“Lara, you okay?” Grayson asked, coming up behind her.
She sucked in a breath and stood up straighter before turning around. “Of course. I was just telling Evan how happy I am that Summer has him. Why don’t we get a drink and we can talk to your parents. I don’t think I can avoid them for the whole night, right?”
Grayson smiled and put his arm around her. “No, which is why I was looking for you. Let’s go.”
They sauntered off and I rushed straight out the back door to the parking lot. I expected to see Summer yelling at Luke, but that wasn’t what I saw at all.
Chapter 20
Summer
“Will she ever talk to me again?” Luke asked.
I looked over at him, and my heart hurt. Before facing him, I’d prepared myself for a fight, but he wasn’t confrontational at all. Instead, we sat on the tailgate of his truck and just talked. I was afraid to tell him about Lara and Grayson for fear that he’d blow up, but he needed to know the truth.
“I don’t know, Luke. You’re just going to have to live with the consequences.”
“Please let me go in there. I won’t cause a scene. I just want to tell her I’m sorry.”
“You can’t,” Evan answered.
I gasped and turned to see him waltzing toward us. “I didn’t know you were coming out here.”
“Lara told me where you were. I thought you might need some help.”
Luke slid off the tailgate and faced him. “Why can’t I go in there and tell her I’m sorry? She needs to hear it from me.”
“No, she doesn’t, because she won’t believe it. You need to do a lot more than tell her you’re sorry. And until you can do that, it’s best you stay away from her. It’ll only make things worse.”
“What if I go in there anyway?”
Evan huffed and closed his eyes. “You’ll have to go through me first. Lara doesn’t want to see you. She’s with someone else now.”
Groaning, I lowered my head to avoid Luke’s angry glare. “Is that true?” he growled at me.
I looked up at him and nodded. “I wanted to tell you, but I didn’t want to see the look that’s now in your eyes.”
“Fuck that,” he shouted. “I’m going inside.” He tried to push past Evan, but Evan blocked him. They faced off with each other, the tension rising. I didn’t want them to fight; they were best friends.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped between them and lowered my voice. “Guys, this is stupid. You’re friends.”
Luke scoffed, backing away. “That’s where I beg to differ,” he said, glaring at Evan. “If our situations were reversed and it was Summer inside, I’d let you go to her. I would give you the benefit of the doubt and accept that you’ve changed. But you’re not going to do that, are you?”
Evan’s face softened and he sighed. “I would, brother, but this night is special for Summer and Lara. The last thing they need is you and Grayson battling it out. I have no doubt he’ll come after you if you go in there.”
Luke faltered. “So it’s Grayson? That’s who she’s with?”
“I’m sorry, Luke. After you left her, it just happened,” I whispered.
Luke peered down at me, determination in his smoldering green eyes. “You tell her it’s not over. I’m not going to give up.” With those words, he opened the door to his truck, got in, and slammed it shut. Evan and I watched as he sped out of the parking lot, his tires screeching.
“Why do men always realize what they want when it’s too late?” I asked.
Evan put his arm around me and sighed. “Because we can be stupid sometimes. I’m just lucky enough that I knew what I wanted long before you did.”
“Do you think Luke’s just talking shit, or do you think he’ll cause problems?”
“Knowing him, he’ll come back with a vengeance. Just make sure Lara and Grayson are fully prepared. Luke’s not only aggressive, but determined. He always gets what he wants.”
“But at what cost?”
Evan squeezed me and kissed the top of my head. “Let’s not worry about that tonight. Lara, Luke, and Grayson will have to figure all of that out on their own.” That thought scared the shit out of me, but he was right. Only they could figure it out.
We walked back inside, where the party had started to die down. It was getting late and everyone was ready to call it a night. I wasn’t looking forward to the cleaning-up part. Luckily, the football players stayed to help, along with Austin’s parents and Philip. When all was said and done, I said my goodbyes to Donna and Jerry, knowing I probably wouldn’t see them for another several months. I hated that I didn’t see them much, but our lives were different now. It had been a bittersweet reunion.
“It looks like the place is clearing out except for Dr. Hottie McHotpants over there. I think he and Evan had some words earlier tonight,” Lara confessed.
“What?” I gasped.
“Yeah, Evan was pissed. Has he not said anything to you about it?”