Without You (Love Wanted in Texas 1)

“Hey, sis. You all changed?”

She nodded her head. She seemed flustered and confused.

“Where’s Luke?” Grace asked.

“Um…he’s kind of passed out in Colt’s truck. He managed to, um…change into dry clothes, but he’s really drunk. I had to help him back into the truck.”

Grace laughed. “What is with him getting so shitfaced lately?”

Libby sat down and glanced over to me. Something wasn’t right.

I mouthed, Are you all right?

She nodded and smiled weakly.

“Libby, can I talk to you in private?” I asked as I stood up. I always knew when something wasn’t right with my sister. It was almost like I could feel when she was upset or sad or just not right.

She stood up and began walking to my truck. She stopped and turned around with a fake-ass smile on her face. “What’s up?”

I raised my eyebrow at her. “Libby, I know you well enough to know that something is off. You look flustered and confused as hell.”

She laughed. “Will, I promise, everything is okay.”

Then, I felt the heat moving up my body. “Did Luke try anything with you? I’ll hurt that bastard if he did.”

She shook her head. “Will, no. Everything is fine.”

Sam Hunt’s “Raised on It” began playing, and the girls all screamed.

Libby smiled at me and kissed me on the cheek. “I promise, I’m okay, Will.”

“I love you, Lib.”

“I love you, too.”

Libby turned and walked over to the girls, and they started dancing. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Luke walking up. He was for sure drunk and acting like a fool.

I pulled out my phone and started recording everyone. I couldn’t help but think about how most of us would soon be leaving for college. I smiled as I watched Lex dancing. I tried to push away the uneasy feeling I got in the pit of my stomach. It was that same uneasy feeling that told me things were going to change soon, very soon.

I sat on my bed, holding Emma to my chest. Tears threatened to come again. I had cried so much the last two days that I was sure I had no more tears left.

I heard the door open and felt my bed move. The moment he entered my room, I knew it was Will.

“Hey,” he whispered.

I couldn’t talk. If I talked, I’d cry again. I shook my head and clutched Emma harder.

“Lex, I promise you, everything is going to be okay.”

I turned and looked at him. His eyes were bloodshot.

Has he been crying?

Libby had told me that Will hadn’t been sleeping well at all the last few nights.

“I-I can’t leave you.” I broke down crying again.

Will moved closer to me and took me in his arms. “Baby, I swear to you, we’re gonna make this work. Our love is too strong, Lex. You have to believe in our love.”