isn’t exactly Korn or Metallica, so no.”

Cass’s loud laughter boomed out from the dance floor, and Lexi couldn’t help but smile.

“So—”

“Why were you staring at Rome after the game?” I butted into whatever Lexi a about to say.

She blanched. “What?”

“At the field. You were staring at him all googly eyed and shit. You like him, is that it?” My voice sounded pretty curt, but I really didn’t care.

“I don’t—” She tried to speak again, but I held up my hand and pointed to Molly and Rome slow dancing on the edge of the floor.

“He’s not gonna give her up for anything. The guy is crazy in love with her. Like lifetime kinda love.”

Lexi’s face darkened and she hit away my held up hand. “Firstly, Molly is one of my best friends, and, even if I did like Rome, I would never ruin her chance at happiness. And secondly, I don’t like Rome, other than as a friend, of course. He’s so not my type.”

I relaxed at hearing those words, and I frowned. I couldn’t believe the strength of my annoyance when I thought she liked someone else.

“Then why were you looking at them like that?” I asked with a little less sharpness in my voice.

The music changed from one Honky-Tonk tune to the next, and I felt like slitting my wrists. How the f**k do people listen to this shit?

“I wasn’t looking at them because I wanted Rome. It was just…” Lexi bowed her head and began playing with her fingernails.

I moved closer and heard her breath stutter. “Just what?” I pushed.

“I just envy them, that’s all.”

I was confused. “Envy what?”

“Them! How free they are with each other. How content.”

“They’re together. What else do you expect? Hell, look at Cass and Jimmy-Don.” I pointed over to the two of them doing the Dougie with serious expressions.

Jesus. H. Christ.

“Yeah, well, not everyone can be that way with someone else. It’s nice to see but difficult for me to comprehend.”

That comment got my attention. Though Lexi’s eyes were fixed firmly on the table, she was pulling the sleeves of her dress down over her palms.

“What the hell does that mean?” I asked and watched Lexi give a slight shrug.

“You ain’t had a guy treat you right before or some shit? An old boyfriend do wrong by you?”

Lexi’s timid eyes flickered to mine and then straight back down again. Her hands were shaking, and even above this god-awful song and the strum of the f**kin’ banjo, I heard her breath come hard. So I moved closer still, our arms now brushing.

Dipping my head, I asked, “You gonna answer me?” My stomach was wound real tight thinking some dick coulda hurt her in the past. She must weigh about as much as wet rag. Fuck, Axel had had her up against the wall, and I’d threatened her. That memory alone had me wincing in shame.

“I’ve never had a boyfriend,” she whispered almost inaudibly.

My head whipped to her in shock. “You ain’t never had a boyfriend?”

Lexi shook her head.

“You’ve dated, though, right?”

Another shake of the head.

It just didn’t make sense. She was gorgeous, sweet, had a heart of f**kin’ gold.