In that moment, it hit me harder than anything ever had before. I needed to let him know how I felt. I wasn’t going to let this evening end without telling him.
Luke, Colt, and I all carried the extra table down to the barn and up to the loft.
I looked around and smiled when I saw the bed. “You think your parents still sneak out here, Colt?”
Colt made a disgusted face, but then he smiled slightly and shook his head. “Yeah, I’m sure they do. I want a love like that someday.”
Luke and I both let out a long breath and looked at each other.
Luke busted out laughing and said, “Damn girls.”
“Hell, you got that right,” Colt said. “They drive you crazy. They don’t tell you what’s really on their minds, and when they do, they don’t give you any damn warning.”
I shook my head. “What’s going on with you and Lauren?”
Colt grunted. “After she blew me off that night, I ended up getting back together with Rachel, who I can barely stand. Now, Lauren is pissed at me because I’m dating Rachel.” He shook his head. “Makes me just want to give up on women altogether.”
“No! Don’t ever talk that way, dude. A man needs a vagina to function.” Luke sat down in a chair and leaned back, balancing it on the back legs.
I looked at him. “Really? You just said that?”
“Hey, I could have said pussy, but I kept it clean. It’s true though. A man does need pussy to survive in this world.”
Colt started laughing. “Damn, Luke. What is wrong with you?”
Luke held up his hands and laughed. “Keeping it real. Just keeping it real.”
“That’s why he has his fuck buddy. No strings. Just a fun way to survive in this world. Isn’t that right, Luke?”
I closed my eyes when I heard Libby’s voice. Shit.
I turned and looked at Libby, Grace, Lauren, Taylor, and Lex all standing there.
“What?” Luke lost his balance on the chair and dropped backward to the floor.
Libby smiled and shook her head. “I’m heading out for a while to meet someone. I don’t have my car. Can I borrow your truck, Will?”
“Uh…”
Luke jumped up. “You’re going out? On Christmas night? Where in the hell are you going?”
Libby glared at Luke. “Jason’s in town, and he asked if I wanted to meet him for dessert.”
Luke laughed. “What kind of dessert, Lib?”
“Watch it, Luke,” I said through gritted teeth.
“The kind you’ll never get from me, Luke.”
I snapped my head over and looked at Libby. She walked up to me and held her hand out for my truck keys.
“Wait. What did you just say?” I asked.
“Can I borrow your truck or not, Will?”
I looked at Lex and then back at Libby. I reached in, pulled out my truck keys, and handed them to her. I watched her walk away, and then I glanced at Luke. His hands were balled into fists.
Lauren walked up and waited a few seconds. “She isn’t going to meet anyone. You pissed her off with your comment, Luke.”