The Butterfly Effect (Boggy Creek Valley 1)

“I love this song,” she finally said.

“What’s the name of it?” I asked.

She smiled. “‘Maybe We Will,’ by Noah something.”

I drew her closer to me. Her small body fit against mine perfectly. I wasn’t as tall as Hunter, Kylie, or Bishop. They all stood over six feet, with Adam just at six. I was the shortest of the bunch, five-eleven, but I could take down any of my friends faster than they could blink.

Something about the way Willa looked at me made me feel like I was going to lose control if she kept it up. She must have sensed it, because she broke her gaze and glanced around the dance floor.

“You know, I don’t think we’ve ever danced together,” she said after a few moments of silence.

I shook my head and laughed. “We have danced together. I’m hurt you don’t remember.”

Willa jerked her body back some and stared up at me as she tried to think of when we’d danced before.

“You were eleven, and I guess I was fourteen or fifteen. It was at your cousin Mick’s wedding. You begged me to dance with you, and I let you stand on my feet.”

I could tell the moment the memory came back to her. “How in the world could I forget that? I think that was when I had my first real crush on a boy!”

With her confession, I tossed my head back and laughed. “You had a crush on me then?”

She chuckled. “Yes, of course I did. It was a Frank Sinatra song, wasn’t it?”

A warm feeling of happiness spread through me, and for a moment I was caught off guard. “Yeah, it was ‘Witchcraft.’”

“That’s right! You certainly bewitched me with that dance. None of Hunter’s friends would dare dance with me, but you did. Why?”

She was penetrating me once again with those baby blue eyes of hers, so I placed my hand on her lower back and guided her body back to mine without answering. We danced in silence until the song was over. I knew she wanted an answer, but I didn’t want to tell her I only danced with her to win brownie points with a girl I thought was cute. I would never hurt Willa that way.

Stepping away from her, I cleared my throat. “I’m getting a drink, want anything?”

“A water.”

With a wink, I took her hand in mine, and we made our way over to the bar. I motioned for the bartender and ordered another beer and whiskey for me and a water for Willa. When the whiskey was placed in front of me, I downed it in one drink. The warmth of the liquid went right through my body and instantly cleared my head of the guilt I had felt only seconds ago.

I motioned with my head to make our way back over to the table. Willa gave me a soft smile and turned to walk that way. As we got closer, I saw no one was there.

“Where did they all go?” I asked over the music.

Willa glanced back over at the dance floor. “Seems like everyone coupled up.”

The idea of taking her somewhere and having my way with her hit me like a jolt. My jaw twitched with how hard I had it clenched down to keep myself in check.

Willa sighed and faced me once more. “I know everyone came out to celebrate D-day, but honestly, I think I want to leave.”

I frowned. “You do?”

She nodded, looked down at the beer in my hand, and then back up at me. “Did you drive here?”

“No, I don’t drink if I’m driving. I rode with Hunter.”

A look of relief passed over her face before she glanced around. “There’s Hunter and Bree. I’m going to go tell them I have a headache. Will you wait here?”

“Um, sure,” I said as I felt my brows pull in with confusion.

“Be right back.”

I took a drink of my beer as I watched Willa walk up to Hunter and Bree. Hunter looked over at me and then back at Willa. He frowned, then nodded and said something. Willa lifted her hands and placed one on his chest and responded. Reaching up, she kissed him on the cheek, then turned to Bree.

Before Willa walked away, Bree reached for her hand, and I could tell she put something in it as she leaned down and said something for only Willa to hear. When Willa opened her hand, she snatched it shut again, then pushed the item back into Brighton’s hand, shaking her head. She turned to walk toward me, and I couldn’t help but smile as her cheeks turned red when she glanced back at Bree who was wearing a shit-eating grin.

Swallowing hard, I watched Willa’s luscious body sway as she made her way over to me.

“I have a huge favor to ask you,” she shouted over the music.